BooksBarbecue
Back Rosemarked Save as PDF
Chapters (58)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Part One
  5. Chapter One
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Chapter Three
  8. Chapter Four
  9. Chapter Five
  10. Part Two: Three Months Later
  11. Chapter Six
  12. Chapter Seven
  13. Chapter Eight
  14. Chapter Nine
  15. Chapter Ten
  16. Chapter Eleven
  17. Chapter Twelve
  18. Chapter Thirteen
  19. Chapter Fourteen
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Chapter Nineteen
  25. Chapter Twenty
  26. Chapter Twenty-one
  27. Part Three
  28. Chapter Twenty-two
  29. Chapter Twenty-three
  30. Chapter Twenty-four
  31. Chapter Twenty-five
  32. Chapter Twenty-six
  33. Chapter Twenty-seven
  34. Chapter Twenty-eight
  35. Chapter Twenty-nine
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-one
  38. Chapter Thirty-two
  39. Chapter Thirty-three
  40. Chapter Thirty-four
  41. Chapter Thirty-five
  42. Chapter Thirty-six
  43. Chapter Thirty-seven
  44. Chapter Thirty-eight
  45. Chapter Thirty-nine
  46. Chapter Forty
  47. Chapter Forty-one
  48. Chapter Forty-two
  49. Chapter Forty-three
  50. Chapter Forty-four
  51. Chapter Forty-five
  52. Chapter Forty-six
  53. Chapter Forty-seven
  54. Chapter Forty-eight
  55. Epilogue
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. About the Author
  58. Keep Reading for a Sneak Peek at Umbertouched

Please, Goddess, show me favor. “If the commander is willing, perhaps you might help us see if he has any skill with weapons. Learned skills are usually the least affected by fever amnesia, and anything you could tell us would help us decide how to proceed with him. I know nothing of these things, and neither does Jesmin.”

The commander nods thoughtfully. “Umbertouched fighters are a rare thing, if he is indeed one. Let’s have a look at him tomorrow.”

Chapter Nineteen

Zivah is nervous this morning. She hardly says a word as she unwraps the bandages around my wrist.

“The burn is uneven,” she says, and she sounds unusually annoyed about it. “Parts of this will scar more heavily than the rest.” Her eyes flicker irritably to my face, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think she’s blaming me for the burn. It’s not like her to be this jumpy.

“I survived the plague,” I say. “An uneven scar is the least of my worries.”

Her expression softens, and a grudging smile touches her lips. “I suppose that’s true.” She dips her washcloth in some strange-smelling salve and wipes at the pink scar tissue.

“What’s bothering you?” I ask.

She wraps fresh bandages around my wound and tucks the ends snugly. “I suppose you should know sooner than later. You know we’ve talked about your past, and how I think you might have been a fighter of some sort, maybe from one of the nearby tribes.”

My hand goes absentmindedly to my calf, where there’s the raised impression of a scar. That’s the most pronounced one, but I have others all over the rest of my body. Then there are my puffy ears, which Zivah tells me only happens if I’ve taken blows to the head.

“I remember.”

“You’ll get a visitor today. Commander Arxa of the Amparan army. He’ll know more about these things.”

The commander arrives later that afternoon, led by Zivah and flanked by four umbertouched soldiers. Even if he hadn’t been the oldest of the soldiers, there would have been no mistaking him. Up until now, I haven’t met anyone who truly intimidated me. Zivah, of course, has always been on my side. But even Jesmin, who rushes around giving orders all day, is focused but mild. This man though, there’s nothing mild about him. His very presence changes the air in a room. I’m on my feet before I know it, standing straight and ready.