Page 83 of This Cruel Fate

Xolia raced out of the bar to find cars pulled over and people holding their ears. From their parked car, Isiah jumped out and ran to Xolia, his eyes wide with panic. “Xolia!”

“What happened?” she yelled at him. Emergency sirens wailed. Above the ancient courthouse a plume of smoke overshadowed the twilight sky. It was southwest of their location. Xolia’s heart raced. Juthian Heights was southwest, and so was Meillus Hospital.

“No.” Her breath stopped, she stumbled to the ground. Adonis caught her, and together they toppled against an empty car with the blare of the alarms still ringing in her ears. “Peter.”

“We don’t know it was the hospital,” he said. He held his forehead to hers, trying to get her to look at him, but she couldn’t do it. His voice was unsteady; he knew he was lying.

“Xolia.” Isiah reached them, he pulled at her arm trying to get her to stand. “We need to get you both out of here. This could be another target.”

Xolia put her hands over her head. This had to be a nightmare. She needed to wake up now. Now. Now. Two pairs of hands pulled her into the dark SUV. Around her, warbled voices spoke and lapsed into silence. The car moved in choppy bursts of speed and stillness.

Sel, please. Xolia prayed, harder than she ever had before in her life. Was there enough faith in the world to spare Peter’s life? What would she do without him? All these plans were supposed to be simple contingencies. She hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye. Same as with Silas. A low sob broke free from deep within Xolia’s soul.

“Xolia. Xolia,” a voice repeated itself. The longer she tried to ignore it, the more insistent it became. Xolia pulled herself up from Adonis’s lap. Adonis had been the one speaking to her, using her full name.

“The apartment’s windows were blown out, Xo. The entire block is closed off.” He brushed sweat-stuck hair away from her face and behind her ear.

“It was the hospital?” she croaked out, so overcome that she didn’t care who saw her in such a pathetic state.

She didn’t know why she’d asked. She knew the answer before Adonis nodded. Her heart plummeted, a meteoric fall to her stomach. Peter was. . .Peter is dead. They would never talk again. He wouldn’t be the chancellor again. Burning tears ran down her cheeks, what had been the point of it all if she was only going to lose him?

Adonis rubbed her back, though it was hardly a comfort in the face of such tragedy. “We can’t let them get away with it, Xo. We need to find out who did this.”

Adonis was right. Xolia wiped the tears from her face, letting the anger swallow the sadness. Peter’s death would be in vain. His killers couldn’t live without punishment.

She sat in the back seat, her head in her hands, while she took gulping wet breaths. Isiah reached back to hand her a tissue, which Xolia gratefully accepted to wipe away the snot and tears. “Has anyone taken responsibility for it yet?”

Isiah nodded. “The Underlings have. They released a statement right as the bombing started.”

He handed her his phone, a video paused and waiting to play. She pressed play, and a masked figure with a heavily distorted voice spoke. “Citizens of Ris, for too long, variants have suffered under human rule. FAR has been no exception. Every one of your ilk who pretends to care about variants will die, starting with Chancellor Peter Bellevue.” Xolia put the phone to sleep and handed it back to Isiah.

“I will kill them all. They declared war on Ris when they killed him.”

“Almost nothing is known about the organization,” Adonis said. “Helen wanted them to back her during her campaign. She couldn’t find anything.”

Xolia clenched her jaw. Once the Senate instated her as chancellor, she could pivot much of the military’s resources to ferreting out the identities of the Underlings. “Is the Senate still going to wait until tomorrow? We should go there now, before Atlas can try anything.”

Adonis nodded. With a few quick words to the driver, they were on their way to the Presidential Palace. Press swarmed the gates with armed guards standing along the entire perimeter, all armed with automatic weapons that would shred through flesh and bone. Xolia shuddered at the sight of so many guns.

Once they made it through the sea of people, they were carefully ushered behind the iron gates of the property and led to a fortified garage. When they got out of the car, Lana was there to greet them. Tears glazed her eyes as she led them to the Senate Hall.

Chapter Thirty-Four

The Senate Hall had once been the throne room. The opulent thrones of millenniums past had been replaced with a podium, now flanked by FAR’s flag. Raised seats had been placed in a circular fashion, twenty for the Senate in the front and groups of seats behind for their aides. To the right of the podium was an ornate box seat for the chancellor and vice chancellor.

Xolia was seated near the front of the room, in a folding chair, the same as the rest of her party, though Isiah stood protectively behind her. Senators straggled in. Bridget ran through the entrance to Xolia, pulling her into a tight hug.

Surprised, Xolia let the older woman hug her. “I’m so sorry,” Bridget whispered in her ear before pulling back. Her eyes were heavy. “I know how much he meant to you.”

Xolia nodded, knowing if she spoke, the tears would start falling again. General DuBois entered the room. He nodded at Xolia before taking his place next to General Perrin. Both were dressed in their highly decorated ceremonial uniforms, though General DuBois had more honors affixed to his. It settled Xolia slightly. No matter what General Perrin thought of her, it was General DuBois who carried the military’s influence.

Once everyone was in their correct places, Lana stood behind the podium. “Tonight, our beloved chancellor was murdered in a terrorist plot to destabilize our democracy and send Ris back into war. Normally, the vice chancellor would immediately succeed a fallen chancellor, but we are in a unique situation. Chancellor Bellevue did not want Vice Chancellor Campion to act as his successor, nor as his running mate in the upcoming election. He has been guiding the nation’s first Selermine in a thousand years, Xolia Stone, to take up the mantle of leadership. It’s up to us to decide who will ascend to the chancellorship tonight so that we may face the upcoming election under a united front.”

Xolia took note of Lana’s eloquence. Peter had clearly chosen Lana for her quick intelligence and ability to control a room. Xolia regretted that she hadn’t spent more time getting to know the woman in her weeks spent in Peter’s confidence.

No sooner had Lana cleared the podium than Atlas took his place at the front of the room. His suit was disheveled, as if he’d thrown it on in haste. Xolia steeled herself for whatever vitriolic words he was sure to say.

“I’ve faithfully served Chancellor Bellevue for seven years. I am no stranger to war. These terrorists must be dealt with but not at the detriment of citizens’ everyday lives. Peter would not want to send the country back into such dark times. I am prepared to lead this country through an election and then spend the next seven years bringing the arm of justice down on any who spurn the ideals Peter had spent his life upholding. I want what’s best for Ris, and I will work nonstop to ensure peace.” He nodded at the Senate and stepped down from the podium.

---