More tears came, and this time, it was Sábria who gently wiped them from Xyda’s cheeks. Her own tears had started falling as well, and wrapping her other arm around her Blade, she pulled her in close and hugged her tight.

  With her words beginning to slur, Xyda finished her tale. “I wrapped her in the blanket I carry just for that purpose, and then I climbed back up the cliff.” She shook her head and rubbed her hip. “I fell pretty hard from a good height before finally making it over the ledge.”

  Sábria sat up at that. “Do I need to have the healer come take a look at you?”

  With a huff, Xyda shook her head. “Hunters are made of sterner stuff than that, My Lady. You should know that. Anyway, I managed to pull the body up. Well, actually, my horse pulled it…her up after I tied the rope to the saddle. By the time I found her, we were too far away from White Cliff to return. Sarlogne was the closest Temple, so I brought her here.” Her words had slowed quite a bit, and the slur was becoming more pronounced.

  Sábria stood and wiggled the comforter and sheets from beneath Xyda’s legs. “Slide down, Xyda.” When nothing happened, she looked up to see that she’d passed out. “I don’t blame you for wanting to forget, my friend.” She took hold of her ankles and pulled her down until she was lying more comfortably with her head on the pillow. Wanting more than anything to climb in and go to sleep herself, Sábria sighed and stepped from the room.

  CHAPTER 9

  Knowing that Shirin wouldn’t sleep because she’d be pacing her rooms worrying about what Xyda might do, Sábria slipped out into the hall and quietly knocked on Shirin’s door.

  It was immediately pulled open, and an anxious-looking Shirin, still dressed in her uniform, right down to her boots and sword, which she still wore belted around her waist, looked out to see what was wrong.

  Sábria smiled. “She settled down and drank so much Feney that I’m not even sure she’ll be awake before the midday meal.”

  “You gave her Feney? Without knowing how it affected her?” Some people were negatively affected by the drink. It might make them extremely talkative or possibly morose. It had even been known to make others violent to the point where it might take several Blades to hold them down.

  Sábria held her hands to the side. “Are you going to make me stand out here in the hall where anyone might hear our conversation, or are you going to invite me inside?”

  With a sigh, Shirin stepped back and invited Sábria to come in to visit. She quietly shut the door and only then undid the belt holding her scabbard and belt knives. She set the blade in a cradle she kept next to the door and motioned for Sábria to be seated at a small table to the side of her tiny kitchen. “I’m starving, but I was too nervous about you being alone in there with her to eat. Are you hungry?”

  Since Sábria had only eaten that one small chocolate-filled pastry, she nodded with gratitude. “I would love something to eat. It’s been a long day, and now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t think either of us made it down to the dining hall today. I can’t even remember what we had for the midday meal.”

  “We had eel soup and sandwiches at Lady Farryn’s house. I have to admit I was a little worried about the eel soup because the last time I ate it at a tavern, I was sick for a couple of days.”

  With a heart still heavy from the day’s events, Sábria smiled halfheartedly. “One thing you can rest assured of when eating at Farry’s townhouse is that Bella keeps a sharp eye on any food, especially seafood, that comes into the kitchen. I forgot about the sandwiches. She knows I love radish and cheese on toast and rarely get it here.” Her heart wasn’t really into the quiet banter, though. Between Mita, Caitir, Girta, Xyda, and what was going on with the Hunters, she was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. She picked up a slice of the dark bread and spread some soft cheese onto it. On top of that, she placed sliced cucumbers and olives and topped the sandwich with another slice of dark bread.

  Shirin put together her own sandwich and took a bite. “You said she’d settled down. Did you finally get the report you were hoping for?” She spoke with her mouth full, which was so uncharacteristic of the former princess that Sábria realized her Second must also be feeling a great deal of stress.

  “I did. Do you remember the last time one of our Blades committed suicide?”

