Page 100 of Burn Her They Said
“What does it say?” Malin asks.
I shove the blanket off of my head when Varic folds the letter back. “They have yet to identify whoever is behind the attacks, and though this letter was delivered by falcon, we cannot be sure our location will remain safe for long. Emperor Aldritch commands that we report back to the Palace in the morning with the intent to present a strong image when he holds court. Apparently, placing the Imperial Grand Witch in hiding after such attacks might come across as weak to the bordering lands when we are in the process of trade negotiations.”
Ice trickles in my veins with this requirement to return to the location where a bomb nearly killed us all. To be forced to sleep in the room where I awoke to a shattered window. A room which was meant to be our tomb. Stone walls etched with the impression of the explosion meant to snuff the life out of us all, were it not for Varic’s hard-earned abilities with force magic.
“We can’t take her back there.” Fray’s tone is filled with resolution.
“We’re already so far from the Palace. We can just keep going East,” Lars says.
Varic releases a breath. “I wish I could agree with you. However, the dangers of traveling without a plan, to an unknown location with unknown enemies targeting her, are too great to consider. Especially without resources or a safe location where we could seek asylum. I agree we need to extract her, but we also need time to formulate a viable plan which we can execute safely.”
“You all seem to be forgetting how even if you were to formulate a plan,” I begin, “I would refuse to abide by it. Or do you believe my determination to defend our citizens against their ruler—who would neglect their needs even further in wasting every resource required to find me—is no longer true? Do you all know me so little to believe I would further endanger each of you even more than you already experience as my Guards.”
“She’s right,” Fray says. “The six of us are the biggest living targets on the Continent. Aside from our beloved Emperor, of course.”
“If only someone were able to kill him without leaving us to die under the reign of the Dragons,” I say wistfully, as every set of eyes turns to stare in my direction. “What? I only dream of it daily. Wishing the accords didn’t allow the Emperor to forgo naming an heir so we are all too scared to touch him, so he cannot leave us to bloodshed and devastation in his stubbornness. And what are we to do once he does perish? Run away and hope for the best?”
Varic shakes his head. “No, that’s why we need to get ahead of this, which includes getting you safe from his clutches.”
Cirrin sighs. “I agree with Varic. We need a plan and resources first. Otherwise, we risk her safety in ways we cannot anticipate. At least at the Palace, we have some idea of how to handle the Emperor.”
“Except he has been deviating from his typical patterns,” Malin says. “And the attacks are increasing in both frequency and intensity.”
“Just what I was going to say,” Fray adds.
“Wait, I hadn’t considered,” Cirrin begins, “but should we be concerned about her ability to block magic being found out?”
“Of course,” Varic says. “We should be concerned with everything to do with her magic. Judging from the way you described it, she must have been practicing this for years, somehow without realizing it. And if Malin cannot detect her use of it, we can assume none of the other telekinetics can either.”
“You’re certain this couldn’t be the first time she used this power?” Lars confirms.
“I am.” Varic’s tone is grave, casting a silence over the room. “Now, can we all agree on returning tomorrow morning, where we will collaborate on a plan of extraction?”
I open my mouth to protest at the same time each of my Guards grunts their assent.
Whispers follow, filling the air with indiscernible noise as I need to remind them why we remain in our roles even when it all feels impossible.
“We do this for them,” I say, voice wavering. “We endure, for them.” My chest tightens uncomfortably with the use of Hendry’s saying.
Varic releases a breath and slowly pads toward the bed to sit upon the edge as it groans under him. “Yes, we do. And we have. And we will continue to do so until that tyrant is no longer able to use those he is meant to protect in order to make himself feel more powerful.”
Narrowing my eyes, I ask, “What do you mean?”
“Like I said, extraction is only the beginning.” His lips press together, forming a line. “A necessary step to change the Empire for the better.”
“But—”
“Your power has been required.” He gestures to each of my Guards. “All of your powers have been needed. Had you not prevented the Emperor from enacting even worse policies—from making even more evil decrees—I do not care to think of what life could be like now. However, Hendry’s words will still be true once we have extracted you, because in order to gain asylum, we need to work with whichever land will have us to make our Empire a safer place for every citizen living within its borders.”
“It’s not possible.” My voice comes out thick with hopelessness.
“I know it feels unattainable. Revolution requires an active imagination, which is something I happen to know you possess. However, after a lifetime of being held captive by such evil, I can understand it must be difficult to imagine anything could be less terrible than what you already know.”
Varic lifts his legs up on the bed and rolls over to face me, bringing that cloying heat only his attention seems to induce in me, spreading across my skin as my heart jolts from the way the mattress dips in the small distance between us.
He leans in with barely a breath of air keeping us from touching as he whispers, “There are armed Guards outside the window and every point of egress. We have each agreed to take shifts sleeping so we might regain our strength for the journey tomorrow.”
I bite down on my lips and suppress the satisfied smile from giving away my pleasure at learning this.
