Page 63 of A Tribute of Fire

“You’re going to need water,” I said.

She gave me a tight smile. “I know.”

“Are you hungry?” They had brought us some nuts and fruit. I divided them up in half and gave Quynh her portion.

But she didn’t touch it.

Instead she began to undo her bracelet. “I want you to put this on.”

An alarm sounded inside me and I was filled with dread. “Why?”

“My mother told me that it would bring me good luck. And it did. It brought me to you and our family.” She struggled with the knot and I didn’t try to help her.

“You still need the luck,” I reminded her.

“I have you, and that’s luck enough,” she said. She finally managed to get it loose, and I realized that I’d never seen her without it. Not once in my entire life. She even wore it while she bathed.

Part of me was terrified that this meant she was giving up, but she had promised me that she wouldn’t.

“I can’t accept it,” I said when she offered it to me.

She let out a sound of frustration. “I don’t typically ask anything from you, but I am asking you for this.”

“I feel like if I take it, I’m admitting that we’ll die.” Or that she would die and I would have to carry on and keep her bracelet safe.

“Lia, please.” Seeing that her entreaty wasn’t working, she changed tactics. “I will not take another step unless you promise to take my bracelet and keep it safe.”

Seeing no other recourse, I took the bracelet. She helped me tie it onto my wrist. It felt wrong on my arm, like it didn’t belong there. “I will guard it with my life.”

“I’ve already said this to you, but if something does happen to me—” She held up both of her hands as I began to protest, stopping me. “If something does happen, please don’t let it be in vain. Promise me that you’ll go on.”

The unshed tears that collected in my throat were hot, burning me. “Don’t make me promise that.”

“Do it, Lia.”

She wouldn’t give in on this, I could tell. So I nodded. “I promise.”

“Good.” Her entire body relaxed, and within a few minutes, she had gone to sleep. I was glad—her body needed the chance to recuperate.

I leaned against the far wall and considered our options. I thought about offering Mahtab another bag of salt and asking her to watch over Quynh here, but I understood that she would refuse. That it would bring death on her house, and while she was kind enough to offer us temporary shelter, she would not be willing to put the lives of those she looked out for on the line for us.

It wasn’t like I could go out and look for another person to take Quynh in. There might be men searching this area already, and I would be caught and killed. Even if I did find someone, they might lie and turn us in.

The only thing I could do was press forward. The temple might be two streets over or two miles away. I had no way of knowing. It didn’t matter, though, because we would find it.

Both of us. Together.

Hobbling the entire way if we had to.

As I nibbled on the nuts they’d brought us, I thought about how, while we were resting, our hunters could be doing the same. There would be some who were still searching and tiring themselves out, but not everyone would do that.

They would be fresh and ready to meet us, while Quynh and I had been severely hurt.

We weren’t going to stand much of a chance.

The sun continued to sink, bringing us closer and closer to the time that we would have to leave. I didn’t want to risk going to the window for fear that someone might recognize me. The odds were small but I wasn’t willing to tempt fate.

Darkness came, rolling in like a wave from the sea. I heard the front door open and then men’s voices downstairs, sounding happy. I found my sheath in my pack and tied it back onto my leg.

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