Marked Prince - Michelle M. Pillow Page 0,58
five times—no, ten times longer than a Cysgodian man? They breathe the same air, and they feel the same sun, yet they do not suffer the loss that we do. They eat while we starve. They fly free as we are trapped in this city of rust.”
The sound cut out but the image of Doyen kept going, thrusting his arms the air in a silenced yell.
“Fiora? Does he sound familiar?” Salena asked.
“Yes?” Fiora still couldn’t exactly place him.
“…survival of our people depends upon action.” Doyen’s voice returned with the sound of cheers distorting his words. It became clear by the shouts that the crowd were his followers. “No one wants to go to war, but if we do not fight, we will die. They delivered us to this battle!”
“I don’t know—” Fiora began.
“Shh, watch,” Salena nodded toward the screen.
“If it’s not the sun, if it’s not the air, if it’s not the dirt we all walk on, what is it? What is the key?” Doyen held up both arms as if to make himself appear taller.
“Blood,” the crowd shouted.
“It’s in the blood!” Doyen incited his followers as he leaned his head back to yell his hate.
“Blood, blood, blood,” the crowd chanted.
Yevgen stopped the recording. Doyen was frozen with his fist pumped into the air.
“I’d say we have a strong contender,” Grier said, breaking the silence in the room.
“Fiora?” Jaxx asked.
“I think someone harboring that much hatred in his heart would definitely be on the list of possibilities.” Fiora didn’t need to see the man’s future to know it would not end well for a lot of people. “I have never come across an extremist group like that who were destined for a happy ending. Usually it’s mass murder, mass suicide, or both.”
“Yevgen, where can we find Doyen?” Payton asked.
“I’ll see what I can discover,” Yevgen’s screens began blinking through cityscapes.
“Can you show me an aerial view of the city? From the direction of the watchtower?” Fiora asked.
The images she requested appeared. She studied it before pointing to a central area near the cliff beneath the Federation building. “Which one of these people we’ve talked about is in this area? When we were in the sky, I think the blast started somewhere around here.”
“Doyen,” Yevgen and Payton answered at the same time.
“Sounds like we have a winner,” Salena said.
“I don’t like the idea of you going near that man,” Jaxx said.
“I agree,” Grier added.
“I would also have to advise against it,” Yevgen said, still searching the city. “Doyen is surrounded by loyal followers. By their doctrine, they will kill any shifter on sight and do not have kind regard for women.”
“I don’t have to be face to face with him. Just get me in the vicinity. The closer I am, the easier it is to focus, but I shouldn’t have to talk to him.” Fiora closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Dread rolled through her.
“What is it?” Salena touched her arm.
“I’m scared. I know I’m not going to like what I see.” Fiora opened her eyes to find they were all staring at her.
Jaxx pulled her against his chest and wrapped her in his arms. “At any time you say the word, I’ll fly you out of here.”
“We can try to find another way,” Grier said.
“Whatever you need,” Salena added.
Payton and Yevgen stayed quiet.
It was tempting, oh-so-tempting.
For a second, she let herself have the fantasy of running away.
Then she remembered falling, and that one memory tightened her stomach and brought her back to the anxiety of the present.
She let Jaxx hold her a few seconds longer before pulling away from his chest to face everyone. “This thing that I can do. I know Salena calls it a gift. I’ve often called it a curse. But whatever it is, for the first time in my life, I get to decide how to use it.” She looked up at Jaxx. “I can’t thank you enough for that.”
Jaxx touched her cheek. “I love you. Whatever you decide, I support you.”
She placed her hand over his. “If I can choose to do one good thing with my life, then I can think of nothing more important than trying to save all these people. If I don’t try then how can I live with myself? There has to be a reason I am the way I am. Maybe this is that reason. Fates are drawn out in timelines I see. They’re hard to change but they can change. This has to be my fate.