Page 7 of An Honored Vow

Elaran knocked three times before the door cracked open. A harsh squeal echoed out from the room, and I peered over Elaran’s shoulder. Dozens of eyes blinked back at me in the pale starlight. Some held their hands to their faces as though even the night was too bright. From the smell of it, they had locked themselves inside for days.

I held my breath and searched for the only pair of eyes I knew. Deep lines framed her dark brown gaze. Her back had a curve to it now, and her hair was even more gray, but Victoria had nothing but a proud smile across her face as she looked at me.

She hobbled up the steps inside the room. I grabbed her leathered hand. “It has been too long, old friend.”

Victoria’s round shape had deflated in the months of rations. Knowing her, she had taken less than her share and split it among the children. I scanned the room quickly. There were at least two dozen kids intermixed with the adults.

“Keera.” Victoria’s voice was shaking as she stepped out of the ground for the first time in what must have been days. Her knee buckled, and I stooped to catch her. “I’m fine—” She stopped, the hand she had raised to shake me off hung in the air, forgotten. Her pupils widened as she noticed my eyes.

No longer silver, but gold.

“Is it truly you?” There was a tone of fear in her voice as she stepped back to put herself between me and the door.

I pulled the medallion from my shirt and tossed it to her. The rose she had helped design was embossed into the metal. I lifted my hand, letting my flames cover my fingers to the delight and shock of the Halflings now climbing out of the safe house. “There is much to be discussed.” I let the flames die out. “But there are better places to discuss them.”

The bead tied under my braid burned hot, and I froze. Gerarda took hers from under her chest plate, the colorless glass shining bright red. “We need to go now,” Gerarda barked, pulling the stragglers from the hole two at a time.

“Keera.” Elaran pointed at the upper hill of the city where a troop of soldiers was marching down the alley.

Marching, not running.

“They’re only enforcing curfew,” Victoria said. “We haven’t been spotted.”

“Curfew?” I balked. There had been no mention of it in the reports from our scouts or Dynara’s message.

Victoria nodded. “The soldiers put it in place the night of the fires. No one is to leave their homes at night. Violators are whipped or hung, depending on the guard who catches you.” She curled her tongue as if tasting something bitter.

She didn’t need to say the truth. The punishment enforced depended on the color of one’s blood.

“We can’t ferry out dozens of Halflings without being spotted.” Gerarda pointed south to where we needed to take a parade of sixty Halflings without drawing the attention of any of the soldiers or their sentries.

I turned to Victoria. “I take it the Dagger needs no introduction.”

Victoria’s discerning eyes trailed over Gerarda’s short frame. “No, though I reckon the Dagger disliked her title as much as the Blade.”

“You can call her Gerarda,” Elaran mused, picking up one of the younger Halflings and letting the blond child play with her hair. “And you may call me whatever you like, though I am cordial toYour Majesty.”

I scoffed and shook my head. “Elaran is the funny one.” Gerarda grumbled but didn’t correct me.

Elaran smiled smugly.

“Both are excellent warriors in their own right, and they will protect you.”

Victoria’s smile fell to a deep frown. “Aren’t you here to protect us too?”

I shook my head and spread my arms wide. “I’m the bait.”

CHAPTERTHREE

ISOARED THROUGH THE NIGHTtoo quickly to be spotted. I landed on the top of the sentry tower—shifting back in a flash of light as I flipped into the room below. I stood straight as the two guards fell with their own blades in their chests and pulled the helmet off the blond.

My heart dropped as I saw Collin’s face. Blood pooled from his mouth, and his cheeks were maimed by fire. I fell back, unable to catch my breath for a full minute until the young man’s true face came into view.

He looked nothing like Collin.

I shook off the panic and pulled the vapor from the air. A small orb of water grew, taking the form of a male body before freezing to hard ice. I set the helmet on top of my statue and stood beside it. To anyone below, it looked like the guards still stood at their post.

The troop turned down an alley to the center of the city. Small groups broke out from the main march, inspecting the side streets for strays that had gone inside. I scanned the alleys for the poor and homeless who usually filled the streets. My stomach clenched against the truth. They had already been rounded up on the first night of curfew.

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