“I cannot honor your claim. You must prove yourself first. It is not personal, it is just the Beerchi way.” He raises his blade. “I’m sure you understand.”

“Final warning, Shaun. Put your blade down. Tell your men to stand with me, unified. And submit yourself for punishment for the murder of our Yakanna sister.”

The crowd explodes in whispers.

“For the last time, the Yakanna girl. You do not know what you speak of. I never touched Doile. If you must know, she is my brother’s effija.”

Effija? Promised? Like, betrothed?

Shaun’s nostrils flare, his chest rising and falling. “You do not know me to judge me. I would never touch a hair on my sister’s head. Even Kai. I would fight her in combat but never end her. She is my sister. Beerchi are loyal.”

“Loyal,” his brothers echo.

“S-so who did this?”

“It is not honorable to accuse without proof, but if anyone touched Doile, I would bet my beard it was Kai.”

Chatter erupts and my insides do flips. I want to believe better of her. But first Jhamal. Now this…. It doesn’t look good.

“I was too quick to judge and for that I’m sorry. I won’t judge Kai either until she is present and can speak for herself.”

Shaun dips his chin in respect and for a glimmer of a moment I think he really sees me. Or at least sees who I believe I can be. His coquella steps forward and sets a hand on Shaun’s back. The two share a look and coquella takes a knee.

“It has to be unity, brother. Somewhere in all this we’ve lost sight of the way. This is not who we Beerchi are.” He shakes his head. “We are might and pride, but like you say, Shaun, we are loyal. The Ancestors have spoken. Kneel with me, brother.” Shaun’s coquella lays his curved blade at my feet, folds forward, bowing fully.

Words escape me. My skin tingles all over.

With one Beerchi sworn to me, the rest, one by one, follow suit, cloaks on the ground, a pile of curved gold metal at my feet. Shaun is left standing alone. He blows out a breath, shuffling on his feet for several moments. Then he slips off his rings and unlatches his cloak. His chin never dips. In fact, he raises it. He hesitates another moment but kneels.

And finally, I can breathe.