The time for waiting was passed. Now it was time to be done with it. With him.

Now it was time for him to pay.

My fingers found the hilt of my Blade without looking, and I had a flash of Father, standing near me as I assumed the ready position. I could still feel his hand on my shoulder, steadying my arm as I focused on the targets across the field in the distance.

Hit your mark, Rose. Hit your mark.

I stepped forward, itching to drive the Blade through Bael’s black, black heart.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” It was not the murmured voice in my ear that gave me pause, but the hand, tightly clenched around my upper arm, that made me stop in my tracks.

I knew better than to expose my back to Bael. Instead, I tipped my head so that my body was still facing forward, glaring from under the brim of my hat at the young man who had spoken.

“And I wouldn’t do that.” I let my eyes skip to his hand, still encircling my arm. “If I were you, I mean.”

In the noise and activity of the room, the young man’s face was a series of quick impressions. Angular cheekbones, dark hair curling at his ears, deep blue eyes flashing even in the dim light of the room.

“I understand,” he said, loosening his grip on my arm. “But he’ll kill you, too, if he sees you.”

For a moment, everything seemed to still, and all I heard were his words.

He’ll kill you, too, if he sees you.

As if he knew about the murder of my family.

I removed my hand from the hilt of the Blade, looking at him in surprise. “First of all, you don’t understand. Couldn’t possibly understand. And second of all,” I pulled my arm violently from his grasp, “who are you?”