Page 63 of Children of Virtue and Vengeance

More than two dozen soldiers stand guard at the bridge’s base; nearly half of them are tîtáns. Battle tactics run through my mind, but they all crumble when I recognize the petite frame of the general who stands outside Chândomblé’s entrance.

“Zélie,” I warn.

“I know,” she replies.

Even under the golden mask, it’s impossible not to recognize the sharp angles of Mother’s face. I knew our paths would cross again. I just didn’t think it’d be so soon.

But if she’s here, there’s a chance Inan isn’t far behind.

“Can you see anyone else?” I ask.

Dakarai attempts to increase the range of his vision, but nothing else appears in his celestial field.

“I’m sorry.” He shakes his head. “But if there are that many on the bridge, it’s safe to assume there are soldiers surrounding the entire temple.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Kenyon blows past us, putting his red-tinted helmet back on. “I don’t care how many there are. I’ll burn them all.”

“Last time we faced Nehanda, she sent an entire dome crashing down on our heads.” I run after him. “We might not be strong enough to defeat them.”

“Speak for yourself. I’m not weaker than some tîtán.”

“You’re definitely not stronger than my mother!” I grab Kenyon’s shoulder, forcing him to wait. “Besides, they knew we were coming. We don’t want to alert them that we’re here.”

“Then what do you propose, Princess?”

All eyes drift in my direction and I pause; this is the first time they’ve ever turned to me for answers. Maybe this is my chance.

Do this right, and I can prove myself to theIyikawhile keeping the body toll down. And if Inan’s inside, getting into that temple could be our only way to speak.

“Soldiers on the bridge,” I mutter to myself. “Mostly likely, soldiers around the perimeter…”

I kneel down to the ground, sketching out different scenarios in the dirt.

“I have an idea,” I say.

“A good one?” Kenyon pries.

“It’s an idea.”

The Burner exhales a heavy sigh, but with no other options, he leans in.

“Okay, Princess. Let’s hear it.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

ZÉLIE

IRUN MY THUMBover the scars along my wrist as we wait for everyone to get in position. Amari’s plan requires a nimble team. Less than half of us can make the trip. But as everyone prepares to set off, only one thought fills my mind. There are dozens of soldiers on that mountain.

One of them could be Inan.

Oya, strengthen me.I exhale the quiet prayer, tightening my grip on the stiff leather of Nailah’s new reins. I try to remember how it felt to squeeze the breath from his throat, but all I can feel is how I don’t feel him.

This close to the temple, it’s impossible not to live in the past, to forget the days when Inan chased and I ran. With our connection, I used to feel his presence like the tang in the air before a summer’s rain.

Now, I don’t feel anything.

“Elder Zélie!” Tahir—our strongest Welder—calls out to me from afar. With light brown eyes and skin like pearls, his albinism makes him stand out from the crowd.

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