Page 393 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

“August walks free,” he said pointedly. It was only then that his eyes finally flicked to mine. Anger—hatred, maybe? Something worse. Something volatile in its ruthlessness. Something I’d never seen across his features before and certainly would never wish to have aimed at me. And it was aimed directly at me.

A chill ghosted over my skin as I struggled to sit up, back screaming with the motion. “He means to… to harness me?”

“The possibility has crossed my mind.”

“Are there others?”

“She learns.”

“I mean it. Are you certain or are there others he’ll try to control?”

“Do you remember our cousin?”

“He’ll attempt to control Kade?”

“If I were a betting man, I’d guess he’ll attempt to secure Kade. Within that alliance, he can use the Crown on any and all he wishes. Only a child of death can control the gift within.”

Nodding, I ran my tongue over my cracked lips.

Adrastos yanked his dark eyes from my face like I’d slapped him, glaring again out at the grounds. “Commanders Gwyne and young Porter made an advance east, reclaiming territories in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia in the most effective sweep of the North American resistance so far. Commander Gaines may have lost Manhattan, but he and Marcus still hold Boston, Portland, and the Northern seaboard. In the last twenty-four hours, he successfully reclaimed Philadelphia through Delaware with the help of none other than August Porter. While small in acreage, he’s regained access to key ports for goods from the north, and as the Westerlunds and Northern Paladins are pushing south, I anticipate they’ll reactivate the supply chain if Moros doesn’t retaliate quickly.”

Slowly, my eyes scraped over his profile—that straight nose and chiseled jaw, cheekbones that looked a little more pronounced than I remembered below eyes that were nearly hollow. I took a slow sip of water as he rattled off more updates before I finally breathed the words burning in my chest. “Thank you.”

“We had a bargain, Miss Briar.”

“Not for that—well, for that as well,” I amended quickly. “For… the water. And… well…”

This glare was incrementally softer, though still just as bitter. “I’ve known you to possess many attributes, witchling, but extraordinary stupidity was not on my list.” My mouth parted, eyes widening as he demanded, “What were you thinking?”

“Fletcher—”

“Is my ward—my concern, not yours.”

“Moros was shredding him apart,” I said, cursing the way my voice fractured as the memory of that cracking leather rang against my skull. “He was going to kill him.”

“And Barry came to me—which is what you should’ve done.”

A frantic laugh cracked out of me. “How was I supposed to do that?”

“You should’ve stayed out of it.”

“And let a child be mutilated by a monster?” I snapped. “I’m not sure what you think you know about me, but I cannot stand by and allow an innocent to suffer if I can intercede on their behalf.”

“Bloody fool.”

“Fuck you,” I growled. “What would you have me do? Watch that boy get beaten to death?”

“Let me handle it!” he all but roared, jaw snapping shut as his eyes did. Adrastos’ nostrils flared as that muscle in his neck ticked. When he opened his eyes, they burned with embers that took my breath away. “You should’ve trusted me to handle it.”

“Like I trusted you with Mags?” I said flatly. Because I had. I’d thrown aside⁠—

Well, it didn’t matter now. I’d thrown everything aside and practically shoved her into his arms because he made her feel safe. “Look how that turned out.”

“All orphans are my wards.” Like me. “Yes,” he snapped. “Yes, like you. The lost children fall into my jurisdiction, which is why Barry came to get me when he saw what transpired on that lawn—why Smith tried to get you to wait.”

Because he could’ve pulled that card for Fletcher too.

Still. “It could’ve killed him. He’s not even ascended.”