  Shirin shook her head. “Is that what happened? Well, we knew it had to be something like that because a Hunter would never purposefully harm a shiv. Emlyn’s attempt was the last one that I can remember, I mean, of course, there were others before that, but I don’t seem to remember the last one to actually succeed. In fact, I don’t even remember the last time a Hunter had to come to our Temple. But that’s because my trackers and I have been able to find whomever we’re looking for before they get too far. And honestly, no one’s run in several turns. I think the last actual tracking I did was when we went to look for Ailith out in the forest when she first got here.”

  A knock sounded, and with a perplexed glance at the offending door, since people rarely came to this floor at any hour, let alone during the evening hours, Shirin quietly said, “What now?” Even though both women were available to the Blades day and night, they tried to maintain a modicum of normality in their lives. What that meant was they were available during the day, and then, after dark, if they were down in the inner courtyard, at the Healer’s Hall, or in the dining area, anyone could approach them if they needed to talk. But people generally left them alone once they’d retired to their rooms. With a sigh, Shirin said, “Come.”

  The door opened, and Tanna, one of the gate guards, stepped inside, came to attention, and brought her fist to her chest. Seeing Sábria sitting at the table with Shirin, Tanna acknowledged her with a short bob of her head. “I’m sorry to bother you, My Lady, Commander, but there’s a woman at the gate demanding that the Hunter who rode in earlier today be released.”

  Tanna’s brows came down, and she chewed on her bottom lip, something she was wont to do when something was out of the ordinary that she didn’t fully understand. Her quick thinking and the ability to handle unusual circumstances without needing to ask someone of a higher rank were traits that had earned her a position as one of the elite gate guards.

  The fact that she was here now meant that the woman at the gate was an unusual enough visitor to warrant the Commander’s attention. “She’s saying we’re holding her against her will, and I can understand how it might look that way since we lowered the portcullis, but—” She stopped there, not wanting to question Sábria’s motives. “Anyway, I’m not really sure what she meant by that, and she wouldn’t elaborate, but it seemed like she thought the Hunter was our prisoner.” She chewed on her lip again. “Anyway, she said it would be in our best interests to release her before things got out of hand. Again, I’m not sure what she meant, and I thought I should come directly to you, Commander.”

  Sábria and Shirin exchanged confused glances before Sábria finally asked, “Do we know who she is?”

  “No, My Lady. I asked for her name and she refused to give it. She said the only thing she needs is for us to release the Hunter, and they’ll be on their way.”

  Sábria looked longingly at her little sandwich and sighed before wadding up her napkin and tossing it onto her plate. Both women stood and walked to the door. Shirin reached for her sword belt and began strapping it on as Sábria stepped into the hallway and called back over her shoulder, “I’ll be right out, Tanna. Please go and wait with the woman.”

  “Yes, My Lady. Also, Terro, Sela, Killian, and Emlyn were on their way to weapons practice, and I asked them to wait in the outer Bailey in case of trouble.

  Sábria nodded, privately thinking that was precisely why they had people like Tanna manning the front gate. They didn’t take anything for granted and knew when to increase security when the situation called for it. It didn’t take long to check on Xyda to ensure she was still asleep. The Hunter had rolled onto her side, her mouth was slack, and a slight, rumbling snore said she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Sábria pulled the covers over the sleeping woman before fastening her sword belt around her waist and joining Shirin on the landing.

  They hurried downstairs and met Tanna at the outer gate. She and the other guard, Dina, stood in the alert guard position, legs shoulder-width apart with one hand resting on their sword hilt. Sábria stepped to Dina’s right, and Shirin took up her customary position next to Sábria.

  Standing calmly in the grassy plaza fronting the Temple was a dignified, handsome woman wearing high-quality tan leather tunic and trews. Her brown leather knee-high boots, while well-worn, were very well maintained. Sábria recognized the design of the sword hilt as coming from the Eglin Metalworks, a very prestigious, high-end Bladesmiths who catered to the very wealthy and provisioned those responsible for guarding the elite or their families. This woman’s Blade wasn’t ornamental, though, as the hilt was well-worn and well-used. The woman had her hands clasped behind her back, making it impossible to see her calluses, something every warrior looked for in a possible opponent.

