Laynin let out a cry as searing pain tore through her side. Her eyes widened and she took in the face of her attacker. His hair was longer and dishevelled, and he hadn't shaved recently, but his eyes were the same.
"Draakin are death," Kial hissed. "The dragons must die." He made to plunge the knife in again, this time closer to her heart.
In spite of the pain, she twisted away from him and kicked out. Her boot connected with his knee.
He grunted.
"Bitch." His blade shone with her blood.
She took the chance to step back, her eyes on the knife. She didn't think the gash in her side was deep, but warm blood seeped out, soaking the fabric of her shirt. Where was Travin?
He is close. He waits.
Waits for what? Laynin didn't have time to listen to the answer to that. "You don't have to do this," she said. Her head was getting lighter. If she didn't get to a healer soon, she might not see another sunrise.
"Euru demands it," he growled. "I am but a tool. Dragons murdered magin, and the beloved of Euru. I must avenge them."
She'd never seen so much hate burning in a person's face. She pressed a hand to her wound, to try to stem the flow of blood.
"Why? I thought Euru was all about love and kindness."
He hissed. "You don't get to speak the name of Euru!"
"All right." She held up her other hand. "Did—your god ask you to kill the kings too?"
Kial hesitated. "Euru spoke through King Rosharias."
"So—yes?" Where the haze is Travin?
Kial licked his lips. "I did the work of Euru. They had to die. They were the enemy."
"It doesn't sound like you regret killing them."
He lifted his chin. "Sending King Drexin and King Percier to Euru was my honour. Now I will send the draakin to join them. You are a blight on the world."
"Ironic that you agree with General Sandvaal on that one." She blinked. Her vision was becoming hazy.
"He will die next," Kial declared.
"Not at your hand," Travin said. Somehow he was behind Kial. He grabbed the man's arm and Kial froze.
The knife clattered to the ground.
"It's all right, I've got you." Another voice spoke from behind Laynin, soft and comforting.
"Ara? You heard all of that?"
"Yes, now you need to rest."
Gentle hands helped Laynin to the ground before everything went black.
Never in his life had he used magic for so long. Travin's arm ached and he was exhausted, but he couldn't release his grip on Kial. Even a moment's distraction would be enough. If he let go, he would be dead, and everyone else with him.
"Laynin is fine. She's resting," Ara said, sitting down beside him. "The healer said the cut wasn't deep. She won't be doing any lifting for a while, but she'll live."
"Shame," Kial muttered. "As soon as you let me go, she'll die right after you. And you will. You'll tire."
Travin ignored him. "Who else heard his confession?"
"Fanad and two of the reasoners. When Risper told Fashfi, Fanad insisted they come back here too. Lucky he did. Not that I thought you were complicit in the killings, but everyone now knows exactly who did it and why." Ara looked at Kial, her lips pursed.
"The general will arrive soon?" Travin asked hopefully.
"As soon as Fanad and Fashfi bring him. Not even magic can make a dragon fly more quickly." She looked apologetic. "Thank you for saving Laynin. We've lost enough draakin."
Travin sighed. "Just when you think the war is over…"
"It is over now," Ara assured him, "thanks to you."
Kial snorted. Travin silently agreed. Things were returning to some semblance of normal, but the new normal would take time to get used to.
"Why don't you just kill me then?" Kial asked. "Travin could do it, if he wasn't so cowardly."
Travin pressed his magic around Kial's throat and squeezed, just slightly. "You're right, I could. But Dargyn has laws. I don't always agree with them, but I'm not going to murder a man in cold blood." He released some of the magic, but kept Kial bound.
Kial sucked in a breath. "You're just making excuses."
Travin shrugged with one shoulder. "If that's what you want to believe, then I can't stop you. To be honest, I don't care what you think anymore. Those days are long past."
"Your draakin whore has made you soft," Kial spat.
"Laynin is one of the best people I know," Travin said calmly. "A thousand times better than you will ever be."
Kial turned his face away.
