Page 72 of Heir

“I, J’yan Deshma, of Kin Deshma, bear witness to this union.”

R’zwana cleared her throat at D’rudo. He shook his head, but still spoke. “I, D’rudo Inashi, of Kin Inashi, bear witness to this union.”

Sirsha’s face went pale as R’zwana smiled nastily at her, drawing a dagger and offering it to Sirsha. “You know the words, sister,” she said. “You’ve heard them often enough.”

“I—I, Sirsha W-W-Westering, name Quil as my—”

“His full name,” R’zwana hissed. “Don’t forget the blood.”

Sirsha grimaced and cut her hand. “…Zacharias Marcus Livius Aquillus Farrar as my Adah, half my soul. I give my heart unto his keeping, a gift with no compare.”

R’zwana took the blade and handed it to Quil. “You memorized a treaty, so I imagine you can repeat that?”

He cut his palm with the knife. “I, Zacharias Marcus Livius Aquillus Farrar, name Sirsha Westering as my Adah, half my soul.” It was just a few words. It wouldn’t mean anything. He tried to look comfortingly at Sirsha but shifted his gaze at her obvious distress. “I give my heart unto her keeping, a gift with no compare.”

R’zwana looked between them. “Hands,” she said, and Sirsha sighed, offering hers to Quil.

As he took it, as their blood mingled, his body flashed icy cold, then overly warm, as if he had a fever.

“Witnessed,” R’zwana sniffed.

J’yan and D’rudo echoed her. Sirsha released Quil. A moment later, the air shifted, as if a window had been opened though the room didn’t have one. Quil’s neck burned, and he glanced down, alarmed. He expected to see a wound or a dart poking out of his skin.

Instead, he found a thin silver chain glimmering around his throat, with a coin attached to it.

“What in the bleeding hells,” he said, “is this?”

“That is the mark of atrueJaduna oath,” R’zwana said.

“Excellent,” Sufiyan said. “Let’s go.”

Before anyone could protest, Sufiyan bolted from the room, Quil following. The prince grabbed Sirsha’s hand, realizing that it would be odd for him not to at least try to touch her, since they were supposed to be affianced.

“Move, move,” Sufiyan muttered as they hurried down a long hallway and up a flight of stairs. “Before they change their minds.”

They pushed out the compound doors and into the rainy night. A figure reared up in front of them, and Sufiyan had his bow nocked and aimed almost before she could lift her hands.

“It’s me!” Arelia was soaked through, her expression offended as she took in the murderous look on Sufiyan’s face. “The Kegari boarded the shabka. Just when I’d finally started making sense of the engine, too. Barely escaped them. Caught up with you in the market, but you went after Sirsha and I got stuck in the crush.”

She held up a bag. “Got some supplies. Since you forgot that bit of the mission.”

Arelia glanced down at Quil’s hand, still entwined with Sirsha’s. He dropped it quickly, expecting the Jaduna to disappear with nary a thank-you. But she only looked worriedly up the street. Voices sounded.

“We need to get out of sight.” Sirsha nodded to an alley.

They ducked into it and emerged on another narrow lane, only to spot four Kegari soldiers. They were dragging someone with them. From the clothing, it looked to be a Martial. Quil couldn’t understand the soldiers’ Kegari speech, but one of them was rubbing his jaw and glaring at their prisoner; the Martial had put up a fight.

Quil reached for his scim—four soldiers, armor weak in the shoulder and neck—but Sirsha grabbed his arm. “You can’t fight them all, Quil,” she said. “Not if you want to get out of Jibaut alive.”

She pulled him back too late; one of the Kegari looked up, shouting in excitement.

“Run—” Quil said, but a sudden wind swept down from the sky, viciously dragging Sufiyan and Quil back into the street they’d been trying to escape. Arelia, still behind them, dove into a hedge.

“What the hells— Quil!” Sufiyan clawed at a nearby wall, but lost purchase and skidded to the center of the road alongside Quil.

Quil’s nerves screamed at him to run, but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t even speak.How is this possible? Another hellish Kegari invention?He tried to see where Sirsha had gone—but found he didn’t need to because his necklace burned and hefelther, hidden a few yards away.

He had no time to dwell on it, because a figure appeared out of the darkness of the alleyway. Tall and hooded, with broad shoulders and gray-scaled armor. His features were almost entirely in shadow, but Quil could make out pale skin, a sharp jaw, and a sneering mouth.

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