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Chapters (61)
  1. Dedication
  2. Prologue
  3. Ashyn: One
  4. Two
  5. Three
  6. Four
  7. Five
  8. Six
  9. Seven
  10. Eight
  11. Moria: Nine
  12. Ten
  13. Eleven
  14. Twelve
  15. Thirteen
  16. Ashyn: Fourteen
  17. Fifteen
  18. Sixteen
  19. Moria: Seventeen
  20. Eighteen
  21. Nineteen
  22. Twenty
  23. Twenty-one
  24. Twenty-two
  25. Ashyn: Twenty-three
  26. Twenty-four
  27. Twenty-five
  28. Twenty-six
  29. Twenty-seven
  30. Twenty-eight
  31. Twenty-nine
  32. Thirty
  33. Moria: Thirty-one
  34. Thirty-two
  35. Thirty-three
  36. Thirty-four
  37. Thirty-five
  38. Thirty-six
  39. Thirty-seven
  40. Ashyn: Thirty-eight
  41. Thirty-nine
  42. Forty
  43. Forty-one
  44. Forty-two
  45. Forty-three
  46. Forty-four
  47. Forty-five
  48. Forty-six
  49. Forty-seven
  50. Forty-eight
  51. Forty-nine
  52. Moria: Fifty
  53. Fifty-one
  54. Fifty-two
  55. Fifty-three
  56. Fifty-four
  57. Fifty-five
  58. About the Author
  59. Back Ad
  60. Credits
  61. About the Publisher

Ashyn shot her fist again before motioning her away from Daigo. “Ronan wants to learn to throw a blade. Go teach him so he’ll stop pestering me about it. Tova and I will look after Daigo.”

A throat clearing behind them. They looked over to see Gavril returning from his patrol.

“Given how you just pantomimed throwing a blade, Ashyn, I would suggest you join the lesson. At the very least, your sister ought to teach you how to handle it better. You draw it as if you’re preparing to slice an apple.”

Ashyn’s cheeks heated.

“Martial arts aren’t a Seeker’s focus, Kitsune,” Moria said. “You don’t use your dagger for much more than slicing apples.”

“Because I have my sword. While fighting may not be her strength, I’d like to see her better able to defend herself.”

Ronan got to his feet. “Ashyn is—”

Ashyn rose. “Gavril’s right, even if he could use a few lessons himself—in diplomacy.” She gave him a pointed look, which he chose to ignore. “I’ll spar with Moria later. For now, she can go with Ronan while I tend to Daigo.”

Gavril shook his head. “I’ll stay with the cat. I need no lessons on holding my blade.”

“No,” Moria said. “You just need lessons on how to release it. Preferably before you fall from a thunder hawk and dash out your brains on the rocks.” She paused. “Though that might not be an overly debilitating injury.”

He turned a cool look on her, but Ashyn swore she saw a flicker of warmth in it before he knelt beside Daigo.

“Go, Keeper. I’ll tend to your cat.”

Now Ashyn was sure a look did pass between them. She was almost as sure Moria mouthed thank you, but that seemed too great a stretch of the imagination.

“Come, then,” Moria said. “Time for class.”

The lesson did not last long. The sun had almost dropped before they even began. They continued by the light of the moon and the campfire, but when Tova nearly got his tail lopped off, it became clear that throwing daggers in the dark was not, perhaps, a wise idea. They should have settled in for sleep then. Yet no one was tired.

They sat around the campfire, talking. Or Ronan and Moria talked. She had brought out sharp quills from her bag to show them, which necessitated the tale of where the quills came from. Then Moria and Ronan discussed the ways they could be used as weapons, poisoned or not. Ashyn had tried to slip away and give Ronan time with her sister, but he’d kept her there, pulling her into discussion.