Joden looked at his feet. “A true Warprize brings change. Until just now, I’d forgotten, in our tradition there is no requirement that the Council accept those changes.”

He looked back at me, chagrined. “Xylara is a true Warprize, and this Council should confirm her as such.” He drew a deep breath. “I do not know what will come of this, but I must speak the truth. I’ve seen the look in her eyes when she looks at Keir, and I know that she loves him. While Xyians do not love in public view, still the heat of their desire can be felt when they are together.”

“Even when they are kept apart!” Keekai added from her stool.

The laughter around us was nervous, but it eased the tensions slightly. I blushed again, and risked a glance over at Keir, who stood there, looking pleased.

But when I turned back, Antas was glaring at me, and his eyes were filled with hate. “Joden, you’re a fool,” he said. “This woman will kill us all. She will destroy our Plains with her ways! Think of what you are saying!”

Joden’s face flared with a rare fury. “I am speaking the truth, Antas! Give me one example, one time in all our stories where the Warprize is confirmed based on what change they bring to the Plains, and I will retract my words.” His lip curled in disgust. “You let blind hatred and fear cloud your truth, Eldest. As it almost clouded mine.”

I glanced up to see Keekai nod her head in agreement.

“I act for the good of the Plains and our people,” Antas roared. “The ways of the city-dwellers are an offense to the elements.”

The Elders in the tiers were all talking, some nodding in agreement, some shaking their heads. I felt Amyu move up close behind me, her tunic brushing against mine. The contact was welcome. It was good to know I had someone at my back. I glanced quickly over at Keir, but he was staring at Antas. The vein in his jaw was throbbing. Even Simus looked grim as he scanned the tiers.

“Essa,” Wild Winds demanded, turning all eyes on the Eldest Singer. “Is what Joden says true?”

The tent silenced. Essa was looking off, above our heads, clearly thinking hard. After a moment, he spoke. “Joden is right.” He sat down slowly on his stool. “I do not know how we lost sight of that.”

“What does that matter?” Antas demanded. “Are we to allow our traditions to expose us to affliction and weakness? Your wits have been taken by the winds—”

Wild Winds gestured toward me. “You see such danger from one who carries no weapons? And the affliction, this ‘plague’, happened while they were still in the lands of Xy. It is not here.”

“Yet,” Antas spat. “But everywhere I look, some warrior plays this ‘chess’, and she has already corrupted the theas.”

“I’d like to see you say that to Reness’s face,” Essa replied. There was a brief chuckle at that, but the ten sion was still there.

Antas gestured toward his supporters. “We have heard the truths of Iften and Gathering Storm. We know that this woman is a danger to our people. She perverts our ways, luring a young warrior to give up his sword, convincing a warrior not to follow her bonded to the snows. I say—”

My spine snapped straight. “I didn’t. Gils made the decision on his own, that surprised us all.” I flushed up, embarrassed. “I did ask Isdra to stay, because we needed—”

“You perverted her,” Gathering Storm announced. “She only went to the snows because I sent her there.”

The outcry was tremendous. The entire tent was on its feet at that. But Gathering Storm faced them all. “I am a warrior-priest of the Plains. Isdra of the Fox would not do what had to be done. I did it for her.”

Wild Winds’s eyebrow went up. “Yet that had no place in the telling of your truth, Gathering Storm.”

Iften stepped by his side. “This Xyian poisons everything, even as her ‘brother’ did. Gathering Storm did what Keir of the Cat should have encouraged, no, demanded Isdra of the Fox do.”

“That’s murder,” I cried. “You killed Isdra.”

Some of the Elders were rising from their stools. They seemed angered and upset.

“Be silent,” Antas stood and roared. “Your truths have no place here.”

“Have a care, Antas,” Keir roared right back. He took a step forward, his hands opening and closing in his anger. “You insult my Warprize.”

Essa stood, trying to re-claim control. “No, Keir of the Cat. That is what this senel must decide. We have heard the truths of Joden of the Hawk, and his words are to be given the weight of a Singer’s—”

Antas glowered at Essa. “No.”

Essa gave him an astonished look. “It was at your insistence that Joden’s truths be—”

Antas pulled his sword. “There will be no decision from this Council of fools. I will make this easy.” He turned and pointed at me with his sword. “Amyu! Kill the Xyian!”

Chapter 15

“Amyu! Kill the Xyian!”

The words resounded in my head as I tried to draw a breath into my paralyzed body.

We’d talked about this, Marcus and I, when he’d trained me. We’d talked about how fear took your breath away. How it froze your muscles, how your heart would pound as your mind raced. We’d talked about what I should do, how to work with my guards, how to stay out of their way. About not doing anything stupid.

We hadn’t talked about betrayal.

“Amyu! Kill the Xyian!”

“LARA!” Keir’s scream filled my ears, even as I gathered my legs to spring off my stool. But it was too late. Amyu had the shoulder of my tunic wrapped in her fist. She yanked me down, and followed me to the floor, drawing her dagger with her free hand.

“Are we barbarians, to pull weapons in Council?” I heard Essa cry out, as the sounds of swords clashing filled the air.

“LARA!” Keir’s voice sounded closer.

“Stay down,” Amyu hissed. She covered me with her own body.

Relief flooded through me, at the same time that I realized what it must look like to the others. Keir’s scream was now an incoherent roar. “Amyu, Keir will kill you!” I gasped.

“The least of my worries,” she whispered. I watched as she raised her dagger and made it look like she’d plunged it into my body.

I heard Antas roar out in satisfaction. The rage was palpable, as bodies launched over us. I had the briefest glimpse of Iften and Gathering Storm, but I couldn’t tell what was happening. I twisted under Amyu, getting to where I could see—

In time to see Keir leap over the fire pit to land at my side.

He landed like a cat, sleek and deadly, intent on his target. The light reflected on his two blades, and in his eyes. Amyu sucked in a breath, and I couldn’t blame her for her terror. She got to her knees, ready to use the dagger to fend one of the blows.

“Keir!” I cried, and his eyes flicked over to me, then flicked back to Amyu. He took a step, about to strike. But then his gaze returned to mine, and sanity flooded into their depths. “Lara.” It sounded like a prayer, even as Keir sheathed one of his swords. He reached down to pull me to my feet. Amyu scrambled up as well.

I’d thought that would stop the fighting, but it didn’t. Chaos was all around us. Warrior fought warrior, Elder fought Elder. It was hard for me to make sense of it all. Keekai was running from her stool, down the tiers toward us.

Rafe and Prest, Ander and Yveni were suddenly surrounding me. Rafe gave Amyu a grim look. “Couldn’t do it, could you?”

Amyu grimaced.

“To the horses,” Keir growled. “Get her out of here.”

“No,” I protested, but Keir had already turned, and I could see Simus guarding his back, fending off two warrior-priests. Antas had attacked Essa, and—

Wild Winds was fighting Gathering Storm.

Warrior-priest against warrior-priest? I blinked, trying to understand, but there was no time. Prest grabbed my collar, and brought me around to face him. “Remember your lessons.”

I nodded. He released me and took the lead. Rafe was beside him, and Anders and Yveni were behind us. Amyu was next to me, dagger at the ready.