“Yes, but would that negate a lifetime of loyalty? Right now, we need to just go back to your tent and think. Gather our stuff in case we need to run away. Find Nanaea.” I glanced back toward the women, then at Rish. He held his injured arm to his chest. Swiftly, I examined his stitches. Pus bulged from the holes. Selu save us. The infection had worsened! Maybe it was deeper than I even knew. Down into the tissues where I couldn’t see. My heart sank. “But we can’t do any of that until I work on Rish. His infection is worse.” I swallowed.

In one motion, Dagan picked up his little brother with a grunt, and Rish lay on his shoulder like a boy smaller than he was, his eyes tight with pain.

“It’s worse?” He shifted the bulk of Rish’s weight on his shoulder, casting a furtive look around the tent at Assata and Ummi. “Is it because he got the dirt inside when he fell?”

“It’s not his fault. I should never have left him without stitching the wound. I knew better than that, but I did it anyway.”

“Oh, Kammani.” He frowned as he hiked Rish up farther onto his chest. “It’s not your fault. I asked you to do something for him, so if it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”

“No, it isn’t. I knew what should’ve been done. I probably harmed him more than if I’d just left him alone until I had supplies.”

“There was no perfect solution.”

A boy’s voice, one I’d heard a hundred times in my own home in Manzazu, shouted across the encampment. “Kammani! Where are you? These men won’t let us through!”

Kasha.

My heart lurching, I turned back toward Ummi and Assata. Sure enough, there he was.

Dagan eyed me worriedly. “They’ve got him. They better not be using him as a bargaining chip, or I swear to the gods—”

I laid my hand on his arm, fear rising in my chest. “Let’s go see.”

As we approached, Assata was jabbing a finger into Yashub’s face while other tradesmen encircled them, backs stiff.

“Let us see them,” she growled. “These warriors will annihilate your men if you do not.”

At that, traders’ hands went into the folds of their cloaks to draw out daggers and small axes.

Yashub held up his meaty hands. “We don’t need that now.”

“We’re here!” Dagan called. “Everyone calm yourselves.”

Assata looked past Yashub’s shoulder, squinting against the glare. Her face softened into recognition when she met my eyes. Kasha wriggled away from Ummi’s hold and ran to me, almost tackling me in a hug.

“My brother! Are you okay? Has Assata gotten Arwia?” I murmured into his ragged curls as he held me tight.

“No—why would she want Arwia? They want to talk to you.”

“I’m sure they do.” I glared at Assata and the Koru as they strode roughly past the traders. They’d obviously brought Kasha to me to show me what power they held. How easily they could control me.