"You seem really nice to be the son of a warlord."

"I am forever in your debt. You saved my life. Were you any other battle-witch, my men would have killed you on the spot."

I shudder at his words. That even a lovesick teen in this world is dangerous reminds me that I'm a very long way from home. It probably doesn't help that I know his name and am allegedly a witch with the ability to put a hex on him.

"I will keep you safe as long as I can," he adds. "War is about to erupt on the soil of Black Moon Draw."

"Hence the ambush. Did you defeat his armies to get here or just sneak into the kingdom?"

"We were helped by someone close to the Shadow Knight." The answer is vague, but it makes dread sink into my stomach. "We knew his armies were sent forward, to Brown Sun Lake, and positioned ourselves here."

I was wrong about the Betrayer. It's not the Red Knight, who is more of a politician. There's someone else who turned on the Shadow Knight.

"I have heard rumors you are not the battle-witch as foretold," he says carefully.

"Yeah," I reply. "I haven't figured out how to unlock my magic consistently. It's probably why the Shadow Knight didn't perform the ritual between a Knight and his battle-witch."

"There is no ritual." Westley laughs softly.

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"What? The Red Knight said there was."

"Sounds like a ploy of his. I learned much from watching him the year I spent as his prisoner."

The Red Knight has had a few surprises up his sleeves for sure. He's lied to me more than once, and I start to think these Knights are a little smarter than I initially gave them credit for. The largest army may prevail here, but there's intelligence and cunning behind the actions of these sword-bearing brutes.

"If you obey my father, he will not have reason to hurt you." Westley's urgent whisper reaches me. He pulls both of our horses to a halt. "He will be distracted by the war soon. Do as he says for now, witch."

More forms melt from the forest on the other side of the field, soon filling the clearing with men on horseback.

Visions of what the long dead Desert Knight did to the warrior queen Naia play through my thoughts. The Shadow Knight thinks his mortal enemy also knows how to kill me.

I'm not interested in being used against him and less interested in being dead. I'm assuming I'm alive because the Desert Knight wants to use my magic. I'm in trouble either way, no matter which I use magic for. Whatever I should feel about Westley kidnapping me, I'm grateful he at least takes his life debt seriously.




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