it.’
Because you don’t let emotion get in the way of what you’re doing.
Isn’t that what Perri had once said?
‘Froi,’ Gargarin said. ‘Put your sword down.’ His voice was hoarse from the pressure of Finnikin’s dagger across his throat. ‘What good are you to us dead?’
‘And what good are you to all of us dead?’ Froi asked in return. Stupid, filthy tears filled his eyes and he felt weak and helpless. He had a blade to his king’s back. His king had a dagger to his father’s throat. The men he respected beyond question were threatening to kill him. Here at this place where Perri had tenderly carried Froi in his arms after they had rescued him from the Charynites more than three years ago.
‘Just put the dagger down, Finn,’ Froi begged. ‘He’s an architect. Nothing more.’
‘An architect of a path soaked in blood.’ Finnikin spat out the words, tightening his hold on Gargarin. ‘That’s all Lumatere is to these people, Froi. A road.’
Gargarin made a sound of regret. ‘I said what the Belegonians wanted to hear,’ he said with bitterness. ‘But you interfered, Lumateran. You interfered and the blood of Charyn is on your hands the moment Belegonia crosses that river.’
‘What have you done to us, Finn?’ Froi demanded.
Froi heard Finnikin’s hiss of fury. ‘Us? Froi, we’re not them. You’re not them.’
‘He’s not who you think, Finn. If you put down the dagger we’ll talk and you’ll hear it all.’
Lirah bit Perri’s hand and tried to struggle free.
‘Don’t hurt her!’ Froi shouted. He didn’t know who to protect first. Where to look.
‘Do you know of this man’s promise to the Belegonians in his correspondence?’ Finnikin demanded. ‘To eliminate Lumatere. To eliminate the people who gave you a home.’
‘You’re mistaken –’
‘
Leave it to me, for I have a plan for Lumatere that will eliminate them as a threat
,’ Finnikin said. ‘His words. Not mine. And how were you planning to do that, Charynite?’ he demanded, holding Gargarin closer to him. ‘March an army through my kingdom and rape my wife and child? It’s all Charynite men know how to do.’
Froi watched Gargarin slump, his head bent in defeat.
‘There are more ways than killing and maiming to eliminate a threat, Your Highness,’ Gargarin said, his voice low. ‘You misunderstood our use of weapon. Not a blade or an arrow, but Froi. We thought we could use him to eliminate Lumatere as a threat. His ties to you. His words.’
How could Finnikin not have understood that?
Froi begged the gods.
‘We offer Lumatere peace, my lord, and you trap the man who can make it possible?’ Froi asked, gutted.
Finnikin was silent but he loosened his grip on Gargarin slightly, and Froi waited, but there was nothing.
‘Finn, I’m begging you. Let him free.’
‘We have evidence that this man was behind the plan to annihilate Lumatere all those years ago,’ Finnikin said.
‘Never,’ Froi said fiercely. ‘I will give my life saying that. It will be the last words I speak and they will haunt you, Finn. Never.’
‘Froi, step away,’ Gargarin said. ‘Put the dagger down. They won’t listen to reason and it will only get you killed. Put it down.’
‘You don’t tell me what to do, Gargarin!’
‘Can you not listen for once?’ Gargarin shouted. ‘If you had listened …’
But Gargarin didn’t finish his words.
‘Say it!’ Froi shouted over Finnikin’s head, not knowing who he hated most. ‘I wouldn’t have lost her. That’s what you wanted to say.’
‘Put the sword down and at least bargain for Lirah’s life,’ Gargarin said.
Finnikin uttered a sound of disbelief.
‘He thinks we’d kill his woman?’ he said. ‘Is that what he thinks we are? Murderers?’
‘You’re holding a dagger to an innocent man’s throat, Finn,’ Froi snapped. ‘He builds cisterns and plans water meadows and waterwheels. You collected all the information, but you got it wrong.
Because you don’t let emotion get in the way of what you’re doing.
Isn’t that what Perri had once said?
‘Froi,’ Gargarin said. ‘Put your sword down.’ His voice was hoarse from the pressure of Finnikin’s dagger across his throat. ‘What good are you to us dead?’
‘And what good are you to all of us dead?’ Froi asked in return. Stupid, filthy tears filled his eyes and he felt weak and helpless. He had a blade to his king’s back. His king had a dagger to his father’s throat. The men he respected beyond question were threatening to kill him. Here at this place where Perri had tenderly carried Froi in his arms after they had rescued him from the Charynites more than three years ago.
‘Just put the dagger down, Finn,’ Froi begged. ‘He’s an architect. Nothing more.’
‘An architect of a path soaked in blood.’ Finnikin spat out the words, tightening his hold on Gargarin. ‘That’s all Lumatere is to these people, Froi. A road.’
Gargarin made a sound of regret. ‘I said what the Belegonians wanted to hear,’ he said with bitterness. ‘But you interfered, Lumateran. You interfered and the blood of Charyn is on your hands the moment Belegonia crosses that river.’
‘What have you done to us, Finn?’ Froi demanded.
Froi heard Finnikin’s hiss of fury. ‘Us? Froi, we’re not them. You’re not them.’
‘He’s not who you think, Finn. If you put down the dagger we’ll talk and you’ll hear it all.’
Lirah bit Perri’s hand and tried to struggle free.
‘Don’t hurt her!’ Froi shouted. He didn’t know who to protect first. Where to look.
‘Do you know of this man’s promise to the Belegonians in his correspondence?’ Finnikin demanded. ‘To eliminate Lumatere. To eliminate the people who gave you a home.’
‘You’re mistaken –’
‘
Leave it to me, for I have a plan for Lumatere that will eliminate them as a threat
,’ Finnikin said. ‘His words. Not mine. And how were you planning to do that, Charynite?’ he demanded, holding Gargarin closer to him. ‘March an army through my kingdom and rape my wife and child? It’s all Charynite men know how to do.’
Froi watched Gargarin slump, his head bent in defeat.
‘There are more ways than killing and maiming to eliminate a threat, Your Highness,’ Gargarin said, his voice low. ‘You misunderstood our use of weapon. Not a blade or an arrow, but Froi. We thought we could use him to eliminate Lumatere as a threat. His ties to you. His words.’
How could Finnikin not have understood that?
Froi begged the gods.
‘We offer Lumatere peace, my lord, and you trap the man who can make it possible?’ Froi asked, gutted.
Finnikin was silent but he loosened his grip on Gargarin slightly, and Froi waited, but there was nothing.
‘Finn, I’m begging you. Let him free.’
‘We have evidence that this man was behind the plan to annihilate Lumatere all those years ago,’ Finnikin said.
‘Never,’ Froi said fiercely. ‘I will give my life saying that. It will be the last words I speak and they will haunt you, Finn. Never.’
‘Froi, step away,’ Gargarin said. ‘Put the dagger down. They won’t listen to reason and it will only get you killed. Put it down.’
‘You don’t tell me what to do, Gargarin!’
‘Can you not listen for once?’ Gargarin shouted. ‘If you had listened …’
But Gargarin didn’t finish his words.
‘Say it!’ Froi shouted over Finnikin’s head, not knowing who he hated most. ‘I wouldn’t have lost her. That’s what you wanted to say.’
‘Put the sword down and at least bargain for Lirah’s life,’ Gargarin said.
Finnikin uttered a sound of disbelief.
‘He thinks we’d kill his woman?’ he said. ‘Is that what he thinks we are? Murderers?’
‘You’re holding a dagger to an innocent man’s throat, Finn,’ Froi snapped. ‘He builds cisterns and plans water meadows and waterwheels. You collected all the information, but you got it wrong.
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