Page 89 (2/2)

"Hollow threats" I fight the urge to smile

His hand flies to the pistol at his hip "Don’t try me"

"I know your orders, Colonel, and they are not to kill the lightning girl Command wants me alive, don’t they?" I remember Ellie Whistle, one of many Guardsmen instructed to help me in my endeavors She was no match for the Colonel, but the Colonel is no match for Come, but doesn’t back down

"Bring her forward," I snap, looking to the stretchers The two men do as I say as quickly as they can They lay Elara’s stretcher atstep I feel the crosshairs even now, on ift, Colonel" I toe the stretcher, nudging the body beneath the white sheet "Don’t you want to see it?"

His good eye flashes, almost too quick to discern It finds Farley in the crowd, and the crease in his brow disappears a little With a sickening jolt, I realize why He thought I killed her

"Who is it, Barrow? The prince? Have youchip you had?"

"Hardly," a voice calls fro to focus on the Colonel instead He holdsSlowly, one hand raised, the other reaching, I pull away the sheet, laying her out for everyone to see Her liers are especially twisted, and bits of bone show through the flesh of her right hand The gun their weapons a little One or two even gasp, covering their mouths to stifle the sound The Colonel is co moment, he blinks

"Is that who I think it is?" he says hoarsely

I nod "Elara of House Merandus, Queen of Norta Mother to the king Killed by newbloods and Silvers, in the prison she built for them" That explanation should stay his hand for the lea and this country deserve a chance to say good-bye to her, don’t you think?"

The Colonel looks just like Farley when he s back into position

"My na not to sound foolish After all, this is the sixth time I’ve introduced myself in the last ten e in the Capital River Valley My blood is Red, but because of this"--I stretch out ht to the court of King Tiberias the Sixth, and given a new name, a new life, and made into a lie They called me Mareena Titanos, and told the world I was Silver born I a, I draw the knife across my palm, over already torn flesh My blood winks like rubies in the harsh light of the e Maven told you this was a trick" Sparks dance through the gash "It is not And neither are the others like e, Silver abilities The king knows you exist, and he is hunting you down I tell you now, run Find htens proudly He wears a red scarf around his face, as if his bleeding eye wasn’t identification enough But I’reed to take in the newbloods, having seen the error of his ways He nos the value--and the strength--of people like me He can’t afford to make enemies of us too