Page 104 of Thorn Season
Lye hauled Osana off me, his torch juddering. “She’s not our enemy!”
Osana whacked his hand away and squared up to him. “Tell me that again when her knife is pointed atyourback.”
The knife.
I lunged toward it too late, cursing as Osana grabbed my arm.The knife lifted off the ground and landed in Dashiel’s palm.
Tari’s mouth flopped open. I saw the moment she realized: these were the Ansoran Wielders who’d kidnapped me. The Wielders who were hunting for the compass.
And who now knew, without a doubt, that I was hunting for it, too.
Dashiel looked between the bonestone knife handle and the symbol on the wall. His voice betrayed nothing as he asked, “Where did you get this?”
Tari pulled against Goren’s hold. “She doesn’t answer to you.”
Goren yanked her back. “Shut up.”
“She’s right,” I said, pulse thumping. “You’re trespassing throughmyprovince. How did you even find this place?”
Osana squeezed my arm. “How didyoufind it?”
“It’s a Wielder prison,” Goren said. “Her ancestors probably built it.”
I whipped my head toward him. “You really are exceptionally stupid.”
Lye barked a laugh. “I knew I liked her.”
Goren glared at him. “Find some rope,” he said. “We’re taking them both.”
“Is that your solution to everything?” I demanded. “Kidnap?”
“Get a gag, too,” he added flatly.
Lye shifted on his feet. “I don’t like this. And neither will Keil.”
“Keil will have to deal with it,” Goren snapped. “There are more important things at stake here than his little sweetheart.”
“Excuse me—?” I began, seething, but Lye talked over me.
“So, we keep them for weeks?” he said. “Until it’s done? Call me unreasonable, but I think people might notice they’re missing.”
I felt a prickle of uncertainty at Lye’s odd phrasing.Until it’s done.
“Goren’s right,” Osana said. “She’ll run straight to the palace with this, and it will all have been for nothing.”
“She won’t do that,” Lye insisted. “Keil said—”
“Look at her!” Osana shoved me toward him. I stumbled, and Lye had to whip the torch flames away from my face before catching me awkwardly with one arm. “Has Keil been thinking clearly? Or has she been batting those lashes at him?”
Lye glanced down at me and winced, as if he didn’t want to admit she was right.
“That’s enough,” Dashiel said. I was inclined to agree. So I aimed a tendril of my specter toward the low ceiling and corkscrewed through the earth. These tunnels were unstable; a minor displacement would offer enough distraction to grab Tari and run.
Dashiel stepped closer, and Lye’s warm hand settled on my shoulder—in defense, rather than restraint. Dashiel noted the gesture and frowned at Lye before looking back to me. “If we could only talk, my lady.”
“We’re not talking.” My specter burrowed deeper into the ceiling. “You’re going to leave my provincenow, and I will allow you to keep your lives.”
“Generous of you.” Goren jostled Tari’s arms. “But I think you’ll tell us anything we want to know.”
