Rage twisted Aiden’s face. “If you spill one more drop of her blood, I will flay every inch of skin from your body with your own gods-damned whip.”
A horrible laugh rumbled from Korvin’s chest. His sticky fingers tightened on my face. “Call for her.”
Fear hammered through my body.It’s just a face. My face. Just skin. It doesn’t matter. The pain doesn’t matter.
Aiden’s eyes burned into mine. His lips parted.
I was gasping for air, but still managed to cry out, “Don’t, Aiden! He won’t kill me, but hewillkill all of you.”
“Shut up,” Korvin growled. “Now, call?—”
“I’m here, Korvin.”
Everyone twisted to see Nikella standing on the south side of the tents.
She was dripping wet in her prisoner rags, her ankles still chained together. And she carried her silver spear.
Korvin tossed me into the dirt, his eyes on Nikella. “Sister. At last.”
Her nostrils flared. “You shed whatever blood I shared with you a long time ago.”
“And what of the Wolves I sent searching for you?”
“Dead.”
Korvin smiled. “There’s my naughty little Nik. I’m so glad our brother finally let me hunt you down. I’ve wanted to for years. All the blood I spilled. All the pain I caused. All the death I delivered. I always thought of you.”
While he spoke, I slowly crawled to the table with our explosives. Maz and Ruru sent me panicked looks, and Aiden jerked his head to the side,stop.
I ignored them. I was the only one with unbound hands.
Just a few more feet.
My chain rattled. I froze and peered back at Korvin. But he was fully focused on his favorite prey.
“Of all the scars I’ve etched,” he said, gesturing at Nikella’s face, “I cherish that one the most. I hope it reminded you every day of who you are. Who you’ll always be. Mine. Forever.”
Bile burned the back of my throat. I slid up to the table and grabbed the powder Nikella had shown me.
Praying to the Four with all my might, I dusted some over my heavy chain. The metal hissed and peeled, shedding bits of rotted metal into the dirt.
Korvin started to turn, but Nikella stepped toward him, her spear lifted.
“It’s my favorite scar, too,” she said. “Because it was the one that set me free. From my fear and from you. It gave me the courage to leave you and become a Teacher. To save the future king of Rellmira. To destroy everything greedy, spineless men desire. Now the rest of the world will be free of you as well. Youdidn’t make me who I am today. I did. My choices. My will. My scars. Me.”
Tears sprang to my eyes. She was everything I wanted to be.
My chain fell apart just as Korvin rolled his shoulders back and pointed his sunstone knife at Nikella.
“It doesn’t matter, Nik,” he said softly as I crept toward them. “I told you, little girls don’t survive.”
She edged toward me. “No. That’s why we become women.”
Korvin lunged. Nikella ducked and threw herself toward me. I scrambled forward and smattered some of the black powder on her chain. It sizzled and started to disintegrate as she danced away from Korvin’s furious blows.
I sprinted toward Aiden, Maz, and Ruru, my chains beating against my bare feet.
“Guards!” Korvin screamed as he fought Nikella.
