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No, someone.

Kellyn.

Temra directs them to lay him atop the horse and pays each of the men a coin.

I turn to her in horror. “This is your plan!”

She smiles. “What choice do we have?”

“We can’t justtakehim!”

“Not like this. Help me strap him down.”

“Temra!”

“Ziva, you got us into this mess. I’m getting us out. Now, are you going to help me or not?”

There it is. The anger I’ve been looking for. The outburst.

“Just what exactly are you two doing?”

I hadn’t realized that one of the men didn’t return inside with the others. I do a double take when I recognize him and his blue robes.

It’s that scholar from the restaurant. What was his name?

“Petrik,” I say.

“Hello again!”

“None of your business,” Temra says in answer to his question.

“Can I be of further assistance?” he asks, undaunted by her tone.

“We’re fine.” Temra finds some rope from the stables and starts attaching Kellyn to the saddle. Wordlessly, I assist.

Petrik disappears back into the tavern at a run, but I don’t spare him another glance.

It’s only when Kellyn’s secure and we’re headed out of town that I say, “I’m sorry. For everything. For—”

“No. I used your own insecurities against you. I’m sorry. I needed you to go along with the plan. We’re taking Kellyn. And you have nothing to be worried about between us. I love you. This isn’t your fault. But we have to go, and we have to take him. Now let’s be off.”

She can be quite bossy.

Sometimes I forget who’s the older sister.

CHAPTER

SEVEN

The irony of the situation is not lost on me. We carry an all-powerful weapon, yet we’re running for our lives.

The broadsword might as well be useless to us. What are we supposed to do? Use it against Kymora before she’s committed any crimes?

And with my sister and me traveling together, we can’t even wield it in our defense. The sword has too long of a reach. It would be far too easy for me to slice Temra by mistake while I was trying to protect her. Such a weapon takes practice to master.

Not to mention the fact thatI don’t want to kill anyone.

And Secret Eater is not the kind of weapon that injures only.