Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles #1)(4)

There were two possibilities. She could be a nationalist who would turn him in to the squad of soldiers currently combing the mountain for him, perhaps to gain favor with the government, or she could be like so many Lagrimari citizens, beaten down by the war with no real loyalty to their dictator or his thugs. If she was the former, he was already dead, so he took a chance with the truth.

“You see, I was undercover, spying from within the Lagrimari army. But now there are men looking for me, they’re not far, but—” He paused to take a breath; the effort of speaking was draining. He suspected he had several cracked or broken ribs in addition to the gunshot wound. His vision swam, and the girl turned into two. Two beautiful girls. If these were his last moments before traveling to the World After, then perhaps he was not as unlucky as he’d always thought.

He blinked rapidly and took another strained breath. His mission was not complete; he could not die yet. “Can you help me? Please. I’ve got to get back to Elsira.”

She stole an anxious glance skyward before kneeling next to him. Her cool hand moved to his forehead. The simple touch was soothing and a wave of tension rolled off him.

“You must be delirious.” Her voice was rich, deeper than he’d expected. It eased the harsh consonants of the Lagrimari language, for the first time making it sound like something he could imagine being pleasant to listen to. She carefully worked at the remaining buttons of his shirt, pulling the fabric apart to reveal his ruined chest. Her expression was appraising as she viewed the damage then sat back on her haunches, pensive.

“It probably looks worse than it is,” he said.

“I doubt that.”

Jack’s chuckle sounded deranged to his own ears, so it was no surprise that the girl looked at him askance. He winced—laughing was a bad idea at this point—and struggled for breath again. “The soldiers . . . they’re after me. I have to get back through the Mantle.”

“Shh,” she said, digging into her bag. “Hush all that foolishness; you’re not in your right mind. Though I’ll admit, you speak Lagrimari very well. I’m not sure what happened to you, but you should save your strength.”

She retrieved a jar filled with a sweet-smelling substance and began spreading it over his wounds. The constant, throbbing pain eased a notch making it easier for him to breathe.

“What is that?”

“Just a balm. Helps with burns, cuts. Can’t do any more for you right now, but you can’t stay here. Storm’s coming.”

He laid his head back on the ground, closing his eyes to savor the slight reduction in pain. “A quick rest and I’ll be back on my way. Need to keep moving, though. Need to get back.”

She shook her head. “Back through the Mantle?” Her voice was skeptical.

He nodded.

“And away from the Lagrimari soldiers chasing you?”

“Yes.” Her palm met his forehead again. She thought he was delusional. He wished he was. Wished the last few weeks had been nothing but the imaginings of an impaired mind.

“The Seventh Breach ended almost five years ago.” Her voice flowed over him, as cool and comforting as the balm she’d used. “We’ve had peace since then. No way to cross the Mantle from either side.”

He shook his head, aggravating the hole in his upper chest, inches from his heart where an inconvenient bit of metal was still lodged. “There are ways.”

A crunch of boots in the distance set him on alert. He grabbed the girl’s wrist to halt her while he listened. The soldiers were near.

He opened his eyes and looked into her startled ones. “Shh, they’re coming.”

Her head darted from side to side and he could see the moment she realized that someone was indeed coming. Jack couldn’t let her be found helping him. Having seen firsthand what these men were capable of, he couldn’t let her be found by them at all. The Lagrimari army was filled with men unfit even for Elsira’s prisons. This girl had been kind, a trait his people didn’t believe the Lagrimari even possessed, but he knew better and felt the need to protect her. He wrestled himself to a sitting position, ignoring the daggers of pain impaling him with every movement, but her strong arms prevented him from standing.

“Hide here, and I’ll draw them away,” he whispered and motioned for her to crouch down. “They will find me anyway, but it’s best they don’t see you.” She frowned, looking back toward the sound of approaching footsteps.

As he agonizingly made his way to his hands and knees, the pain flared hot, threatening to blind him. With a tug on her arm, he pulled her behind the shrubbery and half crawled, half dragged himself back onto the narrow, rocky path. Her head stuck up over the grouping of rocks and shrubs, and he motioned for her to get down as he put a little distance between them.

The footfalls grew closer and he turned to face them, not wanting to draw any attention to the girl hiding only a few metres away.

Six Lagrimari men appeared from around the bend in the path. The sergeant spotted him, and a hard smile spread across the man’s narrow face. Jack only had time to feel a small amount of satisfaction at the purple bruise around the sergeant’s eye before a kick to his midsection stole his breath and his consciousness.




The first snowflakes began to fall as Jasminda crept down the mountain. She followed the lantern light of the men who’d dragged away the unconscious Elsiran, staying a dozen metres behind. While she’d thought his tale fantastical, there was no doubting the six Lagrimari soldiers who'd appeared, or their viciousness toward him. She’d winced as they’d continued to strike him, long after he’d passed out.