Page 9 of Swordheart
She looked down at the sword. The blade had what looked like an entire saga engraved into it, in fine, spidery script.
She squinted. “I don’t recognize this language. I’m sorry. Could you just tell me your name?”
“Oh?” For an odd moment, she thought he was pleased by that. “Sarkis, my lady.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ser Sarkis.”
“Just Sarkis,” he said. “What lands I held are far from here and long forfeit.” He frowned at her, as if realizing something. “So why is a respectable widow drawing swords in the middle of the night?”
“Oh!” Halla waved her free hand. “I was planning on killing myself. By… err… stabbing myself through the heart. On the sword. Which I guess is your sword?”
“You will do no such thing!”
Halla blinked at him. “They’d have cleaned the sword after. I’m pretty sure. It looks like it might be valuable, you see, and Aunt Malva never wastes money.”
“The great god give me patience!” shouted Sarkis. “That’s not my concern! I’ll not have any woman under my protection killing herself!”
“Keep your voice down!” hissed Halla. “They’ll hear you!”
He looked mutinous, but dropped his voice. “Who’s they?”
“My relatives. Well, my husband’s relatives. They—oh,blast…”
Footsteps sounded in the hall. “Halla? Halla, what’s going on in there?”
“Oh gods, it’s Aunt Malva.” Halla looked around wildly. “Hide! You have to hide!”
Sarkis drew himself up to his full height. “I’ll not hide from—”
“I will get in serious trouble if there’s a strange man in my room!” Halla looked around frantically. Could he fit under the bed?
“Oh. A question of honor. Of course. Forgive me.” The servant of the sword bowed his head. “Sheathe the sword.”
“What?”
“Sheathe the sword.”
“Halla, do you have someone in there?” She could hear Malva fumbling with the lock.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Aunt Malva!” shouted Halla. “I couldn’t possibly!” She snatched up the sheath and tried to jam the sword back in, missed the opening twice, then got it the third time.
Blue light writhed over Sarkis’s skin, and then he was gone. The cross guard clicked against the mouth of the scabbard. She dropped it to the floor and shoved it hastily under the bed with her foot.
Aunt Malva finally got the door unlocked and pushed it open. “What are you…”
Halla blinked at her innocently.
The woman’s eyes narrowed and she scanned the room as intently as Sarkis had done earlier.Threats to my life, threats to my virtue… Halla had gone for years without anyone worryingabout people hiding in her room, and here she was dealing with it twice in one night.
It’s not like I make a habit of hiding people in my room. I don’t know why everyone is so suspicious all of a sudden.
“I heard voices,” said Malva.
“I was praying for Silas’s soul,” said Halla.
Aunt Malva’s eyes narrowed even further. “I heard a man’s voice.”
“Maybe it was a god answering.”
