“Whoa! Come on now!” Algar says as he feeds Zephra a slice of jerky.
“No offense,” I add, looking between him and Rynthea, who simply laughs. “But we have to be honest here. You’re a thief, Algar—not to mention you have an incredibly rare creature occupying your shoulder that people will pay a lot of coin for, especially when they realize she can steal on command.Youtold me that.”
Zephra squeaks and bobs her head as Algar shrugs. “Fair point.”
“And Rynthea, you’re part minotaur.” I gesture to her as she looks down at me again through the corner of her eye. “If the wrong people come across you, they’ll try to kill you on sight.”
“In their dreams,” she grumbles.
“And Thane, well…you know what kind of threat you bring.”
He provides a jaded blink.
“My point is, I’m traveling with a targeted group of people. We could be attacked at any time. I want to be able to protect myself somehow. So, if any of you have a spare dagger, a knife, or anything, I’ll be happy to take it.”
“Would you even know how to use it?” Thane chimes in.
“I can try,” I shoot back. “I’m a quick learner.”
“Okay. Say someone is about to kill you. Would you be willing to killthemto save yourself?” he asks.
I hesitate with my response, holding his gaze.
I can tell he’s smirking underneath that damn mask.
“You don’t strike me as a person who can steal a life and live with the consequences afterward,sweet one. If we give you a weapon, the enemy will likely turn it against you if you hesitate. There’s no point in having one if you don’t know how to use it or if you’re notwillingto use it at all.”
“Then show me how,” I counter. “You’re the savage sorcerer with the blades, right? Show me where to strike so I can save myself.”
Thane contemplates this as he rearranges Pearl’s reins in one of his gloved hands.
“If he doesn’t teach you, we will.” Algar gestures between himself and Rynthea, tossing me a wink. “We’ve got your back, princess.”
I smile. “Thanks, Algar.”
“Okay, fine.” Thane comes to a halt, and Algar follows suit. When I stop, Rynthea blows out an agitated breath and pauses, too. After digging through his rucksack strapped to Pearl’s saddle, Thane takes out a sheathed weapon and hands it to me handle first.
“I was going to throw this one out anyway,” he says as I close my fingers around it. “Don’t let the size fool you. It’s small but lethal.”
I unsheathe it to reveal a black blade with silver lining the edges. Engraved in the hilt is the symbol of a familiarDwith pointed edges.
“The Divine?” I swivel my eyes up to him again, but he’s already backing away to take hold of Pearl.
“We should keep moving,” he says.
“Gladly,” Rynthea mutters.
I study the letter on the handle again as I follow along.
How did Thane get this? I mean, he could’ve stolen it from one of the soldiers…or killed one of them and taken it. But if he’d done that, he wouldn’t have gotten away with it. The Divine are heavily protected and very close to the crown. One can’t die without another knowing.
That leaves me wondering if they’re after him, too. But what would possess him to attack one of The Divine? And why wouldn’t a soldier have detained him when we were in Meriva if that were the case?
I peer over my shoulder at him, but now he’s avoiding me altogether. He knows I have questions, andIknow he isn’t going to answer them…at least not right now. I have the urge to slow my pace so I can match his.
He was right yesterday at Kamtaur. His secretsdointrigue me. I need to know who he really is beneath the mask and buffers. I want to ask so many things about the dagger, about Maliek, about who hereallyis. I’m so close to doing so…until I hear a voice cry out in the distance.
Immediately, Thane draws one of the swords strapped to his back. Rynthea comes to a halt, ears perked, and the handle of her weapon gripped tight in hand. Algar freezes along with Zephra as their eyes dart toward the sound.
