Red Queen

Mare refuses the challenge, but Evangeline attacks, forcing the fight. Evangeline forms a team of metal spiders, and Mare pulls electricity from everywhere, making the lights flicker. She cannot let Evangeline draw blood and reveal Mare truly is a red and goes on a strong offensive. For a moment, she has Evangeline on the run and feels for the first time “what it’s like to be one of them” (205).

Evangeline knocks Mare to the floor, and the spiders converge, scratching Mare’s skin and opening a wound. Maven and Cal intervene, ending the fight, and Maven takes Mare to Julian while Cal rages at Evangeline. Maven and Julian hate each other, but neither will explain why. Mare’s injuries are tended to by a silent healer, and Maven leads her from Julian’s rooms. In the hall, they encounter Queen Elara, who warns Mare to be more careful about her blood. Mare snaps, and the queen almost kills her. Maven pulls Elara off Mare, and Mare runs, leaving Maven and Elara in a silent battle.

At lunch, Mare finds a regimen of soldiers who are preparing to ship out. These soldiers will go into battle alongside reds so they can surprise the enemy with their powers, and Cal will lead them, which leaves Mare feeling deathly afraid for him.