Page 30 of A Fate Unwoven

Time seemed to have slowed whilst Lena was focusing on the girl’s threads, in the same way it had done back in the forest outside of Forvyrg. Except now everything seemed to be happening all at once. Casimir was shaking the bloodied girl’s shoulders, unaware of the fading threads above her.

Determination flooded through Lena at the sight. She might not have been able to save the girl as the empire’s Fateweaver, but she could still try to save her asLena.

She was beside Casimir in an instant, scanning the woman’s body for injuries, but she was so covered in blood it was almost impossible to tell where it was coming from. “Silah, I need you to tell me where you’re hurt.” The woman groaned, her eyes fluttering, her mouth trying desperately to form the words. But all that came out was another wet, rasping cough.

Lena was no healer. She could mend minor injuries, but this …

Silah shuddered once more, her threads dimming. And then, with one final sigh, the trader went still.

“No, no, Silah!” Casimir shook her, his own gloved hands now covered in his friend’s blood. “Dammit, Silah, wake up!”

Lena’s throat felt too tight. “She’s gone, Casimir. I’m sorry.” They couldn’t stay here. Not when whoever had killed Silah might still be close by. “We need to—”

Lena’s words cut off as another sharp stab of pain radiated from her mark. But it wasn’t the pain that had silenced her. No, it was the violent reappearance of Silah’s threads. Of the shadows woven around them. Lena had seen threads like this before, back in Forvyrg.

Back when she’d come face-to-face with thekorupted.

Dread pooling in her stomach, Lena forced herself to look down at the trader’s face.

And at the now-open eyes staring straight at her.

TWELVE

LENA

Lena barely had time to stumble to her feet and aim her bow before Silah lunged.

Casimir flew backward, a horrified curse escaping his lips as he landed with athudon the wooden floor. He scurried to recover, a dagger drawn in both hands and his stance braced for attack.

Silah was …changing.Her bloodied skin sloughed from her bones, her arms and limbs lengthening as joints bent inward. A fleshless face jerked upward to the ceiling andscreamed.

It was a soul-shattering screech that pulled all of the strength from Lena and dropped her to her knees.

Focus on its threads, Lenora!The ancient voice hastily cut in.Command it to obey!

But Lena couldn’t think. Couldn’tbreathe.All she could hear and feel was that awful shrieking, so filled with anger and grief that it made her own heart ache in response. She needed to fire her bow. To cut off the noise somehow.

Let me help you. Let me show you.

Lena could feel her resolve slipping away.Fight, Lena.Her mother’s face appeared in her mind, eyes bright as she held her crying daughter after another particularly awful vision. Aslong as you keep fighting, there is hope.

Lena scoured her memory for stories of the creature Silah had now become. A young woman killed horrifically. A bloodied, almost wraithlike form, and thatscream,so primal and agonizing …

It had to be abyrnen.

With shaky hands, Lena raised her bow. Every muscle ached as she pulled back the arrow, but somehow,somehow,she managed to aim it toward thekoruptedSilah had become.

One breath in, and—

Release.

The arrow pierced Silah through the neck, cutting off her scream. The creature turned her bloodied gaze turned toward Lena and, in a rasping whisper, uttered two words.

“Thank you.”

She crumpled to the floor, her body collapsing on itself as flesh and bone became nothing more than a pool of blood. Nausea rose in Lena’s throat, so strong that she had to close her eyes and let out a half dozen deep breaths to keep the meager rations she’d had on their journey from coming back up. When she finally felt sure she wasn’t going to throw up, Lena forced her eyes open, her attention immediately shifting to Casimir. Like her, he’d barely moved since Silah had attacked. His usually tan face was pale, his eyes wide and glassy as he stared at what was left of his friend.

She expected him to be in shock. To question what in the Sisters’ name he’d just seen. Instead, the smuggler said, “They did this.” He was trembling, his breath coming out sharp and quick. “The Empire’s Fist. All because shehelpedme.”