Free Whispers of the Skyborne (Devices of War Book 3) by SM Blooding Page B

comprehend.”
    I twisted to frown at her. “Blood? You murdered your own daughter.”
    “She was not a true daughter.” Ino Nami stopped and assessed me. “We had thought the power of your Mark could overcome the shortcomings of your blood, but…” She trailed off, her gnarled fingers hovering over the Mark peeking over the collar of my shirt. “You have proved that is untrue.”
    What was she talking about? “How?”
    “You are standing here accusing me of doing what had to be done instead of rejoicing that it is complete.”
    I was struck speechless. Her expression, her body language. She honestly believed that. “Rejoicing? Ryo was on board those ships.”
    “Not a full-blood.”
    “And Oki? She is not either. You were going to give her the city.”
    She curled her lip in disgust. “I was never going to hand that mutt my city.” Her hand twitched, her arm twisting in a sudden and unnatural position before relaxing again. A maniacal sheen entered her dark eyes, almost as if a sliver of metal gleamed within them. “Where are your ships, Synn?”
    What was going on? I’d always known she was cold, calculating, but something seemed wrong with her, something unnatural. “Why would I tell you that?”
    “You have one docked here, do you not?”
    I narrowed my eyes. “It is protected.”
    “Really?” The corners of her lips rose, though it wasn’t a full smile. It was almost as if someone wore her face who didn’t know how to use it. “How well?”
    Dread filled me. What if the rescue had been the trap? What if she’d sentenced Oki to be executed to draw me in for this?
    “Ah, the young one sees now.” Ino Nami’s lips twisted slightly.
    But the words, though spoken in Sakin, had a tinge of another accent, one my mother had never had before.
    “Run, little one,” she said, her shoulders lifting as though years had been erased from them. “Run now.”
    I released the rage I’d been holding back, calling on my Mark. This was the woman who had destroyed my family. This was my time to get revenge.
    I still needed to buy a few more minutes to save my sister.
    Fisting my hands, I unleashed my Mark.
    Nothing happened.
    My Mark had never failed me before. I had never been able to keep my emotions in check. Was this doubt? My Mark was stronger. I would win. Now was my only chance.
    You won’t win, a female voice said inside my mind.
    My eyes widened. Whose voice was that? Who was in my head this time?
    And why couldn’t I move? Why were my limbs frozen as if someone else had control over them? The last time I’d felt this, I’d been bound to Nix.
    I can’t explain right now, the voice said hurriedly. The person controlling your mother right now? Yeah. He’s a lot more powerful than she is.
    Controlling?
    I know you saw it. You’re not nearly as stupid as everyone thinks. Run. Now. Save your sister.
    Who are you?
    Later. Leave!
    My muscles finally freed themselves from their frozen slumber, but control wasn’t entirely mine. My legs propelled me out of the barren room as quickly as they would allow, taking me to the stairs where I flew down them.
    What had just happened? And how was I still alive?
     

 
     
    Ino City: Oki
     
    M ETAL CLANGED IN THE STONE hallway outside Oki’s cell, like a key falling to the floor. A man grunted. A dull thud sounded.
    Oki sat up, setting her sandaled and socked feet on the floor, gripping the edge of her stone bench. She saw nothing on the other side of her barred door. She heard nothing more. Not a step. Not a door creak. The air didn’t shift.
    She wanted to scream, to cry, to claw the clouds from the sky! But instead, she was locked in this dirt-be-damned cell. And her mother was really going to have her executed in the morning.
    Executed.
    She raised her face to the ceiling, searching for any source of light that would tell her what time of day it was, how many hours she had left.
    Hour she had left.
    Blessed sky. She was—She couldn’t contain the shudder