“And so Little Tears, the first of the Dark, fled. Hollow Knife’s final blow severed her connection with Blade that Soars. Part of Blade that Soars’ angry spirit dwells forever within the lands as an undying wraith, fueling the continual death and rebirth of his seven demon spawn. And so both brothers died, and a mountain grew in their place.”

“That definitely isn’t a darashi oyun I’ve ever seen performed,” Althy admitted.

“But that’s impossible!” Likh burst out. “Are you saying Hollow Knife wasn’t the villain, and that Blade that Soars—”

“Was,” I finished grimly. If this was true, then it meant Aenah had been right all along.

They made elegant weapons, the Lady Zoya’s asha. They lined the ship’s stern, their backs like jeweled cannons, arms raised like exquisitely drawn arrows. They were danger wearing lipstick and rouge, and their fierceness shone even greater than their beauty.

I could not see the runes they fashioned around themselves—not at first. The brooch the Dark asha gave me grew hot against my breast, and then I saw their hands shape thread and needle out of air, crank and wheel from ether, weaving soft, invisible silks that danced across the edges of my periphery.

Their results were undeniable. The billowing winds behind us were a testament to the ashas’ power, and our ship sped faster than any I had been on. It sang across the water, our bow barreling through the foamy barricades of the sea. The sailors cried and prayed and cursed, but by the second hour, they had fallen silent, content to cling desperately to anything that was bolted down. They stared, awed and fearing, at the women in their flowing hua, with glinting suns and stars twisted into their hair, as the ship raced across the Swiftsea through no power of their own.

I could not study the bone witch’s letters as often as I wanted, for the swaying ship and fierce waves gave me little time for balance, much less scrutiny. Already some of what she wrote had disquieted me, and not for the first time, I wondered if she had summoned me for my expertise in songs or for some other purpose entirely.

Lord Fox and Princess Inessa talked quietly with the captain, assessing the damages to expect upon arrival at Kion. Lady Zoya had provided a list of casualties and confirmed no acquaintances on that list.

“It was deliberate, then,” Lord Fox said hoarsely. “There’s something in Kion she’s looking for. But what? Most of the elder asha died in Daanoris.” He turned to the Heartforger. “What do you think?”