Her knuckles dug against her sternum without thought.
I’ve killed millions. Why would this one be any different?
“Kill him?” The other woman’s brows rose. “Mistress, no.” Her tone held genuine offense as she bent forward again. “Unlike the Reaches, we value life here.” Her nose wrinkled as she looked toward Kaelith. “Even one so tainted.”
Stretching back with both hands to catch the ends of her own hair, Rynna twisted it loosely around her fingers. “That’s too bad.” She finally exhaled. “I was actually looking forward to it.”
“Liar.”
The word rasped from the bed. He coughed once, then again, harder this time, and the old woman tending him swatted him lightly on the forehead.
“Be still.” She pressed his head back into the pillow. “I will not have you wasting my efforts.”
Kaelith groaned, eyes fluttering shut again, mumbling, “Women.”
And then went quiet.
“Well.” Rynna’s interrogator pushed herself upright, red skirts whispering against stone as she rose. “You’re going to have your hands full with that one.”
Was it over? Why?
“What the hell does that mean?” Rynna surged to her feet, the chair scraping against the floor behind her. “For the hundredth time—we are not together.”
“You are now.” She stepped in and took both of Rynna’s bound wrists in her hands, clasping them lightly around the woven metal.
“No. Madam. Please. I only brought him here because he forced me into a bargain.”
The restraints began to warm, and a moment later, the cords unraveled and fell free, pooling in the woman’s hand like a strand of quicksilver.
“And you kept your word.” She tucked the rope into a pocket at her hip. “I can appreciate that.” Her eyes leveled with Rynna’s. “But now he’s your responsibility.”
Rynna rubbed at the raw skin of her wrists, circulation prickling back with a flare of heat. “What does that mean—‘my responsibility’?”
The woman’s eyes slid toward the bed where Kaelith lay motionless.
“You should both be dead.” Her lips compressed in the beginnings of a scowl. “Outsiders are not permitted entry to the Hearth. Not under any circumstance.”
Rynna didn’t speak.
“But he’s been marked by the Serpent,” the woman continued. “And you…” She hesitated, just enough to be noticeable. “Our Mistress is curious about you, Rynna.” The woman stepped back, smooth as ever. “So you will both remain here for the rest of your days.”
“Therest of our days?” Rynna chased after her, voice rising. “What the hell does that mean?”
The woman didn’t answer. Her eyes moved over the room instead.
“This will be your dwelling.”
“Forbothof us?” Rynna looked around her, taking in the space—low ceiling, stone walls, a table, shelves stacked with dried herbs and folded linen. “There’s only one bed.”
“And if either of you so much astouchthat disgusting force the Hollow-born use to control and harness the elements...” The woman’s smile returned as she reached out and drew her fingers lightly down Rynna’s arm. “You will both be executed. On sight.”
Rynna flinched from the contact, but the woman was already turning.
At the entryway, she lifted the deer hide flap, pausing in a half turn. “Oh. One more thing.” Her voice was light. Pleased, even. “You can call me Mira.”
Rynna’s jaw worked uselessly, opening and closing with no words to fill the space. “M… M…”
The flap dropped with athump, leaving only the scent of dried sage and cool stone in the woman’swake.
