Page 46 of The Bone Season

Perhaps I could.

Nashira wanted a dreamwalker for her entourage of angels. There must be something I could do that she had no way to deter, some advantage I could use against her. I could demonstrate my ability in front of all these Rephs, just as they wanted.

To the best of my knowledge, only an unreadable could lock out a dreamwalker. Nashira was not unreadable. Even if her defences were strong, there had to be a crack. If I could find it, I could worm into her dreamscape and give her the shock of her life.

I could kill her.

Before I could encourage her to volunteer, Alsafi returned. He bore a limp figure in his arms, a human with a black bag over their head.

The prisoner was dumped into the wooden chair, and their hands cuffed to its arms. This was an amaurotic. I thought of my father and felt sick to my stomach – but the figure was too small, too thin.

‘I believe you two know one another,’ Nashira said, just as I recognised the dreamscape. ‘Sebastian has been asking for you.’

Alsafi removed the bag.

Seb stirred. His eyes were the size of small plums, his hair hung in reddened strings, and his lips were cracked and swollen, crusted with dry blood.

Alsafi slapped his cheek. Seb managed to look up, blinking in the candlelight.

‘Paige?’

His broken voice made my blood burn. I rounded on Nashira.

‘What have you done to him?’

‘Nothing permanent,’ she said. ‘That is your task.’

‘What the hell are you talking about?’

‘Hold your tongue.’ Alsafi took a step towards me. ‘Or I will relieve you of it.’

‘No need, Alsafi,’ Nashira said. ‘Let her embrace her anger, her fear. Those emotions must have overwhelmed her on the train.’

Their bodies flashed in front of me, the two men on the carriage floor – one hollowed out, one driven mad.

That was my test. To earn my next tunic, I had to kill an amaurotic.

I had to kill Seb.

‘No,’ I said.

‘No,’ Nashira repeated.

The word carried in that echoing space, right the way up to its rafters.

‘I can’t do it,’ I said. ‘I won’t.’

Alsafi did not beat about the bush. His massive hands clamped on my shoulders, and he shoved me towards Seb. My boots squeaked on the polished floor as I pushed back in vain.

‘Kill the boy,’ Alsafi said, ‘or I will have Graffias bringallthe amaurotics here to die. Scion can always send us more.’

‘No.’

‘Take the test.’

‘Ican’t.’ I spoke between my teeth.‘Did you not hear me, Reph?’

Alsafi held me with bruising force. Seb watched dully, blood seeping from a cut on his brow.

---