“Ash, let me out, we have to get to Cassava. We have to stop her.”

He shook his head. “No, I need to be in the cell. If she tries to call me through the earth to her, she’ll not be able to get to me then. In there, she can’t touch me.” He pulled out the ring of keys with his free hand and opened the cell door. He coughed, the spasm wracking his body and jerking his hand from mine. I pushed my way out and shoved him down into his chair, my hands on his face. Skin to skin.

“I wish I could heal you,” I whispered. “But you haven’t been sick long. I’ll release the cleansing fire, and you’ll be okay.”

He nodded, his skin feverish and dry. I helped him stand, keeping my skin in contact with his and then helped him into the cell. I laid him down and he stayed there, breathing hard. If he was this bad, this fast, how much worse would my father be?

“Lark. The ring. Get the ring off her hand and you’ll clear everyone’s minds.”

I nodded, but there were no words left.

I tried not to think about all that could be as I left Ash behind and stumbled through the hallways. I paused in the testing room. On the far side, was the folded uniform of an Ender. The brown leather was thick enough to take a hit from a weapon, the brass buckles and rivets holding it together burnished to a high gleam. I may never have another chance to wear it.

“What the hell.” I ran across the room, shucking my clothes as I went. If I was going to die, which, if I was being honest with myself, was a pretty high possibility, then I might as well go out in style. No, the truth of it was, I knew it was my time to be an Ender. And they would give me far more protection than my training gear. The leathers were cool against my bare skin as I slid them on, lined with dark green silk to keep the chaffing to a minimum. Cinching the buckles, I felt better already. More prepared.

I tightened the belt, and on it slid an array of weapons. Blades mostly. But it was my own spear I wanted. My mother’s spear. If I got a chance at taking out Cassava, I wanted it to be with my mother’s spear.

I went to my room and pulled it from under the bed. The wood was blackened, as if it had been through a fire and then polished to a high gleam. I turned the weapon in the light, the blade catching and sending flickers of color off the razor edge.

“Be with me, Mama, Bram. Help me fight her. Help me put your memories to rest.” I leaned the shaft against my forehead, and then rolled it in my hand. With a decisive sweep I sliced it through the air, for once in my life knowing I was the only one who could save our family. I was the only one who could stop this madness. But it wasn’t really for them, and as much as I loved my father and would be devastated if he was killed, this moment had more weight to it than even that.

I pointed the spear, stood straight, and stepped out the doorway. I was going to kill the queen, for so many reasons, but only one mattered.

“This is for you, Mom. You and Bramley.”

Chapter 21

Weaving my way through the Rim was my plan, dodging those who would mob me. But as I peered out of the Ender barracks I knew that wasn’t going to be the case.

“I’m going to end up worm food,” I muttered to myself. Everyone who was able bodied walked through the main thoroughfare, their eyes lit with a seriously unhealthy pink glow, like a wicked case of pink eye run rampant. If only it was that simple.

There was no backdoor out of the barracks, which meant if they saw me in the doorway I really was screwed. And then it hit me. They were looking for me, my long blonde hair making me stand out. I ran back inside, grabbed a helmet, and tucked my hair up into it, then wrapped the lower part of my face with a piece of dark brown material from one of my tops, leaving only my eyes visible. If someone looked close enough, they would see it was me, being the only person around with one eye gold, the other green. But I didn’t think they’d look close enough. Or at least, I was hoping they wouldn’t.

Moving swiftly, I strode out of the barracks with as much confidence as I could muster, brushing past the first few people with no problem. They never even turned their heads my way. Not even a blink. My heart raced, like a herd of wild horses spooked by a thunderstorm, yet I kept my pace even.

“Who the hell are you?”

I knew it was Snap, knew I didn’t have a choice. I swung toward him in a blind slash, spear outstretched, and slammed it through his neck. His head rolled to the side, eyes and mouth blinking at me as the light went out in him.

Around me, the people turned as a unit.

“Hello, little Larkspur.” They all spoke, but not clearly together making it seem like a strange echo of one voice. I couldn’t kill them all, nor did I want to; this wasn’t their doing. I had a simple choice. I could try and fight my way out, which I wasn’t willing to do. Or I could give Cassava what she wanted.

“I’m coming to you, bitch. You still in the gathering field?”

The people all threw their heads back, laughter spilling out of their tortured bodies, worms spilling from lips and blood trickling down their faces. Tears prickled my eyes. These were our people, our family. How could she do this to them?

The laughter abruptly stopped and every single head snapped my way. “Come then, little Larkspur. Let me see you. . . . see you . . . you.”

Planting the butt of the spear in the ground, I moved out. The walk to the gathering field was strange and anxiety curled through me. Flanked on all sides, there was no way I could run now. Why didn’t Cassava just have them mob me?

I knew the answer, she was an attention whore, and wanted me to see whatever her master plan was, no doubt.