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She waited until they disappeared behind its doors before she continued.
Onward to the íkhara’s sleeping quarters.
A whisper of movement stayed her steps, but it was too late.
Without warning, a blade was pressed into her neck.
Her blood froze, the cold steel pressing against her delicate skin.
‘Think you can creep in and out at will, shikari?’
She couldn’t make out her captor’s face in the shadows but tagged the harsh, husky voice.
‘Leave us when we needed you the most, betray our fighters by aligning with the usurper and then come back when you want to? I think not.’
The Shotelai woman relaxed into the hold. ‘Kaniz, just the woman I came to see. I’m just here to pick up my phaser, swords and gorade that you took from me when I first arrived. Once you hand them over, I’ll be out of your rachís. And for what it’s worth, I feel like shit for letting you down. I apologise. Given you helped me so much at the start.’
Her attacker pulled back their blade.
‘Apologies won’t mean a damn thing now, will they?’ Kaniz snarled, still hidden in the shadows. ‘But welcome back, old friend.’
Sana’a exhaled a shaky breath. ‘I expect you’ve longed for this moment, haven’t you?’
The silhouette stepped away, revealing themselves to be her kísímí. ‘At first, yes. But now, I’m not so sure.’
She turned on her light crystal as she spoke, casting their face in its harsh glow.
Sana’a gasped at the sight of Kaniz’s face. ‘You’re burned, scarred. Why?’
The k?thi master’s eyes bore into hers, filled with defiance. ‘It’s a long story you don’t deserve to be tortured with. Just know that my life hasn’t been easy since you left.’
Anger and rage welled up in her eyes as Sana’a studied the woman before her. ‘What in shotel hell? Why?’
Kaniz’s lips twisted. ‘That stunt you pulled with Kalila in the skies above Kos did not bode well for us down here. The survivors have been pulverising my crew in retaliation. The no-kill rules have gone out the window. In under a day, we lost a young apprentice and two mid-fighters. I’m having to step into the arena to defend my people. And they’ve put their most ruthless against me. Kavaliers with no scruples.’
Sana’a shook her head in disbelief. ‘But this is insane,’ she whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. ‘Why can’t you leave? This is untenable, you’ll die.’
‘If we escape, they’ll hunt us down to the ends of Katáne. In Kalila’s henchmen’s view, Kysin, Kiho, and Keb’s, we’ve committed the worst sin ever for being your ally and, by extension, the usurper’s.’
Sana’a thought long and hard. ‘I may have a solution,’ she murmured. ‘But it involves spiriting yourselves out of the city.’
Kaniz’s eyes lit up. ‘That’s not a problem. We can travel at night if need be. Where to, though?’
‘The Sab?r Army kambí.’
Kaniz huffed and threw up one hand in disbelief. ‘Fokk off.’
‘I mean it. They’re looking for more recruits.’
‘Still raising an armed forces for the usurper, ay?’
‘Naam, I can tell you’re itching for a good clash, ‘especially if you want to get at those k?thi kavaliers tormenting you. They’re with the enemy. So join the Kainôs and get back at them.’
Kaniz’s eyes gleamed with an unholy fire.
Sana’a seized on this. ‘Go and ask for Kaxim.’
‘The infamous Klós general and Kínduna?’
