Halfway to the center of the stadium, Dervish stopped and turned Zoe so that she faced the archway. He slid a hand around her neck. Zoe found that she couldn’t make a sound now, not even a gasp. Dervish didn’t want her warning X about the ambush.
He was beaming.
She was bait.
The guards in the rivers crouched so low that Zoe could only see a row of hats and helmets, like vegetables just starting to grow. Up on the walkway above the arch, the rest of the squad killed time by trading weapons—a wrench for a whip, a hammer for a bowling pin. Tree, who was one of them, looked afraid. The others all whispered giddily, thrilled about the coming fight.
It was going to be a massacre.
The plan that had come to Zoe in the tunnel started to seem very small and insufficient. She didn’t know if she’d get close enough to Regent to whisper it, or even if he would agree to it. Zoe watched the archway for X. She was scared, exhausted, overwhelmed, but she pushed past all that to access her fury—at Dervish, at the guards, at the inhuman cells spiraling up and up. Anger was what she needed now. It was energy. She could work with it.
Suddenly, there was a torch in the tunnel. And two voices.
Neither was X’s. Judging from the accents, it had to be the servant and the Ukrainian guard.
Dervish signaled the men above the arch. They lifted their weapons, and jostled for position. Zoe knew they’d beat X first and worst, just to impress Dervish. Even Tree would be forced to join in.
Zoe struggled in Dervish’s grip, and felt his skeletal fingers tighten around her neck.
She saw the Ukrainian and Maudlin emerge from the tunnel. The guard wore a red Adidas tracksuit. The servant held her cat against her shoulder.
“Want to know true fact?” the Ukrainian was saying. “All cats would rather be dogs. Do not dispute, you will only sound silly.”
Maudlin laughed.
“Vesuvius and I are ignoring you,” she said.
They stared at the ground as they walked out of the tunnel. It was agony waiting for them to look up.
And then they looked up.
They froze. If Zoe could have screamed, she would have screamed, Run! But Dervish wouldn’t let her so much as turn her head. His men waited for his signal.
Maudlin darted back the way they’d come—to get Regent and X, Zoe guessed.
The Ukrainian stood his ground. He spread his feet and glared at Dervish, like he was trying to intimidate him.
“What a delusional little person,” said Dervish.
Regent rushed up from behind and entered the stadium. He saw Zoe and stopped dead.
Dervish was clearly waiting for X to show himself. The men on the ledge leaned forward hungrily.
At last, X came out of the tunnel, with Maudlin close behind. Zoe saw him shade his eyes at the sudden light. She saw him take in the massive tower of cells. She saw him recognize Dervish.
She saw his eyes fall on her.
He stepped back in shock.
Then he moved toward Zoe—warily at first, as if he still disbelieved what he saw. Regent reached out to stop him, but X brushed him away.
“Dervish, what have you done?” said X.
“I did nothing—she followed ME!” said Dervish.
“Liar!” said X.
His voice was weaker than Zoe had ever heard it, and his face was covered with bruises she didn’t remember. She had never seen X when he was … human. No stronger than anyone else. Ordinary.
“A liar?” said Dervish. “Me? Now you’re being hurtful!”
X took off his coat, and let it fall as he came closer. Had his shirt always been so filthy and torn? Had he always winced as he walked? Zoe feared for him in a way she never had.
“Tell me it isn’t you?” he called to her. “Tell me this is some mad game of Dervish’s?”
Dervish gripped Zoe’s throat tighter.
She tried to warn X with her eyes, but discovered that she couldn’t even move them from side to side. All she could communicate was, It’s me. I’m sorry. It’s me.
She was ashamed, but even as X came forward, she could see him forgive her. It took half a second. Maybe less. His expression just changed. Softened. She loved him for it. He was so much kinder than she was. Had he always looked so tired? Had his face always been so thin?
Regent and the others followed X protectively. Zoe was moved by their loyalty. Maudlin and the Ukrainian could have just run.
