There was another body in the hall and one drooped over the side of the hole.

  No one was in the tunnel, so I hadn’t drawn my sword or called on my magic. Not that the enclosed space would have been enough space to swing a sword. I could have stabbed and parried, but a fireball would have been faster and more effective against a crossbow.

  I was beginning to see why the Bokor limited how many of those weapons that a city could have. They were one of the few things that in the hands of an unskilled person could kill a Bokor. Bows were also regulated, but not as much, since they took skill and lots of practice to become deadly. Archers were documented, and ones that showed any signs of being a threat to the safety of humanity were sent to the Grand Council to be deployed in the army that took back cities. It was all done so that the Bokor could use the best means they had to protect humanity.

  At least that had been what was drilled into me. I’d seen humans who begged to be sent to the army, though that was often because they wanted the cushy retirement that the Bokor offered. I had never been to the capital, but with the Grand Council to watch over it, the capital was the safest and most prosperous city on the continent.

  I pushed the thoughts about regulations out of my mind as I focused on the danger in front of me. Fyga was running towards the shore.

  “THE TOUCHED-!!!”

  Her icicle buried in the sailor’s neck, but his scream had reached his companions. Six crossbows focused on her and fired all at once.

  Without needing to stay hidden, I called on fire and launched it on either side of her. It wasn’t hot enough to incinerate the arrows, but it did make the sailors back away from the woods and one even dropped his crossbow as he stumbled backwards.

  I heard a wet crunch and Fyga breathing hard. She slumped behind a large tree and grunted, then cast a bolt away from her.

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  “Are you okay?” I stopped beside her and looked at the wound, which was just a sheet of ice smaller than her palm under her left breast at the base of her ribs.

  “I’ll be fine.” Fyga gritted her teeth as she stood up. “We need to finish this before they barricade themselves in the ship and we can’t get them out.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen…” I looked at the front of the ship that was beached as ropes were thrown over the sides. I’d expected the men to start climbing up the ropes, but instead, the man I’d seen earlier giving orders, slid down one of the ropes.

  Now that I was closer, I could see him better. He had shoulder-length black hair that was tied up with a string. Scars criss-crossed his body that was barely covered by the vest and shorts that he was wearing. He was thicker than any of the other men on the beach, taller too, I’d guess six and a half feet.

  The thing that I hadn’t noticed before was that there was a Bokor blade on his back.

  “I don’t think they’re leaving.” My heart started beating faster as I watched him motion at the woods while yelling at the men. “They’re about to come looking for us.”

  Fyga grinned as she leaned on me, but her smile was weak and she was putting too much weight on my back.

  “Damn shark kisser!” Captain Jace grabbed her as she fell backwards.

  I hadn’t heard the old man approaching and I had no idea how someone with a pegged leg could move so fast or so quietly.

  He leaned her against a tree, then picked up one of the bolts and licked it. “They used pufferfish.”

  I was about to ask him what that meant when the big man giving orders demanded my attention.

  “TOUCHED!”

  I turned to look at the beach and saw that he had a red blade in his hands. It cast an angry glow on the beach as the bonfire crackled between us.

  “You are on an island claimed by Melior! Surrender and you’ll be allowed to stand before the Grand Council!” His gaze focused on where we were. “If you try to fight, I won’t let you die fast.”

  I had my hand on my sword, but couldn’t bring myself to draw it.

  “What’re ya waitin’ far?” Captain Jace tugged on my arm. “We need ta move ya girl!”

  I cleared my throat. “I am a Bokor from the Island base of Melior! This mission to check-in on the cities on the peninsula has been sanctioned by the Council!” I took a hesitant step towards the treeline. “If you obey the will of Melior, then you will submit to me!”

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