Page 161 of The Eye of the Fifth
Four for death. One more black crystal and his fate was decided.
He could hear Kyra’s pulse quickening with each crystal laid. Sweat beaded at her brow. She was yet to lay a crystal.
The Air Warden, to his utter surprise, chose white. ‘Kano?’ she said gently to the only human at the table, a boy still in adolescence.
His brown eyes darted from the archer, to Gedeon, to Kyra, to Naal. ‘It’s… it’s not my place. I’m not worthy of a vote.’
‘You are the Water Warden, Kano. I would not have asked you to be here if I did not think you worthy. Your voice matters here, as much as any of ours.’
Gedeon hadn’t been sure who the boy was, but Naal had just confirmed his suspicions. The lost Water Warden had been found.
The Empress would not like that when she learned of it. Not one bit.
Kano’s fearful eyes flicked to him once more, but then he lay a white crystal.
Three for life. Four for death. It all came down to the Earth Warden.
To Kyra.
Chapter Forty Four
Council Divided
???
Phaenon, Nythanor.
Kyra.
The Fire Warden’s fate lay in her hands. Every eye was upon her now, impatiently awaiting the final verdict.
How thefuckwas she supposed to make this decision?
Could he truly be trusted? Goddess knew he deserved to die. For what he’d done to Phaenon, for the cruel life he’d led so far, for the countless upon countless lives that had perished at his hand. He was a puppet for his mother, a killer, cold and ruthless-
Hadn’tshebeen just that too?
The Warrior-Queen of the Arc had been a murderer. There was a black mark on Kyra’s soul as much as there was his, blood on her hands that she would never be able to wash away. The blood of opponents, strangers, friends… she was a deliverer of death herself.
What was it he had said to her last night…?
Do not judge yourself too harshly for what happened.As powerful as we are, even as Wardens, we are still mortal. We are not exempt from mistakes. Try to remember that, above anything.
Had he been pre-empting this moment? Had it been an attempt at stirring some empathy within her, when it came down to this decision?
Or had it been a genuine consolement, with no selfish agenda attached?
Either way, it didn’t matter.
Because he was fucking right.
How could she ever forgive herself for allshehad done, if she judged him harshly enough to forfeithislife? By principle, would she not deserve to die too? They’d lived such vastly different lives, and yet it was all much of a muchness. That moral line of right and wrong, of good and evil, was unequivocally blurred.
Wasn’t it?
Hating the slight shake of her hand, Kyra finally laid a crystal.
The effect was immediate.
