Page 85 of Iridian

“Okay,” Zach said, raising his hands as if in surrender, a weird smile on his face. “Okay, I won’t. But with yoursoldiersthen, we can put an end to this madness once and for all.”

“If notthings,what are they? The way they follow you, the way they watch us, the way they do magic—they do it throughyou. They are not their own persons, they’re yours.” Radock came toward us as he spoke, analyzing the soldiers outside. “So, what are they, really? Because they are not men.”

“They are,” I said, a sudden feeling ofprotectivenessover those soldiers coming over me, something I definitely hadn’t had before.

“They’re men, Radock. All of them. They were tricked by Titus. He tied them to his soul with this curse, took away their free choice, their bodies, theireverything.Butthey aremen. More courageous men than most I’ve met,” Taland said, and while he spoke, Radock raised his brow and smiled like he was pleasantly surprised.

I did not like that smile at all.

“Very well,” he said, as if he’d wanted to hear exactly that. “It seems you know them, and they know you. It seems you’ve had enough time to get comfortable with them. Do you trust them?”

This time when Taland spoke, I heard the grin in his voice, too. “More than I trust you.”

Radock’s hand flew to his chest, over his heart. “You wound me,” he mocked.

“You will be plenty wounded the next time you turn against me and mine. Those men will make sure of that,” Taland said.

Radock laughed and it was heartfelt. “Little brother, you make me proud.”

“And now I can finally sleep at night,” Taland deadpanned, which made Radock flinch a little.

“Enough with the drama, boys,” said Aurelia, rolling her eyes. “Taland, the Council has gone batshit crazy. They’re on a killing spree and we can’t stop them on our own. We need your soldiers to fight them. Kill them. Hopefully bring a new, better era upon the world for everyone, Iridian and human alike,” she said in a single breath. “That basically wraps this whole thing up nicely.” She winked at him. “So, sayyesand let’s just be on ourway and kill some councilmen and councilwomen, and then we can all go on vacation or hide out in mountains all we like. How about that?”

Goddess help me, but that actually sounded like a fucking dream.

For a moment there, I was completely caught up in this fantasy of life without the Council, without the IDD coming for us, a life where the Mud weren’tMudand the Iris Roe didn’t exist and the IDD actually worked the way it was supposed to, and the people knew exactly what happened in the world they lived in, and the Tomb wasnotcontrolled by the biggest criminal alive, but by the IDD.

For a moment there, I actually thought I might behappyliving off this mountain, not in hiding or on the run. Just…living.

For a moment there, I imagined Taylor Madison and all other kids like her not having to go to human schools and keep away from magic. I imagined them being a part ofusas they should be.

“Did you not hear me?” Taland’s voice pulled me out of my head. “These are men who have been tricked into linking their soul to Titus. Not just them, but all the other soldiers who died during the War of Mages—they’re all trapped here unwillingly.” I reached up my hand to touch his over my shoulder, already knowing what he was going to say. “I will not make them fight another war. I’m going to set them free.”

Silence for a good second. All eyes were on Taland.

Then, Kaid said, “I’m sorry but I think I heard you wrong. I could have sworn you said that you were going toset them free.”

“I did,” Taland said, and Kaid shook his head.

“In that case, I’mreallysorry—but have you lost your fucking head completely?!”

“Are youmad, Taland?” said Seth, sitting upright now, curious again. “Are you fucking bonkers? Setwhofree—thesesuper soldiers who could literally give you the entire world in the palm of your hands? Setthose guysfree?!”

“You can’t be serious,” Aurelia was saying, while Zach held his head in his hands and shook it, at a loss for words.

And Radock stepped closer to us, too. “What in the name of Iris is the matter with you, boy? You awakened Titus’s army. You can command it—we saw. We all saw how they fight. We all see how well they obey you.” His wide dark eyes were full of disbelief. “Do you have any idea what that means? Do you know that they are the reason we’re all still alive? The Council hasn’t even come after us for fear you’d send the soldiers after them. They’ve left us alone, Taland. They’reterrifiedof your army.”

“Those soldiers are the only chance we’ve got,” Aurelia said. “We can’t beat them—nobody can, Tal.Nobody.”

“The world will go to shit if you…set them free,which, by the way,what the actual fuck?!” This from Zachary.

“Who wants to set free super soldiers?”

“Why even bring them back if all you’re gonna do is let them go?”

“Can you give them to me? Does that work?”

“Theycan’tbe set free—their purpose is to serve. That was always Titus’s curse. He made them into slaves, and you can’t justunmakethem!”

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