Page 91 of A Thief to Die For

Atlas frowns. ‘Keep her quiet,’ he commands Coatl, before walking away.

Coatl’s face is marked with the deep scratches I gave him, and he doesn’t hesitate to draw his knife. I brace as he comes at me. The cockroach has already crossed the line and Atlas didn’t care – why wouldn’t he try again?

‘Agatha,’ Atlas says, enthusiastically, as he disappears into the corridor. ‘I didn’t expect to see you this morning.’

She clears her throat. ‘Yes, well, I have news to report, and …’ Her voice sounds sombre. ‘There’s no reason to waste time.’

What is she talking about?

‘You’ve encountered his magic?’ asks Atlas.

‘Yes. And it’s very powerful.’

My brows furrow. Agatha, no.

‘Is that why you look so tired? You’ve been up all night … engaging in magic?’

Fire licks through me, scalding me, even though I know he only said that to hurt me. To provoke me. To prove I was a fool to ever give Ryland my heart. But as devastated as I am, I’m equally furious. Agatha got what she wanted – Ryland. Why would she betray him like this?

‘What was it like?’ Atlas asks wistfully. ‘To experience something so … beyond yourself? Did you feel powerful?’

‘It’s … unlike anything I’ve felt or seen before.’

My eyes squeeze closed.

‘I get flashes of his emotions,’ she says. ‘I’ve seen … his deepest desires.’

My head falls back. This might be worse than getting whipped. I wish I could rip my ears off.

‘You, daughter, have done very well,’ Atlas coos. ‘And I want to hear more. But first tell me what you have learned about Kingsland.’

‘I know the location. Or rather, I know how to get there. I saw the landmarks in his memory.’

‘Excellent! And what kind of advances do they have?’

‘Umm … I couldn’t see inside of Kingsland because his dream ended. But their settlement, even their fence, is very sophisticated. Something from the old world.’

Atlas makes a sound of interest. ‘Can they turn coal into electricity?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe. Ryland talked about their lost coal mine, and I’m not sure if that’s what they use to generate electricity, but they unquestionably have it. They’ve weaponised it into their fence to keep people out.’

‘Interesting. What other weapons do they have?’ His questions come hard and fast now.

‘Stop,’ I scream into the gag.

Coatl hits me in the temple with the butt of his knife. My head spins, making me miss much of what is said next. When I finally catch my breath, I glare back at Coatl.

‘What’s … what’s going on over there?’ Agatha asks.

Yes. Hear me. I scream again.

Coatl’s forearm digs into my neck, drastically narrowing my airway.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Atlas soothes. ‘Tell me about their soldiers. How well are they trained? What weapons do they use?’

‘I … don’t know. Their soldiers looked similar to ours, I suppose. From what I could see, they use bows and arrows. Ryland mentioned they have a well-trained army, but he’s part of their elite guard, which seems more advanced.’

‘Very well done, my daughter. Now, tell me – your explosives, the big kind – would you say we have enough to raid a settlement of their size? Destroy their fence?’