CHAPTER 1: MIRA                    AUGUST 27, 878                  

The man grabbed Mira’s left wrist and twisted it behind her back. Somehow, they always thought because her right arm stopped just past the elbow it was useless. Luckily, there was nothing Mira loved more than to prove people wrong.

Gritting her teeth, Mira slammed her head back into the man’s nose. It gave her a headache when she did that, but breaking his nose was worth it. When his grip on her arm slipped, she used her stubbed right elbow to finish him off with a blow to the temple. He stumbled back and crashed into the alley wall before falling to the dusty ground.

With the first man out of commission, Mira looked around. Imi seemed to be at an impasse with her opponent. Her saber was on the ground and their arms were in a tangle of wrist locks, but Mira couldn’t tell who had the upper hand. When Mira took a step forward to help, Imi just shook her head. “I’ve got this Mira, take care of the princess.” The man she faced smirked at her confidence. Since he was much taller than the petite girl, he probably thought it would be an easy victory. Unfortunately for him, he failed to notice the band tattooed on Imi’s wrist, as most attackers did. “You don’t believe me, sailor? Give it a minute and you will.” Even though Imi was directing her words at the Sendian man she was facing, Mira could still feel the power infused in the Heart Jinura’s voice. The man’s eyelids drooped in the slightest and his arms faltered, giving Imi the narrow opening she needed. Quick as a whip, she wrenched free of his grasp and swiped a leg at his knees, sending him tumbling to the ground.

“I said take care of the princess,” Imi reminded her in an angry sing-song voice. Before Mira could insist that the princess was just behind her, she turned back around to find the last two men closing in on Princess Adelyn who had drifted away from Mira’s side. She had been waiting patiently for Mira and Imi to take care of the would-be thieves, but the last of the men had come closer than Mira had realized. She jumped in, fending off the broader of the two, but the last one had drawn a dagger and now leered over the princess of Sendium, eyeing her glittering necklace.

“Just hand over the purse and we’ll be on our way,” the man said to the princess as Mira dispatched her opponent.

“I’m not sure ‘we’ is in your cards,” Princess Adelyn replied tartly, still not reacting to the knife that hovered a few inches from her throat. The last man looked around at his three felled companions. Panicked, he brought the knife closer to the princess, the blade brushing up against her neck.

“Hand over the purse, or pay with your life,” he threatened. The princess sighed and put a hand on her hip. “I mean it. I just want—” Before he finished his sentence, Princess Adelyn threw her hand up and turned his wrist so far he was forced to drop the dagger. With expert precision, she jabbed his throat. While he choked for air, she swept her foot under his ankles and thrust her palm at his chest. With the grace of a limp noodle, he fell onto his tailbone and cracked his head against the wall of the building the scuffle had been near. He thought he could take on the princess herself? Who did he think trained all the guards?

After the initial shock of hitting his head, the last man tried to get up again. With a soft nudge of her foot, Mira pushed him back into the wall.

“You two are slipping,” the princess commented as she started back down the street, stepping over one man’s unconscious form. “I hired guards so I didn’t have to get my own hands dirty.”

“Most people who don’t want to get their hands dirty would stay closer to her guards. You stayed wide open, practically begging for those last two men to sneak up from behind,” Mira pointed out.

“Not to mention it was your idea to come to the outskirts of town wearing your flashiest necklace.” Imi gestured to the diamond masterpiece the princess wore around her neck. “Admit it. You were tired of feeling cooped up.”

“And you knew we were the only ones who wouldn’t go tattling off to the queen.” Princess Adelyn had done this before, and Mira and Imi were always her first choice of guards for these kinds of expeditions.

They’d walked far enough to reach the center of the port town where there were people again. People that didn’t watch the princess like she was their next paycheck. Some of them recognized their local leader and gave a small bow as she passed, but most just went about their day.

“There you are, Your Highness.” Kamala ducked underneath an armload of timber carried by a hairy man with forearms the size of Mira’s thighs. Princess Adelyn stopped to talk to Kamala, though Mira had hoped she would ignore the other guard and continue on her way. “Misha told us we would find you here.” As Kamala finished speaking, Aruna appeared at her side like the loyal, silent partner she was. For a Tongue Jinura, she was awfully quiet.

