"Ow," I moaned. "Really, you're kicking me?"
"I'm sorry. Tenger--"
"So it was him. But why?"
"Your captain is protecting his choice for the Blade: Risha's daughter."
That thought took some time to process, but once it did, my breath caught in my throat. "Tell me it's not--"
"Trina. When she said she wanted to get the dagger for Tenger, she meant it literally."
"And if she becomes the Infidante, she'll put Tenger on the Scarlet Throne."
"That can't happen, Simon. Trina has to be stopped before that ceremony begins."
Was someone playing drums with my head? It felt that way. "You tried to touch the Blade and it rejected you. Maybe the same thing will happen to her."
"I'm Endrean. She's Risha's daughter. Trina has a better chance than anyone in that crowd."
I'd already been working at my knots, and so had Kestra, but neither of us were making any progress. I looked around for anything within reach that might cut the leather cord, but my sword was far out of reach, and we had the unfortunate luck of being in the cleanest cobbler's shop in all of Antora. That figured.
"Were there any tools left out on the workbench?" I asked. "Anything sharp?"
"I don't know. I wasn't paying attention to the bench."
I twisted my body around until I could fold my legs beneath me, and then hunched my back to bump the bench up in the air. It barely rose, but came down heavy enough that a few tools bumped with it. Nothing dropped to the floor.
"That ... wasn't fun." Something in my chest had just snapped, I was sure of it. Whatever Loelle had healed inside me was probably undone.
"Can you do it again? But keep it raised a little longer?"
"Do you know how heavy this bench is?"
"I'm not asking you to twirl it. Just keep it raised for three seconds."
I sighed. "I'll give you two."
By then, Kestra had scooted her hands as low to the ground as possible. When I raised the bench, she needed to swipe the leather cord beneath the bench leg. Two seconds. That was all I could do.
I drew in a deep breath, raised my legs higher than before, then lifted the bench with my back. It barely came off the ground, and even then I struggled with the weight.
"I got the cord beneath the leg, but it's pinched there," she said. "Higher!"
"You do it, then!" I grunted. But with one last effort, I raised it just enough that she could pull the cord free. I let the bench drop and then leaned back against the table leg, exhausted.
Somehow, my head hurt worse than before. The pounding had become an incessant rhythm at the base of my skull. I figured if I slept again now, I might never wake up.
Kestra stood and found a small round knife, one that might cut boot leather. She twisted it to the right angle behind her back to slice at the leather cord. Seconds later, she was free.
She knelt beside me and freed my arms, but I didn't move. "I can't go out there with you," I mumbled. "I'll slow you down."
"Will you be all right? I don't want to leave--"
"You have to stop them. I'll be fine. Just you ... be careful."
She smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss, then stood again and ran out the door. She wasn't gone more than five seconds before I cursed and forced myself to stand. Of every girl in Antora, why did I have to be falling so hard for her? I could've found a nice farm girl who'd spend her days making meat pies and milking our cows. I could've even chosen a Corack, someone who'd fight beside me--not against me. Of anyone, why Kestra?
Once I stumbled outside, I started toward the amphitheater. The crowd there was growing, and I couldn't see Kestra anywhere.