Page 34 of War

One small oath of allegiance cannot possibly be enough to earn an army’s devotion, especially not after the atrocities we’ve all witnessed.

“I don’tgetthem to do anything,” the horseman says. “My job isn’t to earn their loyalty, it’s to judge their hearts.”

That response sounds … biblical. Biblical and worrisome.

“And what about my heart?” I ask. “Have you judged it?”

War stares at me for a beat before he says softly, “Your heart is largely an enigma to me. But we shall find out the truth of it soon enough.”

Chapter 8

We don’t passa single soul while riding along the mountain road, and after a while the lack of people becomes alarming.

My skin pricks.

Are they all dead? And if so,how?

How could War and a few thousand men at most take out an entireregion? Not just cities, but everything in between as well? Something about that doesn’t add up.

I glance at the horseman, and his calmness only further unnerves me. None of this bothers him. Itshouldbother him.

Not human, I remind myself.

And whatever beast War truly is, I have the pleasure of being his plaything for the moment.

You’ll get through this, Miriam, just as you have everything else.

The problem is that for the first time in a very long time, I don’t think just getting through this is good enough.

I just don’t know whatisgood enough.

Not yet.

We pass by the burnt remains of a large structure that could’ve once been a mosque or a Jewish temple.

I’ve heard of the horrors that happened in some other areas of New Palestine during our civil war, but this is the first time I might be seeing evidence of it outside of Jerusalem proper. No one and no religion was spared.

That was my first lesson in war: everyone loses, even the victors.

One mountain leads to another, which leads to another. It’s beautiful and all, but—

“Where are we going?” I ask War.

“Towards the ocean.”

The ocean. My heart skips a beat.

There’s water and fire and … and … and God the pain—the pain, the pain, the pain. The sharp bite of it nearly steals my breath.

I haven’t seen the ocean in seven years.

War glances at me. “Is everything alright?”

I nod a little too quickly. “I’m fine.”

He stares at me for a beat longer, then faces forward again. “Over the course of human existence, your kind has come up with hundreds of thousands of words for everything imaginable, yet somehow none of you have figured out how to actually speak your mind.”

“I’mfine.” No way am I sharing my true thoughts on the ocean.

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