“Just out for a stroll,” the princess lied. “In fact, I’m glad you’re here. Imi, Mira, you two take a break. I need you both rested for a shift later this afternoon.” She lowered her voice when she added, “Please meet me at the twelfth pier in Port Caesit at four.” What was at the port that the princess needed to be there herself? Usually, she had servants to run those kinds of errands.

“We’ll be there, Your Highness,” Imi promised with a grin. Princess Adelyn nodded like a proper royal and left them in the middle of the busy street, Aruna and Kamala dutifully at her side.

“Have you ever noticed that the minute Kamala shows up, our day always gets a little more disappointing?” Mira asked as they watched the princess leave with the other two guards.

“What do you mean? We get half the day off.” Imi started walking, cautious of the timber-carrying man.

“But today was proving to be a good one.” What could be better than a good alley fight first thing in the morning? “What do we do now?”

“Lunch?” Imi suggested. Mira shrugged and Imi took it as a yes. “How about Hama’s?”

“Why should you get to pick? I took out two men. You only had one.”

“You took them on one at a time. And you only got the second man because you were closer,” Imi argued, already heading toward the pier where Hama’s café was.

“Well at least I didn’t cheat.”

“Cheat?”

“Heart Jinura power counts as cheating,” Mira told her, but Imi was already vehemently shaking her head.

“You were the one who always says use what you have. And how is using my power more of an advantage than the way people underestimate you?” Imi pointed to the stump at the end of Mira’s right arm. Somehow, Imi had deluded herself into believing that having the ability to put people to sleep with just her voice gave her the same advantage as missing a limb. Mira held up the stub.

“Any advantage this gives me is evened out by people underestimating you because of your size.” Imi was short with wide hips, a build that didn’t tend to strike fear into the eyes of man.

“Please,” Imi scoffed. She continued to argue her point until they arrived at Hama’s and Mira was too hungry to insist they go somewhere else.

For some reason, Imi adored Hama’s strange, semi-edible creations. As an Earth Jinura, the chef appreciated odd vegetables, and since the Corignis Province in Sendium was the hub of trading in the Four Kingdoms, Hama had her pick of every freak of nature vegetable Earth Jinura had thought up. And thanks to their pay as royal guards—not to mention Imi’s wealthy family—they had enough coin to splurge on the ridiculous inventions. Imi loved the sweet kale with brocclery bits, but even hours after eating it, the peppered squashparagus left a bitter taste in Mira’s mouth.

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“Next time, I’m picking where we go,” Mira whined.

“There they are.” Imi pointed across the port to where Kamala and Aruna stood with another guard they didn’t recognize. All three of them wore sand scarves, though the wind today wasn’t nearly strong enough to warrant the extra layer of protection.

“Is that Helen?” Mira strained her eyes at the unfamiliar guard. It had to be Helen. None of the other guards were taller than Kamala.

Imi squinted as well, but paused in her step once they were close enough to see that the olive wrist poking out of the extra guard’s sleeve was unmarked. Helen was a Water Jinura, so she had the black band tattooed on her right wrist like every other Jinura.

“Good, you’re here,” the extra guard held out two more sand scarves.

“Princess Adelyn?” Imi peered at the princess’s eyes, the rest of her face obscured by swaths of the sand scarf. She had switched out her diamond necklace and fancy dress for simple trousers and a shirt.

“What are the scarves for?” Mira held up the material like it was a dead chicken. Sand scarves were less common in Port Caesit, but plenty of traders from mainland Sendium wore them around here this time of year. For Mira, the scarves tended to get in the way more than they helped, and having only one hand made them especially difficult to put on. Mira pushed her short bangs away from her forehead before wrapping the sand scarf around her hair. It was cut short in the back—easy to maintain and impossible to grab onto in a fight—so she didn’t have to worry about tucking every inch in place like the others.

