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‘It’s notyourdagger.’

‘It is.’

‘Let’s forget for a moment that it’s forbidden for a woman to wield a weapon…’ he said, drawing the dagger from his belt and testing its sharpness with a tattooed finger. ‘Where would an alchemist get a Naarvian blade such as this?’

‘I didn’t steal it.’ Thea ground her teeth at his tone. ‘It was a gift.’

Hawthorne blinked. ‘A gift.’

Thea opened her mouth to defend herself, but the door flew open and, in that moment, she did indeed need the support of the table.

It was not only the Guild Master who joined them, but the other Warswords: Torj the Bear Slayer and Vernich the Bloodletter. Between them and Hawthorne, they seemed to take up the whole council room.

‘Sit,’ Osiris ordered.

And this time, Thea obeyed, taking the chair closest to her and sliding into it, clasping her trembling hands in her lap. She didn’t know where to look. Had it only been yesterday that she’d watched the mighty warriors return to Thezmarr, never imagining she might be face to face with them so soon?

‘What’s the meaning of this, Osiris?’ Vernich demanded, his voice gravelly. ‘I was about to ride out to Harenth.’

‘It appears we have a law breaker on our hands.’ The Guild Master motioned toward Thea.

Despite her racing heart, Thea refused to lower her gaze.

Vernich’s lip curled. ‘I see.’

‘She was in possession of Naarvian steel.’ Osiris braced himself against the table and shook his head. ‘Stupid girl. Do you not realise these laws are in place to protect you? To protect us all?’

‘As I told him,’ she jutted her chin towards Hawthorne. ‘The dagger was agift. The Warswordinsisted—’

‘No Warsword would ever give up his blade. Especially not to some scrap of a girl. And you know the laws. You know what you risked.’

Thea’s shoulders sagged. They didn’t believe her. And even if they did, she’d broken the rules. Dread sank to the pit of her stomach and she waited.

‘Well, she’s out then. Send her away,’ Vernich stated.

‘Agreed,’ Hawthorne added, folding his arms over his broad chest.

Torj Elderbrock shot them a look of surprise. ‘Don’t tell me of all the things in the realms, this is what you two choose to agree on?’

‘You know I have little patience for the shieldbearers,’ Hawthorne continued. ‘Let alone thieves who sneak through the Bloodwoods with our sacred blades.’

‘Hear hear,’ Vernich grunted. ‘So why are we here about it —’

The door banged open again.

Audra, the librarian, strode in, her eyes fiery behind her spectacles, her silver hair pulled back into a tight bun that made her expression all the more severe. Despite her small stature, Audra had as much presence as the towering Warswords, more so, considering she wasnothappy.

‘Why was I not informed you were questioning one of my charges?’ the librarian asked.

Osiris grimaced. ‘How did you know we were here?’

‘Nothing happens in this fortress that I don’t know about. I’ll assume the lack of communication was an innocent oversight, shall I?’

Thea gaped at her warden.

‘There is only one thing to be done here.’ Osiris' face reddened. ‘Therefore, your presence was not required. I will not have somegirlcompromise all the guild stands and fights for. Do you not know the state of the realm?’

‘You think onegirlcan compromise all that?’