Page 18 of When the Sky Burns

“The book is way more important than we thought.” Looking away, I studied the arch and our freedom beyond it. “No one knows what it looks like but me and those Riders… Perhaps the Barren King ordered them to get it?”

“If this were official, the King would have made the Library Masters mend it. They didn’t. Listen, this changes our plans…”

We had grown up together; I knew how her mind worked, and she had clearly decided to agree with Gisel. “We’re not splitting—”

“You kept us together, but it’s different now. If they think there’s a book that tells them a way to break the curse. Then we need to know it first. Maybe there’s a way to just break the curse on our Riders and not the others… I don’t know. But we need Lex back… We desperately need our Lost Riders back to their right minds and their phoenixes reborn.” She bent her head lower, her voice barely a whisper. “Hand it over to the Fairground Manager for our passage and then steal it back. I’ve heard there are old Skyworld workshops near the Ruckus. Go…” She shook my arm. “Right?”

This time I did meet her gaze. “But the Fairground Manager’s part of the rebellion, isn’t he?” She didn’t answer, and I lifted my arm where our oath was etched under my skin as the truth hit my gut. “But we’re not… not anymore…”

Thorn gave me one slow nod as a new existence settled over me. We were on our own now. Building our very own rebellion. The rebels were under the control of the General because very few believed that the heir to the throne was alive, and the General might not want her to be.

That was when I should have told her that the books in my bag weren’t the codex. That I had handed it over to the Riders for my escape, as I suspected it didn’t hold the curse’s cure. If it had, my uncle would have used it to his benefit.

“But you can’t go to Annatalia on your own,” I said. “It’s too dangerous now.”

“Wherever Ember is, she’ll do what’s needed. We survived this place, and we’ll survive whatever is out there. Promise me you’ll be the one to mend and read that book. Break the curse if you can.”

“I can’t… How?”

“Listen…” she snapped. “Everything’s changing. We don’t know what’s beyond the walls or what I’ll find in Annatalia. That General was a monster of my father’s making. Get to the Ruckus… They’ve been taking in our people, and they’ve been training them as warriors. Go see if they’ll be loyal to the General or an heir. Plant the seed that I’m still alive. And take the book as far as possible from the General and mend it.”

“What are you not telling me?” I scanned every inch of her, searching for the truth.

“I’m telling you what you need to know… like always…” She started walking again. It was how the rebellion was. We were only told as much as we needed in case of capture. I understood the secrets and hated them at the same time.

We had twelve nights while everyone was hiding away to run around in the open, praying we didn’t go YuleMad. The kings were locked in their castles, too fearful of the rogues and YuleMots to go far. The only people who ventured out were with the fair—their magically warded wagons, their population of witches and mages, were the only safe way to travel… and with them the hope no one would dare follow.

“Fix the book, then go on to the Northlands. I’ll be fine.” She paused and scanned the area. “Let’s go.” The plan was for us to get Thorn back home and then head out into the enemy’s territory of the Wilds and the Northlands… Now she was changing everything we had worked for.

I staggered behind her, trying to let it all sink in. She was changing every plan we had. “But… what about Em?”

“Oi! Where are you two off to?” a guard snapped, and my spine straightened. Within seconds, I had relaxed my face into a smile. “The fair’s almost over.” He was in full dress uniform and leaning against the bridge pole. Cheap gin wafted off him.

Before us was a high wall that protected the city, with the mountains behind it. This was one of the few ways out, and I prayed that the cuffs over our ears worked when we crossed the runes around the arch.

“Has the procession started yet? Are we late?” Thorn fluttered her eyelashes at him. “It’s all we’ve been talking about for months.” She ran a hand down her dress, and I linked my arm through hers.

Getting into character, I ignored my annoyance and the urge to pull away from her and lightened my voice to a sickly sing-song. “It took us so long to decide what to wear…” I stepped closer to him and grinned as innocently as I could manage. “We wouldn’t want everyone to miss seeing us. Our men are waiting for us, but we got to talking and…” I glanced over his shoulder towards the fair.

“Shhh…” Thorn’s hiss was overly loud, but he didn’t seem to notice. “If we go fast, we can say we went on some rides.” She lifted her chin. “You wouldn’t tell on us, would you? Her man is Lord Greyton and the second cousin once removed to the King. She could put in a good word for you.”

He swayed a little with all the gin in his system, and his eyes widened. “I’m… I… like to go out on… hunts…” he slurred.

It was stupidly easy how some men could be manipulated into concentrating on power and not what two noble-looking women were doing without a chaperone.

“Go down around…over there…Eric’ll-be-back and-off….” He swayed in the direction that we should go.

“You’re the best,” squealed Thorn, and I nodded as demurely as I was able without it looking like I was disgusted.

“Stay with the torches. There’s rogues swishing… out.” He motioned to the sky and nearly toppled off balance. “Those Elite Riders too… They’re circling the city. Trouble. Always trouble on Yule, and it isn’t even midnight!” He leaned closer, and his stale breath doused us. “I bet they’re looking for Annatalian rebels—violet eyes. They say violet eyes mean royalty, so maybe those princesses didn’t die in the war. Your ones are all pretty and brown.” He ran his gaze up and around us. “So you both stay on the lookout and don’t go near those stinking beasts.”

Behind me, Thorn was doing her very best impression of innocence. It was incredibly bad acting, but he was too drunk to notice. Tugging at her arm, I gave him a small smile.

“Knowing you’re on guard is a massive relief,” said Thorn, and I failed to contain my eye roll as we turned away. “I hope they don’t spoil all the fun,” Thorn called back over her shoulder as we slipped under the arch to freedom.

The magic itched over my skin as we passed through the arch, and my ear heated to such a degree that I had to bite my tongue and concentrate on every step forward. My eyes locked with Thorn’s, she felt it too. But within minutes we were out in the fresh air for the first time in a decade. It had taken Thorn years to make the cuffs, and I wanted to hug her for making them work. Instead, I glared at her, and she winked back.

“Is death really so common here that they wouldn’t stop anything for the murder of a Master?” I whispered to Thorn, now that we were out of the wards.