Blade of Secrets (Bladesmith #1)(57)

“It’s my weapon,” I say, ignoring them. “I’m the most qualified to sell it and get the most money from the sale.” It will be uncomfortable. I loathe negotiating, but selling this spear will set us up for months. I can do this for us.

“If I can’t be risked selling it, then neither can you,” Temra says with finality.

“I could take it in,” Petrik says.

Temra, Kellyn, and I all eye Petrik. He’s so uncomfortable outside of his scholar’s attire. And the way he holds himself—he looks nothing like a fighter.

“If you walk in there, the vultures will eat you alive.” The mercenary shakes his head. “And you were seen by their family.” He points to Temra and me with his thumb. “By now the warlord could know you’re with them. You shouldn’t be the one to enter.”

“But that leaves—” I start.

“Me,” Kellyn finishes. “It has to be me. I’m the only one not under suspect. No one will think twice about me selling a magical weapon because I’m actually a mercenary, and I look the part.”

“Absolutely not,” Petrik says. He grabs my arm to pull me aside. “I don’t trust him. He’ll run off with the money from the sale and leave us behind.”

“I can still hear you,” Kellyn says.

“Ziva, let me do it,” Petrik says.

“Just let me do it,” Temra puts in. “I’ll be in and out in two minutes, tops.”

If we weren’t in such a hurry, perhaps I would take the time to ponder the fact that everyone is deferring to me. When did my decision become the final say in the matter? When did I become the leader of this poorly-stitched-together group?

“Ziva—” Petrik starts.

“Enough,” I say.

I put my fingers to my temples, as though that will help me think. I’d rather be the one to take this risk. If anyone is going to get caught, it should be me.

But if I’m caught, I’ll leave Temra on her own, protecting that Twins-forsaken sword.

“Kellyn will do it. He hasn’t gone back on his word. Not once.” I force myself to look him in the eye. “Do you promise to sell this spear and return the earnings to us?”

Kellyn steps forward. “I do.”

I believe him, and I think he knows I do, but seeing Petrik’s hesitancy, Kellyn slides the massive longsword scabbard from off his back and tosses it to Petrik, sword and all.

Petrik fumbles with the weapon before dropping it.

“Why don’t you keep watch over that for me until I return? If you can manage to hoist it at all.” Then he takes the spear and dashes to the front of the pawnshop.

And we wait.

“If I can manage to hoist it,” Petrik says in a laughably mocking tone of Kellyn’s voice, but Temra and I manage straight faces. Petrik bends down, wraps both hands around the scabbard, and heaves.

He holds the weapon triumphantly in both hands, but after a minute, his arms start shaking. He tosses the sword aside and side-eyes Temra, as though hoping she didn’t notice.

Seeing that she did, he sighs before fixing his attention on the back of the shop.

“What are you doing?” Temra asks him.

“Like I said, I don’t trust him. I want to make sure he doesn’t try to run out the back with our money.”

I roll my eyes. “And leave his precious longsword behind? He wouldn’t.”

Temra says, “With that much money, he could buy a new one ten times over.”

“Yes, thank you, Temra, that comment is definitely helping things,” I snap.

“I’m just saying.”

“The mercenary was the only choice. Now let’s just wait before we start getting cynical.”

There’s some foot traffic on the main street behind us. The smell of fresh rainfall was present throughout the entire journey, but now that we’ve arrived in the capital, the city has covered it up, replacing it with body odors and horse manure.

Those in the city wear leathers with fur embellishments at their cuffs and collars. They appear to be quite the community of hunters, I observe, as I watch a cart of antlers go by. Many in the street have bows slung over their shoulders.

Though the rain lessened the more we traveled southeast, it hasn’t stopped. Even now our boots are covered in mud clear up to our knees. The baths we had in Thersa were a lifetime ago. We’re hungry, we’re wet, we’re cranky.

And we’re going to have to stay in a public house until we find a place of our own. I try not to grimace.

“Is that him?” Temra asks shortly after I hear a door slamming.

She’s not pointing toward the front of the shop, where Kellyn entered, but at the back, where a tall figure is walking away.

“That’s not him,” I say. Kellyn doesn’t look like that from behind. I would know. I spent so much time glaring at his back. He’s broader, holds himself straighter than whoever this fellow is.

“There’s not many guys that freakishly tall,” Petrik says. “Kellyn!”

The figure turns.

And there’s no mistaking that it’s the mercenary.

Kellyn winks at me, jingling a heavy purse of money in one hand, before he takes off like a pack of hungry beasts is behind him.

Temra, Petrik, and I freeze for one moment. Confusion takes over. I was so sure that wasn’t Kellyn until I saw his face. Temra and Petrik recover before I do, leaping after the mercenary, but it isn’t long before I surpass them with my longer legs.