your new dagger?”
I shrugged. “For as strange as it sounds,
he’s my namesake. I’ve had Chael’s luck my entire life. The funny
thing is, for as much as I complain to him about it and swear at
him because of it, I talk to him a lot. I have a feeling he might
know how I feel.”
Ian looked at me like I’d lost my mind and I
clenched my jaw.
“Never mind. I don’t know why I thought I
could tell you that. Anyhow, that’s how they have my blade and how
they know it’s mine.” I turned Klora and headed deeper into the
woods. It seemed that traveling the roads was now out of the
question.
I heard Ian swear and Klard trotting to catch
up to us.
“Gods, Chaela, I’m sorry. It’s just… not many
people talk about Chael as if he’s a person with feelings. I mean,
the only time the god comes up is if someone’s having a bad
day.”
I took a deep breath and decided to get off
the topic of the god of bad luck. “Do you think whoever murdered my
aunt and uncle was the one to steal the book and kill Dad and
Alex?”
Ian grunted. “I’d like to say no, but I’ll
have to go with yes. I can’t see a connection between the two, but
I won’t say there isn’t one just yet. Do you know anything at all
about the murders?”
“Not much. General Krane said he was positive
it was someone who knew what they were doing. Both were stabbed
under the ribs. Other than that, there wasn’t much to tell.” I blew
out of my nose.
Ian reached over and squeezed my arm. “We’ll
figure it out.”
I tried to smile, but couldn’t find it in me.
It turned out he’d been wrong with reassurances that my aunt and
uncle’s murder had nothing to do with me.
*****
Our trip through the woods to the edge of the
sand plains was pleasant enough. Of course, that was when Ian and I
could bear to talk to each other without arguing. We were in the
middle of another disagreement, this one about how we should go
about crossing the plains without getting lost.
Klora stopped short as the greenery abruptly
turned to sand. I gave him a kick and hung on as he reared in
protest. Ian looked back at us from Klard’s back while True, who
had been nominated to be pack horse, snorted and swatted a fly away
with her tail.
“What now?”
I glared at Ian and gave Klora another kick.
He refused to cross from grass to sand. I dismounted and stalked
toward the sand line. My horse reared and pulled me clean off my
feet.
“Here, hand me the reins.” He pulled Klard to
a stop and reached for them.
“Back off, Ian!”
Klora backed up, tripped, and fell onto his
side. I let go of the reins to let him get up. Once back on his
feet, he stood and looked from me to Ian. An hour later, we still
hadn’t managed to get him to put one foot down onto the sand
plains.
Ian looked into the sky and swore. “We may as
well set up camp and try again in the morning.” He stalked off
toward the trees we’d been hoping to leave behind earlier that day,
Klard and True in tow.
I patted my horse between the eyes. “What’s
gotten into you? We need to get across these. It will only be for
six days, Klora. Six days. I need you to do this.”
He blew out of his nose and shook out his
mane.
“Have a good chat with him, Chaela, because
tomorrow we cross with or without him.”
I glared at him. “If you think I’m going
anywhere without this horse, you’re mistaken. I’ll detour and take
the mountain path if necessary.” I patted Klora’s neck. “Now
there’s an idea, don’t you think?”
“We are not detouring.”
“Oh, you’re right, Ian. We are not detouring.
I am detouring. I am taking Klora and Klard and we are leaving.”
Whisk raised his head. “And Whisk. We are all leaving.” I tethered
my horse and unsaddled him. “I am tired of you treating me like a
useless, annoying, woman!” I threw my pack on the ground and
unrolled my blankets. “I have been tracking, living in the woods,
and fighting since the first day my father could
I shrugged. “For as strange as it sounds,
he’s my namesake. I’ve had Chael’s luck my entire life. The funny
thing is, for as much as I complain to him about it and swear at
him because of it, I talk to him a lot. I have a feeling he might
know how I feel.”
Ian looked at me like I’d lost my mind and I
clenched my jaw.
“Never mind. I don’t know why I thought I
could tell you that. Anyhow, that’s how they have my blade and how
they know it’s mine.” I turned Klora and headed deeper into the
woods. It seemed that traveling the roads was now out of the
question.
I heard Ian swear and Klard trotting to catch
up to us.
“Gods, Chaela, I’m sorry. It’s just… not many
people talk about Chael as if he’s a person with feelings. I mean,
the only time the god comes up is if someone’s having a bad
day.”
I took a deep breath and decided to get off
the topic of the god of bad luck. “Do you think whoever murdered my
aunt and uncle was the one to steal the book and kill Dad and
Alex?”
Ian grunted. “I’d like to say no, but I’ll
have to go with yes. I can’t see a connection between the two, but
I won’t say there isn’t one just yet. Do you know anything at all
about the murders?”
“Not much. General Krane said he was positive
it was someone who knew what they were doing. Both were stabbed
under the ribs. Other than that, there wasn’t much to tell.” I blew
out of my nose.
Ian reached over and squeezed my arm. “We’ll
figure it out.”
I tried to smile, but couldn’t find it in me.
It turned out he’d been wrong with reassurances that my aunt and
uncle’s murder had nothing to do with me.
*****
Our trip through the woods to the edge of the
sand plains was pleasant enough. Of course, that was when Ian and I
could bear to talk to each other without arguing. We were in the
middle of another disagreement, this one about how we should go
about crossing the plains without getting lost.
Klora stopped short as the greenery abruptly
turned to sand. I gave him a kick and hung on as he reared in
protest. Ian looked back at us from Klard’s back while True, who
had been nominated to be pack horse, snorted and swatted a fly away
with her tail.
“What now?”
I glared at Ian and gave Klora another kick.
He refused to cross from grass to sand. I dismounted and stalked
toward the sand line. My horse reared and pulled me clean off my
feet.
“Here, hand me the reins.” He pulled Klard to
a stop and reached for them.
“Back off, Ian!”
Klora backed up, tripped, and fell onto his
side. I let go of the reins to let him get up. Once back on his
feet, he stood and looked from me to Ian. An hour later, we still
hadn’t managed to get him to put one foot down onto the sand
plains.
Ian looked into the sky and swore. “We may as
well set up camp and try again in the morning.” He stalked off
toward the trees we’d been hoping to leave behind earlier that day,
Klard and True in tow.
I patted my horse between the eyes. “What’s
gotten into you? We need to get across these. It will only be for
six days, Klora. Six days. I need you to do this.”
He blew out of his nose and shook out his
mane.
“Have a good chat with him, Chaela, because
tomorrow we cross with or without him.”
I glared at him. “If you think I’m going
anywhere without this horse, you’re mistaken. I’ll detour and take
the mountain path if necessary.” I patted Klora’s neck. “Now
there’s an idea, don’t you think?”
“We are not detouring.”
“Oh, you’re right, Ian. We are not detouring.
I am detouring. I am taking Klora and Klard and we are leaving.”
Whisk raised his head. “And Whisk. We are all leaving.” I tethered
my horse and unsaddled him. “I am tired of you treating me like a
useless, annoying, woman!” I threw my pack on the ground and
unrolled my blankets. “I have been tracking, living in the woods,
and fighting since the first day my father could
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