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Temra turns to me, letting me decide how to proceed.

“This is the weapon here. If you’ll just follow me,” I say, not bothering to look to Kymora to see if she’ll agree. It’s much easier not meeting her eyes at all.

I bypass her guards and step out into the yard. Everyone follows silently. Thankfully, Temra and I have restocked the place for a demonstration.

“Stand back, please,” I say. The warlord crosses her arms over her chest, her face still an unreadable mask.

I raise the broadsword into the air, letting my arms adjust to the weight of it.

“Ziva has created for you a weapon with long-range abilities, Warlord,” Temra says. “The weight might be more than you’re accustomed to, but—”

“Is the smithy unable to talk for herself? Why isn’t she showing me what it can do?”

I flinch at the words. Of course Icantalk; I just prefer not to. But if I’m to work for Kymora, I need to be better at talking to her. I remind myself that I like this woman, and she has offered me and Temra a fresh start. I can do this.

I don’t turn around as I say, “This blade can cut through anything, and it has long-range abilities. It’s also quite heavy.” Weighted with my secrets.

Holding the sword in both hands, I swipe across the dummy’s middle. The weapon isn’t even within four feet of its target, but straw flies everywhere, and the top half of the mannequin goes sailing off to the side. Without pausing, I move over to one of the wooden planks and swipe down. The board cracks, and the two ends soar up into the air, while the sword plunges into the earth. I have to keep a sure grip on it to avoid losing it to the soil.

When done, I glance over to Kymora, whose straight face has risen into one of wonder.

“My turn,” she says, holding out a hand.

I grab the sword by the blade and extend it out to her. She takes it and proceeds to demolish what remains in the yard.

She takes out all three still-standing dummies with one swipe. She shatters every plank in the vicinity. Then, she strides over to the run-down, empty coop and takes it apart slash by slash. When there’s nothing left to destroy, she puts herself through some stances, swinging the sword in arcs and lunges.

I instantly take back my earlier thought. I worried this weapon wouldn’t be fit for a warlord, but that was before I saw the weapon in the hands of a seasoned warrior.

Legions of men would fall to this sword. Kymora took out three dummies with one swipe. How many foes could she fell before they were even upon her? The broadsword’s reach could outdistance even a spear’s considerable length.

When the warlord has worked up a fine sweat, she brings the sword close to her face to examine it. Carefully, she holds the sword away from her and brings one finger closer and closer to the blade until a fine line of blood magically appears on her finger. She doesn’t so much as blink from the cut.

“Extraordinary,” Kymora says. She thrusts the blade toward me, which is now marred with a line of her blood, despite not having come into direct contact with it. “Clean it,” she orders.

I nod and take the weapon from her.

My fingers touch the grip and—

This is more than I could have hoped for.

My gaze snaps up to the warlord’s.

This weapon will make me unbeatable in combat.

Though I hear Kymora’s voice, her lips aren’t moving.

I will crush Ghadra’s pathetic rulers and reunite the regions under one rule once more: my own. The people will be enslaved to my will. The royal family will all bow before me. Right before I remove their heads.

I can’t move. I’m barely breathing.

“Well?” Kymora says aloud. “Get that blood off my weapon!”

I rush into the shop, my mind whirring as I try to find a cloth.

The smithy is coming home with me. Once she makes weapons for every soldier in my army, we will be unstoppable.

The horrifying voice in my head doesn’t abate until I wipe the streak of red from the steel.