The Final Strife

“No.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I will teach you to fight and you will teach me to bloodwerk.”

“You have to promise not to kill me.”

“Why would I try and kill you?”

“Because you’re an assassin.”

Sylah laughed. It was a great honking sound that pushed its way through her nose. “You think I’m an assassin?”

“Why else would you be here? You asked who I was, I assumed to confirm your target,” she said as if discussing the tidewind. “Who hired you? Can you tell me? Was it to hurt my mother? Or for another reason…?”

Sylah’s mind jumped through the possibilities of truths and lies. Why was she here? Honesty wasn’t going to protect her.

“Yes, I was sent here to kill you, to hurt your mother, but I cannot tell you who sent me.”

Anoor clapped, her eyes widening. “I knew it! Will your client send more after me?”

“No, it was a one-time thing; if I failed, I was to disappear. No contact, no payment.”

“Why don’t you know how to bloodwerk if you’re some great assassin?”

Sylah’s patience was finer than a river reed.

“I was taught to master the physical arts in a Sanc—farm in the north.”

“An assassin school?”

Was she delighted? She sounded delighted.

“Skies above, enough about me. That isn’t what I agreed to. In fact, no more questions, I’m adding that to the deal.” Sylah’s hand twitched to pull her plaits and the trinkets she had woven there. Her eyes smarted at the loss.

“Oh. Okay.” Anoor’s head bobbed.

The silence pulled tighter than a cornrow.

“Okay, so it’s a deal. When I get to the final trial, I will teach you to bloodwerk.”

“Before.”

“But—”

“No compromise. Every night I will teach you to fight. And every night you will teach me to bloodwerk until the end of the Aktibar.”

“No joba seeds.”

“What?”

“Your brain needs to stabilize, it needs to get used to surviving without the drug before you cause irreparable damage.”

“I can’t agree to that.” Sylah’s hands shook, and she clasped them together in a silent prayer.

“It’s part of the deal.” Anoor lifted her nose, and Sylah imagined it was a technique she used on a lot of servants.

Could she do it? For Jond maybe.