Page 21 of Blood Tribute

“I’m a healer,” Rahim explained. “This wound was dealt by an artifact, so it will take me some time to mend.”

“He’s coming for me! Please…we must escape.”

“Your body can’t withstand magical transport until I heal you.”

“We’ll have to run. He’s a holy knight. He wants me alive—but he’ll kill you.”

“You won’t get far while losing this much blood. I’ll stop the bleeding as quickly as I can and hope my veil spells hold against him.”

As she fought for consciousness, he kept talking to her, his voice so steady and reassuring. He told her of where he could take her for safety, spinning visions of the Hesperine homeland in her mind.

“We can give you Sanctuary,” Rahim promised.

“He’ll keep me with him at any cost. He can find me anywhere in Tenebra.”

“But not in Orthros. We can give you a new life.”

“Why?” she rasped. “My family has killed so many of your kind. Why would you do this for me?”

“None of this is your fault.”

In all her life, no one had ever said that to her before.

She looked down at Rahim’s fingers, covered in her blood. He held her life in his hands. And he was trying to give it back to her, although a Knight of Andragathos could attack at any moment.

“Please,” Nora wept, “give me Sanctuary.”

“That is a sacred request. I will get you to safety behind the Queens’ ward, or die trying.” Suddenly, he cocked his head. “I hear the knight. He’s combing the woods for you. Come on. We can make it to the nearest Hesperine refuge.”

Rahim lifted her in his arms. Now she too could hear Sir Virtus’s heavy boots crashing through the woods.

“Don’t try to hide from me, Nora!” he shouted. “Sancti calls to your wounds. I can sense where you are.”

The ground fell away as Rahim levitated. The clearing swept past at breathtaking speed.

“Nothing can hide from the Blade of Purification.” Sir Virtus called. “It cuts through lies—and Hesperine veil spells.”

Something whistled past them. Rahim jerked against her. The magic buoying them disappeared, and they crashed to the ground, tumbling down the hillside. Nora crawled toward Rahim, spotting the Blade of Purification out of reach in the grass. His arm bled where Sancti had clipped him.

Sir Virtus burst from the trees. Nora threw herself toward Rahim, but her wounded body was too slow. Arceo grazed her cheek and plunged into his heart.

“No!” She closed her fingers around the hilt.

Rahim wrapped his hand around hers. “I must—return to Orthros. For healing from the Queen. No use to you dead. In Hespera’s name, I swear I will come back for you and free you from him.”

“I believe you.”

Together, they pulled the dagger out of his chest. Rahim disappeared before her eyes.

Nora rounded on Sir Virtus, Arceo in her hand. Dodging her attack, he lunged past her and snatched up Sancti. He blocked her next swing with his blade.

She had no hope of besting a knight in single combat. Within moments, he had disarmed her and forced her to the ground. “We’ll make this awful night disappear, my dear. I will take good care of you.”

He drove Sancti into the wound Rahim had tried to heal.

q

Nora surfaced fromher memories with a gasp. She lay against Dav, her face pressed to his chest. Eye to eye with the topaz in Arceo’s hilt.

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