Chapter 9 · The Army Comes for Her

"Move." The soldier's hand clamped around my wrist before I finished tying off Huo Jingchuan's bandage.

I didn't look up. "In a minute."

"Now." He yanked. Hard enough that I stumbled into him, close enough to smell old sweat and leather and something sour underneath. "Commander's orders. The army's at the gate."

"What army?" I tried to pull free. His grip tightened.

"Imperial army. They want the plague witch."

My stomach dropped. Huo Yanzhan was already at the door, buckling his sword belt, his face carved from stone. He didn't look at me. "How many?"

"Three hundred foot soldiers. Two dozen cavalry. The Third Prince is leading them personally."

"Perfect." I wrenched my arm free and straightened. "So we're doing this now."

Huo finally turned. His eyes were flat, cold, the way they'd been that first day when he'd told me I had three days to save his brother or die trying. "You stay inside."

"Like hell I do."

"Grace—"

"They're here for me, right?" I grabbed my coat—still stiff with Jingchuan's blood from yesterday—and shoved my arms through the sleeves. "Hiding makes me look guilty. And you don't have three hundred soldiers to spare."

"I have enough.