to talk his way out of this.
So, of course, he begins backing up. Trying to make his way off of the platform. Surely hoping to retreat to his palace.
I think even he knows his personal fortress is no longer safe.
He turns to flee, but Salazar and Xavier are already on it. The two of them with a group of Night and Imperi soldiers head straight for Raevald, cutting him off and leaving him with literally nowhere to run.
Our hands still clasped, Nico and I walk across the piazza and climb up onto the dried-out fountain.
All eyes follow us.
Nico speaks first. “This man.” He motions to Raevald, who’s resisting the soldiers’ attempts at restraining him. “The one who was supposed to protect everyone on this island, has done nothing but ensure the opposite.” Nico looks to me.
I nod. “He’s ordered the executions of countless Basso for no reason other than for his own personal gain.” I force myself to stare straight at him. “He made the Night our enemy, kept us in fear, took us to war. When all along, it was his leadership we should have feared the most.” I meet Nico’s eyes. “As leaders of the Imperi and the Night, our first joint act will be to restore peace to Bellona.”
Nico speaks to the soldiers on the podium holding Raevald captive. “Imperi and Night soldiers, please arrest that man.”
The soldiers proceed to bind Raevald’s wrists and ankles, and he struggles, but I won’t allow him to steal this moment with a scene of his own.
“Now,” I continue where Nico left off, demanding the crowd’s attention away from Raevald’s show. “We have a disaster on our hands … Bellonians are missing … Fires need to be put out, and people are sure to be injured … We’ve got to work together to ensure we have an island left to restore peace to!”
Without protest, people start to split off. Several stand up, taking charge and shouting plans, they send different groups this way and that. Nico gathers the Imperi officers and sets rescue missions in motion. Many Basso volunteer to help search.
I gather the Night. “We need to put those fires out before there’s nothing left.” Several Imperi soldiers join behind them. “We’ll gather supplies—buckets and rope, whatever we can find,” one of the soldiers says.
“We’ll help—” Imi says, she and Bronwyn suddenly at my side. “There’s no time to lose.”
Then I spot Dorian just behind them.
“Thank goodness you’re all right!” I say, about to wrap him up in a big hug but stopping myself when I remember he’s injured. “You scared the life out of me!”
“Like a little knife would be my end, V.”
“It wasn’t a little knife…”
He shrugs. “What can I do?”
“Go rest,” I demand.
“It’s not my style.” But he wavers on his feet. “All right, the doc said nothing strenuous.”
“Sit there”—I point to the side of the fountain—“and shout out orders.”
He sits. “Perfect.”
Dorian jumps right in with Bronwyn and Imi. They’ve split people into groups and have several gathering sand to fill bags to stop the fires from spreading. Others tend to the wounded. Search parties are sent out.
I look back toward the stage where the High Regent is being dragged away by Imperi and Night soldiers united in the cause.
He’s cursing them all.
Shouting about how he’ll get his revenge. How the Sun won’t stand for this.
But Raevald’s eyes are on me.
The girl who slipped through the cracks.
CHAPTER 29
NICO
It’s our third meeting as a joint council. Basso, Dogio, the Imperi, and the Night each chose one member of their communities to represent them, along with Veda and myself.
The meetings are open to the public as well. Everything is transparent.
“Basso want to see justice for the dead. For each of the names etched on those medallions Raevald kept like trophies. He deserves to die for his crimes,” the representative for Basso, a woman named Shara from the south village, says. Veda used to trade her bait for Shara’s green beans.
“I understand,” Veda addresses her. “You know I understand.” Shara nods. “But we’re trying to get away from executions. From death being a way to deal with misdeeds. And what better way to end the executions, to end the Offerings, with one final ceremony for the man who sullied it all to begin with.”
“She has a point,” Dorian, representing the Night, adds in a way that only he can pull off.
Bronwyn sits next to him and Imi next to her, their hands clasped. Imi takes notes with the other to