Page 168 of The First Spark
The sound of her name broke through the veil of silence like a sudden pop, and she could hear again.
Zane’s back was to her as he spoke. “I’m asking you to end this. Stop Carik from destroying our fleets. No more Dalian blood should be shed over Dalian soil.”
“I was trying to do that when you so rudely barged in,” Iliana said. An attendant scampered across the dais and stooped down, whispering in Iliana’s ear. She was too far away for her features to be clear, but the atmosphere in the hall darkened as legionnaires hissed sharp questions to one another.
Iliana’s baffled voice rang through the hall: “Your fleets contacted the Prime Minister’s to surrender.”
Kalie gasped. No,no.If Nadar was surrendering, it was over. She glanced at Zane, but he wore a look of lazy indifference.
“Perhaps you were unaware, but Kalista and I already came to an agreement.” Iliana sat up regally, but her shoulders drooped and her expression was tense. “Carik is sending her body double here now. I’m going to release Grant, and Carik’s going to call his fleets home as soon as she’s in his custody.”
Zane’s carefree mask slipped. As he scanned the pulsers surrounding them, his panicked expression was more severe than it had been during the battle, or even during his confession about the woman he’d loved and lost. His throat bobbed, and he looked down. Seconds ticked by, and when he raised his head, his calm mask was in place.
No, she wanted to beg.Please, don’t.
She couldn’t speak.
“Your solution isn’t a solution,” Zane said. “If Kalie dies, that’sDalian blood shed on Dalian soil, right off the bat. Our fleet might surrender, but then what? You’ll make Kalie a martyr, and someone will go to war for her, like we did for Marcus Pool and your sister. The Dalians have already turned on you. They won’t recognize your legitimacy, and then…” He shrugged. “More blood.”
Iliana scowled. “Since you seem to have a solution, what exactly do you propose?”
“Oh, it’s simple. There’s only four lives at risk, and no one can argue it isn’t fair. In fact, it’s one of the most ancient traditions we have.”
Kalie’s breath caught.
“Duchissa, have you ever heard of Fallé di Azura?”
“No!” Kalie lunged for him. His eyes flickered to her, just for a moment, then his jaw clenched and he looked away. “You can’t do this, I won’t allow it!”
The legionnaires gripped her arms and pulled her back.
“Perhaps you’ve heard of it as the Test of Faith? It’s an ancient tradition. Each of you puts forward a champion, and they duel for your right to the throne.”
A legionnaire was upon him before Kalie could cry out, striking his back with the grip of a pulser. Zane crashed to the ground. As he stayed down on all fours, Kalie’s chest tightened, and she fought to get shallow gasps of air. Surely one blow couldn’t have taken him down. For Azura’s sake, he’d been shot and he’d still crossed an entire sector to save her.
A legionnaire crouched beside him, gripping his chin. “You should listen to the girl. It’s not happening. Carik’s already won, so there sure as hell won’t be any duel.”
“Release him,” Iliana snapped. “I’m interested in hearing what he has to say.”
“Your Majesty, the Prime Minister will never?—”
“This ismypalace, and Wells is right.” Iliana pointed towards the ceiling. “Those are not my forces. Your master can funnel troops here until I die, but when he martyrs Kalista, she’ll have won the battle in the hearts of our people.”
“And if your man kills me, Azura’s spoken—you’re the true Duchissa. No one would dare challenge you then.”
Kalie squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to shut out the image of a blade ripping through his neck, spewing blood across the ground.
“It’s the best possible solution.” Zane’s eyes flicked between the glowering legionnaires and the Dalians. He rose to his feet calmly, but tension laced his rigid shoulders. “One of you will prevail, and like a phoenix rising from the ashes, you’ll have a glorious reign.”
“Carik won’t allow it,” a legionnaire spat.
Distantly, Kalie registered that the legionnaires were taking every opportunity to undermine Iliana—she could use that, drive the wedge deeper, turn them against each other—but she drowned him out. Her eyes hovered on the side of Zane’s head, and as his gaze flicked to her, his words echoed in her ears.
“A phoenix rising from the ashes.”
The phoenix was Father’s symbol, and she’d sent him that same code before they’d attacked Dali. If Mira had let him come here, knowing she could lose him… surely there was a plan?
Zane met her gaze. She searched his face, looking for a clue. “We’ve delayed this long enough.” He spoke slowly, stressing the worddelay. “The battle for the throne is between you two alone. It’s not like another fleet—” he raised his eyebrows— “is going to show up and fight for you. You can’t run from this.”