“It isn’t your place to ask questions,” Kamala snapped. Kamala may have been the head of the princess’s guard, but Mira was the best, and she made it a point to ask questions.

“It’s fine, Kamala,” the princess interrupted, a note of anxiety in her usually calm voice, “I should have explained earlier. This meeting isn’t official. In fact, it would probably be very bad if anyone knew I was meeting with these men. My sister would kill me if she knew.” Mira had never met Queen Alani, but rumor had it she was very strict and always by the book.

“The point is, no one can see our faces, especially the princess’s,” Kamala finished unhelpfully, reaching to brusquely help Mira hurry up with the knots she was struggling to tie. Stepping into fighting stance, Mira struck Kamala’s hand to the side, startling the other guard.

“Touch me again, and we’ll have the same number of hands.” Mira gestured at Kamala with the calloused stump that rounded off her arm just below her right elbow. For some reason, poking people with her stump set them on edge, and it was very satisfying when Kamala stepped away, an expression like a grimace forming on her lips.

“Relax, Kamala, we have a few minutes before our guests arrive,” Princess Adelyn said, “And Mira, stop goading her.”

Once Mira’s scarf was in place—covering her mouth, nose, forehead, and most of her hair—assignments were made. Kamala was a Water Jinura, so she was posted closer to the docks, and Aruna was a Tongue Jinura, so she was posted at the mouth of the main street where she could keep an eye out for suspicious newcomers. Kamala was a Water Jinura, so she was posted closer to the docks, and Aruna was a Tongue Jinura, so she was posted at the mouth of the main street where she could keep an eye out for suspicious newcomers. It was no secret that Mira and Imi worked best together, so they were assigned to be at Princess Adelyn’s side. Imi was given a dark brown sash with a red stripe to tie around her waist. It was subtle enough that it wouldn’t look odd, but it was specific enough that the men they were meeting would be able to recognize it from far away.

Mira, Imi, and the princess waited in the shadow of a trading ship. They watched the bustle of traders and merchants for about ten minutes before Aruna’s message arrived.

Over the last few years, Mira had grown accustomed to Imi’s Heart Jinura power and what it felt like. A Heart Jinura influenced your emotions, amplifying them or altering them. If you were practiced, you could identify when you were being manipulated, but otherwise, the emotions felt like they were your own. A Tongue Jinura, though, planted something new inside your head. It wasn’t words—that kind of power in a Tongue Jinura was unheard of. It was more like a feeling. A sense that the ones they expected were approaching.

As Mira let out a shudder at the invasive feeling of a Tongue Jinura’s method of communication, she spotted two hooded figures coming their way. The gray hoods were a little conspicuous, so Mira had to assume they didn’t want to be recognized either.

The two figures stopped in front of them, sparing a moment to glance at Mira’s missing forearm and hand as all strangers did.

“Princess Adelyn.” The tall one bowed his head and held out his right wrist, palm facing up. He clearly thought Imi was the princess because of the identifying sash, but Adelyn simply stepped in front of Imi to greet the man.

Beside the princess’s dainty hand, the man’s looked especially thick and rough, which wasn’t surprising given the two tattoos he wore on his wrist. The first was a thin black band that was broken only by the word fire. Below that was a smaller marking: three chain links. Mira’s hand went to the saber at her side. Not only was this man a Fire Jinura, but he had been convicted of a crime. The princess, however, seemed unfazed by the tattoos and shook his hand anyway. When she came away without a scorched hand, Mira relaxed.

“Your Highness,” the second man did the same as the first, baring his wrist and shaking the princess’s hand. This one was Bone Jinura, and he’d also been convicted.

“In your message you said you had valuable information,” the princess began. One of Mira’s favorite parts about working for Princess Adelyn was that she didn’t have time to dawdle. “What can you tell me about the man they call Silas of Kavrille?” Mira stiffened and her knuckles ached as she clenched her fist around the saber’s hilt. Silas was a name she knew all too well.