“NOW!” shouted Dervish.
His men jumped from the archway, like animals leaping out of trees. They landed loudly, grunting on impact.
X and his friends whirled around.
The rest of Dervish’s men charged out of the rivers. The squad swarmed at X and the others from three sides, every man shouting some sort of war cry. A thousand prisoners pounded on their doors. The thuds made Zoe’s bones vibrate.
Though X had no powers, Zoe could tell that he knew how to fight. She watched as he head-butted a guard and took his club. But half a dozen men were on him instantly. He was the one they were after. The prize.
Even while he was under siege, X’s eyes kept returning to Zoe.
She heard him shout to Regent: “I cannot reach her.”
She heard Regent shout back: “I can.”
The lord left the melee, and moved toward Dervish and Zoe. When one of Dervish’s men tried to block him, Regent stiffened his arm and swung it at his throat. The guard flew backward, spitting blood.
Zoe felt a flash of hope as Regent approached: he was going to beat the shit out of Dervish. He actually pushed up his sleeves to fight, which she’d only ever seen in a movie.
Maybe they wouldn’t even need Zoe’s plan.
But without Regent to worry about, Dervish’s men attacked more viciously. A guard swung an ax handle at Maudlin’s face. She dodged it, took the blow on her shoulder, then fell. Three others pulled X down, and took the club back. Only Tree refused to fight. Maudlin had shooed her cat to safety, and Tree stood beside the animal now, ready to defend it.
Zoe looked for the Ukrainian.
At least he would have a weapon.
But no: one of Dervish’s men had wrenched the baseball bat away from the guard, and jammed the handle into his mouth. The Ukrainian crumpled to the ground, howling and clutching a silver necklace he wore.
X fought his way out of the knot of bodies, and ran to help him. Zoe remembered him talking about a Russian guard. This had to be the same man. She remembered X saying that he was ridiculous sometimes, but that he was a friend—that he was funny and never cruel, that he’d worn tracksuits in several different colors, that he’d had a crush on Ripper that had lasted decades.
Zoe approved of anybody who had a crush on Ripper.
Before X could get to his friend, Dervish’s guard dragged the Ukrainian to the river by his necklace, and threw him in. The water rocketed him toward the canyon’s edge. Dervish laughed approvingly and, with a snap of his fingers, set the river on fire.
Flames shot up like fountains.
Zoe could hear X’s friend scream in his native tongue as the current pulled him away.
At last, Dervish released Zoe, and pushed her forward with a boot.
“You have served your purpose, little girl,” he said.
Zoe stumbled toward Regent, and begged him to turn back and help X and Maudlin.
“Forget Dervish,” she said. “Come with me.”
“When did you become my commander?” said Regent.
“When I thought of a plan,” said Zoe.
She brushed past him, praying he’d follow.
He did.
Outraged, Dervish shouted after Regent: “For heaven’s sake, you are a LORD! At least PRETEND that you deserve that golden band! Let the insects fight each other!”
Regent didn’t answer.
Three guards were pummeling X with their fists. X could barely stand. He was just taking the blows.
Zoe looked at Regent. It was time to see what he thought of her plan.
“Give X his powers,” she said. “Don’t think—just do it.”
Regent looked shocked.
“No prisoner has ever been allowed that sort of strength here in the Lowlands,” he said. “Not even a bounty hunter.”
“You’re thinking,” said Zoe, “and while you’re thinking they’re beating the crap out of X.”
The guards were now holding X up just so they could hit him.
“I will do it,” said Regent.
“Thank you,” said Zoe.
She looked at Maudlin, who was trying to help X, trying to crawl to him. Dervish’s men struck her and kicked her, but she kept coming back. It was awful to watch.
“And also give her some powers,” said Zoe. “I’m not kidding. Don’t look at me like that.”
Zoe bent over, put her hands on her knees, and drew the first real breath she’d had since Dervish released her.
“And I want some, too.”