Page 32 of Lies That Blemish
“That’s where I bonded Liana, and that’s where my sister bonded her dragon yesterday,” I admitted.
More shocked gasps, and I could tell by the look on Commander Ledger’s face he didn’t like what I was saying, but he kept quiet, especially since he was technically on leave from his duties.
“They think they own the Talanagi!” I bellowed. “So let’s prove them wrong.”
Roars of excitement ripped through the amassed Fleet soldiers.
“I’m calling for the east side of the Wall within the Wilds to be torn down! Then, we will have an emergency Lottery. All men and women ages eighteen to twenty-five can enter. Even if you have entered before and weren’t chosen.” I met Charlene’s gaze.
The cheers and roars were deafening. People jumped up and down and hugged each other. Clearly, many here had not been chosen to bond in the past and were excited to do so now.
Commander Ledger walked over and met my gaze. “I think it’s the best plan you’ve had since you took over,” he admitted.
I grinned. “Are you only saying that so I’ll end your leave early?”
He gave me a lopsided smile. “Only a little. But seriously, if the Wall is keeping the Talanagi, the most powerful creatures, from entering our territory of the Wilds, we should rip it down.”
I nodded. “It will also make us more vulnerable to invasion through that area.”
“We can handle that,” he said confidently. “Especially with more soldiers bonded to Talanagi.”
I really hoped this idea worked and didn’t just send a bunch of Lottery winners out to die. They were all going to want to bond the best and most powerful, but not all would. It was a risk.
“Alright, head back to Sky Reach and rip down that wall. I’ll oversee the early Lottery,” I told him.
He saluted me, and I felt a genuineness from him that he wanted to follow my lead, and trusted me.
Before he left, I hooked him by the arm and pulled his ear close to me. “I killed Maxim’s sister. She’s on the other side of the park. Have two men bury her in an unmarked grave and expect retaliation.”
He peered at me with surprise.
If Elaine were here, she would tell me to send her head back to Maxim with a threatening note, but I didn’t want to stoke the fires anymore. Truth was, Maxim’s unpredictability scared me. He said I would have three months, and he’d attacked in two. If I wanted to beat him, I’d have to be just as unpredictable. Once he heard I killed his sister, I had no doubt he would retaliate.
“Everyone, back to base! Leave is over,” Commander Ledger barked. “Be on alert for a follow-up attack!”
People scattered then as the rain fell even harder around us. I peered up to see Colt on his griffin. The fire was nearly completely out.
Tetra rode Ariyel as she walked up beside me. “How can I help?” she asked.
I sighed, peering over at my bestie. “I’m calling an emergency Lottery. It’s going to be chaos. People won’t be fully ready. Help me manage it all, while still taking nights to go through my father’s office?”
I hoped it wasn’t too much to ask.
She nodded. “You got it.”
I glanced down at her foot. “How is it?”
She sighed, and I saw the vulnerability in her gaze. “Days like today, I want to cut it off.”
She’d said that before, but only once. A doctor she’d consulted with once had told her the painful flares would begone with amputation, that a clean cut was better than what she was dealing with, but it would greatly impact her mobility. A wheelchair was an option. Or our scientists were just coming out with decent prosthetics. But there was no guarantee she would ever walk again.
I put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s a bad day. It will pass.”
She nodded, and the rain fell down her cheeks so hard I couldn’t tell if she was crying or not.
‘Kohen and Onyx are here,’Liana said, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose sharply.
‘What? Where?’I spun in a circle, scanning the crowd.
