Death Sworn(68)

He might die, out in the Empire, far away.

But first he would kill someone. That should have bothered her more.

She stood before the racks of gleaming blades. Those on the left were the poisoned ones. She reached out, daring herself to touch one.

Her fingers brushed the cold edge of a hilt, and she jerked her hand back. She thought she heard movement and looked over her shoulder. No one was there.

She reached for the knife again, her heart speeding up, fear and excitement pouring into the gaping hole inside her. It felt . . . not good, exactly. But sharp enough to pierce the dull ache of Sorin’s absence. She let her fingers brush the hilt again, closer to the blade.

Was this why the assassins were eager to kill? Because of the thrill that came when death was so close?

A hand closed around her upper arm and jerked her away, flinging her back. Fear exploded through her, suddenly not thrilling at all. She staggered and whirled.

“What are you doing?” Sorin demanded.

Her heart thudded hard against her chest. He stood just a few yards away from her, lean and handsome in his gray clothes. His face was grim.

“I thought . . .” The words came out in a barely audible whisper. She cleared her throat, tried again. “Where were you?”

“Checking the impact of the attack. The master told me to inspect the far reaches of the caves.” Sorin let out a long, shuddering breath. “He knew, Ileni. He knew I had explored all of them. All this time, I thought it was my one secret. But he always knew.”

Ileni didn’t know what to say to that. She couldn’t focus on it, and she couldn’t stop smiling, even though she knew it wasn’t appropriate. Sorin was here. He wasn’t leagues away. He was right in front of her. “I thought . . . I thought you would be sent on a mission.”

“So did I,” Sorin said.

He wasn’t smiling.

Ileni felt her own smile drop off her face, vanishing along with her joy. Apparently, she was the only one happy that he wasn’t gone.

But she took in his clenched jaw and hunched shoulders, and a surge of real pity took her by surprise. “I’m sorry,” she said. “You must hate being stuck here.”

Sorin’s mouth tightened. “What I want is not important. If the master says I serve best within these caves, that is where I should be.” He gestured at the rack of blades. “What are you doing with those knives? You shouldn’t touch them.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “There are a lot of things I shouldn’t do.”

He turned and looked at her, but instead of leaning in, or even raising an eyebrow back, he walked past her and drew one of the unpoisoned blades. “I want to show you backward throws.”

Ileni wasn’t about to be sidetracked that easily. “What did the master have to say about the Empire’s attack?”

“Nothing.”

“You mean, nothing you can tell me.”

Sorin turned and threw. The blade thudded into the heart of the one target Ileni still couldn’t bring herself to practice on—the child-sized one. The cloth figure thudded back against the stone wall. “Of course that’s what I mean.”

Ileni wanted to ask if Sorin had told the master about Karyn, or about the two of them . . . but somehow, she didn’t dare.

I’ll keep you safe. But could Sorin actually be in the master’s presence and hide anything from him? Ileni didn’t think she could.

Sorin closed his eyes briefly, then turned to her. “I’m sorry, Ileni. It’s just . . . the master had nothing to say to me. He didn’t speak to me at all. He had Arkim give me my task.”

Ileni stepped forward, hesitantly, and put a hand on his arm, feeling the tightness of his muscle. Like he wanted to hit something. “Maybe because there was nothing to discuss. The attack doesn’t change anything, really.”

“Maybe.” Sorin wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Or maybe he’s disappointed in me. And he doesn’t . . . doesn’t trust me anymore.”

No need to ask why. Maybe there was another secret the master knew.

Ileni dropped her hand. Sorin didn’t move, but his throat convulsed.

What could she say? Guilt and anger tangled up in her. Ileni took a deep breath.

“I know who killed Absalm and Cadrel,” she said.

Sorin’s head snapped up, and his face changed, the intensity in his eyes suddenly focused. “Who?”

“Karyn.”