For the first time since Kaye left, the Odion tent felt warm and full, if not cheery. It was impossible for Kindra to feel any amount of cheer, knowing what the next day would bring. She began to move her things from Kaye’s cot to their mother’s before she remembered, and her shoulders sank.

“Kaye?” Kindra put the dress on the cot and faced her sister. “I found mom. What happened?” She regretted asking as Kaye’s chin began to quiver.

“I don’t know, exactly.” Kaye looked at the hearth. “When they tied my wrists together, we knew something was wrong and she tried to stop them. She…” Kaye rubbed at her eyes. “I didn’t see what they did, but she stopped screaming.”

Kindra wrapped her arms around her sister and let her cry, glad Kaye hadn’t seen what became of the body. “It’s ok, we brought her home. She’s with father now.”

Kaye wiped at her tears. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be the one crying.” Her gaze flicked to the flute.

Kindra resumed moving her things from Kaye’s cot. She couldn’t look at the flute, or her sister, or she’d break down too. When she agreed to the wedding, she thought she’d be able to return eventually, but now there was no coming back. She threw the necklace and hairpins on the cot—Obsid had gone through a lot of trouble to keep the Seven Tribes in the dark about the sacrifice. He must fear the Aledans more than they thought.

Kaye touched her arm. “No one will blame you if you back out now.”

What would be the point? Kindra would be dead in a few days regardless. If she backed out now everyone else would die too—at least this way, they had a chance to win.

“Did father say anything to you before he died?”

“About what?” Kaye asked.

“Oak, or the Obsidians, or anything?”

Kaye thought a moment. “He said, ‘Kaye, your brother was right. I was a fool’.”

“But you don’t have a brother, unless he was so far gone he thought I was a boy.” Was that why her father asked her to become a warrior? Did his fever lead him to believe she was his son?

“No,” Kaye said, “but Kaye Conal has a brother.” She stared at the fire again.

“Who?”

“Kaye Conal, the High Priestess. Father was saying Oak was right.”

Kindra lowered herself to the cot. Oak hadn’t been lying when he said Fennec knew and chose to be a sacrifice for the tribe. “Then I can’t back out.”

“But…” Kaye was interrupted by a man coming through the door. Kindra didn’t recognize him, but Kaye seemed to light up.

“There you are,” he said. “We have to go.”

“Did you speak with your mother?”

“Yes, and we must go.” He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her to the door.

“Bryant, wait.”

“Are you listening to me?” He grabbed her shoulders and Kindra stood, prepared to stop him if he hurt Kaye. “We must go. Now.”

“Bryant.”

“Kaye Conal said you shouldn’t be here.”

“Bryant.”

“Something is going to happen to change your mind if we don’t go.”

“Bryant!” Kaye grabbed his hands and he looked at her, bewildered. “This is my sister, Kindra.”

He looked from Kaye to Kindra, to the scar on her chin. “Hello.”

“Kindra, this is Bryant Conal. I’ve been living with him in the Faye land.”

“Conal?” Kindra’s hand moved to her dagger.

“It’s ok,” her sister said. “He’s not on Oak’s side.”

Bryant tried to turn Kaye towards the door again. “We must go.”

“We can’t,” Kaye said. “Not yet.”

“But…”

“Kindra has taken my place with the Obsidians.” Kaye stared at him knowingly, and his shoulders sank.

“Do you mean?”

“Yes.”

Numb emptiness began to wrap around Kindra’s heart again and she swallowed. “So you, uh, live together?”

Kaye smiled, although the bright innocence that had been there was gone. “Bryant had an extra cot, so…” She looked down as a flush of red crept up her neck to her cheeks.

That made Kindra smile. Everything that happened was worth it if Kaye was safe and happy.

The door opened again, and Gar stopped in the doorway and stared at Kaye. Kindra’s smile dropped like a rock in water.

He picked Kaye up in a hug. “I heard you were home but I didn’t believe it.”