“We do have information,” the Fire Jinura answered. “We used to work with him.” Impatience itched all over Mira’s skin. Suddenly, he was talking too slowly. These men could have the answers she’d been seeking for four years. “Two years ago, Silas took up a project we all thought was impossible. Around that time, Cedric and I left. It wasn’t exactly a friendly parting of ways, and we haven’t been able to keep track of Silas’s actions since then. But we have reason to believe that he is trying to finish that project.”

“But if it’s impossible—”

“It isn’t impossible,” the Bone Jinura, Cedric, interrupted. The Fire Jinura elbowed his comrade while Imi and Mira all glared at Cedric for cutting off the princess midsentence, but he apparently didn’t notice. “I know for a fact that it can be done. The unlikely part is the piece he is missing. But if he can find it, countless lives will be in danger.”

Before the princess could ask what kind of danger they were talking about, a foreign sense of warning popped into Mira’s head. It was a message from Aruna. Simultaneously, the princess, Mira, and Imi all drew their sabers. Cedric and the Fire Jinura drew blades as well, turning around to see several Linian guards headed for the docks. Port Caesit wasn’t far from Linia, so it wasn’t unusual to see Linian guards around, but this group of guards was pointing at the two hooded men.

“I’m guessing you didn’t leave prison on friendly terms either,” Imi said, standing at the ready.

“Not exactly,” the Fire Jinura replied. Another pulse of information came from Aruna. More danger. Mira peered around the approaching Linians to see more men in cloaks headed their way, swords at the ready. Some of their cloaks shifted away from their wrists, revealing a series of black band tattoos. They were all Jinura.

“Who are they?” Mira balked. These men were like magnets for trouble. She would have complained, but her heart was hammering excitedly.

“Silas’s men,” the Fire Jinura growled.

“Did you send out invitations?” Imi snapped. Not waiting for an answer, Mira rushed out to meet the Linians first, her saber clanging loudly against the guard’s blade. Before Imi and the Fire Jinura reached the next two guards, Kamala appeared from nowhere, raising the tides until an inch of water swept over the dock’s surface. The next two guards slipped and didn’t stand a chance when Kamala tossed one of them into the Baladev Sea and Imi kicked the other into a ship. As he, too, slid into the water, Imi and Kamala charged after the incoming Linians.

Soon, the entire group was engaged in some form of combat. The Linian guards and Silas’s Jinura didn’t come together, but they seemed to have some sort of unspoken agreement that they would both attack together and figure out custody of the wanted men later. Mira tore through the Linians and found herself fighting Silas’s men with the Fire Jinura at her side. A Water Jinura swept the sea onto the docks and Mira lost her footing, but the Fire Jinura quickly balanced her and continued attacking Silas’s men. More than once she paid him back by blocking a sword he hadn’t seen coming. It was strange. She didn’t usually fight this well with others unless it was Imi by her side.

When most of the Linians were either dead or in the Baladev, Silas’s men seemed to realize they were losing. Two retreated, but four more refused to quit. Amid the chaos, one of Silas’s men grabbed onto the Fire Jinura’s hood, tearing it away to reveal the face underneath. When Mira saw the features the hood was hiding, she froze. His coloring—the olive skin, light brown hair, and pale green eyes—matched the colors of many in the crowds around them, making it obvious he was from Sendium. But it wasn’t his home country that sent fire raging through her blood. It was him. Torrin. The one she’d been looking for all these years. Mira thought she let him slip through her fingers, but Shali had dropped him right in her lap.

With a shriek of fury, Mira turned on him. He desperately fought her and the Jinura Silas had sent, suddenly outnumbered.

“What are you doing?” He struggled against his two opponents. Blinded by rage, Mira kicked the last Jinura’s knee in and he crumbled to the ground, taken by surprise since he thought Mira had been on his side. Little did he know, he was just in the way. An obstacle that was easily removed.

Suddenly, the sand scarf felt like it was smothering her and Mira used her stump to rip the fabric away. Torrin’s confusion evaporated.

“Mira,” he realized in horror.

“Good,” Mira said coldly, “you remember me.”

When she swung her saber at his chest, he didn’t even try to block.