Page 38 of A Tribute of Fire

“I don’t want it,” I protested weakly. “I don’t want his food or medicines.”

“You’re being irrational.”

“You would be too if your insides were trying to escape through your mouth.”

She ignored me and made me drink and eat. The water had a peppery but slightly sweet taste to it. And to my chagrin, it did help. I threw up a fair amount of it, but she was relentless and kept shoving food into me, pouring medicine down my throat. By the next morning I felt more like myself again.

Jason came to check on us while Quynh was still sleeping. I think it had exhausted her, watching over me.

“Feeling better?” he asked. “And you’re welcome.”

I glared at him.

“Ah, there’s that look of hatred I know so well,” he said as he came over to the cage, sticking his arms inside and leaning against the bars. He passed a bundle through, dropping it onto the ground.

“Breakfast,” he said.

I briefly considered pulling my sword and slicing him open but didn’t want anyone on board to know that I carried weapons. It wouldn’t be worth it, even though it would have given me a great deal of satisfaction.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” I asked him.

“At the moment? Not particularly.”

Then he stood there, staring at me. The desire to make him bleed increased with each passing moment.

“Aren’t you hungry?” He inclined his head toward the bundle.

I was starving, as I’d spent the last twenty-four hours repeatedly emptying myself out.

“No.”

Then my stomach betrayed me by rumbling loudly.

He laughed. “Your body begs to differ.”

Yes, my body and I had been having some very different opinions lately. Especially when it came to Jason. I wanted to either ignore him or introduce him to the pointed end of my xiphos; my body wanted to lure him into the cell and have its way with him.

Quynh stirred beside me and grumbled something, but I kept my gaze trained on him.

I reached for the bundle and undid the knot. I couldn’t help myself—I gasped when I saw the contents.

“Pasteli?” I took a bite, closed my eyes, and let out a happy sigh.

When I opened my eyes again, he was wearing an incredulous expression. “Why are you so excited about pasteli? It’s what soldiers carry in their packs to eat before they go to battle. What sailors bring with them on long voyages. Because it’s inexpensive and it keeps well.”

I understood what he was saying. That this was a common food and I was behaving as if it were one of the finest dishes ever created. His disdain would not hinder my enjoyment. “Thank you for making sure to fatten us up before you lead us to our slaughter.”

The smile fell off his face and he nodded, chastened. “I’ll let you eat.”

Why was a tiny part of me disappointed that he was leaving?

When he got a few feet away, he stopped and turned back to face me. “Lia, it may not be my place to say anything, but there is something different about you. As a gambling man, I would lay odds that you’ll make it.”

I snarled, ready to tell him what he could do with his wager, but he turned a corner and was out of sight. A moment later I heard him clomping up the stairs.

Even if he was right and I could reach the temple, I still hadn’t come up with a way to make sure that Quynh made it as well. It should only take four or five days to cross the Acheron Sea, and I’d wasted one of them being ill.

What could I teach her in a few days? There was no way to train her or to share any of my skills with her. She couldn’t fight. Hadn’t practicedrunning several miles every day. Had never faced a man in combat. No one had shot arrows at her so she could keep moving even when she was petrified. What if she shut down completely?

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