The Bladeweaver [Book 1 Complete]

Namara sighed and placed a hand over her heart. "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal."

Kale glanced sideways at Rika. "Looks like you get to do some of your world-famous sneaking after all."

Rika grinned and pulled her warhammer free with a metallic hum. "Finally."

Namara turned to the smuggler. "Would you be a dear and step aside? This ship's ours now."

The smuggler's brow furrowed. "You're outnumbered ten to one."

Rika tilted her head. "Yeah? Wish you'd brought more guys."

The smuggler stared. Then frowned. He was starting to realize something was off.

Liliana sighed and stepped forward, her arms folded. "You really picked the wrong day for this."

His eyes darted between them. "What?"

"They've just had a long, boring trip," she said, nodding toward Kale, Rika, and Namara. "It's been weeks without a decent fight. Frankly, they've been unbearable."

Kale shrugged. "I wasn't bored. I liked it."

Liliana glanced between them. "So, do you want Sadek and me to help, or are you claiming all the fun for yourselves? These ones seem… weak. I doubt I'll even get any experience out of it. Not worth a blood sacrifice."

That did it. The smuggler's expression cracked. "…What the fuck are you people?" he asked, backing up a step.

Kale raised a hand dramatically. "We're your doom."

Rika wrinkled her nose. "Ehh."

Kale deflated. "Not cool?"

She shook her head. "Keep working on it."

Namara turned to the smuggler with a pitying look. "You poor thing. You really thought this was going to work."

The smuggler glanced around at his backup—who suddenly didn't look half as confident. He held up his hands. "Okay, look. You can keep the gold. And the boat. It's yours. No hard feelings."

Namara nodded. "Of course we can."

He hesitated. "So… can I go?"

She tapped her chin. "Afraid not. You've been a very bad boy."

The smuggler opened his mouth, probably to protest.

"Yeah," Rika said, grinning. "You should've brought more guys."

Kale stepped forward, one hand raised. A single blade formed in the air, then split into two. Then four. Eight. Sixteen. A spiraling storm of steel spun to life above his shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Rika shouted. "You can't do that! Leave some for me!"

Kale shrugged and unsummoned his blades. "Fine."

The smuggler stared, wide-eyed.

Kale glanced at Rika. "So… when do we go?"

"I don't know, should we do a countdown? Do we just say 'go' and start smashing?"

An arrow thunked into Liliana's chest.

The group turned.

She looked down at it, then pulled it out with a bored sigh. "Rude."

The smuggler's blood drained from his face. His mouth opened. Closed. He took a step back, then another, tripping slightly on the gangplank.

"What the fuck," he whispered. "That— that went through her heart—"

Namara appeared beside him and slipped an arm through his. He yelped.

"Leaving already?" she asked.

A shadow slipped from one of the rooftops. Sleek black-violet scales shimmering, Vaelix moved like a whisper, then struck like a guillotine. The man who fired the arrow didn't even scream.

"Okay," Rika said, grinning. "Now we go."

Liliana raised a hand. "Just try not to destroy the docks, please. We're already stealing a boat to break into a plague-locked city. I'd like to keep at least one part of this technically not a crime."

"Stealing?" Namara asked, "Our new friend just said we could have the boat! That's not theft. That's a gift."

She mimicked wiping a tear from her eye. "Such generosity."

Rika hefted her hammer and shot Liliana a wink. "We'll be careful."

Liliana gave her a look. "Your version of careful worries me."

"Careful enough," Kale muttered as he stepped forward, summoned a trio of blades, and flicked them low, cutting off two attackers before they could fan out. Another raised his sword, and Kale spun, knocking the weapon aside and setting the man up perfectly.

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Rika barreled in with a grin and swung her hammer in a wide arc. The man went airborne, crashing through the awning of a nearby market stall with a crunch.

"Nice!" she called, already swinging for the next.

Kale kept feeding her targets. Tripping one, disarming another, pinning a third with blades to the crate behind him. Rika smashed them all.

She was a wrecking ball. Every swing of her warhammer sent another body flying—into barrels, over carts, into the harbor. One poor bastard went sailing clear over a rooftop with a sound like a kicked chicken.

Rika's laughter rang out between impacts. For the first time since they rescued her, she looked like herself again. Not tense. Not holding back. Just loose, grinning, and absolutely smashing everything in her path.

The smugglers didn't stand a chance. Many didn't even last long enough to scream.

Kale let another sword vanish and gave a small nod. "That should do it."

Rika cracked her neck, surveyed the carnage, and exhaled. "Gods, I needed that."

From behind them, Liliana crossed her arms. "And the docks are still standing. Miraculous."

"Very restrained," Kale agreed.

Rika gave a small bow. "I was careful."

Namara gave a low whistle. "I give it a nine. Lost points for creativity, but you made up for it with sheer distance."

Kale pointed to the skyline. "That one hasn't landed yet."

"Ten," Namara said.

The last man standing was the one-eyed smuggler himself. He stared at the bodies around him, at the blood pooling, at the harrier still perched above like a specter. His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees with a wet sound.

He looked up at them—at Namara, specifically—eyes wide with terror.

"Wh-what are you people?" he whispered. "What kind of demons—"

"Oh, sweetie," Namara purred, crouching to his level. "They're not demons."

She leaned in, lips brushing his ear. "But I am."

The smuggler trembled.

Namara stood back up again. "What's your name, darling?"

He swallowed. "L-Loran."

She smiled, bright and cheerful. "Loran! What a lovely name."

