“Why?”
I turned, smoothing down the dress as best as I could. Something warned me that he wouldn’t like my answer and I didn’t want to talk about it, frankly.
“Mina,” came his growl.
Why couldn’t he just leave it alone?
When he caught my wrist, keeping me from moving towards the door, though my hair was still dripping down my back, I felt a small spark of irritation.
“Because they had blood on them,” I finally told him. “I figured you wouldn’t want to sleep on it tonight.”
Wrune stiffened, his expression darkening.
“You were bleeding?” he asked.
It was mortifying and I felt my face flame.
“Yes,” I said, because I knew he wouldn’t leave it alone. “Let’s—let’s just go. Please. I don’t want to talk about it.”
This time, when I turned away and walked to the entrance, he actually let me. I pushed through the flap, not needing to duck underneath it like Wrune had to, and saw the bright morning sun overhead, though the sky appeared red. It always did these days.
Wrune must have sent the guard away when he’d entered because I found myself alone. At least until the hide parted behind me and my husband joined me. His expression was cold. Unreadable. As usual.
Thevolikiwas positioned towards the back of the camp, abutted against a short mountain. A small incline led up to thevolikiand I wondered if he’d chosen this location because it gave him a perfect view of his entire encampment…and the fog beyond.
Because from here, I could see it. Just a hint of it, lingering in the Dead Valley. It was still so far away and yet it was clear enough to see in daylight. An ever-present threat to his horde.
Within the gates of the horde, however, I sawvolikiaftervoliki. Most were smaller in size, but towards the front of the camp, I saw larger ones and I wondered about their purpose. To the right, I saw a massive enclosure. Hundreds ofpyrokis, which looked like little lumps from this distance, roamed or slept beside one another or ate. To the left of the horde, I saw another enclosure, very close to where I’d been kept chained upon first arriving. I thought I recognized thevolikiI’d stayed in. Hukri told me it was thevolikiin which Wrune’s council met.
Smoke rose from many of the structures, though one in particular seemed to have a steady bloom of it. The smell of cooked meat and spice filled the air, even that early in the morning, and I figured that was where thebikkusworked their days.
Seeing the horde like this, for the first time, was overwhelming. Hundreds ofvolikis, hundreds of lives, of purposes, of fears, of wants, greeted me on that morning when I was feeling particularly vulnerable.
And there I was. Queen of it all. Which was laughable. I’d practically been a slave before this. I’d been treated like an unwanted animal most of the time.
Now, I was dressed in the finest of silks and it just made me want to cry.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Valavik’s breaths were coming fast when I knocked him back again. He stumbled but managed to right himself. When he didn’t fall, I gritted my teeth and my sword shot forward. I threw most of my strength into the blow and the steel rang and clashed. I wondered if it could be heard throughout the entire encampment.
“Vok, I yield, Rowin!” Valavik grunted when my sword sliced a thin line across his chest. A killing blow. “I yield!”
He was panting, drawing in ragged lungfuls of air. We both were. Sweat dripped into my eyes and I went to one of the water basins thebikkukept stocked and I splashed my face with water.
I’d sullied the new bandages around my wrists and I was lucky they stopped the sweat that rolled down my arms.
The newest of my markings. Binding myself to Mina, who wore matching ones around her own wrists now.
A jolt of awareness ran down my spine and I looked up, ignoring Valavik’s whispered curses as he continued to pant against the training enclosure.
My wife.
She was standing with Hukri near themitri’svoliki. Straightening, I continued to watch her, wondering how much of that small battle she’d witnessed.
Judging by the wary expression on her face, I’d say she’d seen quite a lot of it.
My gaze ran over her. The icy blue dress made her skin glow and instead of dimming her green eyes, it only made them brighten. Her limbs were all willowy grace and she stood tall next to Hukri, though I saw many speculative looks cast her way.
