Emberhawk - Jamie Foley Page 0,10
gritted his teeth. He heard that same accusation every day in the Katrosi capital city, or at least saw it in people’s eyes. Another reason he preferred to work alone, far from Jadenvive.
“But the Emberhawk tribe isn’t part of the Tribal Alliance,” Tekkyn’ashi said. “Why would one of them be working with the Katrosi?”
Ryon’s pulse thrummed hot in his ears. None of your business, drone.
Sa’alu raised his voice. “What were you doing across the border?” He held up one of Ryon’s maps to the faint light of the lantern as Tekkyn’ashi repeated the question in Phoeran.
Ryon closed his eyes. Felix, this would be a great time to show up.
Something pressed into Ryon’s wound and agony branched out like burning fingers. He gasped as his eyes flew open, but he didn’t cry out. He struggled to remember his training.
“Answer me, spy.” Sa’alu’s voice was like rancid oil. “The interrogators will be far less merciful.” He dug his thumb deeper into the wound.
Ryon’s vision warped out. He heard himself scream.
A sound like a door opening screeched somewhere in the distance. A young woman cried out in Malaano.
The pain abated, and Ryon’s senses slowly returned.
Tekkyn’ashi faced a girl in the doorway. That beautiful, evil girl. “Kira, get back to the house.”
She peered around him. “You strung him up like a deer carcass?”
“Well, it was worth a chance.” Sa’alu removed his hand from Ryon’s shoulder. He withdrew a white handkerchief from his armor and cleaned the red smear from his thumb. “Replace this rope with metal cuffs.”
Ryon released a careful breath. Kira . . . I should have killed her when I had the chance.
For some reason, she looked indignant and didn’t budge. “He’ll get infected if—”
Tekkyn’ashi gripped her arm. “Kira!”
“No!” She yanked free and snarled at Sa’alu. “You’re acting like he’s a prisoner of war, but there is no war. At least treat him like a human instead of an animal.”
Sa’alu turned just enough to smirk at her from a sidelong glance. “You’ve got a fiery spirit, girl. It’s a shame you’re female. You’d make a fine soldier, just like your brothers.”
Kira’s dark face flushed a deep crimson, making her blue eyes spark.
Ryon glanced between her and Tekkyn’ashi. Now that he mentioned it, their coloring was identical. But it seemed their personalities were opposite. Definitely siblings.
“Kira, get back to the house.” Tekkyn’ashi shifted to the side, blocking her from Ryon’s view. “Now.”
“You can’t let him—”
“Now.” Tekkyn’ashi slid the barn door shut in her face. Then he turned toward his commanding officer as if the pauldrons on his shoulders had doubled in weight. “Please forgive her, sir. She probably feels empathy for the prisoner since she shot him.” At least, Ryon thought that was the Malaano word for “empathy.”
“That is precisely why she is forgiven. Your father should be proud of a daughter who can handle his weapon so deftly.” Sa’alu tucked the red-splotched handkerchief back into his belt with a look of disgust. He turned on his heel and strode for the door. “Administer fadeleaf and take the first watch with utmost caution. We leave for Navarro at first light.”
Tekkyn’ashi floundered to open the door in time. “Yes, sir.”
Sa’alu strode out, taking a good portion of Ryon’s anxiety with him. So I’ve got to escape before daybreak. Ryon shifted in the bindings and examined Tekkyn’ashi’s back, searching for breaks in his heavy silver plate armor and chainmail armor. He glanced at the remains of his pack on the ground, then spotted his bow and quiver under the table. One life is a low price for freedom.
Tekkyn’ashi glanced back at Ryon and stood silently for a long moment. “I’m sorry,” he murmured in Phoeran. He moved to the bundle of herbs and rummaged through them.
Ryon called out to the element that simmered in his blood. Gotta burn through the rope before he can knock me out or put me in metal cuffs!
“Chew on this.” Tekkyn’ashi approached and held out a sharp-scented green leaf to Ryon’s face. “For the pain.”
Ryon hesitated. That’s not fadeleaf. Instead of the plump violet leaves filled with sedative juices, the herb was a delicate green with tiny flowers. And that smell . . . it resonated with a different poultice in his memory. Definitely blissroot, it truly was for easing pain and reducing swelling.
He grabbed the leaf between his teeth and chewed with a grimace. Yep, that horrid taste like horseradish confirmed it. Ryon held the crushed herb under his tongue and examined the soldier, who just stood there, watching