“Sorrow misses you,” Asha pressed.
Safire nodded, only half listening. Thinking instead of Eris.
She’d invited the former Death Dancer back to Firgaard, but Eris refused. With the Lumina scattered and the empress dead, there was so much work to do, and her place was in the Star Isles.
Safire understood. After all, she had a place, too—here in Firgaard.
That didn’t mean it didn’t sting, though.
Back when Eris was just an uncatchable thief stealing precious objects from under Safire’s nose, she’d loathed the girl. Now, she longed for that familiar presence trailing her through the palace halls. But no pirate thief watched her from the shadows anymore. She hadn’t heard a word from Eris since the day they’d said good-bye.
Now candidates for a new government were in the process of being chosen in the Star Isles and while Dax returned tomorrow to help oversee the vote, Safire and Roa were traveling to the scrublands with more rations. Dagan and other fishermen from the Star Isles had sent a second supply of salt fish, along with sacks of wheat and boxes of vegetables to tide the scrublanders over until the new seeds yielded their first harvest. Due to the fisherfolk’s generosity, Roa’s father was almost fully recovered, and the physician had reported that Lirabel and her baby were healthy again.
Asha swung her waster, scattering Safire’s thoughts.
In the golden light of the lanterns, Safire lunged for her cousin, who quickly and easily darted out from under her.
Though they were the same height and build, Safire had always been stronger, faster, and lighter on her feet. Asha wasgood at hunting and taking down prey. Safire was good at hand-to-hand combat. Today, though, Asha caught Safire’s blows easily.
She stepped back, frustrated. Normally she’d have broken through all of Asha’s defenses by now.
“You should take him with you,” Asha said as she stepped out of range of Safire’s next swing, deflecting it easily.
“Who?”
“Sorrow.”Asha shook her head, lowering her waster. “Haven’t you been listening?”
Safire stepped back, wiping sweat from her brow as Asha frowned. Beyond them, Firgaard’s copper domes and filigreed towers glowed warmly in the light of the rising sun.
“Ever since we returned from the Star Isles,” Asha continued, “you haven’t been yourself.”
This, Safire told herself, was due to the fact that she was no longer the king’s commandant. She had no duties, and therefore no routines. She felt adrift.
“Saf.” Asha knocked Safire’s waster out of her hand. It landed with a soft thud among the stones, bringing her out of her thoughts.
Safire glanced around the palace courtyard below, to see if anyone had seen her easy defeat, but it was dawn. The palace staff were only now rising from their beds.
It was just Safire and Asha here.
And then, suddenly, her legs were kicked out from under her. Her back hit the ground. Safire winced at the pain, then looked up to find Asha crouching over her, the tip of her wasterpressed hard against Safire’s collarbone.
Safire stared up at her cousin, stunned by the trouncing.
Asha met her gaze, equally stunned.
In all their years of training, Asha had never beaten her.
“New move,” Asha explained. “I’ve been practicing with Torwin.”
Safire frowned up at her. “Wonderful. You can tell Torwin it worked. Now get off.” She was about to shove her cousin, when something at the roof edge made both of them look up.
The dragon king was climbing the steps to the terrace. His shirtsleeves were rolled to his elbows and his curls were a mess, catching the sunlight. He looked as if their fighting had woken him, and he’d come to chase them back to bed.
“Perfect. An eyewitness.” Asha smiled at Safire. “Now you can’t deny it when I tell everyone I beat you into the dirt.”
This time, Safire did shove her.
“Asha?” said Dax. “Can you give Safire and me a moment alone?”
