More reinforcements kept pouring in from the narrow streets that stretched out from the square like spokes on a wheel. Far too many reinforcements to quell a simple uprising in a nonthreatening mining sector.
Cinder’s gut knotted.
They knew she was here.
The guards were dragging the people out of their homes, corralling them into uniform lines around the fountain. She recognized the man who had been beaten by the guards, still bruised and limping. There was the old woman who had been stockpiling what she could of her meager rations for years and who had already offered to give it up to those who would be fighting in Artemisia. And there was the twelve-year-old boy who had trailed Iko around all morning with a swoony expression on his face.
“They’re rounding up everyone in the sector,” whispered Maha, peering out of the next window. “No doubt they’ll search these buildings too.” Her expression was fierce as she stepped back. “You should all hide. The rest of us will give ourselves up. They might not search these upper floors if they think everyone is accounted for.”
Cinder gulped. “They won’t stop looking.”
Maha squeezed her hand. “Then hide well.”
She wrapped Wolf in a tight embrace. He bent down to accept it, his knuckles going white as he held her.
They heard the factory door bang open on the first floor. Cinder jumped. She wanted to grab Maha and force her to stay, but Maha extricated herself from her son’s embrace and walked away with her head up. The remaining citizens followed. Without a word from Cinder, it seemed they had unanimously agreed that keeping her safe was the priority.
A chill washed down her spine as she watched them go.
It wasn’t long before she heard orders shouted by the guards, and Maha’s calm voice stating that they were unarmed and coming down voluntarily. A moment later she saw them being shoved out toward the crowd in the square with guns pointed at their backs.
Scarlet gasped. “What about Winter?”
Cinder turned wide eyes on her. They had left the princess at Maha’s house, thinking it was the safest place for her, but now …
“I can go,” said Iko. “They won’t be able to detect me like they would any of you.”
Cinder pressed her lips in a firm line, debating. She wanted Iko here with her, as her only ally that couldn’t be manipulated. But that also made her the best choice for securing the princess.
She assented. “Be careful. Sneak out through the loading bay.”
Iko gave a brief nod and then she, too, was gone.
Cinder was shaking as she looked around at Thorne, Wolf, and Scarlet. From this far up she wasn’t able to feel the bioelectricity of the thaumaturges down in the crowd, so she was confident they couldn’t feel her and her friends up here, either, but that did little to comfort her.
They had come for her, she knew it. She had nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide.
What was more, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hide. These people had put their trust in her. How could she abandon them?
Aimery’s voice reached her ears. Though he didn’t yell, the sound carried upward, echoing off the hard surfaces of the factory walls. Cinder adjusted her audio interface to be sure she caught every word.
“Residents of Regolith Mining Sector 9,” he said, “you have been gathered here to face the consequences of your unlawful behavior. In harboring and aiding known criminals, you are all guilty of high treason against the crown.” He paused, allowing the full impact of his words to settle. “The sentence for this crime is death.”
Cinder’s body was wound tight as she peeked through the window again. The people who had been gathered into orderly groups were forced to their knees. There were over two thousand residents, minus only those who had been sent as messengers into the neighboring sectors. Their kneeling bodies filled up the streets as far as she could see.
He wouldn’t kill all of them. He wouldn’t dare reduce Luna’s labor force so severely.
Would he?
Aimery studied those gathered before him, while the statue of Levana watched over them like a proud mother. Two guards stood to either side of the fountain. Cinder recognized the red-haired guard and wondered if this was the one Wolf had scented before. The rest of the guards were spread out in their helmets and armor, boxing in the civilians with guns at the ready. The other thaumaturges remained interspersed throughout the crowd, arms tucked into their sleeves.
Cinder stretched her thoughts out as far as she could. Reaching, reaching for Aimery’s energy. If she could take control of just him, she could force him to offer mercy. He could order these people to be let go.
But no. He was too far away.
It frustrated her, knowing that Levana would have been able to stretch her gift that far. Levana could have easily controlled Aimery from up here—probably could have controlled all of them from here. Cinder didn’t care that her aunt had a lifetime of practice over her. She should have been as strong. She should have been capable of protecting the people who would protect her.
Panting, she turned her attention to the nearest guards, those stationed beneath the window. She could detect them, at least, but they were already under the control of one of the thaumaturges.
Panic simmered through her. She had to think.
She still had five bullets in her hand. Thorne and Scarlet were both armed too. She was confident she could hit one of the nearest guards and maybe even a thaumaturge, but the attempt would give away their location.
Plus, as soon as Aimery realized they were under attack, he would start using the sector residents as shields.
She didn’t know if she could risk it.
She didn’t know if she had a choice.
“However,” said Aimery, his dark gaze fixed on the crowd, “Her Majesty is prepared to offer you all amnesty. Each one of you will be spared.” His lips turned upward in a kind smile. “All you must do is tell us where you’re keeping the cyborg.”
Forty
Cinder shoved a knuckle into her mouth, biting down hard to keep from screaming. She could feel her companions’ eyes on her, but she dared not look at them.
“You cannot go out there.” Scarlet’s whisper was harsh, no doubt seeing the indecision scrawled across Cinder’s face.
“I can’t let them die for me,” she whispered back.
A hand grabbed her and jerked her away from the window. Wolf glared down at her. Sweet and vicious Wolf, whose mother was down there, with them.
She half expected him to give her away himself, but instead he grabbed Cinder’s shoulders, squeezing tight. “No one is dying for you. If anyone dies today it will be because they finally have something to believe in. Don’t you even think about taking that away from them now.”
“But I can’t—”
“Cinder, get yourself together,” said Thorne. “You are the heart of this revolution. If you give yourself up now, it’s over. And you know what? She’ll probably kill all those people down there anyway just to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
A gunshot made her yelp. Wolf clamped his hand over Cinder’s mouth, but she ripped herself away and threw herself back at the window.
White spots crowded into her vision. Then red as fury blinded her.
In the square below, a man’s body was sprawled out at Aimery’s feet, blood splattered across the ground. Cinder didn’t know who it was, but that didn’t matter. Someone was dead. Someone was dead because of her.