Flames Like Vines

The Raid, Part 2

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This is a companion story to ICE LIKE FIRE, the sequel to SNOW LIKE ASHES. I say "companion" as it parallels the beginning events of ICE LIKE FIRE -- and as such, you will find a few minor spoilers for ICE LIKE FIRE.

If you are the sort of reader who screeches in horror at the thought of a spoiler of any kind, LOOK AWAY NOW.

But if you are the sort of reader who flips through the pages of a book, perusing lines here and there before you've quite finished it yet...well, read on, dear rebel reader. Read on.

***

Ceridwen's mouth dropped open and all the air evaporated out of her. She looked at Lekan, focused on his dark eyes, his brown skin, the way his red locks looked more like a bouquet of roses than hair. She saw the same worry flash across his face in a tight grimace:

Simon only bought a few dozen people from outside of Summer every year. Because they weren't Summerians and couldn't be influenced by Summer's conduit, such slaves couldn't be controlled via magic like Summerians. Fewer foreign slaves ensured that they couldn't rise against Simon or cause problems. Though Simon boasted of someday extending his purchases to other kingdoms, Ceridwen had hoped he wouldn't be stupid enough to try.

But something had always told her he would. Something that had made her beg the Ventrallan king to protect his people from Simon. But more than politics, Jesse shouldn't have sold anyone to Simon simply because Ceridwen was . . .

They were still . . .

Lekan's eyes wrinkled when he forced a comforting smile. "Maybe they did it without his knowledge. Maybe it wasn't him?"

Ceridwen felt a rebuttal coil around her tongue, the words burning holes in her mouth. But she felt an even greater sensation snuff it out. She knew who else it could have been.

The Ventrallan queen.

The last time she had been in Ventralli, more than six months ago for some celebration in honor of a long-dead king-or at least, that had been her flimsy cover-Jesse had promised her that he would never let her brother's conquests stretch into Ventralli. Before Simon, it had been almost unheard of for collectors to take from outside Summer. But the weaker their father had gotten, the more Simon had exerted his control over Summer's resources until the king finally died and Simon didn't have to pretend anymore. He swept through Primoria with a childlike delight, setting up more human trades with Yakim and Spring. It took everything Ceridwen had to prevent even a handful of Simon's dealings, and Jesse had promised he would help.

Flame and heat, Jesse had sworn to her. He had said he would put more men along Ventralli's borders. He had promised that he would personally check in with each patrol. She had made him swear that not even his wife would sway him.

He had promised.

Ceridwen dug her fingers into Lekan's forearm. "Get them out of here," she growled, the words bursting against the noise of prisoners mumbling their appreciation.

Lekan turned to the crowd. "Please, everyone, may I have your attention-we must move quickly if we are to get you safely out of Summer. We have carriages on the other side of those hills that will take you to a refugee camp. You will be safe there, but we must hurry-"

Ceridwen spun away, boots tearing up funnels of dust. They didn't need her to help with the transport, and right now, she needed to not be here.

She leapt over a fallen tree, sprinting until the heat of Summer burnt every nerve numb.

***

Part 3 will be up next Tuesday, and look for ICE LIKE FIRE, out 10/13/15!