I started to argue, but she shot me a sharp glare, and I fell silent, nodding. The shrill ring of Kiva drawing her sword followed me as I bounded for the mouth of the alley. Metal clanged, and I glanced back as Kiva swung her sword at the man. Snapping my head forward, I ground to a halt.
Another Jin man blocked the exit.
My mind raced to remember my rider training. I was a good fighter, but it’d been months since I’d practiced.
“What do you want?” I demanded, backing away slowly.
The man stepped into the alley, and the sound of the fight at my back kept me from retreating any farther. I never should have stopped carrying the bow that used to be constantly strapped to my chest. The man didn’t respond, his expression set in a grim mask as he pulled a dagger from his belt. He lunged.
I dodged, twisting so I slammed sideways into the alley wall. He recovered quickly and blocked my escape, knife raised. I stepped forward, catching his forearm with mine. But I was rusty and remembered too late my block should be followed by a counterattack. The man drove his fist into my exposed stomach, and I stumbled back, wheezing. He brought his knife down, and I flung myself aside, hitting the ground hard and rolling to my feet.
Calm down calm down calm down.I forced a sharp breath in and flexed my fingers as the man squared up with me. I had to get that knife away from him.
He lunged. I sidestepped his strike, driving my elbow into his sternum, then slammed my arm into his. His hand and the butt of the knife struck the alley wall, knocking the weapon from his grasp.
Footsteps sounded, and I barely had time to step back before the hilt of Kiva’s sword struck the man in the temple. He crumpled against the wall.
I panted, heavy breathing mixing with Kiva’s. Blood stained her arm scarlet to the shoulder.
“It’s not mine,” she said in response to my horrified expression. “Get inside. I’ll send someone for the guards.”
I stumbled out of the alley and into the tavern, collapsing into the first booth I reached. Sounds and colors blurred, and I blinked rapidly. Movement at my side made me flinch, but it was only the barmaid setting a glass of water on the table. She muttered a quiet, “Your Highness,” with a swift curtsy.
I felt my head with numb fingers, distantly registering my hood had fallen. Then I gulped down the water.
As the adrenaline faded and understanding struggled to settle, an aching in my stomach and shoulder took its place. Two men at the table beside me subtly shifted their chairs, placing themselves between me and anyone who might come through the tavern door. Some deep, raw part of me glowed at the gesture.
The tavern door swung open, and Kiva entered, pale skin flushed and glistening with sweat. The men let her pass, and she dropped into the seat across from me, her eyes dark.
“The man I fought escaped.” Her voice quavered. “The other one is in custody.”
“Who were they?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t think they were thieves.” When I only stared, she hesitated, then paused as the barmaid brought her a glass of water. She pulled it toward her but didn’t drink. “I think they were trying to kill you, Thia.”
A chill jolted through me, and I wrapped my arms around my middle. “Why?” My voice barely crested a whisper.
Kiva shook her head. She hadn’t touched her water, though she was squeezing the glass hard enough to crush it. “The guards I met are sending men for us. We’re to wait until they show.”
I nodded numbly. Her words felt distant, like a story someone told about a friend. Only the chill clinging to my skin despite the room’s warmth hinted it had even happened.
The guards brought fresh horses when they arrived, and we rode back surrounded by people. My mind churned with every step. Could this have something to do with my engagement to Ericen? The news wasn’t public yet, but that didn’t mean no one knew, and there were likely to be a lot of people who disagreed with Caliza’s decision. But to kill me to prevent it?
Sighing, I slowed my horse and dropped back to ride beside Kiva. Her hands gripped the reins so tightly, she looked like she was trying to strangle them. When I spoke, she jumped in a very un-Kiva-like way.
“What is it?” I asked.
Her head snapped up, eyes focusing on me with such intensity that I drew back. When something was wrong, the last thing Kiva wanted was to be asked what it was. Especially not when it could make her look weak in front of someone. But the guards were far enough away that they couldn’t hear us, and I couldn’t stay quiet when something so clearly weighed on her.
Her gaze softened, and she let out a quiet breath. “Sorry. I’m fine.”
It was what I’d expected her to say. I didn’t push her. Rather, I laid a hand on her arm, feeling the tension in her body break. It lasted all of a second before she sucked her emotions back inside, straightening. She wouldn’t let someone report back to her mother that she’d broken down.
We rode in silence the rest of the way back, but I stayed beside her the whole time. She’d talk to me when she was ready.
* * *
The chair I sat in was rigid and uncomfortable. My stomach was already a little sore from the punch I’d taken, and the sudden absence of all the adrenaline had left me hollow.
