“Where are you taking us?” she asked Safire as they walked.
“To the Lumina.”
Of course. Had Eris really expected any different? Safire was a soldier. Not just a soldier, a commander of soldiers. She loved the law. And Eris was a lawbreaker. Whywouldn’tshe hand her over to the Lumina? Safire and the Lumina had mutual goals. They were one and the same.
The thought struck Eris to the bone.
“Why not just stay with Kor, then?” Eris said coldly. “He’d have delivered us to the empress in half the time it’ll take you to find your way to the capital.”
“I’m sure he would have,” said Safire. “But I dislike being at the mercy of others.”
Eris, who’d been at the mercy of others all her life, felt something snap inside her. “Spoken like a true princess.”
Safire cut her with a gaze.
Eris looked away angrily.
They walked on in silence. As the effects of the draft began to wear off, Eris realized that Safire was leading them in the same direction they’d been going yesterday. She was taking the same shortcut Kor had chosen to take. The one that led straight past the place Eris swore she’d never go back to.
At that, Eris halted. The manacles drew taut against her wrists. Eris hissed as the steel dug into her wounds, bringing with it a vicious sting.
“We’re going the wrong way,” she said, her lie wrestling with the sound of thunder above.
Safire turned to face her. The torch was dying, too wet to burn brightly. The bit of flame struggling to stay alive made Safire’s dark hair glow red and in her hand was the rope. All she had to do was yank on it to send that stinging pain through Eris again.
“The boats are in that direction.” Eris used her chin to point beyond them, down the cliff path. “One of which you’ll need if you hope to get to Axis Isle.”
Safire shook her head. “Your friends will be expecting us to go for the boats. We need to get out of this storm.” Safire eyed Eris’s soaked and shivering form. “Otherwise we’ll soon have bigger problems than Kor. We’re going up there.” Safire pointed with her dying torch to a black, looming shape at the top of this cliff.
At the sight of it, Eris went rigid, her thoughts full of smoke and fire.
She shook her head and planted her feet.
“You go right ahead. I’m staying here.”
Safire stared at Eris like she was a small, annoying child.
“How about this,” Safire said, tying the end of Eris’s rope around her belt loop. “If you cooperate, the first thing I’ll do when we get to the capital is find a metalsmith to deal withthese.” She tugged on the rope connected to Eris’s steel manacles.
The resulting pain in her wrists made Eris’s anger spark. She gritted her teeth. “So at least I’ll have my hands when you hand me over to the empress’s dogs? I don’t think so.”
Safire stepped in close, grabbing the wet collar of Eris’s shirt and bunching it tight in her fist. “Listen, you petulant piece of sea scum. We are going up there, and if I have to drag you the entire way, I swear to the skies, I will.” Her gaze was hot on Eris’s skin. “Or I can tie you up here and leave you for Kor to deal with. Your choice.”
She let go. Eris fell back, seeing in her eyes that she meant it.
But there was something far worse than Kor waiting for Eris at the scrin.
She felt sick at the thought of it.
Eris could try to overcome Safire, but this girl was the king’s commandant. She was armed now, and Eris knew from watching her spar with her soldiers in Firgaard that Safire was strong and skilled in combat. Eris wasn’t. Eris had always relied on other abilities to survive. Without her spindle, with her hands cuffed, those abilities were severely constricted.
In her current situation, she was no match for Safire. And Kor would have noticed their absence by now. He would have sent Rain and Lila back to the boats, and pressed on aheadhimself—or vice versa. If Eris continued to drag her feet, it would only ensure they were caught.
More important, she needed the location of the Namsara. If Eris wanted to track her down, staying close to the Namsara’s cousin was her best option.
“If you cooperate,” said Safire, breaking up her thoughts, “I’ll tell you where I buried your spindle.”
What?Eris glanced up. “I thought you used it for kindling.”
