Page 58 of Voidwalker
“You may have mentioned her a time or two,” Kashvi replied dryly.
“Not enough, then.” Boden laughed. “Come in, Astrid. It’s good to see—”
“Where’s Fi?” Astrid said.
No pleasantries. No preamble. Just Fi’s past come to hunt her down.
“Fi?” Boden said. “We haven’t spoken in all this time, andthat’swho you want to talk about?”
“We can skip the dancing, Boden. You’ve always been too good at it, and I don’t have the time. I know Fi passes through here. Where is she?”
Fi flinched at soft footsteps. Iliha leaned over a counter, energy crossbow ready at her shoulder. She shot Fi a questioning look. Four on one? They could overpower Astrid.
And send a beacon to Verne. Fi couldn’t risk bringing the daeyari’s attention to Nyskya.
In the other room, Boden sighed. “Fi’s… hard to pin down. She shows up now and then, when she needs something. Haven’t heard from her in months.”
“You’re talking about that useless sister of yours?” Kashvi scoffed. “Good riddance.”
In the silence, Fi pictured Astrid’s razor cheekbones. That stubborn clamp of her mouth.
“Dreadful, that woman,” Boden said. “Surely, we can do better. How are you, Astrid? Kashvi and I were just finishing breakfast, but could we get you something?”
“I’m not here forbreakfast.” Astrid hissed. “Not for your nostalgia, either.” Boots creaked floorboards, pacing like a wildcat. “I bear a message on behalf of my Lord Daeyari, Verne. Antal has abdicated.”
A pause. A fitting crack in Boden’s voice, act or not. “Abdicated?”
“Verne has claimed her right to this territory. She expects a sacrifice from Nyskya by the end of the year. As a show of good will.”
Fi’s heart dropped clear through her stomach. Ice in all her bones. She’d come here worried that she’d bring ruin to Nyskya.
But even she hadn’t expected it this swiftly.
“Asacrifice?” Boden said. “Nyskya hasn’t sent a sacrifice in years.”
“You’re overdue, then.”
“We ask for no daeyari aid.”
“You’re part of this territory. Verne’s territory. She’ll have you behave as such.”
“Astrid. Can’t we talk about this? As friends? The people here ask so little—”
“Friends?” Astrid boomed. “Since when, Boden? Since we werechildren? Since you abandoned our town as a lost cause, like your sister did?”
“Astrid—”
“You’ve spent seven years hiding in the woods, letting others pay their price to the daeyari. Send your sacrifice. Or tell me where Fi is, and I’ll consider putting in a good word.”
Footsteps moved to the door. Fi barely heard them above the flail of her heart.
“Astrid, please,” Boden said. “There must be another way—”
“There’s noother waywith daeyari.” Then, lower. More vicious. “You don’t know what I’ve had to do.Istayed behind.Ikept our town safe.”
Boden might have kept arguing.
Then the power went out.
