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“We’ve only been riding together for three days, but it’s clear to see where your heart lies,” he said, his face softening, his voice devoid of judgment. “Keep her close.”

With that Andry could not argue. “Always.”

“And keep an eye on the Amhara viper.” The Falcon sharpened again. “She’ll poison you all if it means saving her own wretched scales.”

Andry followed the Falcon’s stare, finding Sorasa Sarn’s lean silhouette. She busied herself repositioning Corayne’s raised fists, improving her defenses. Killer though she might be, an assassin with more blood on her hands than Andry could fathom, he felt only gratitude toward her. He remembered the canyon, how Sorasa leapt into the saddle, risking Gallish arrows and stampeding horses to save Corayne from being crushed. He remembered when Sorasa returned to the court at Ascal in the nick of time, saving them all from Erida’s betrayal and Taristan’s hunger.

“I do not agree,” Andry forced out, meeting the Falcon’s eye with all the steel he could muster.

The Falcon opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it and bowed his head instead. “Very well, Squire,” he said, stepping back. “I wish you a good day’s rest.”

Grateful, Andry dipped his brow. “And you, Falcon.”

The squire strode over the sand, feeling the heat of it even through his boots. Though exhaustion ate at his edges, he wandered toward the lesson, which had gained a small audience.

Corayne stood between Sorasa and Sigil, red-faced. From exertion or embarrassment, Andry couldn’t tell, but she pushed through.As she always does.

A few Falcons watched from a respectful distance, silent and observant.

Andry drew up alongside Dom, who glowered beneath his cloak. The hood hid his scars, but not his darting green eyes. They followed every move Corayne made.

Andry followed her too.

There were no blades today, at least. Corayne had tiny nicks all over her hands from blade training, and they were healing slowly after so many nights riding the desert.She’ll have bruises now too,he thought, flinching as she dodged a punch only to have Sorasa trip her to the ground.

“I find it difficult to watch as well,” Dom muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

Andry could only nod.

Corayne rose alone, planting her feet as she was taught, shifting her weight properly. As a squire and a future knight, Andry was trained to fight in armor and on horseback, with fine swords and shields. His teachers were old soldiers, very far from an Amhara assassin and a bounty hunter of the Temurijon. Corayne might never wield a longsword or lead a cavalry charge, but she was certainly learning to scrap in a back alley.

And learning well.

“She needs this,” Andry said. This time, Corayne dodged Sorasa’s lashing foot, jumping instead of falling. But she lost her balance and ended up on the ground again, Sorasa at her neck.

Dom’s lip curled. “She has us.”

“And I hope she always will.”

He glanced sidelong at Dom.We are surrounded by death, and still he doesn’t understand it,Andry thought, gritting his teeth in frustration.He doesn’t accept it.

The squire dropped his voice. “But you and I know how quickly that can change.”

After a long, hard moment, Dom met his eye, his brow furrowed into a single grim line.

“I am an immortal of the Vedera, a son of Glorian Lost. I do not think of death the way you mortals do, and I will not fear it either,” he growled.

It was a poor mask.

Andry’s natural instinct was to swallow his retort, to bury rough words. To find a gentler way. But the road had ways of changing a person, especially the road they were walking now.

“I’ve seen too many of you so-called immortals die,” Andry said, unblinking. “Once, I wondered if you Elders could even bleed. Now I’ve seen enough of your blood to last a lifetime.”

Dom shifted, uncomfortable. One hand touched his side, where a dagger once stabbed through his rib cage.

“I do not need to be reminded of such things, Squire.”

“I think you do. Wealldo,” Andry forced out. Again Corayne hit the ground, and again he winced with her. This time, Sigil pulled her up and dusted her off. “We need Corayne to save the realm, and we need her to be capable enough to do it when—if—we can no longer stand beside her.”