A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles, #1)(94)

Exchanging a look with Carver, the two of them then rummage around in Flynn’s bag. It’s Kato who hands me the flask they pull out.

“What’s this?” I unscrew the top and sniff suspiciously.

He refuses to answer, his cobalt eyes merry, so I make a show of being wary before putting the flask to my lips. The familiar taste that washes over my tongue fills me with delight. “Fisan clover water!”

Kato grins, nearly blinding me with his good looks. “Flynn, Carver, and I thought you’d like it.”

“I practically grew up on this stuff. My sister and I used to sneak into the kitchens and drink until our stomachs sloshed.”

Griffin glances at me. “Sister?”

“Where did you get this?” I ask, tilting my head back for a longer sip.

Kato takes the flask back when I hand it to him, closes it, and then tucks it into Panotii’s saddlebag. “Ios has a realms store. Fisan merchants arrived this morning with the clover water—and this.” He turns to the others, and Flynn pulls a necklace from a leather pouch, gingerly holding the chain between his thumb and forefinger.

My heart skips a beat. Or maybe three. Tiny, hammered gold laurel leaves climb the pendant, protecting it and attaching it to a gold chain. Inside is a shard of glacier from the Ice Plains, encased in a magic vial to keep it from melting. The ice swirls with myriad shades of blue and pulses with so much magic that it must have been harvested near Olympus. There are probably only a handful of people who can make it that far onto the Ice Plains and back.

My hand trembles as I reach for the necklace. Both the chain and the pendant are bitingly cold. I can already feel the ice working for me, bolstering what little strength I have. I blink a few times before looking up. I can hardly breathe. “This must have cost a fortune.”

All three men shrug, brushing off the colossal price that comes with this kind of treasure. “The merchant explained it to us,” Flynn says. “Something about always being connected to the source of your power. A spell on the glass keeps it from melting. We thought it might help.”

Carver grins like an idiot. “And it’s pretty.”

I choke on the lump in my throat, laughing and coughing at the same time. Looping the chain over my head, I tuck the pendant under my tunic. It falls between my breasts, burning me with cold. “Thank you, oikogeneia.” The ancient word for family rises unbidden, tumbling past my lips. I just claimed these people. Maybe someday they’ll know.

I get my first real look at Ios as we ride out to meet the army at the west gate. The city is heavily marbled and overflowing with temples to the Gods. We pass more than one bathhouse, the agora is bustling, and the merchants look prosperous enough. I’m not surprised—the farther north in the realms, the wealthier the cities. What does surprise me is the train of people we collect.

Ionians line the streets in colorful clothing, dressed for a festival, watching us pass. Watching me. Women and children throw flowers along my path and then link arms with their husbands and fathers and fall into step behind us. Panotii’s hooves click on the even cobbles, trampling the blooms and releasing heady scents into the afternoon heat. I hear my name on the fragrant breeze and thank the Gods the wind isn’t blowing east.

Even though I’d much rather duck my head and hide my face, I manage to smile and wave here and there since it seems the appropriate thing to do. The residents of Ios cheer for me when we reach the gate. I wish they wouldn’t. Saving them today doesn’t mean I won’t destroy them tomorrow. That’s my fate, after all.

I swallow, finding my throat painfully dry.

I breathe more easily once we’re outside the gates. Griffin and I fall into place at the head of the waiting soldiers, in front of Beta Team, Piers, and even Egeria. Taking the lead position feels both right and wrong at the same time.

“What about the healing center?” I ask.

Griffin glances over. “The plans haven’t changed.” Easing Brown Horse closer, he reaches out and gently brushes a loose curl off my temple. His fingertips graze the shell of my ear as he tucks it back, and I shiver despite the heat. Frowning, he asks, “Are you sure you can travel?”

The concern in his eyes nearly undoes me, but I nod anyway, which is a colossal lie. I’m not sure at all. “Won’t the attack scare the healers away from here?” I ask. “They already don’t want anything to do with it.”

“The important thing is helping people. If they can’t see that, they’re idiots.”

“They’re idiots.”

He shrugs. “Then we’ll hire Hoi Polloi medics. They have skills even if they don’t have magic.”

Simple and yet so effective—archetypal Griffin. “That’s brilliant. Healers will hate it. It’ll push them into getting involved. Their egos won’t stand for being passed over in their intended role.”

Griffin nods.

We ride quietly for a while, but then I look over at him. “Thank you for saving me.”

“We saved each other,” he answers, and my chest squeezes tight when he reaches over again, like he can’t stop touching me. His long fingers wrap around mine. “But don’t ever sacrifice yourself for me, Cat. I can’t live with that.”

A knot of emotion tangles around my heart. His hand is so warm. Griffin’s is the only heat I’ve ever been drawn to.