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I thought Zafir would unsheathe his sword, but instead he reached down to his ankle, his hand reappearing with a gun fro a firearetting the rest of the way up and standing behind him

Even buried within the cloak, I could be seen; there was no point pretending ere hidden where we stood

He handed un and pulled out his sword

I considered the weapon in hter than the steel blade Zafir had been training me with over these past weeks So much more powerful--a quicker, faster kill--if fired true I felt safer just holding it

"I don’t know yet, but don’t hesitate to use that," he ordered again, and I bobbedat me

He took a step in the direction of the melee and I moved too, unsure whether that was his intention, but unable to stay behindalone My hand shook, and I wondered if I’d be capable of shooting straight, or if the others in our traveling party were in danger because of rew louder and I heard Floss cry out But his words were muffled and erratic, lost in the chaos of other noises, scuffling and bu These were the sounds of a battle

We were under attack

I froze then, cold dread seizing ht in front of us, so screa solid, a reverberating crash that sounded sickeningly like ainst skull My stomach revolted, and I rushed to keep up with Zafir

Before I could reach hiure shot out of the darkness, like an ani hiround I tried to decide what I should do no to help hiht, took shape My initial assess

The assailant was indistinct but htened around the firearuish one body froht have to fire upon the attacker--upon both of thenore the fact that led in a heap of limbs and fists, as they hurled one way, and then tumbled the other I knew the others were under attack as well, but Zafir was htened as I watched theround

Finally, Zafir--and the only reason I kneas Zafir was because I recognized his voice as he cursed the other man--landed a solid blow to his attacker’s jaw It was bone-crunching I hadn’t recognized that both of ht balls, as if I too were fighting so slowly to his feet, while the other ers and released the breath I’d been holding

And then I noticed the secondat us from out of the shadows I couldn’t see his face, as I was equally certain he couldn’t see mine, but there ere, separated by , and I didn’t have time to think, or even to react My mind didn’t process the fact that I was still armed Yet even if it had, I was already too late He was faster

Or at least he would have been, if it not for what happened next

A whooshing sound split the air, as if soh the darkness

But there was no whip, and the noise was followed iered forward, falling to his knees as he roared, crying out in a strident combination of shock and pain

He was closer tofor the back of his shoulder, clawing at so toward the h; the h to the coals of our fire that I had seen his outline--and the shadows of his face So every nerve inabout this scenario rong

"Zafir!" I shouted, in an attempt to warn hi for the arrow that protruded from the man’s back, just below his shoulder And when he spoke to hiured it out too "I’ll have to reolden-eyed elanced up at Zafir, his face contorted by pain He answered, his voice co out on a hiss "Don’t worry about me Your ed between breaths His eyes darted around apprehensively and he grasped Zafir by the forear "One of theaze shot to"Get her out of here, before it’s too late"

It wasn’t necessary, however, because his assailant revealed herself at that very moment She stepped out from the cover of darkness, her bow at the ready, a new arron

"You know thisher weapon She spoke to me and not to Zafir "You know the men who attacked us?"

I knelt before the man stretched on a blanket in front of the fire: Niko Bartolo