Page 26 of Flame and Sparrow

He slowed nearly to a stop. He seemed to be fighting to keep his gaze fixed in front of us and his posture relaxed and indifferent.

I glared at him until he finally glanced my way, silver eyes glinting as we stepped into the most well-lit room thus far. I gave him a saccharine smile, fully expecting to receive another blow to the face in response—a matching bruise for my other cheek, maybe.

But all he said before turning back to the path ahead was, “Interesting.”

Which was more infuriating—and disappointing—than the argument I’d been bracing myself for. I’d been trying to goad him with that last smile, to vex him into making a careless misstep that I could take advantage of. We hadn’t passed many other guards on our march, and I was feeling a little more like my usual fighting self. He was much stronger than me, but I could still be quick and slippery even if I wasn’t at full strength. All I needed was a mistake I could exploit.

The guard said nothing else, however, nor did he look my way as we walked onward. His hold on my chains stayed mercilessly tight, jerking me along with increasingly agitated motions. He nearly pulled me off my feet more than once—purposefully reminding me of how easily my weakened self could trip, I suspected.

I continued to plot my escape anyway.

As we stepped into the grey, overcast daylight, more guards poured out of the prison hold as well and folded in around us, blocking any path except for the one directly forward.

I had been carried back to the city of Cauldra, as expected. I recognized the street we’d emerged onto; the temple we’d destroyed had stood at the end of this road, its red and orange stained-glass windows positioned to embrace the light of the setting sun.

A crowd was gathered in the ruins now, their voices gratingly loud after so much time in my near-silent cell. Loud andodd,I thought—a strange mixture of excited chatter and solemn chanting that I couldn’t make sense of.

My escort indicated for me to start walking toward the noise, wearing a smile as nasty as the one I’d given him a few minutes ago. I narrowed my gaze on the distant crowd, determined not to spare another glance at him.

Slowly, the full scene at the road’s end came into focus, and I saw where the horrible stench of smoke had been coming from: A newly erected platform stood in the center of what remained of the temple’s foundations, and all around it were little fires, neatly spaced and deliberately set. Herbs and animal carcasses and all manner of other sacrificial things were burning, sending smoke spiraling up to the heavens—apologies for their failed temple dedication, I guessed.

Dozens upon dozens of humans were kneeling and praying around these fires, some of them chanting, some of them crying. As we approached, a man pointed in my direction—

No, not just in my direction.

Directly at me.

Several more followed the man’s pointing, and then heads were turning to look my way, and a raucous cheer went up, as if they’d all been waiting in the heat and the smoke all day just to catch a glimpse of me.

There was a flurry of movement as the man who’d first pointed me out ran for the platform, vaulting onto it and grabbing a rope stretched across it. Two other men joined his efforts, and together they pulled and tied off three separate ropes, lifting and securing the wide wooden post they were attached to.

More joined in as I watched—men, women, and even children offering bundled piles of kindling and twine-tied clumps of fragrant herbs, tossing them onto the platform until it was entirely covered, save for a narrow path leading to the risen post.

My blood became ice, freezing me mid-step, as I realized what was happening.

Theyhadbeen waiting for me. For me to be fully awake, fully conscious and able to march toward the center of the platform. Through their fresh offerings. Toward the pyre they’d erected, where their greatest offering of all would be set alight.

They no longer had a temple to give to the God of Fire.

So they were going to give himme.

Chapter8

“Delightfully barbaric, isn’t it?”asked my guard escort.

My head snapped toward him.

His smug smile remained candidly in place.

“I don’t find anything about this delightful.” My words came out with less bite and more fear than I’d intended.

His smile twitched the tiniest bit—as if reacting to the breath of terror in my voice—but I didn’t want his pity.

I looked away, back to the crowd ahead, steeling myself. As I was marched forward, my eyes covertly darted toward alleyways and side-streets, across balconies and into windows, looking for a way out. For anything and everything I could potentially use to my advantage. For signs of my kind, my allies...

Surely they were hiding somewhere in the city, watching this unfold, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

Theyhadto be.

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