Page 63 of An Honored Vow

The ball dropped and shattered in front of the Dagger’s horse. It reared onto its hind legs. The Dagger cursed, slipping low in his saddle, but he did not fall off.

Quinton sneered. “You expect me to be impressed by your signal?” The rasp in his voice was tighter, higher pitched.

I lifted a brow. “That wasn’t my signal. I just didn’t want yours to wreck the effect.” I raised my hand once more and flames flowed up my arm and into the sky like a geyser rush. With three simple waves, the flames tightened and rearranged themselves into the shape of an owl mid-flight. I cooed as loudly as I could, the fiery bird flapping its wings above me.

The three men looked up in awe at my display of magic. Each of their throats bobbed as I waved my hand and my flames dissipated into the wind.

Gwyn and Fyrel rode out from the tree line. Behind them was Riven pulling Kairn down the King’s Road by an Elvish rope. The bag was still over his head so he staggered like a drunkard walking home after the pub. Syrra rode behind them all, her head scanning the field for a threat from any direction.

Quinton’s lip disappeared behind his teeth. “That could be anyone,” he said loud enough for Riven to hear.

I turned to Riven and nodded at the bag. His jaw clamped shut as he stared up at the Arsenal, but he ripped the bag off Kairn’s head and shoved him to his knees. Kairn coughed against the gag in his mouth. When he looked up at the Arsenal, his thick brows knitted in confusion.

They didn’t realize he didn’t recognize any of them. He barely remembered his own name after Feron had finished with him.

“He lost his fastener?” Quinton asked with a smug look at Kairn’s empty throat. “And what about the pendant?”

I pulled the Elvish chain from underneath my tunic and held up the forgery Feron had made. “It stays with me until the exchange is done.”

“King Damien never agreed to those terms—”

Quinton’s objection was cut off mid-sentence by a thunderous crack. His head was split in two from the heavy axe that was now embedded into the base of his skull. I turned to Riven as the Dagger’s lifeless body collapsed to the ground, twitching. His hood slipped back from his face just enough for me to see that his eyes were more deadly than I had ever seen them.

Riven’s nostrils flared as he tugged his hood back in place. “My brother is not here, and I do not give a fuck about his terms.”

The Arrow glanced at his surviving comrades. Damien had kept the truth of Riven’s lineage a secret from his closest guards. But it didn’t matter. Their gazes lingered over the bloody pool of their leader as they waved at the entourage to complete their approach.

The four men stopped their horses a safe distance from Riven. The two in the front dismounted their saddles and walked to the black carriage door. One reached in and dragged Nikolai onto the ground. He groaned as his shoulder was pinned under his body. My chest heaved with relief, but I stood strong.

Flames flared behind me. “Treat him with gentle hands or Quinton will not be the only one with an axe in his head.”

They scoffed until the Arrow’s voice boomed overhead. “Do it.”

He dismounted his saddle and grabbed Nikolai with one arm. He dragged him, closing the distance between us in five paces. Nikolai was beaten and bruised, barely conscious as they threw him to the ground. I was used to being taller than Mortals, even the men, but the Arrow towered over me.

“The pendant.” He held out his hand. “Now.”

Riven shoved Kairn into the soldiers’ midst. He fell down and the leaf-bound eye patch fell from his eye and was left discarded on the ground. The amber ring in his black eye flared, and when I turned back to the Arrow, his ring had shrunk.

Damien was here. Jumping from Arrow to Blade at will.

“I know you’re watching,” I called out, now looking at Damien through Kairn’s face. “Call back your soldiers, and I will give your Arrow the pendant.”

The ring in the Arrow’s eye flared once more. This time when he spoke, I knew it was Damien who said the words.

“Why would I do that, Keera, when you’ve already killed my most beloved Dagger?” The cadence of the Arrow’s voice had changed completely, its roughness smoothed to the highest pedigree befitting a king. Even his facial expression had turned hard and calculating instead of brutish and ruthless.

“You didn’t give a shit about him.” I lifted my chin to the Arrow, wondering if he could still hear me while his master controlled his mind. “Just like you don’t care about this one.”

Damien didn’t even pretend to deny it. “That’s of little consequence. The soldiers stay.”

He jumped into the mind of the young man beside the Arrow. He snatched the pendant from my hand and place it around his neck. He closed his eyes and tried to call awaateyshirforward with the pendant.

But he couldn’t.

Panic swelled in my chest as the soldier’s amber pupil flared with rage. I turned back to the others. “Get Nikolai back now!”

Riven didn’t need to be told twice. He ran for Nik but the soldiers held him back long enough for the Arrow to press a blade to Nikolai’s throat. Red blood pooled along the steel as Nikolai choked on his gag.

---