The Shadowglass (The Bone Witch, #3)(88)

“No offense taken, milord. I can understand the fear.”

He’s right, I thought, setting his splint, I cannot keep resurrecting and killing daeva. Fighting the indar with the azi had already made me more exhausted than I remembered being in the past. But what could I do? Now that we’d learned that I cannot create shadowglass, bonding them to trustworthy Dark asha seemed the next best thing.

Likh and Khalad spoke quietly, the former’s eyes red. “Why not?” I overheard her ask. “I’m as much in danger of dying here with the runic wards as without them.” The soldier she was ministering to had sustained a severe head wound but was not in any mortal danger.

“You have a higher chance of dying without the wards as with them,” Khalad corrected. “We’ve had this discussion before, Likh. I’m not going to lose you on a maybe.”

“What would you have done in my place? Would you be willing to stand by, knowing you could make a difference despite the risks?”

“Not if I trust the people with me. Not if I ask them for protection as well. Your safety makes all the difference to the people you’re helping right now, Likh. You don’t need runes for that.”

Likh looked at him, then down at the unconscious soldier. “I just wish I could do more.”

I did a quick weave on her and saw the rune glow red. “This is ridiculous!” I exclaimed. “Likh, we’ve been eating the same foods, and none of us have exhibited any of the symptoms of Blight.”

Likh didn’t look as distressed as I was; strangely enough, she grew calmer the more I spoke. “Maybe the blight affects silver heartsglass more than it does regular heartsglass. We’ve never been able to make a comparison, and I’ve been the only silver-hearted victim to survive this long. But that’s not as important anymore.”

“But it is!” Khalad exploded. “Surely you can’t think that!”

“I think that I should learn to accept that which is beyond my control and make the best of my situation. I’m not scared. This isn’t the time or the place to be scared. Too much is happening.” Likh smiled at him. “I’m not trying to deliberately put myself in danger. But if I’m already cursed, then the least I can do is to ensure none of you wind up the same way.”

Without warning, Khalad yanked Likh to him and kissed her so thoroughly that I averted my eyes with some embarrassment. “I don’t care,” he snapped, breaking away, “I’ll protect you because I want to believe we have more years to spend together, and anything coming out of your mouth saying otherwise is a lie.”

Likh’s eyes widened. Her face softened with adoration. I finished my work on Knox’s dressing and gently assisted the Yadoshan back to the main camp, allowing the two a private moment. Nowadays, those were rare.

“Lady Likh and Lord Khalad?” Knox asked. “I had no idea. Isn’t Likh a…well…”

“Lord Khalad finds no issue with that,” I told him. “And Lady Likh is Lady Likh. That’s all that matters.”

“If you say so, Lady Tea. They’re both fine people.” Gingerly, Knox touched his sling. “Thank you for the aid. Though I fear this may render me useless should more battles break out.”

The loss of their kinsmen had had a sobering effect on many of the Yadoshans, and they were more than eager to scale Mithra’s Wall and avenge their fallen comrades. I drew myself up, prepared to scold their recklessness, but a new voice broke into the conversation.

“If all works out for the best, Lord Knox, then the next Drychta fight will be the last that both the Odalians and the Yadoshans shall concern themselves with. And the Kions, for that matter.”

Gulping, I turned to face Althy. Zoya stood with her.

“If you would give Lady Tea and I a moment, Lord Knox?”

The man obliged. Awkwardly, I shuffled my feet. “I was surprised to see you here. I didn’t think Ankyo knew about the Drychta yet.”

“The pigeons we sent to Yadosha never returned. It made Empress Alyx suspicious. So she sent out a small entourage of asha under my charge to investigate. That was a week and a half ago. If truth be told, I convinced her to send us here, just in case. By the time she and Fox sent us word of your warning, we were already a day’s ride from Mithra’s Wall.”

I exhaled in relief. So Fox had heeded my call. “And I suppose you’re planning on bringing me back to Ankyo for my trial?”

The asha snorted. “I don’t condone your decision to leave, Tea. But I am concerned with all the choices you have made since then. You were only to stay in Yadosha and lie low there until Mykkie and I could concoct a way for you to return. And now I find you here, among the Odalians and the Yadoshans, with a Faceless camped within reach.”

“I couldn’t sit by and do nothing, Althy.” Quickly, I related everything that had happened since we had parted ways—the discovery of Blight runes in Thanh, my subsequent journey to meet with the Gorvekai, the trials within Stranger’s Peak. Althy’s brows were pinched together in concern by the time I was done.

“It is troubling,” she said. “I think it was ill-advised of you to volunteer for the mountain’s tests. But I’m relieved that you have emerged unscathed. And here in Mithra’s Wall…you’re much stronger than before, Tea. Controlling a daeva normally takes concentration, yet you were able to handle two with ease, while fighting off a Faceless in one’s head besides.”