“Gods know someone had to,” she told them before walking off, Talan right behind her. Laughing.

* * *

“I feel like shit,” Brannie moaned.

“Worse than when you were on the boat?” she heard Keita ask from . . . somewhere.

Where were they anyway?

“Mention that boat again . . . and I will kill you.”

Someone put their arm around Brannie’s back and helped her sit up.

“I think you’ll live,” Keita said.

“I don’t believe you. I think I’m dying.”

“You were dying. You feeling like shit, cousin, means you’re getting better.”

“Why are you still talking, Keita? Stop talking.”

“Isn’t she delightful, Bolormaa?” Keita asked another female in the tent.

“I wish you would stop talking, too.”

“Och! All of you are so ungrateful.”

Sitting up with her knees raised, her elbows resting on them so she could cradle her head in her hands, Brannie accused, “You poisoned me, didn’t you?”

“Don’t flatter yourself! You’re not worthy of my poisoning skills. You took a blade to the arm from one of those assassins. They used poison on the edges. In fact, cousin, you’re lucky that I am as talented a poisoner as I am. Isn’t that right, Bolormaa? Tell her! Tell her how I saved her life.”

“Yes,” the shamaness said to Brannie. “Your cousin is such great murderer that she was able to save your life from death.”

“Really?” Keita snapped. “You couldn’t find a nicer way to say that?”

“No. I could not.” She took Brannie’s hand and wrapped it around a cool cup. “This is clean water. Drink. It will help.”

Realizing how thirsty she was, Brannie began to down the water, but Bolormaa stopped her and made her sip instead. It took longer, but once she was done, Brannie couldn’t believe how much better she felt. Worlds better.

“Where are we?” she asked Keita.

“With the Tribes of the Dark Mountain.”

Brannie gawked at Keita. “Were we captured?”

“Well . . . they think they captured us. But I actually found them.”

“Why would you do that? Why are you trying to kill me?”

“Och!” Keita again gasped, her arms flung in the air. “You are always so dramatic!”

Brannie glanced at the old woman tending her but Bolormaa could only shrug.

“You don’t understand, Brannie,” Keita went on. “I have a brilliant plan!”

“Oh, gods, not one of your brilliant plans.”

“You need to trust me.”

“But I don’t trust you. At all!”

“Of course you do. Besides, this new plan will mean I won’t have to kill the Empress and her kin! That’s a good thing, right? You didn’t want me to kill them, right?”

Bolormaa placed a cool cloth against Brannie’s forehead. “Just block her out. You will sleep better when you block her out.”

The tent flap was pulled back and a large man and several soldiers stormed in. They were armed and ready.