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Vicer nodded at me as I entered the tent, and several people looked up from where they were poring over a map of Eprotha.
“Prisca,” Vicer said. “You remember Ameri.”
I nodded at her. “It’s good to see you again.”
She smiled at me—a much warmer welcome than the one I’d received when I’d first met her. “Nice work at the city gates,” she told me.
“Ameri has a power which helps her divert attention,” Vicer said. “She’s excellent at getting in and out of places most people couldn’t access.”
“I’ll be traveling with Vicer back to Eprotha,” she said.
Vicer nodded at a boy who looked like he’d only seen around sixteen winters. But the steady gaze he turned on me told me he was older.
“This is Finley,” Vicer said. There was something almost smug about his tone.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I told Finley. I could practically feel Vicer waiting for me to ask, so I did. “And what power do you have?”
“Perhaps a demonstration is in order,” Vicer said. “Give him your dagger, Pris.”
Frowning at Vicer, I slowly reached for my dagger, handing it to Finley. He closed his eyes. Goose bumps rose on my skin as something changed in the air. Next to me, I could feel Demos watching intently.
One moment, Finley’s other hand was empty.
The next, he held another knife. It was exactly the same as the one I’d given him.
I let out a shocked laugh. “That’s incredible. You’re the one with replication magic.”
He nodded, a hint of pride in his gaze. But his face had drained of color, and Vicer pulled a chair toward him, gesturing for him to sit.
“Your documents allowed Tibris and me to get into the castle,” I told Finley. “You helped save over three hundred lives.”
His cheeks flushed, but his eyes had widened slightly when they met mine.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Welcome,” he replied gruffly. Not a big talker, Finley.
“He’s also coming with me,” Vicer said.
I looked at him. Perhaps now, he’d tell me what his power was.
Vicer shook his head. “Not yet,” he told me.
I just nodded, and he sent me a grateful look. I understood what it was to be uncomfortable with your power. And whatever Vicer could do, it hadn’t allowed him to save the woman he’d loved.
He’d been punishing himself ever since.
We spent the next few days training, eating, and solidifying our plans. Demos had taken over most of my training, and he was just as brutal as Galon. He insisted on training in the forest, away from prying eyes, taking away my weapons and attacking me over and over, while pointing out all the “natural” weapons I had at my disposal.
I became excellent at throwing dirt into his eyes, slamming fallen branches into his gut, and throwing rocks at his head. Unfortunately, I’d had to haul him to Tibris after the rock incident.
Tibris had laughed and laughed when he’d healed him. But he’d nodded approvingly at Demos. The next day, he’d shown up too, and when my brothers had finally agreed I knew instinctively to useanythingI could as a weapon, they’d moved on to restraints.
Knots, ropes, even handcuffs. Demos taught me to pick a lock, but it wasn’t a skill that came naturally to me. He insisted I walk around with a hairpin and a set of iron handcuffs, practicing whenever I had a few moments free. When I’d mastered that, we moved on to using the tip of a dagger, a belt buckle, even a hardened quill.
Finally, in what he likely believed was a show of good faith, Conreth came to the hybrid side of the camp for our meeting. I’d kept myself busy, suppressing the urge to stalk into his side of the camp and demand he end his power plays.
We gathered in the tent we’d used to meet when I’d first arrived—Demos, Asinia, Tibris, Vicer, Madinia, and Telean, along with Conreth and his general, Hevdrin.
