"You're a traitor. Nobody cares why," Andelina scoffed at Karl.

"I care."

Everyone in the room turned to look at Zane, including me.

"I care about why you killed my mother and nearly killed my mate."

"It wasn't supposed to be poisoned!" Andelina hissed angrily.

Hate flitted over Karl's face. "You weren't supposed to hit my Tuuli Thea!" He glared hard at the white viper.

"I meant to."

Erica strained against Karl as he propelled himself at his fellow conspirator furiously. Andelina sneered.

"I should have left you to be killed when I found you. Who would be so stupid as to harm their own Naga?"

Zane's eyes narrowed as Karl threw himself harder against Erica's restraining grip. I saw her wince and her knuckles whitened visibly.

"Karl, you were the one who cut Danika?" Zane asked in surprise.

"Trying to kill you, sir." The way Karl uttered the last syllable stripped it of any respect that might have otherwise been conveyed by the word. He stopped straining to be released momentarily. Erica relaxed slightly, but the hurt of having a respected superior officer accused of treason showed plainly through her transparent 'Avian Reserve'.

I remembered Andelina's mysterious apology when she had approached me earlier in the market. It was clear what she had meant now, but it didn't change the growing feeling of horror that I carefully hid behind a mask of calm acceptance. Zane glanced uneasily at me, sensing that I was hiding my feelings again.

"I fully understand that the sentence is death," Karl mumbled. He seemed resigned, eyes downcast. "So…" The former guard looked up, his ace a perfectly set emotionless mask.

Erica was shoved backward, hitting whatever stood behind her. Karl took less than a second to cut the bonds on his wrists, utilizing the years of military experience that hand brought him to second in command of the Royal Flight.

He rushed at Zane, bringing the previously hidden knife around to point at his once enemy. I reacted without thinking, pushing my Alistair out of the way. Karl redirected himself to my right, wary of harming his Tuuli Thea after she had just recovered from a previous assassination attempt.

He attacked again, but a sharp pain in my side from my nearly healed wound stopped me from interfering. I watched as Zane attempted to dodge the unexpected attack, receiving a shallow cut across his upper arm.

If that blade was poisoned, Zane would die, and then the fragile peace between the Serpiente and the Avians would shatter.

Andreios pushed open the door, immediately seizing Karl from behind. Zane stumbled, and I tried to catch him to slow his fall. Instead, I fell with him.

"Zane!"

I looked around at Andelina, who was still restrained by her younger brother.

Andreios led the way out, followed by the other three. Zane and I were left alone.

"Zane," I mumbled, looking down at the bleeding line across his upper arm. Depending on the strength of the poison, he could die within minutes.

Yes, I was sure there was poison on the blade. Nothing else would affect a Serpiente so quickly, especially not with such a small injury.

"Danica…" he answered, looking directly at me with glazed eyes, "I think… I love you." He couldn't muster much more, with the war-perfected poison spreading from the tiny wound to the rest of his body.

It wasn't a surprise. His eyes and actions ad told me long before, but coming from the man who had declared that he did not think he could ever love me, no matter how the political situation demanded our marriage, it was gratifying.

I jus wish that those weren't his last words.

"I love you too," I sobbed.

I didn't think I could stand another war between our nations. It would hurt too much to have known a brief peace and then be thrown back into the turmoil of war.

"Zane!"