Page 190 of The Eye of the Fifth
Are you hurt?
No.
A pause.Are you lying?
She was. As she’d reached for the first weapon she’d spied in his tent, a quill with a menacingly pointed nib, he’d hit her hard around the face. It had been hard enough to draw blood, the ring on his finger slicing open her cheek. She buried the quill deep into his windpipe soon after.
Rather than lie again, she told Gedeon,I’ll be alright. Where are you?
Outside the tent.Another pause.I would not have let it happen, Kyra. I would have killed him myself before I let him touch you.
I can handle myself.
That I see. That I know.
Their path to Dracyg was now compromised beyond belief. What were the chances they would let her live, when they found the commander dead in the morning? Still, she regretted nothing.I have an idea.
Speak it.
Will you allowme to lead?
Gedeon was quiet for a moment.That depends on the idea.
With great restraint, Kyra refrained from reminding him that it had beenhisplan that had got them into this mess in the first place.Start screaming bloody murder.
You want them to know?
Being a wielder is clearly held in high regard. Would your mother condone the death of one, for taking the life of a useless, replaceable human commander?
That is a reckless assumption to make.
Restraint be damned.Your well thought out plan has landed us here. Perhaps a little recklessness wouldn’t be amiss.
Quiet fell between them once more.
Then Gedeon said,Ready yourself.
Before she could respond with a snarky comment of triumph, he blazed into the tent, took one look at the dead commander and bellowed,‘MURDER!’
Kyra backed away from the tent entrance, fighting every impulse to unleash her power upon the four guards that bore down upon her within seconds. Gedeon played his part so well, that even he felt like the enemy.
Those eyes were two marbles of black ice.
They dragged her from the tent kicking and spitting and threw her to the ground. Another commander was before her in an instant. Kyra recognised the dark brown coat. ‘What is the meaning of this?’ she demanded of her soldiers.
‘Commander Ren is dead, sir,’ the one to Kyra’s right said.
‘Ren is dead?’ The commander’s dark features were impossible to read, though she certainly wasn’t sad about it. She looked at Gedeon. ‘You found him?’
‘Yes, sir. This woman tried to run not two hours ago. Commander Ren took her to his tent and ordered that she be collected at dawn.’ Kyra prayed the commander could not hear the blanket of disgust on his voice as clearly as she could. ‘I heard a commotion so thought to check on Ren. But he was already dead. She is a wielder, bound for the capital, sir.’
The commander sighed. ‘If it were up to me, it wouldn’t matter what her trade is. But alas, these wielders are like stardust to Her Eminence. We will not wait for the dawn, lest this animal get any more fruitful ideas. Send for a carriage at once.’
Kyra could have sagged with relief. One of the soldiers saluted and moved to fulfil the order.
From her breast pocket, the commander picked a vial no bigger than her little finger. It was filled to the brim with a swirling black liquid. She handed it to Gedeon. ‘Ensure she is chained and ready by the time the escort comes.’
Gedeon nodded once, taking the vial. ‘Hold her.’
