Knife of Rebellion: Battles of Eyenwar, Book 1

Chapter 36- Tides

The familiar smell of smoking sage tickles my nose. The steady pressure of a hand grasping mine over the edge of the bed pulls me further from unconsciousness.

I crack open my eyes, expecting the light to be blinding. Instead, only the soft glow of a single water lamp outlines two figures. One sitting beside me, the other gliding in circles around the bed, trailing smoke.

I open my lids a little further, making the picture clearer. Cairo sits beside me, his fingers twining and disentangling with mine. The Yuvana walks around me, waving a bundle of sage, attempting to purify the air around me. Attempting to remove Nadra's connection to me.

My fingers twitch, squeezing Cairo's hand gently. His head jumps up, eyes falling on my open eyes and crooked smile.

"She's awake," He whispers. At the same time his other hand reaches forward to touch my face.

The Yuvana is not so gentile, "Of course she is. She wasn't dead."

Her face says, Although she might be if I get my hands on her. I haven't decided yet.

Instead of responding, I decide it's time to sit up. I struggle a bit, so Cairo places a hand on the back of my neck to help me lift.

"We have to leave." I order.

The Yuvana stops her pacing, "So she has taken our location from you. It is as I feared."

I don't have time for her scoldings. The more awake I feel, the more my limbs function. I stall for a bit, stretching my arms, neck and back. Then I swing my legs over the side of the bed, and launch myself towards the door. I'm still in the pants and linen shirt I changed into after the prisoners death.

"Wait! Lina wait!" Cairo calls after me.

I don't bother to stop. He can catch up to me on my shaky legs, and I have to convince an army to leave the only place they think they are safe.

I make it from my room to the dining hall before Cairo catches up to me. Instead of asking me to stop again, he simply wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me from the edge of the empty dining hall into the hallway. Quickly throwing me over one shoulder, he begins to carry back to my room.

"Let go." I demand, my voice low, husky, and dangerous.

He shakes his head, "I'm sorry Lina, but The Yuvana isn't done purifying you yet. Your still in danger."

I don't bother to explain that we are all in danger. I don't have the time to argue.

The biggest flaw to carrying someone over your shoulder is that it throws your whole body off balance. That makes it fairly easy to quickly knee my well-meaning captor under the rib cage. If Cairo were more of a soldier, he might have been ready for it, but instead he falls, retching, to the floor. As he drops, I roll off his shoulder and onto my own knees, only I can get up much more quickly than a man who was just kneed in the solar plexus.

Each step I take towards the war room gives steadies me. Somehow, I know someone will be there, someone who will listen to me. Someone who isn't blinded by concern for me.

The war room door is locked when I arrive, adding to my frustration and anxiety. I bang on the closed door with the force of a thunderstorm. Fear is a powerful motivator.

Monika opens it for me. I barrel past her without pause, almost knocking her over. Inside the room Stands Garen, Branon and Diona, clearly going over battle tactics.

"We have to leave."

Diona snaps to attention, acknowledging my position of authority over her due to my station as a Spirit Bridge.