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Vaneshta sprung forward the moment he looked away, but halted, staggering in place as Tenar whipped back around, dagger pressing into the woman’s skin enough that blood began trickling down her neck. He flashed Vaneshta a lopsided grin.

The ground suddenly jerked and then shuddered violently. Iryana feared Tenar would accidentally slit the woman’s throat, but he thankfully remained steady. As the ground gentled, the metal-badger prowled around the pit toward them. Iryana tensed. They couldn’t afford a distraction.

“We got it,” Vabihn declared, moving to meet it. Pepha, and Shahn moved with him, Mezhimar starting to climb down from the tree.

The great roar of the metal-badger, the sound of fighting and flashes of movement off to their side threatened to distract her, but she needed to focus. Needed to trust the others.

Tenar moved toward Lidishta, dragging the woman with him. While pressing the steel dagger tighter against her throat, he formed a dagger in his other hand, a dark maroon blade that he used to slice the rope keeping Lidishta tied down.

Iryana frowned. Was the metal-forging from before just a trick? Or was he… forged with both metal alone and metal-fire?

“Get away from her you fucking asshole!” Vaneshta growled, gripping her spear with white knuckles. Her hair whipped wildly in the wind.

Tenar ignored her.

“Up,” he ordered Lidishta, forged dagger pointed right at her throat.

Lidishta spat at him, and for a moment Iryana thought she’d fight him anyway, surely get herself killed, but Lidishta slowly rose to her feet. Once she turned, Iryana could see that her hands were bound and wrapped, her forgings inaccessible.

Mezhimar shouted, but Iryana wasn’t listening at all.

This was their opportunity.

Iryana let out the melancholy “ooh” of a bullfinch, then summoned all the drama she could muster.

She dropped her bow and clutched her chest right over her sigil like she was being burned as she screamed at the top of her lungs. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched Pyetar whip around toward her, panic widening his eyes. Even Vaneshta turned toward her, body tensing. But she kept her eyes on Tenar who was staring at her.

He didn’t seem disturbed, didn’t budge an inch, but he also didn’t hear the sound of the arrow whizzing through the air until it was too late.

A plain wood and steel arrow sank into Tenar’s arm, right above his elbow. He jerked, face blanching with surprise. The knife to Lidishta’s throat dropped.

The others didn’t notice what had happened. They were staring at her, but Iryana stopped wailing and surged toward Tenar.

It all happened so quickly.

Tenar stumbled, dropping the prisoner while Lidishta stumbled back. But before Iryana could reach them, Tenar lunged toward the woman he’d dropped, forged dagger in his good hand, and plunged it into her side. She shrieked.

Tenar ripped his dagger out, blood gushing, and kicked her into the pit. Then he turned to Lidishta.

“No!” Iryana shrieked as she reached Tenar, diving at him.

He cried out as the arrow in his shoulder was jerked to the side, Iryana’s weight slamming into his chest. As they fell, she scrambled for his good wrist, keeping the forged blade away from her.

“Lidi’s safe!” Vaneshta shouted.

Iryana rolled with Tenar, fighting for control of that hand. He was stronger than her, but she had the advantage of two working arms. Grunting, she fought his efforts to turn the blade toward her.

Misha screamed her name.

“Get your hands off her,” came a growl from above them. Then Pyetar’s boot smashed down on Tenar’s hand, a loud crack preceding Tenar’s howl. The forged dagger dissipated.

Iryana scrambled up as Pyetar supported her. She was fine despite a few bruises, but Pyetar looked like he was about to rip Tenar apart with his bare hands. He formed one of his two shining metal-forged swords and pointed it right at Tenar.

“He’s ours,” Lidishta growled from behind them.

It took a moment for Pyetar to lower his sword, but he acquiesced.

“Have fun,” Iryana spat at Tenar, now scooting backward on the dirt.