“Sister,” Cano said softly, putting his hand on Sillia’s shoulder, “stand down.”
Her grip on my wrists tightened further, making my bones groan.
“It’s an easy enough thing to sort out,” Keir said, and Sillia glanced at him over her shoulder. He got to his feet, the torchlight flickering menacingly over the tattoos on his jaw. “Let’s get the queen a battle-axe.”
“What?” I exclaimed.
“Absolutely not,” Velka said.
“Keir.” Senko stepped in front of him. “No.”
“You’ve been here five minutes,” Bain snapped. “You don’t get a vote.”
“I’m not going to hurt her.” Keir rolled his eyes. “Just see what she’s made of.”
“I think it’s an excellent idea,” Bain agreed.
“Shut it, Bain,” Velka bit out.
“What? I’ll even let her use mine.”
“Even if this wasn’t incredibly inappropriate, the queen is injured. It wouldn’t be a fair fight, Keir, and you know it.”
“So I’ll go easy,” he countered.
Velka bared her teeth at him. “That’s not the point—”
Sillia stepped forward again, and the tent fell silent. She might be Fourth now that Senko had officially been appointed above her, but her commanding presence was respected by all. She pulled an axe from her waistband and thrust it toward me. An order.
I stared at the weapon, struggling to control my breathing. I’d never even held a weapon before. I wouldn’t win a fight against a fly, let alone Keir.
But when I looked up into Sillia’s dark face, craning my neck against her enormity, my throat closed up, and I found myself reaching for the axe.
Keir grinned. “Excellent.”
FORTY-FIVEAMUNET
I wiped the sweat from my brow, feet throbbing dully as pebbles dug into my sandals’ thin soles with every step. When I glanced up, I spotted a tree with a strange red substance leaking from it, too vibrant to be normal sap, and my heart sank. “We’ve come this way before,” I panted.Three times beforeto be exact.
Jasim sat on a boulder, the same one he’d rested on yesterday. Hand tight around his midsection, face pale. My brow creased with worry, but he waved me off. “I just need a minute.”
I pursed my lips.
Dead Man’s Forest was foggy but not dark, thank the gods. Leaves rustled over our heads, but that was the only noise. A forest this large, there should have been creatures scurrying, insects buzzing. Instead, silence pressed in, and even though we’d used the sun as a compass, we’d been going in circles. It was fucking eerie.
I took advantage of the break and felt for Shaya’s breeze. Hoping for some sort of guidance. But there was nothing. Still, I didn’t lose heart. He must’ve expended a great deal of energy to transport us, out of an iron cage, no less. He would find me when he was able.
I sat on the ground at Jasim’s feet. “Let’s stop here for the day.”
“I’m fine.” He stood, the movement stiff. A muscle in his jaw bulged as he tried to hold back a groan.
I reached for his hand and gave it a little tug. “Please. I’m tired.”
My lie was hardly convincing. A small laugh huffed out of him, but he slowly lowered himself to the ground beside me. I braced him as best I could, though I wasn’t sure I offered much help. I’d inspected his wounds earlier, so I knew he wasn’t bleeding anymore, but each day out here, he slowed down a bit more. He needed a proper healer.
“We have to find water,” he said as he rested his head back against the boulder.
“I know.” It had been a few days since my last cup, and I imagined the same had to be true for Jasim. “With this much living vegetation, there has to be a water source somewhere close. We’ll find it.”
