Theo wasn’t there.

  I’d caught up to Captain Jace and taken Fyga from him. Without the burden, he was able to move a lot faster, but it was still dark when we reached the place that we’d left the other Touched. I knew it was the right place because there were still chunks of ice in the ground.

  “MIssin’ sumthin’?” The one eyed man wasn’t even breathing hard as he stopped and looked around.

  “We left Theo here.” I scanned the woods. While I could see as far, if not farther than if it were day, the woods were thick enough that he could have been hiding fifty feet away and I wouldn’t be able to see him.

  “Ya left da traitor alive?!?” Rage filled Captain Jace’s voice. “Why didn’t ya kill that hull-licker?”

  “Because the Mayor made me promise not to.” I’d been down this line of questioning with Fyga already. I made a promise and the Mayor had seen something in his son that had been worth sacrificing his life for. I hadn’t seen it yet, but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t something worth saving inside the traitor.

  “Ya promised a dead man ta not kill his backstabbin’ son?” The bald man shook his head. “I thought Backer were smarter than that.”

  “What would you have done?” It was the question that I’d been afraid to ask with Theo beside me.

  “I’d have let the Zombie’s have him.” Captain Jace didn’t hesitate. “World’s too messed up without lettin’ someone who’d sell his people to the Touched run free.”

  “He was a Touched.” I sighed when I saw the shock on his face. “The Touched made him one of them. The Zombies wouldn’t have attacked him.”

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  “Crap on a cracker and call me Polly.” He shook his head. “You’re a Backer. He gave a city to da Touched, let them turn him inta one of those horrors, and ya didn’t kill him on da spot?” The man eyed me with his only eye. “Ya know yar Zombies like a Backer, but ya ain’t a Backer.”

  I swallowed. “I’m a failure, okay?” I shifted Fyga’s weight in my arms. I thought about putting her over my shoulder so I could maneuver better if he attacked me, but holding her in both of my arms felt more secure. I doubted she would be able to feel if I dropped her, but that didn’t mean that I was going to do it by accident.

  “I failed the ascension and became a Touched myself.” I nodded in the direction of the camp. “Master Val and I are trying to prove that I’m worthy to still serve the Bokor.” I looked down at the woman in my arms and realized what I was about to say pertained to her too. “I thought…” I looked at the captain. “I thought that if someone like Theo could be turned into a useful person, then it would prove that I could too.”

  Captain Jace started cackling. “Kid, ya tried ta prove that ya were able ta watch da chickens by turnin’ a dog loose in da pen.” He shook his head. “Now da dog is loose and the pen is gone.”

  “Yeah.” I looked around the area one more time. “I just thought since he knew that his dad died so he could have a second chance…”

  “Kid, Zombies don’t stop bite’n just cause they get spared.” He slapped my back. “Hopefully no one else has ta die before ya can fix it.”

  I swallowed. Theo was my mess and the others had already made it clear that they weren’t going to clean it up when he went rogue. I just hoped that he realized that there was only one way for him to make it out of this alive.

  “Let’s go.” I headed in the direction of the camp. “We need to hurry up and get Val to the ship.”

  “Kid, ya know yar gunna have ta kill those pirates.” For a one-legged man, he moved fast enough to keep up with me without breathing hard.

  “I’m afraid of that…” I picked up the pace. “But I have to hope that there’s an explanation for all of this.”

  “The Backers are corrupt as month ol’ fish.” The old man’s voice was full of regret. “Best ya learn that fast.” His voice got quieter, but I could still hear him. “Ya’ll live longer.”

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