darkened blade_ A fallen blade novel - Kelly McCullough Page 0,32

with Jax and her students and we’ll need you both close for that. I just want to warn them that I’m bringing you in so that no one does anything hasty.”

“Premeditated, on the other hand . . .” said Faran.

I shot her a look, but she ignored me. And that kind of closed the conversation down. With a sigh, I turned toward the castle and started walking. Siri and Faran fell in behind me.

An hour later, as we finished climbing the steep series of switchbacks that led up to the castle’s main entrance, the drawbridge came down to let us pass. It was a rough-looking old fort built heavy both for defense and to withstand the terrible mountain storms. Like the mountains behind, it was carved of some rough gray stone, but I knew the inside was comfortable enough, having been retrofitted as a luxurious royal retreat and then later converted for Jax’s use. Though she had surrendered the title when she was inducted into Namara’s service, Jax had been born a princess of Dalridia, and her brother now sat the throne.

A trio of figures was waiting for us at the far end of the plank bridge. Jax stood in the middle, looking ridiculously tiny between Maryam, a tall slender woman with black hair and beautiful eyes, and Roric, who was shaped like a bog troll—deep chested, long armed, and preposterously broad of shoulder.

As I got closer I couldn’t help but focus on what the Hand had done to them, and what I was about to ask. Jax’s entire skin was threaded with fine scars, like intricate lace, and she was missing about half her left hand, including her pinky and ring fingers. She hadn’t brought her cane, but I expected that she could tell the weather from the aftereffects of a leg broken in four places. Maryam had a huge burn scar across her right cheek and neck from the fall of the temple, and she’d lost the ear above it to the events that had brought Jax and I back into contact two years before.

Roric had fared the best, with only his missing right ear to mark his time in the dungeons of the Hand. Well, that and the fine scars across his cheekbones, but then Maryam and Faran and I all shared those, as did Javan, who was elsewhere at the moment. Roric was Avarsi. As was the custom of his people, he’d sliced those lines into his cheeks himself, both as a way of mourning for Loris and in promise of avenging him. The moment had been full of blood and rage and madness, and the rest of us had joined him in marking our pain on our flesh.

When we got close enough to speak without shouting, Siri extended her right hand and forearm to Jax. “Sister, it’s been too long.”

“SIRI!” replied Jax, leaping past the hand to wrap her arms around Siri’s neck and, literally, hang there—Siri being more than a foot taller than her old friend. “What on earth have you done with your hair?” Jax ran a finger through Siri’s smoking braids.

“That’s a very long story,” replied Siri. “I promise you all of it, but not till later.”

“Master Aral,” said Roric.

“Journeyman Roric.” I grinned and clasped forearms with him while Maryam did the same with Faran. Then we switched, while shadows mixed and mingled around our feet with a susuration of Shade voices. Next, I turned to Jax, who had finally let go of Siri, and bent to hug her. “Hey there.”

“You’re late,” she said into my ear while poking me in the ribs. “Clever, but still late.”

I let her go. “I . . . wait, what?”

“It’s been nearly two years since you said you’d come back to help me with the school once you killed the Son of Heaven. Don’t think I didn’t notice when you sent a letter to Faran asking her to meet you in Tien instead of coming to collect her yourself. You knew I wouldn’t let you leave so easy. Coward.”

I grinned at her. “First, I didn’t say I would come back, I said that I might. Second, the Son of Heaven isn’t dead yet, so even if I had said what you’re claiming I did, I’m still not in violation of my word.”

“Technicalities,” humphed Jax.

“Well, you did say I was clever, though I still haven’t figured out why.”

“Because of this.” She grabbed hold of Siri, who had just finished greeting the other two and pulled her up