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He Deserves It

Kaye and Bryant stayed in the visitor tent for the night, Kaye fretting silently over her sister's actions, over Celeste's words, over everything that had gone wrong. Bryant was deep in his own dark thoughts, so she didn't bother looking for comfort there. They slept little, and when Kaye woke, the smell of the tent and trees confused her for a long moment. She thought she was late to sing up the sun with the priestesses.

Kaye turned her face into Bryant's chest, and he squeezed her before she stood and dressed. She would prepare Kindra for the wedding and play the part of their mother to call her out. Kaye would be the one to bind her sister to her death.

There was a knock on the doorframe and when Kaye opened it, she smiled.

"I thought you would be awake," Gar said, but couldn't bring himself to smile.

Kaye turned to Bryant. “I didn’t introduce you last night, but this is Gar Bayn. Gar, this is Bryant.”

They nodded to each other, but Bryant's eyes didn't leave the spear. "Don't worry," Gar said. "This isn't for you."

"Who is it for?" Kaye asked as she took it from him to see the mark. "It's my father’s."

He nodded. "Kindra gave it to me. It's for Oak."

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Kaye turned it in her hands. As a priestess she was not supposed to condone murder, but all she could say was, "Good. He deserves it."

"Speaking of which," Gar took the spear back from her. "I could use your help."

She took a step back. "I'm not killing anyone."

Gar finally smiled. "I wouldn’t ask you to. I need you to keep watch for Oak. He's being guarded in his tent now, but when the ceremony is over, he's a dead man and he knows it. He'll try to sneak out during the feasting, and I need you to tell me when you see him."

Bryant crossed his arms and took a step closer to Kaye. "It is your duty to kill this man?"

Gar looked at him, eyes cold. "And my honor."

Before a fight could brew, Kaye stepped forward and looked into Gar's eyes. "I have to play the part of Aleda first, but it would be my honor to help you. Make sure..." She hated to say it, until she thought of the pain and emptiness she would feel the next day. "Make sure he suffers. My father didn't have a quick death."

Gar bowed formally. "He'll suffer. For every moment that your father suffered. For every moment that your sister suffers. For every moment that you and I suffer. He will suffer more. I promise you."

"Good." Kaye turned to look at Bryant. His normal, annoyed look had been replaced with horror as he looked at her. She shrugged. "He's a traitor. He deserves it."

"No one deserves a bad death," he said softly, but Kaye knew he wouldn't try to stop them.

The clear voices of the priestesses began singing up the sun, and Kaye turned her head to the door. It sounded strange without her voice in the mix. Subdued. "You should go before the sun rises. I’ll meet you when my part is finished."

She handed the spear back to Gar, and Bryant followed him out. They could find a place in the trees just south of the village where Kaye would have a good view of the chief's tent.