Page 101 of Horn of Winter

“Because there’s always a chance you have somehow been less than honest about the codex’s location. Wouldn’t want you to die before I have that in my hands, now would I?”

“Meaning you’re retrieving it yourself?”

“Oh, I am not that foolish.”

Which was a damn shame, because Sgott would have placed the tavern under tight scrutiny the minute he and everyone else realized I was missing—and they should have by now, given that I’d missed my breakfast meeting with Mathi. “What did you inject me with?”

I might suspect, but it never hurt to have it confirmed. Besides, she would think it odd if I didn’t ask.

“What does it matter to you? You’ll be dead.”

“If you’re so certain of that, what does it hurt to tell me? Besides, you wouldn’t really want to be responsible for my death, would you, and risk the curse when you’re on the cusp of achieving all that you wanted?”

She laughed—a soft sound that reminded me of Mom’s and just made the inner anger surge all that much more. My fingers twitched again, the movement stronger this time. Was anger the key to breaking her orders? Surely not, because if it had been that simple to break pixie magic, then all the pissed-off people I’d used it on over the last few weeks would have surely broken free.

“Oh, I think I’m way past worrying about the curse, given how many lives I have now taken,” she drawled. “As for death, been there, done that. It no longer holds any fear for me.”

Meaning we were right—she had been killed and revived. “Did Peregrine Stace aid you in that bit of trickery?”

“Indeed. Shame she got a little too demanding—she’d been useful up until that point.”

“Where are my knives and the Eye, Aunt?”

“The Eye adorns my neck—such a charming cage you’ve made for it, I must say—and the knives are safely tucked away, never to be found by you and your brother. They will fetch a pretty price on the black market, I’m sure.”

“They were goddess gifted to our family, Riayn. You can’t sell them?—”

“Oh, you’re in no position to be telling me what to do. Now, be still and be quiet, dear Bethany, until I say otherwise. I have a retrieval mission to organize.”

My mouth snapped shut, and anger surged anew. I clenched my hands and then wondered why that was happening. I had no charm or other form of magical interference on me, and while the knives... I blinked. The knives countered any and all magic that attacked me. Was it possible that protection extended to a pixie’s personal magic?

It was more than possible, given the twitching that had been barely negligible when I’d first woken was increasing in intensity as the minutes ticked by. To date, the knives’ protection had only worked when I was awake and aware, so it would make sense that it hadn’t started countermanding my aunt’s magic until I’d regained consciousness.

Of course, at the current speed of disentanglement, I’d be dead before I could fully move, but maybe I could speed the process up if the knives were physically in my hands. It was worth a try and, given Riayn had said they were tucked away securely, maybe she wouldn’t even notice they were missing until the blades were at her throat and it was all too damn late to say sorry.

I closed my eyes and silently called to them. For several seconds, nothing happened, and I couldn’t help but wonder if being compelled by my aunt was somehow running interference with the signal. Then the air shimmered and the two of themthudded into my waiting hands. I gripped as tightly as I could, relief so fierce tears stung my eyes. With these weapons in my possession, I had a real chance of surviving.

The minutes continued to tick by as the knives pulsed and burned, sending a spray of purple light spiraling through the gathering shadows. Gradually, ever so gradually, the feeling of life and strength seeped back into my limbs. I carefully turned my head and examined the room more fully. It was narrow and rectangular and reminded me of a prison cell. An old, abandoned cell—something bad guys had thrown me in once before. It also explained the metal nature of the bed and the cobwebs and dust that adorned its frame and every corner of the room. The nearby window was small; the glass was cracked and grimy and the bars thick. The distance between bars was narrow; I’d barely get an arm through that gap, let alone my head or ass.

The door lay to my right and was a mix of metal and wood. No wood song emanated from it, though even if ithad, I wouldn’t have been able to use it. My aunt would feel it the minute I tried to connect to or use the song’s power.

The air, my knives, and my wits were my only weapons, and there was a bit of me that couldn’t help thinking,Gods help me.

After a few more minutes, I carefully tested my limbs for movement, then slowly swung my legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. The effort had my head spinning, and I had no idea if it was the toxin or the lingering remnants of overexertion.

I drew in several deep but silent breaths, then carefully pushed upright. Another repeat of spinning, but it didn’t last quite so long this time. I studied the speaker for a second, waiting for it to squawk to life, then slowly, carefully walked over to the door. There was no lock on this side, which made sense if this had once been a jail cell. I bent slightly but couldn’t see anything through the slight crack between the frame and the door—not even a bolt.

I raised a knife and lightly pressed it against the frame. The blade pulsed, and there was the softest fizzle of energy, accompanied by a sharp, almost metallic scent. The door silently cracked open.

I swallowed heavily to ease the sudden dryness in my throat, then gathered the air and pushed her through the gap. Minutes passed, and tension had sweat trickling down my spine. I shifted from one bare foot to the other, and it was only then that I realized I was still wearing nothing more than knickers and a T-shirt.

Great. Just great.

The wind returned, her whispers clear and sharp in my ears. The building was a two-story stone construction with a central heart and two wings. I was on the first floor of the right wing, with two men stationed down the hall and several others roaming the floor below. All of them were armed.

My aunt was located in the other wing, in an office close to an external exit.

All of which meant I’d have to be damn fast when I took out the two closest men, otherwise I risked them getting a warning out to Riayn and any others who patrolled this place.

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