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Before I could protest, my feet flew out from under me, my back smacking against the pressed sand floor below.
Every ounce of air I’d had in my lungs escaped me at the impact. Kalen snickered above me, and I realized that while I was caught up in all the dirty thoughts I could possibly think about him, he bested me. Kalen began to reach for me but was intersected by a familiar set of beautifully soft hands.
“Are you alright, love?” Tyr’s honey voice settled over us like an enchantment as he grasped my arms and pulled me to myfeet.
I put on my best smile. “Yes, General. Thank you.”
“Of course, Gwynore. I could never let a woman as lovely as yourself be laid out in the ring,” he said, looking over at Kalen. As their eyes met, a silent challenge passed from Tyr’s mind to the Preserver, who he now seemed to view as an unworthy opponent. If only he knew. I was never one to be fought over, and I definitely wasn’t as enraptured by him as the High Mer. I dropped my gaze to straighten out my clothes, ridding my leather pants of a million flecks of salt.
That’s when I sawit.
My eyes flew back to Tyr, trying not to give myself away. I said as sweetly as possible, “That is very kind of you. I wouldn’t want to distract the recruits from their training with my clumsiness.”
It was the answer he was looking for, one of feminine remorse for simply existing and unearned praise on his part for simply not being an arse.
“Speaking of which,” he nodded towards the congregation of young seamen who were gawking at us. “I’ve got to get back. Somebody has to deal with those untrained guppies.”
I let out a half-hearted laugh.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
Tonight. I’d nearly forgotten about the ball Ione had organized in Kalen’s honor. She made sure to promise that my attendance was not mentioned. I wasn’t necessarily traveling in secret to go kill the Shadow Sage anymore but inking my name at the top of the invitations would not have helped my attempt at keeping a low profile. Tyr gave me a wink as he passed to leave. Immediately, I went to stand by Kalen, who was again staring a death wish into the back of Tyr’s head. I rolled my eyes. I didn’t have the patience, or the time, to coddle a grown man.
Once Tyr was out of earshot I grabbed Kalen by the shoulder and pulled him to my side.
“Kalen,” I panted, still out of breath from my fall. “Whatever happened to your dagger? The one you kept in the war room at Leoth.”
Kalen looked at me as if I’d grown gills. “How would I know? It probably got shanked into one of the Guardians after we ran.”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think it did.”
I turned from him, my gaze returning to Tyr and the weapon I’d spotted hanging from his belt as he’d helped me off the training room floor. The gem in the hilt was filled with violet magic, churning like a cosmic maelstrom. My lungs deflated; my arms began to tingle with energy.
There you are.
The stone flashed again in a glorious reply as Tyr paced amongst his recruits.
“Gwyn?”
“Tyr has my stone,” I said and felt Kalen step back in confusion. “On his broad belt,” I explained, still not looking at him. “The dagger—yourdagger—with my stone in its hilt.”
“That’s impossible. If my dagger had your stone, I would have known.”
Kalen moved quickly to my shoulder, his chest brushing against my back. I shivered despite myself and tried to focus on the sudden change in his demeanor. Kalen’s voice had grown thick with some feeling. Guilt?
“Not exactly,” I lowered mine to a whisper as I looked back to him, afraid of what he may think as I confessed, “I think it just revealed itself to me.”
“How would Tyr have even lain sight on my dagger, let alone steal it?”
“How do you think? I saw Ione tossing it around the night the Sages came to Leoth. She gave it to her lover, clearly.”
“But why?” Kalen said back, still refusing to believe Ione was responsible.“Why would it reveal itself to you now?” His eyesheld mine, flicking back and forth as he searched for answers behind them. He could not find the truth there.
Neither could I.
“I don’t know,” I said, glancing back at Tyr. This time, he looked right at me, as if he’d felt my frantic mind sweeping over him. His mouth slowly formed into a grin. Tyr knew very well what I wanted from him, and the sharp corners of his smile dared me to come and take it. “Maybe I wasn’t ready before.”
“Okay, but listen,” Kalen wrapped his hand around mine, the rough tape around his knuckles drew my attention back to him. His Light flared, the magic cautioning us both. “We can’t just go up there and ask him about it. No one besides Ione and her gang of spies knows exactly why we are here.”
