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“By betraying our friends?” By betrayingme?

“Silence your mutterings,” Ravis says. “I’m still of half a mind to have you killed, magic or no.”

I want to slap Kellyn and slap this haughty prince while I’m at it. I want to see my sister, to know if Serutha made it to her in time. And for the millionth time, I want to be alone in my forge.

When Strax returns, he holds my hammers in one hand, Kellyn’s longsword in the other.

Ravis takes Lady Killer in one hand and swings her about like he did his dagger a moment ago. “What does it do?”

“Have your men charge you all at once,” Kellyn instructs.

“Strax.”

The head of Ravis’s guard signals to some of the men and women on standby. They rush at their prince, though tentatively. I watch as they flip their spears around, trading the pointed ends for the shafts, before attempting to strike at their prince.

Ravis is a skilled swordsman, that much is clear. But Lady Killer makes him untouchable. He spins and ducks and jumps all the spears jutting for him. He doesn’t throw any of his own strikes—he doesn’t wish to harm his own men. But he puts on quite the act of dexterity as he dodges slash after slash.

When satisfied, Ravis leans the longsword against his throne. “The hammers?” he asks Kellyn.

Kellyn explains what the left hammer does in detail, and Ravis practices with it, using his men again. He marvels as he deflects blow after blow on the shield hammer.

Satisfied, Ravis sets my hammers next to the longsword before turning to me. “You will make me and my men weapons before our attack on Skiro’s Territory.” He nods, as though satisfied by his own conclusion, and turns.

“No.”

I haven’t said a word during the entire ordeal, but now one comes flying out of my throat like a battering ram against a door.

Ravis doesn’t turn around, but he halts in his tracks. He doesn’t speak. Doesn’t move for a whole minute.

Then he turns.

“Strax, my dagger.”

The guard tosses the weapon to his prince. Ravis catches it deftly.

“You can kill me,” I say as he steps toward me. “I won’t do it.” I will not craft anything that could hurt my friends or sister. Not again. I’ve learned my lesson with Secret Eater.

But instead of taking the remaining steps to reach me, Ravis veers in Kellyn’s direction.

“No!” I shout, just as he brings the blade against the side of Kellyn’s head.

A wet noise. A grunt of pain. Kellyn shrinking in on himself. The dagger comes away bloody, and Kellyn’s hand goes to cup the side of his face.

Ravis is holding part of his ear.

I feel my stomach turn, my lips quiver.

I never knew that one little word could do so much damage.

No.

I can’t so much as move, I’m so shocked.

Ravis presents the ear to me as though it is a gift, then drops it at my feet. “You care about this man, else you wouldn’t have stayed behind for him. Make me my weapons, or I will gift him to you, one piece at a time.”

He doesn’t wait for my answer. Ravis turns to go once more.

CHAPTER SIX