“If that is your stance, House Shrike, you must know what our response will be,” he hissed.
“Gratitude?” Abghar suggested. “Between us, House Shrike is the key to three of the battles the Single Wing plans to launch and we are also offering eight strong fighters including a Wing. Have you even consulted the leaders in the other encampments?”
He didn’t look at me as he spoke, but all of them didn’t take their eyes off me. Essena’s eyes were dark with hate but the others were watching me with consideration.
“We can’t have a traitor in our ranks,” Chandres said firmly.
“Then what do you suggest?” Abghar bit the roll to punctuate his sentence.
Chandres looked to Essena and my heart sank. This was her plan. And that couldn’t be a good thing.
“None of us wants bad blood, House Shrike,” he said with a slight smile as if he couldn’t quite disguise how clever he thought he was. “Since you won’t send your sister out of camp and since you insist on joining the battle to come, we won’t stop you. But we have revised our plans to keep House Shrike from turning on us. We expect that you will still send Oska and Royn to the cities they are slated to take. They have the contacts there that we need. But now we want to see the rest of your family divided among the battles. If one of you turns on any part of this plan, all of you will suffer.”
“We have no argument with that,” Abghar said mildly. He threw the last bite of his roll to the ground and seemed surprised when it bounced and landed on Essena’s toe. Her eyes narrowed and it was all I could do not to laugh. Abghar had perfect aim. There was no way that was an accident.
Chandres nodded happily but the shifting of the people behind him told me he wasn’t finished. One of the women – a woman with grosbeaks decorating her cape and a long scar on her brow that went into her hairline – had the grace to look embarrassed as he spoke again.
“And we’ve put Glorious Ingvar back on the table. We want you to lead that foray. With your sister – the bride of Le Majest – and Wing Essena as your crew.”
Abghar stilled so suddenly that I was worried he was in pain. His words came out tight and careful.
“We took Glorious Ingvar off the table when word reached us of the early revolt there. The place is under martial law. All our people there have been executed.”
“All cities are under martial law now that Le Majest has sent out his birds. And not everyone was executed. We’ve heard from two of our contacts. They still live.”
“A fleet of ships have just docked there unloading hundreds of Claw reinforcements and all our networks and supply routes are compromised,” Abghar reminded him.
“All the more reason to secure the city, don’t you think?” Chandres said coldly, and now Essena really was smiling. Her owl appeared on her shoulder and it seemed to be laughing at us.
“I do not think,” Abghar said distinctly. “It’s a fools’ errand. Why would you risk Wing Essena if you are certain she is not a traitor?”
“Wing Essena can take care of herself.”
As if on cue, Essena extended her arm and her owl appeared, blinking at us before it lifted from her arm and began to circle over our heads. I resisted the urge to look up. That’s what she wanted – to unsettle us. To make us doubt.
A torch flared from behind Chandres. And then two more.
“What will it be, House Shrike? A fools’ errand or fire to your house? Did you say your children were sleeping in there?”
I gasped, my knees suddenly jelly. I’d expected them to ask me to do something hard. I hadn’t expected this.
“You’re supposed to be the good ones,” I choked out.
Abghar’s eyes flicked to mine, compassion filling them. He felt sorry for me. Why? It took a moment for the answer to come to me and then my cheeks flared hot. He felt sad that I was such a fool that I still believed there were good ones at all. I swallowed down a feeling of shame mixed with misery.
“Of course, I’ll go,” I said immediately. All of this had been to protect my family and Osprey – not put all of them in mortal danger. “But why would you ask Abghar to go on a suicide mission?”
Abghar cleared his throat loudly. “My little sister does not speak for House Shrike.”
My mouth fell open and beside me, Awet drew his sword with a rasping sound. He’d been silent this whole time, steady, eyes watching the shadows. My heart hurt just looking at him. He shouldn’t have to be disillusioned any more than I should have to be.
“Then do speak, Head of House,” Essena said, mockery in her tone.
In answer, Abghar threw the rest of his cold tea on the ground, raising his eyebrows when it splashed on Essena’s toes. Her face stiffened and Abghar turned to me.
“You are certain, sister?”
I nodded, not trusting my voice. I would do what I had to. I would be relentless, and I would save my family.
He nodded sharply, pride shining in his eyes. He looked so much like the old man like that. It hurt my heart.
“Then I will go with you and we will pay this steep price for the doubts of these lily-livered dogs we’ve been calling friends.” He turned to them. “We will go, but I will have you bound to this vow. You will not hurt my family – not one member – nor cause them to be hurt. This threat you’ve made today breaks all our previous bonds and ties. We will fight this one battle because we believe in it, but you will not hold us beyond that or harm a hair of our heads – on your blood.”
“There’s no sky binder here to hold us to that vow,” Chandres said silkily.
Abghar smirked. “Perhaps not, but that’s a raven’s beak around your neck, is it not, Chandres? And I’m no fool. I’ve seen that charm before, and I know its purpose. If we all put our blood on it with our oath it will bind us. And I will have your vow before we part. I will enact the rebellion in Glorious Ingvar and you will not touch a hair of my House’s heads. And that includes the heads of Zayana, Wing Ivo, Wing Osprey, and General Victore who are under my roof and under the protection of my house.”
Chandres face was a thunderbolt now and Essena had gone very white. Would they back out? It was a clever maneuver by Abghar.
However Chandres had gathered the others with him, they could hardly be expected to back him if he pressed Abghar after Abghar had given him everything he asked for. The woman in the grosbeak cloak reached forward and snatched the beak charm from around Chandres’ throat, stepping to a spot equidistant between their group and ours. She cut her hand quickly with her knife, pressing it to the beak.
“On my honor and blood, House Grosbeak will not harm a hair of the heads of House Shrike, if House Shrike fulfills their bargain made tonight.”
Abghar didn’t hesitate. He threw down his tin mug and strode forward, slicing his own palm with his belt knife before grasping her palm in his, the beak between them.
“On my honor and blood, House Shrike will fulfill our commitment to send our family to fight the Winged Empire as we have promised, if these houses vow not to lay a hand on my family or those under my protection.”
The others behind Chandres joined them one by one. House Chickadee, House Plover, House Nuthatch, House Quail, House Thrush and on and on until eventually a grim Chandres and a jaw-clenching Essena joined them and then it was done.