Chapter 16

Evangeline

IT’S A SHAME Petri is going to die on such a beautiful day, was Evangeline’s first thought as she gazed up at the Aerian whose focus was beyond the crowd.

She had delved back into the sea of people, just enough the guards wouldn’t recognize her, but not too far away in case that Caster came back. They had disappeared from her sight, but she was sure they were lingering close by, waiting to catch her alone.

Spitting blazes, she felt foolish. She refused to admit Ceven was right. After all, it was his fault for not telling her a blasted thing about his plan to get her and Lani beyond the wall. Did he expect her to just sit by and wait around for something to happen—or for Lani to get worse?

The announcer’s voice rose over the crowd once more, and the Nytes and humans around her came to a dull hum of conversation. “. . . in aiding slaves out of Castle Peak and betraying the trust of our king, Petri Dianonos is hereby sentenced to death.”

Evangeline scrounged for some pity, some emotion, but she couldn’t muster anything. Except maybe an ounce of regret. For not getting more information out of him when she had the chance.

Petri didn’t respond, his words muffled by a black cloth stuffed in his mouth. Usually the guards allowed those to be executed a few last words, but it looked like they’d made an exception for Petri. Most likely to keep him from revealing how the king was using forbidden Caster magic to steal the lives of humans for his own power. To go to war, based on what Ceven had said.

Her nails bit into her skin, her teeth slamming together at the thought of the king, Vane, and all those other guards marking and destroying her kind in the worst way.

She’d almost turned around—she had no desire to watch an Aerian hang as everyone cheered and hollered at his limp body—when her gaze caught on something. A man, a human, with four dots under his left eye.

Petri’s words rattled inside her skull. If you ever change your mind, look for the cut of an ear, four marks of freckles that linger beneath the eye, or a scar above the mouth. Those marks will show who is for our cause.

Without thinking about what she was doing, she sucked in a breath and squeezed through the crowd at the same time the man moved away. Nytes and humans pressed against her, screams and cheers vibrating her body as she was stuck amid a bloodthirsty mob. She imagined the guards finding her, anyone finding her and discovering what she did, and her taking Petri’s place. Everyone screaming at her, cheering for her death. She clamped down on her hood, shoving more forcefully until she exited the crowd and took a deep breath of the cold air.

The man was fast, already slipping past the brick walls between two shops, a narrow alley normally crowded by traveling humans taking the backstreets to get to their given destinations faster. After all, the carefree Nytes who strolled the streets didn’t have to worry about being punished if they returned to their masters later than expected.

Shadows doused her as the tall brick walls encased her on both sides. The man was running now, but she was faster—and determined.

Evangeline slammed into his back at full speed, knocking them both to the hard ground. She landed on top of him, his thin coat soaking in the melted snow. He looked to be twice her age, with thin lips and eyes that were round in fear.

“Get away from me! I’ve done nothing!” He squirmed, but Evangeline held on tight.

“I need help.”

The man stopped moving and turned his head to look at her, just now noticing she didn’t have wings, horns, or a tail. His eyes narrowed, and he yanked back her cowl.

“No, no, and no. Gods, no, I want nothing to do with you.” The man began squirming again, but she refused to let him leave.

“Please, this isn’t for me. It’s for my friend Delani.”

“Why don’t you go ask your father for help, Pet,” he spat, emphasizing the slur he and other humans at the castle had used for her. She frowned at him. He hadn’t heard the news about Ryker? Why was the king keeping it secret—he surely had to know by now? Her brows pinched. Were they hiding it for another purpose?

“Look, we don’t have time to fight.” Though she wanted nothing more than to slam him harder against the ground. She hated that blasted slur. “I know you were working with Petri and others. I want in. I want to help my friend.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Evangeline’s grip tightened, her face pressing closer to his. His heart pounded beneath her fingers, fear lingering beneath the angry scowl he wore. “I’ve been to the west wing. I’ve seen what these Nytes have done to us humans, what they’ve done to my friend. Please, I want to help.”

His scowl wavered, but then his eyes flickered over her shoulder, to the screams and shouts in the distance as Petri took his last breaths.

“No.”

She was going to throttle this man. “Aren’t you a little far from home right now?” Though she hadn’t seen him in the castle halls, if he knew who she was and her hated nickname, then he no doubt was far from where he was supposed to be. “I could just as easily tell my father that there’s a human not following orders. Or better yet, that there’s a group of humans conspiring against the king. You being at the top of the list.”

“You don’t even know my name.”

“Don’t have to. You have four marks below your eye, and I’m sure there are others with the same marks as well.”

“How do you . . .?” He shook his head, eyes shifting to her mark. “And how do I know you’re not working for them? You’re the only human who’s been marked and survived.”

“I was found like this well before all of this started happening in the castle.” He tried to move away from her, or maybe just to put more space between them, but she dug her nails deeper into his arms. “I don’t know how I got this marking, but maybe we can use it to find a cure or help the others. I just want to save Delani. Please.”

He sighed, closing his eyes. “I don’t know who told you, but they’re a blasted fool.”

Evangeline omitted the fact that said fool was about to meet his end. She tried to summon more empathy for the Aerian, but nothing came.

“Fine, fine. But don’t expect any five-course meals or fancy dresses.” She prepped for a retort when he continued, “Meet at the Flighted Inn, on the west part of the city, past sundown. If you don’t know where that is, not my problem.”

He shoved her off, and this time Evangeline let him. Flighted Inn. She had no idea where that was.

She went to ask when an explosion ricocheted behind her, making her cover her ears. The earlier bloodthirsty screams turned into ones of panic as smoke filled the alleyway. The ground vibrated as feet stampeded, and she was grateful she was far away from the crowd, but it wouldn’t be long until Nytes and humans started cramming this alleyway, running from whatever had just happened. Curiosity gripped her, but she wasn’t a fool. She needed to get the blazes out of there, too.

Black smoke poured into the alleyway as Evangeline scrambled to her feet. She turned and swore she saw the man smirk right before he disappeared into the fog.