Whisper of Blade | ✓ (Crimson #1)

Chapter 32: Silken Smoke

Minerva's feet broke cadence but regained it a moment after. "We aren't protecting him. If anything, it's more of a risk for him to be near us. So I ask again, why are we taking him home?"

Kodak sighed. "The drip isn't too far from where Kaji lives. I figured we could ... help him and make sure he and his mother have what they need."

On the surface, Kodak's intentions spoke of compassion. But below, Minerva saw something else. "You feel guilty about his father, don't you? You think we owe him a debt."

Their street merged onto a main spoke of the middle ring wheel. Around the corner, they'd find one of the gates leading to the outer ring of the city. Kaji reached the intersection first, but before Minerva could call to the boy to come back, Kodak turned on her.

"We killed his father, Minerva. I'm not even sure now if he planned to harm us or if he only came to warn you. If I can honor that dead man's last cries for his wife and son, then I'm going to do it." Kodak's eyes watered but his jaw tensed with a dogged resolve. "Don't tell me you don't feel the same. Not when the truth overwhelmed you to the point that you had to leave the table."

You think too well of me, Kodak. Her recollection of Dai painted their situation in a different light. She'd left because Kaji became a liability in her mind. A dangerous one. But she had made a promise to that man that his family would not pay for his crime.

Minerva had not sworn the blood oath against him—a vow to wipe out his bloodline—but she also had not sworn the death oath—a pledge to serve him, or in this case, his heir until she died, thus cancelling out any debt. She believed this middle ground to be just.

Kodak clearly thought otherwise.

"Let's not forget that the madman tried to kill you in a bloody explosion," Minerva said. "He's far from innocent."

Kodak opened his mouth to answer but they rounded the corner.

A crowd surrounded a platform. All silent as if sleeping and not at all like the shouting mass that had watched Dai's execution in the arena. They'd erected the wooden block in the middle of the open gate, halting all traffic on the two sides as both wealthy and poor gathered as witnesses.

On the small platform, chains bound a lone woman to a pole. A gag dug into the corners of her mouth and another rag covered her eyes. A few of the royal guard stood to the side, but the executioner wasn't among them.

She would come when invited.

Minerva took the scene in at a glance and grabbed the Hydro prince's arm. "We need to find Kaji and leave. We'll take another way to the outer ring."

"That'll take too long," Kodak murmured back. "It'll look suspicious to grab him and go. We should wait it out. See what happens." He walked toward the crowd and didn't have to look for Kaji. The boy came to him and Kodak let him climb up onto his shoulders for a better view.

Minerva's heartbeat thundered in her ears. Cold sweat slicked her palms. She could run away now to avoid watching her fears take shape. Instead she gritted her teeth, fingers brushing the scabs on her cheek.

Whatever you say, I'm no coward, mother.

She joined Kodak and Kaji at the edge of the crowd.

One of the guards took center stage. His heavy boots pounded a death knell. His black armor rattled like bones of metal.

Minerva couldn't hear his words, only a dull roar in her ears. In his hands, he held a beautiful sword, curved and resting in its sheath. While he spoke, he drew out the weapon and held it blade up with both hands.