Page 49 of An Honored Vow

“Good.” I nodded at Gwyn. “You and Fyrel head to the portal to help Riven. Take as many Halflings back with you as you can. Tell Riven not to be a fool. I’m trusting him with your lives and every Halfling we send you.”

They nodded and ran.

“There’s still courtesans in the other carriages,” Dynara said pointing down the road.

My stomach hardened. That was in the opposite direction of the portal.

Dynara lifted her chin. “I haven’t worked this hard not to get them to that damned portal, Keera.”

I sighed. “Fine, but don’t go alone.”

“I’ll come with you,” Vrail shouted, taking down another soldier.

“And the Blade?” Gerarda threw her last knife and moved onto arrows. “He’s still unconscious in that cart.”

I tracked thewaateyshiras it circled back for another attack. I had bigger things to attend to. “Can you take care of that, Ger?” I batted my lashes. “Take El with you.”

“Always cleaning up your messes,” Gerarda muttered. She emptied her quiver in a single pull of her bow and turned in the direction of where I’d left the cart. She paused and I looked to see why.

Kairn was gone.

“He can’t have gone far,” I called, running for a rooftop. “His hands and legs are bound with Elvish rope.”

“You brought rope but no extra sleeping draught?” Gerarda’s jaw cocked to the side. “How did Hildegard ever name you Blade?”

I stoked the soldier’s torches on the hill. The flames roared, catching the notice of the shadowy beast. “I was her favorite,” I teased.

Gerarda shook her head. “That’s the only explanation.”

Thewaateyshirstarted feasting on the line of soldiers. My shoulders eased by a fraction as I jumped onto the street once more.

“Down!” Gerarda shouted as she launched a knife directly at my head.

I didn’t hesitate. My chest flattened against the ground as Kairn hopped to the right, all his limbs still tied.

Gerarda’s throwing knife vibrated in the black wood of the royal carriage, missing him by an inch.

Kairn grinned and angled his arms against the blade. I rose to my feet, unbothered until the Elvish rope fell to the ground.

“I didn’t mean to do that,” Gerarda said, realizing she had given Kairn an Elvish blade—the only kind sharp enough to cut through his binding.

“This is why she picked me,” I shouted. I turned to Kairn, ready to subdue him with my magic when a trail of black flame turned the dwelling beside me to dust.

“Watch out!” I hurled myself on top of Gerarda, knocking her out of its path. We both lay on the ground staring up at the beast as it started to whistle.

Then it stopped.

Mid-attack.

The beast tilted its head as if in a daze.

I looked around, wondering what had caught its attention. The pendant at Kairn’s chest pulsed with white light. The shadowy beast bobbed its head to the rhythm.

Kairn could control it.

The pendant wasn’t a weapon; it was protection.

I conjured two vines and wrapped Kairn in their hold before he could run. The pendant’s light dimmed as he struggled, and thewaateyshirlet out a terrifying shriek.

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