  The woman’s light brown hair was professionally styled into the shoulder length cut preferred by the noblewomen who’d chosen the life of a warrior over that of a pampered wife. They weren’t Lady Knights, but their skills with a blade were discounted at the possible cost of one’s life. High cheekbones underscored fiery brown eyes that looked as though hot coals had been banked but were ready to flame at a moment’s notice.

  Shirin was the first to speak. “I’m Commander Shirin, Second-in-Command of the Daughters of Elyon. Would you please show your hands so I can be reassured that you’re not holding a weapon?” Under normal circumstances, it would have been protocol for Shirin to introduce the Arch Priestess before introducing herself. However, her primary concern was Sábria’s safety, and she needed to establish immediately whether this woman had a throwing knife, throwing star, or something equally as deadly concealed and within easy reach behind her back.

  The woman stared at Shirin a moment before bringing her hands out to the side, palms open, to show that she was unarmed.

  Shirin nodded. “Thank you.” She turned slightly and indicated Sábria with an open hand. “This is Lady Sábria, the Arch Priestess of the Daughters of Elyon.”

  The woman, who’d taken in Shirin’s overall fitness and calloused hands, turned her gaze on Sábria. The intelligence in those eyes was both calculating and focused. After a moment, the woman bowed deep enough to convey the proper respect to someone of Sábria’s rank. “My Lady. I hope I didn’t get you out of bed. There was no need for your guard to awaken you. I simply need you to release Hunter Xyda, and we’ll be on our way.”

  The accent put her as a member of the Northeastern Sarlognean nobility, which made this encounter all the more perplexing. Why would a noblewoman feel the need to collect a Hunter from the Temple? Sábria smiled graciously, not wanting to escalate the confrontation this early in their exchange. “My Blade, Xyda, and I have some business to attend to, and once that’s finished, I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to join you. At the moment, she’s comfortably sleeping and probably won’t wake until the morning.”

  Returning Sábria’s smile, the woman’s response was civil yet direct. “Xyda would never remain voluntarily within the walls of the Temple, My Lady. I happen to know that she tried to leave, and you lowered the portcullis to keep her from doing so. If she’s comfortably sleeping, it’s because she’s either lying unconscious in one of your cells or you’ve drugged her against her will.”

  Some civilians were starting to gather in the plaza, always eager for entertainment involving the Blades. Sábria didn’t want this to become a public spectacle, so she indicated the gate with a wave of her hand. “Perhaps you’d like to come inside so we can discuss this in private?”

  “Perhaps not. I’m not one of your Blades, Lady Sábria. Just as Commander Shirin’s main concern tonight was for your safety, my main concern is for Xyda.” She clasped her hands behind her back once again and gave a self-deprecating smile. “Considering I believe you’re holding Xyda against her will, I’d be foolish to walk into the lion’s den, don’t you think?” Her smile broadened. “Or perhaps I should say Elyon’s den?”

  As soon as the woman’s hands disappeared out of sight, Shirin started forward. The stranger’s eyes narrowed, and she took up a defensive stance.

  Sábria said quietly, “Shirin.”

  Shirin stopped and said without looking back, “I asked her to keep her hands out in the open. I don’t trust her with them out of my sight.”

  The woman tilted her head and once again brought her hands out in the open. “Understandable, Commander. And… it’s only a force of habit. Yes, I carry a blade at the base of my back. I also have one here,” she flicked her wrist, and a knife slid into her left hand, “and here.” She flicked her other wrist, and another knife appeared.” She casually tucked one knife in her belt so she could maneuver the other back into its spring-loaded sheath. She spoke as she retrieved the other and re-sheathed that one, as well. “So, as you can see, whether my hands are behind my back or visible, I’m a formidable opponent who doesn’t appreciate aggressive movements in this type of…meeting.”

  Sábria sighed as Terro, Sela, Emlyn, and Killian took up positions in front of her, blocking her from an attack.