He stared at her, not daring to speak.

"You know what?" she said. "I've changed my mind. You can go."

He blinked. "R… really?"

"Of course," she said warmly. "We're not monsters."

The smuggler stood slowly, hesitantly, and began to back away. Step by step. His shoulders sagged in relief. He turned.

Namara blew him a kiss. The spell struck before he realized what had happened.

Her voice dropped, soft as silk. "Loran. Be a dear—cut your own throat."

He froze. Twitched once. Then obeyed.

The sound of the blade dragging across his neck was quieter than it should've been. Blood poured down his chest. He fell beside the others.

No one moved. Even the harriers were still.

The only sound was the creak of the dock.

"Damn," Sadek said. The rest was silent.

After a moment, Liliana stepped over a body and gave a nod. "Good. Now let's get this boat moving before someone actually calls the—"

"Halt!" someone shouted.

A dozen guards stormed down the dock, blades drawn, lanterns raised.

Everyone stiffened. Rika swore under her breath. Kale muttered, "Shit."

Namara, of course, did not flinch.

One of the guards broke from the pack, eyes locking on her. "Miss Namara! Are you all right?"

She blinked rapidly, then placed a trembling hand to her chest. "Oh, gods. Thank you. I—I thought I was going to die."

The guard ran to her, practically skidding to a stop. "What happened?"

Namara gestured weakly to the bodies. "These awful men tried to take my ship. I—I begged them to stop, but they were monsters." She sniffled. "I would be dead right now if it weren't for these brave, courageous people." She placed a hand on Kale's shoulder. "They saved my life."

The guard turned to the others, face pale. "You took on all of them?"

Rika wiped blood off her cheek. "Just a few."

Liliana didn't say anything at first, just stared at Namara, expression unreadable. Then, finally, she muttered, "Huh."

The guards relaxed. Some even sheathed their blades. The first one gave a short bow. "We'll handle cleanup. Go ahead and board. You've been through enough."

Namara gave a tearful nod. "You're too kind."

As they made their way towards the ship, Kale leaned in. "You're terrifying."

"I know," she whispered back, smiling.

Liliana glanced sideways at Sadek, brow furrowed. "What the hells just happened?"

"Just go with it," he replied.

Liliana looked back at the guards, then at Namara still dabbing fake tears. "Unbelievable."

One of the guards shouted, "Wait, let us help you!"

One ran to unmoor the ship. Another brought over a box so Namara wouldn't scuff her shoes as she stepped aboard. A third wiped his eyes and muttered something about bravery.

"We'll handle the mess," the captain said, saluting. "You just focus on healing, miss. And if you ever need anything—anything at all—you come to the watchtower, and ask for Jannik."

"I'll remember that," Namara said, voice thick with emotion. "You've all been so kind."

Several of them bowed.

As the gangplank was drawn up, the guards stood in a line, hands over hearts. One of them played a flute. Badly.

"Good luck!" someone called.

"May the winds favor you!"

"Come back to us soon!"

Namara stood at the railing and waved like royalty.

Liliana stared and whispered. "Did… did we just get helped off the docks after killing forty men and stealing their boat?"

Namara dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "They're going to miss me so much."

"I already do!" one of the guards shouted tearfully.

As the ship pulled away from the dock, the guards still waving, the flute playing its off-key farewell tune, Liliana leaned on the railing and stared at Namara.

"…How?" she asked, flatly.

Namara turned, eyes sparkling. "Oh, during our little break, while you were off doing… whatever it was you were doing, I took the opportunity to get acquainted with the locals."

Liliana raised an eyebrow. "Acquainted."

Namara nodded. "It appears they were quite taken with me."

She laughed, light and airy, and waved again toward shore. One of the guards tripped trying to wave back.

Liliana watched him hit the planks, then looked back at Namara. "Did you enchant them?"

"Not exactly," Namara said innocently. "I'm just very charming."

Liliana folded her arms. "Right. I'll be checking everyone for hexes later."

Namara winked. "You're welcome to try, darling."

"Do you feel hexed?" Kale asked.

"Not at all," Liliana said coolly.

"See!" Namara beamed. "Perfectly safe."

***

The ship rocked gently beneath them, the moon hung low, casting silver ripples across the water. Kale leaned against the railing, arms folded, watching the horizon.

Liliana stepped up beside him, quiet for a moment before speaking.

"I didn't expect you to be so eager to fight back there."

He gave a small shake of the head. "Wasn't about the fight."

He glanced at her. "But Rika… she needed it. After everything she's been through, she needed to feel like herself again. I just gave her the setup."

Liliana nodded slowly. "It would've broken most people."

"Yeah," Kale said. "But not her."

The silence between them stretched.

"She's something else," Liliana said.

Kale looked at the water. "Ikareia seemed to think so too. Back at the temple, she said Rika's walked this path before. Over and over. Dying, coming back. Playing some big part in the Cycle. Said the shards remember who she is… or used to be."

He glanced her way. "She called Rika a 'child of echoes.' Said she's carried this burden for lifetimes. That she's… always been important. Chosen, even."

"At this point, it doesn't even surprise me," Liliana said. "We're clearly part of something bigger. Pieces on a board we can't quite see."

Kale exhaled. "I've felt like a pawn since the beginning."

She didn't argue. "Maybe we all are. For now."

She put her hand on his arm. "But pawns reach the other side too. And when they do… they change the game."

From below deck came a loud thud, followed by hurried footsteps.

Then Rika yelled, "Uh, guys? You're gonna want to come down here."