His eyes bulge. His legs kick, but I hook my feet behind his knees, using my body weight to bear down on him. His face turns bright red and then purple, made more livid by his scars. For a moment, the cold fury inside me wants to do worse to him, to make him suffer. He doesn’t deserve such an easy end. But then Jonyah convulses, and his enormous body goes slack.

Slowly, I release the sash. His body slides clumsily to the ground, his vacant eyes gazing up at the night sky. I breathe hard. My limbs tremble from the exertion. Then everything goes fuzzy, and the darkness closes in.

When I wake, Prince Meilek is leaning over me. Beyond his shoulder, the moon sits high in the clouds.

“How do you feel?” he asks.

In an instant, I remember everything. I bolt upright. He backs away to avoid getting bashed in the head.

“How long was I out?” We’re still beside the stream, but he’s moved us away from the carnage.

“Only long enough for me to sneak supplies from my medic’s tent.”

I reach up and touch my neck. It’s wrapped in bandages, although the strong smell of medicinal paste seeps through. Fresh bandages also cover my thigh, which aches dully.

He helps me to my feet. “I wanted to find you a healer, but the only person to ask would have been Ronin, and we can’t trust him.”

“Does this mean you’re ready to warn the leaders in the manor house of your sister’s attack?”

There’s a moment of tense silence. Then, voice rough with emotion, he says, “Enough Evewynians have suffered because of her hatred. And now she wants to spread that hatred across all of Thiy.” He nods at the darkness ahead. “Come on. I have a surprise for you.”

After everything that’s just happened, I’m not keen on surprises. “Where are your Blades?”

“It’s best they remain uninvolved. I won’t have Mei punishing them for my actions.”

The branches over our heads grow thinner as we leave the trees. “What about Phaut?” The pain of her loss is still fresh. I have to force down the knot in my throat. At his confused look, I clarify. “Ronin’s soldier. The woman Jonyah killed. She was my friend.”

“I’m sorry. We’ll go back for her as soon as there’s time.”

Something moves behind the shadows, and there’s a quiet snuffling sound. I pause, but Prince Meilek tugs me along. As we near the source of the noise, I make out the silhouettes of two drakes waiting just outside the trees. I recognize instantly the sleek head and dark green scales of the drake sniffing around the dirt.

“Yandor,” I whisper.