  The woman took her time studying each of the three Blades and one shiv in turn, probably assessing their fighting abilities. Seeing they were all toned, athletic women with the calloused hands of true warriors, she spread her arms wide. “And I assure you that I don’t want this to escalate into something we’ll all regret. I neither have the intention nor the desire to harm anyone. I only require that Xyda be released, and we’ll be on our way.”

  Sábria sensed that this woman meant what she said. It seemed she didn’t want this to escalate into a confrontation either. She silently amended that thought, believing she wouldn’t escalate unless she didn’t get her way. Pushing through the three warriors who’d moved into a defensive position in front of her, Sábria stepped forward to stand beside Shirin. “I didn’t catch your name.”

  “I didn’t give it.”

  “Then what can I call you.?”

  “You don’t need to call me anything, My Lady. In fact, I’ve had enough. I have something you want, and you have something I want. I considered taking one of your Blades and holding them hostage in exchange for Xyda. Unfortunately, I know for a fact Xyda would take exception to that and having her angry with me is not something that I enjoy. So, I understand you’ve been looking for five men who killed one of your Blades.”

  The woman’s brows descended, and a genuine look of pain crossed her features. “And I’m profoundly sorry for your loss. I sincerely hope the second Blade, who was severely injured, recovers. What I do have is the knowledge of who the five men are and where they can be found. If you want them, I’ll need to see Xyda within the next candlemark. If I don’t see her,” she whistled, and ten archers holding lit arrows immediately stepped into view on the rooftops facing the Temple. “There are more where they came from, and if I don’t see her soon, a flaming Temple will be the least of your worries, and those five men will never be brought to justice.” She whistled again, and the archers disappeared.

  Sábria’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and her voice lowered to an ominous level. “Did you just threaten the Temple of the Goddess Elyon?”

  The hands went behind the back again, and the woman tilted her head, pretending to think. “I’m wondering, My Lady, why you try to deflect the issue at hand. The fact that you refuse to release her tells me you’ve done something to her. Let me just say that for the sake of your Temple, that had better not be the case.” Her arms dropped to her sides, and she took a step back. “You have one candlemark, My Lady.”

  Knowing that venting her fury on this woman would do more harm than good, Sábria quietly said, “Wait.” The woman stopped, and Sábria stepped close enough that they could speak without every man and his uncle overhearing.

  Shirin turned her back to them so the woman wouldn’t see her hand signal Dina. The other three Blades took up guard positions around Sábria and the noble.

  The woman didn’t appear too concerned, which told Sábria a great deal about how many more people she had concealed in the area. “You know what it means to be the Voice of Elyon and the ultimate Guardian of her people. Tell me why you think I’d ever harm any one of those Blades.”

  “She’s a Hunter, not a Blade.”

  Not this again. “Hunters are Blades. You’re threatening the Temple of the Blades, which makes no sense to me. Xyda told me that Blades have been responsible for attacking the Hunters, which quite honestly appalls me. I need to find out what’s happening because that came as news to me. Yes, I kept her within the walls, and she is now sleeping in my bed.”

  The woman’s brows shot up. “Excuse me?”

  The shocked expression filled in a lot of the blanks. “Are you lovers, then?”

  The woman recovered quickly. “If she’s only sleeping, go get her, and we’ll leave. If you need more information, I’m sure Xyda will meet you on neutral ground, where you can ask your questions.”

  Sábria shook her head. “That’s not how this works. I’m the Arch Priestess of the Daughters of Elyon. I tell her where she stays. She, and most certainly you, will never dictate any terms to me. She’s sworn to the Temple as one of my Blades and will do as I say.”

  “She’s not a Blade, and I’d appreciate it if you’d stop insulting her in front of me, or you’ll force me to challenge you to a duel for her honor.”

  That shocked Sábria enough that she simply blinked at the woman. This woman, Xyda, and possibly all of the Hunters honestly believed Hunters weren’t Blades, and that could have disastrous consequences if taken to the logical conclusion, which would be recalling all the Hunters and stripping them of their status. Not only that, they considered being called a Blade an insult.