“Only for a few days,” she said as he put her down. “I’m going back after…” She looked at Kindra and stopped. “In a few days.”

Gar’s gaze followed Kaye’s and Kindra bowed her head. She couldn’t meet his eyes right now. When he found out what she’d done he’d never forgive her.

“What happened to your eye?” he said.

She touched it. “I thought the bruise was gone.”

“It is. I saw it before.”

She finally looked at him, and wished she hadn’t. She’d spent the past two moons avoiding him. “Someone punched me for being a traitor.”

His brows knit together. “Who?”

She shrugged. “Monk took care of it.”

They lapsed into silence, and Kaye took Bryant’s hand. “We’ll let you talk.”

“You don’t have to go,” Kindra said.

Kaye shook her head. “I need to introduce Bryant to Uncle Pine and Aunt Lisa. And Cassie must have had her baby by now.” She looked at Bryant, whose mouth was turned down in a frown. “We’ll come back later.”

They left Kindra and Gar in the tent alone. Kindra kept her gaze anywhere except Gar’s face and the flute on her cot. She couldn’t look at either, or she wouldn’t be able to go through with the wedding.

“Kaye says the men on the river will fight with you, and she found a tribe of Faye. It’s still not enough without the Dacians and Coyote’s tribe, but it’s a start.”

“Kindra,” Gar said softly, but she kept talking, because if she didn’t she would break down and sob.

“Coyote will know how to use the horses against the Obsidians. The Wains have been hiding weapons in the mines, and we won’t be sending food to the Obsidians this summer, so the Aledan men will have time to learn how to fight.”

“Kindra.”

She ignored him. Someone had to know everything so they could prepare for war without her. “The Obsidians have iron weapons now, so don’t let the Aledans train only against spears.”

“Kindra.” His tone was sharper, commanding, but she looked beyond Gar to her father’s sword. What would happen if she did this and the Aledans still lost? Was this how her father felt when he realized he was going to die, defeated? What would he say to her right now if he was still alive?

“You can’t lose,” she whispered, tears choking her throat. “You can’t. This can’t be for nothing.” She dropped to the cot and put her head in her hands. “I don’t think I can do this. I don’t think I can go through with tomorrow.”

In two steps Gar was kneeling before her, and she grabbed him around the neck and cried into his shoulder. She knew it wasn't fair to say that to him, because she couldn't back out now. Gar knew she couldn't back out. The only thing he could do was tell her she had to go through with it.

He adjusted his head on top of hers and moved the hair stuck to her face. He held her for a long moment, and when he did speak his voice was quiet. Low. "Eoin will not let his Bride die an Obsidian. Something will happen. Tomorrow, or twenty summers from tomorrow. He will bring you back to us."

Kindra sniffed but didn't move. She never wanted to move. She wanted to stay in Gar's arms, in this moment, forever. Because the next moments in her life could only lead to heartache and her death. So she let him rock her slowly back and forth as she focused on memorizing the feel of his cheek on her hair and her cheek on his chest as it moved with his breath. She focused on the sound of his heartbeat and the smell of him—smoked venison and leather and something deeper that she could only explain as Gar. The warrior. Her warrior.

She closed her eyes and imagined his mark—all the scars that made up the fish of his namesake. When Obsid was holding the blade to her neck she would think of Gar’s mark and trace it in the dirt of Fie Obsid and his spirit would be there. He would become her totem—her will to do what she must to keep him and the rest of the Aledans safe from the Obsidian army.

"Stay with me tonight?" She whispered as her hand traced the pattern of his mark.

He sucked in a sharp breath and lifted his head to look at her. "Of course," he whispered and kissed her. His hands ripped the shirt over her head to find the scars across her back.

Kindra never felt nameless when Gar's fingers traced the pattern of her mark. She felt that she could beat any person in the world. She could take on Obsid and all of his men—his entire Nation. She was the Bride, and Gar was her Eoin.