I sent the knife into the sky over my head and I created a near-hysterical, incomprehensiblesoundin place of any words,but the message was clear. Her attackers meet my eyes, both pausing in their action. One still held her reins, though the yell had scared him—the other ran.
“Svana!”Jocelyn came to my side, she picked up a rock and armed herself with it.
Someone, somewhere, called for me, but I ignored it, brutally charging the one who remained, dagger out. The approach could only be described as deranged mania, but then Miss Josie followed suit, hurling her stone, then she found another. The men went back. One of them tripped; the other made a snide remark. I stood protectively in front of my mare.
“She’s mine!” I said.
He scoffed. “She’s already dead!”
“She’s mine!”I told him. “Mine! And I will gut you for even touching her! You better hope you can run faster than a horse when I come for you!”
Isaac stirred behind me, stomping. She whinnied, madly, and then did it again.
“Try and take her from me, you shit!” I dared.
“Svana!”It was Cyrus then. He was there. The bandits' eyes flickered between him and me, and then they ran.
I felt instant relief.
“Svana,”Evergreen said. He gave his hand to me like a plate.“It’s okay, Svana. It’s alright. They’re gone. Give me the dagger, love.”
His cottage burned behind him, the fire excessively high, but Mr. Evergreen remained unmoved, and set on whatever he had said to me. I hadn’t heard it, but then I realized he wanted the blade.
My eyes fell to its edge, painted with red. Blood—the same covered my hand, my blouse, my skirt and blotted the ground in random places. Someone was breathing awfully somewhere. Me.
“The dagger,” he told me.
I trembled, gripping it. “No.”
“Alright,” he said, slowly coming forward anyway. “Keep it then; it’s yours, but it’s over now. Alright? You’re safe.”
“I…”
“You’re safe,” he said. “That’s what you are— safe.” He swallowed.
“Safe?” I asked.
“Look, the first time you kill someone, it changes you. The feeling will fade in time. Just… you had to do it, Princess. Aye? You had to; you saved my life. You saved Issac’s life. You saved your own.”
I looked at the horse, stunned, and said,“It’s not the first time I’ve killed someone, Mr. Evergreen.”
Chapter 19
“Unfathomed sin,”Hellveig seethed at Ser Elías. “I should have known, what with your history, you miscreant.”
“Miscreant? That’s fun,” he said. “And what have I done to deserve such decoration?”
She scoffed. “You’ve had your way with a number of women.”
“I haven’t,” he said.
“Don’t act as though it’s false! I’ve heard the rumors,Candy.”
He scoffed.
“Some Lord Commander you are. Some mentor. To think she looks up to you. If she only knew the truth.”
“Elías, I don’t understand,” I said.
