Chapter 31 · Rust and Relic - Chapter 31: Ride With the Sacrifices

"You're not going in there."

Liv blocked the mouth of the alley with her shoulder, one hand on the cracked brick. The convoy rolled past behind her—cages on wheels, priests chanting, kids inside not even crying anymore.

"They're heading for the altar," I said. "The shard's down there. Vald's down there."

"So you walk in and what, ask nicely?" She leaned closer. "You think they'll just hand it over because you showed up?"

"I think if I wait, Vald finds it first."

"Then he finds it first." Her voice dropped. "You go in now, you're the headline. Every eye in that square will be on you. That's what you want?"

I pushed past her. She grabbed my wrist.

"Don't."

"Let go."

"Aiden." She yanked me back, hard enough I stumbled into the wall. "I'm not pulling your body out of a crowd."

"Then don't follow me."

I shook her off and stepped into the street.

The convoy was three cages deep. The first two were full of kids—maybe ten, twelve years old, hands tied to the bars, heads down. The third cage was smaller, draped in black cloth.