"Nehko said Fashfi is here." Ara rose. "Fanad is bringing General Sandvaal." No sooner had she said that than the general and the draakin rounded the corner, followed by two more reasoners, both heavily armed, and Tsalico and Jartina.
"Honsan. I should have known you'd be in the middle of this." Sandvaal looked down his nose at him, but for once he seemed genuinely pleased. "I remember this man. He did indeed wield the knife. Well done." He gave Travin a slow clap, once, twice.
"Is the gallows ready?"
"Sir," Travin said, "he's a singer. If I let him go—"
"Then don't let him go." The general's eyes glazed. Travin would have bet every last braid he was remembering how Kial's magic froze a tent-full of people so he could murder two kings. Sandvaal himself had been powerless to stop it. Men like him didn't like feeling impotent.
"We can't risk a hanging," Sandvaal said finally, his eyes clear again. "One slip of your hand…"
Travin nodded. "I'm sorry. There are limitations to magic."
Sandvaal scowled at him. Then in one fluid movement, he drew a slim dagger from a scabbard at his hip and drove in through Kial's heart.
Kial gurgled, then started to fall.
Magic kept him upright before Travin lowered him to the ground. He kept a hold of him while his body twitched and writhed gently. Only when Kial was finally still did he release his grip and let the magic go.
"He's dead."
"I wish he'd let a magin healer come," Laynin grumbled. Still, she sat as best she could with bandages wrapped around her middle.
"You should be lying down," Travin said, sitting on the bed beside her.
"I had to watch the general leave," she said, "to make sure he did."
He snorted softly. "At least he agreed to move your sister."
Laynin sighed. "I wanted him to free her, but it's a start."
"A farm down in Anjee sounds pleasant enough." He took her hand and squeezed it.
"It's not here, but I can go and see her once in a while." She hesitated. "Travin, there's something I need to tell you."
"That's funny, I wanted to tell you a few things as well."
"Oh, you do?" She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Should I be worried?"
He shifted, suddenly looking nervous. "Maybe you should go first."
She chewed her lip. "I… Do you remember when we had that fight? You were upset about how people treated magin and Euru worshippers."
"I didn't feel wanted in Tsaisa," he said with a nod. "I felt like an outcast."
"I'm sorry you felt that way," she said softly. "You were wanted. You—" She swallowed. "You are wanted. I never stopped caring about you."
She squeezed his hand. "I love you."
Was that a tear glinting in his eyes? Maybe he was upset because he didn't feel the same way and didn't want to hurt her. He was always so kind.
"Laynin," he whispered. "I love you too." He brought his mouth down to hers and kissed her softly on the mouth. He tasted sweet and warm, just like she remembered. After a minute, he drew back. "But there's something else I wanted to tell you. Something that might change everything."
Her heart skipped and she steeled herself for some kind of rejection. "All right. What is it?" Her voice quavered.
"You're going to be flying me around, for the testing. And Dareg and Sidia. We—" he looked down. "We're going to find magin and some of them will be children. I can't, in good conscience, let them all be murdered by the reasoners."
"Of course you can't. Are you saying you'd rather die than help the general?" She blinked away tears, but her heart felt heavy.
"In a way, I would," he admitted. "But that won't help the children."
Her heart rose, just a fraction. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said slowly, "we can pretend they aren't magin. Most people aren't anyway. Maybe we can take their names and let them go. And maybe—" He looked tentative. "You could fly them somewhere they'll be safe. We could try to find as many as we can before they're tested too."
She blinked, then a slow smile crossed her face. "I got a letter yesterday, My parents made it back to Koo. I know they would keep them safe. Or find people who could. For Reeka's sake, they would."
"The general would hang us both if he found out."
"Then we make sure he doesn't find out," she said firmly. "I think we can do this. We can make a difference. Together."
"Together," he agreed. Their lips met again and Laynin felt the warm weight of Risper's mind on hers. He sent thoughts of approval. The three of them, and Rhyen, would be a team. They would save as many children as they could, and some day, Dargyn would be at peace with itself again.
Some day.
The Dragonhall chronicles continue in Dragonhaze.