Page 35

It’s a killer. Plain and simple.

Of course, all my weapons have the potential to kill. I knew this as I was making them. But how could I have foreseen thatsomeone would want to use one for world dominance? Kymora is well-respected. She and the late king parted on good terms. There’s no way I could have predicted this would happen when I agreed to make her weapon.

These thoughts buzz in my mind as we lead Reya down the road at a trot, Temra and I jogging beside her. It’s a good thing we’re both in good physical condition, else I don’t know how we’d manage to escape. We try to be as silent as possible, but the road consists of dirt and rock, and Reya’s shoes clap against the stones.

Fir trees line the road, and I imagine large eyes staring at us, just waiting to pounce.

As if I needed that on top of worrying about whether or not we’re sufficiently outdistancing Kymora.

Oh, and her personalarmy.

“Wait up!” a voice calls out, and I nearly jump out of my skin. A single figure strides down the road. Both moons are out tonight, and they shine on the swishing dark robes.

Reya throws back her head at the unexpected newcomer, and Temra is all forced smiles.

“Petrik,” she says. “What are you doing here? And why do you look like you’re ready to go on a long journey?”

He hoists the backpack higher up on his shoulders. “I happened upon two girls fleeing in the dead of night. I can’t, in good conscience, let you go off alone. Let me escort you, whatever your destination.”

Temra flicks what is left of her hair over a shoulder, not that the new length comes even close to reaching it. “And maybe Ziva will want to talk about her magical abilities along the way?” She says it like an accusation.

“That would indeed be a happy bonus.”

“You’re unbelievable!” I say to him.

“I just want to help, and I won’t be a burden. I have my own food and travel supplies. Also, I bribed the tavern owner to let me into the mercenary’s room so I could gather his belongings, since I noted you two were busy with other things.”

Temra and I share a look. We hadn’t even thought to grab Kellyn’s possessions before taking him.

Temra looks the scholar up and down. “Are you hiding a weapon in there somewhere?”

“No,” he says, puzzled.

“Do you know how tousea weapon?” she asks.

“No.”

“Are you skilled in hand-to-hand combat?”

“Um, no.”

“Then how exactly are you going to help us?”

“We can helpeach other! Another body on the road never hurts to deter bandits, and you could help me with my book.”

“Absolutely not!” I say.

But Temra says, “Excuse us for a moment, Petrik.”

With Reya’s lead in one hand and my shoulder in the other, my sister steers us off a ways.

“What?” I whisper.

“I think we should bring him along.”

“Why would we do that? We’re about to be hunted!”

“Because he’s a leading expert on magic, remember? And we need to get rid of amagicsword! This is perfect. You can pick his brain on the road.”