“That is neither here nor there anymore,” Bala seethed. “We cannot let past grudges get in the way of our alliance now. This is a war.”
“I’m sorry, I hadnoidea.” Dangerous sarcasm dripped from his lips, and Nadir stepped up to her. “I had no idea the ships coming in day in and day out over the horizon were enemy ships. I had no idea we were in a war when strangers invaded my shores and killed my men. I had no idea we were facing possible genocide or slavery. Itmusthave slipped my mind.”
“We do not have time for this—“
“No, but we had time for you to nurse this fucking craven—thistraitor—back to life? You should have left him rotting in the Preymoor for Duarb to take back to his roots,” he said, tone darkening so much, Nyssa’s heart slowed. “Or has it slipped your mind how we had to sit around her fucking dead body and beg her to come back to us after she endured eight weeks of torture… After hekidnappedher.”
Nyssa reached out for Nadir’s arm. He straightened over Bala and took a step back, but Bala didn’t move. She was biting the inside of her mouth, obviously trying to stifle her emotion and keep a calm face.
“I realize you are upset,” she said slowly. “But you have to understand why I did not let him rot—why Draven would not have let him rot... We need the numbers. This is bigger than any spats between our people. Every person counts. I will not turn away someone who is willing to help.”
Nadir’s chest rose high and fell, his shoulders sinking with it. He glanced toward Gail again, who was sitting up. “You got lucky today,” he sneered.
Gail spat blood to the ground from his bleeding gums. "Are you finished?"
"Not hardly," Nadir said. "I can't wait for you to do something stupid and for one of these two to turn you to ash."
"Like the King did their sister?"
Nyssa snapped.
Nyssa reached Gail before Dorian—Dorian grabbed her and swung her backward. Her foot caught in Gail's face, and he fell to the ground again.
Bala glared over him. "Are you trying to die?" she asked.
Gail tipped his head back as he rose to his feet. "Thought I may as well get it all out." He glanced to Nyssa. "Nice kick, little Sun."
"I swear you will taste my fucking sword one day," Nadir grunted.
Dorian finally put Nyssa down at Nadir's side. She shoved his arms off and stepped forward again to Gail.
"You will sit and keep your mouth shut while we talk," she commanded. "How do we know he's not Infi?" she asked the rest of the room.
Dorian's fist clenched at his side, and a shudder ran over his body. "He's not," he said.
"How do you know?" Nyssa asked.
"Because I know."
And Nyssa didn't question it.
Gail sat in the chair and ripped a piece of fabric to hold on his bleeding face. She was surprised he could move at the number of blows that he'd been struck with.
But there he sat. Staring at her. Holding the fabric to his nose and mouth. Eye swollen and trickling blood.
Nyssa stepped back and looked to Bala. "Where do you want to begin?"
As Nadir took the Scrolls out from Dorian's bag, Nyssa walked. She walked around the edge of the room and watched them all. The Honest people that had joined them. The Venari both from Bala's company and Gail's. Reverie and Corbin had sat in chairs on either side of Dorian, who was leaned over the table, palms pressed firmly into the wood and staring at the Scrolls.
And Lex watchedher.
Once the Scrolls were all spread out over the table, Nadir settled back and wrapped his arms around his chest. "Thank you for retrieving these," he said as he met Reverie's eyes. "But where's the last one?"
“Last one…“ A demeaning chuckle left Dorian’s lips as he reached behind him and pulled what looked to be a stack of parchment rolled up from his back pocket, and he threw it on the table “—You mean this one?”
Wind blew around the room as the parchment opened, and Nyssa stopped walking. Whatever this Scroll was made her core wriggle and hide. Uncomfortable in her bones.
Two red circles stared back at her.
