Blade of Secrets (Bladesmith #1)(86)

Petrik ignores him. “When you asked me about other magic users, Ziva, I was careful with my words. I let you believe that I only knew of two, but that’s not true. I know someone who can save Temra.”

I blink away my tears to try to see Petrik’s face.

“Back in Skiro,” he continues, “there’s a magically gifted healer. I promised her I wouldn’t reveal her identity to anyone. But this is Temra. We need to take her to the capital immediately.”

“She’d never survive the journey,” Kellyn says. “It’s too far, and the road is rough.”

For just once can he be helpful and positive? Just this one time when it’s concerning my Temra?

“Let’s go,” I say. “Why are we still talking about it? If there’s a chance to save her, then we’re taking it.”

“We’re not leaving Kymora alone with my family,” Kellyn says, and though he doesn’t raise his voice, his tone is firm.

“You’ll stay with her,” I say, “while Petrik and I take Temra.”

“No, he should come with us,” Petrik says. “He can bring Kymora. We’ll turn her over to Prince Skiro. The royal family has been wanting to pull her from power since the realm was split.”

I don’t hide the distaste from my face.

“Kellyn will protect us on the road as well,” Petrik says in his defense, “now that—”

Now that Temra can’t do it.

“Fine, he can come. We leave within the hour.”



* * *



Petrik tries to offer up apologies while we get ready, but I silence him. “You came through when it mattered. That’s good enough for me. Quick thinking to put the tools in the smithy’s kiln for me.”

“I never betrayed you,” he says. “I hope you know that. I wasn’t in contact with my mother. We’re not close at all. I never gave her any information about you or your sister. I would never do that.”

“I know.”

While he collects food and supplies, the healer offers up the use of her cart. Though I know she believes we can’t save my sister, she takes pity on me.

The cart itself is wood, but the wheels and axle are metal. I magic both to help Temra have a smooth journey on the road. Let the wheels absorb any bumps.

We help ourselves to the smithy’s horses. He doesn’t need them anymore, and we attach two to the head of the cart, lie Temra bundled in blankets in the back.

Then the healer hands me a vial. “This will keep her under while you’re on the road. You have to administer it every day. Give her too much, and you will kill her; not enough and she will wake and be in agony and maybe become injured further.”

She gives me the dosage, and I accept the vial wordlessly.

Kellyn ties Kymora to the other side of the uncovered cart. She’s bound with what looks like no less than a hundred ropes, from her neck to her ankles. A gag keeps her from talking.

When he has her situated, I look away from the woman while we make our way to the edge of town. The three of us sit on the driver’s bench in silence.

Kellyn offers his hand to me, and I don’t accept it.

Kymora may be directly responsible for injuring my sister, but Kellyn could have stopped it.

If he’d just listened. My sister is more important to me than my own life. He knew that. But he came after me instead.

I would feel guilty to accept his hand or any other comfort he tried to offer, knowing that Temra is hurt.

It isn’t long before I can’t stand not to be near my sister. I hate that Kymora is in the back with Temra. If I hadn’t broken the warlord’s knee, she could have walked alongside the horses.

I climb into the bed of the cart and position myself between Kymora and my unconscious sister.

It’s a week to the capital, and that’s exactly how long the healer expected Temra had to live.

We’re cutting it too close, but this is the only option I have.

With the last of my family on one side of me and the woman who murdered my parents on the other, I close my eyes, hoping this journey will be smoother than the last one.





ACKNOWLEDGMENTS



Book number five is here, and I can barely believe it’s time to write another one of these.

As always, I like to start off by thanking the two amazing ladies who make what I do possible. Rachel and Holly: You guys are the best! Thank you for championing my novels. Thank you for continuing to believe in me and support me. Thank you for taking a chance on a feisty pirate named Alosa.

Thank you to everyone on the Macmillan team who works on my books! Special thanks to Brittany, Allegra, Jordin, Jacqueline, Starr, and Liz. And thanks so much, Sasha Vinogradova, for the beautiful cover art! I’m simply blown away by it. And thanks as well to Noverantale for the gorgeous map of Ghadra!

I appreciate everyone else who gave this book a read and offered feedback: Dillon West, Cale Dietrich, Charlie N. Holmberg, Haley Gibson, Bridget Howard, and Caitlin Lochner.

Special thank-you to Alisa for brainstorming with me when it was crunch time and I needed ideas fast for revisions. I’ve never come out of one of our sessions empty-handed.

Thank you to all of my family for your continued support, even those of you who won’t buy my books because they’re too racy.