“Met long before either of us knew what we were,” Bo said. “Seems strange, a Privileged and a powder mage being friends.” It was never wise to know too much about any members of the royal cabal. He knew little about this Privileged beyond city rumor. He lost a lot of money betting against you.”Īdamat examined the man. “Taniel and I would sneak off and watch you. “Used to go see you fight when I was a kid,” Bo said. “That’s right,” SouSmith said, surprised. Bo took it in his gloved hand with surprising strength. “I told Magus Khen that my best friend would come after him if he killed me.” “It wasn’t hard, really,” the Privileged said. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, but Adamat thought he caught sight of the white of Privileged’s gloves. The Privileged stopped a few feet from them. The Mountainwatch was kind to no one-not even a Privileged. Under a ruddy beard, loose skin hung from what once had been jowls. He wore a long reindeer-skin jacket that went to his knees, and boots, pants, and a hat to match. He was far enough away that he shouldn’t have heard any of that. The Privileged approached them from the town within the bastion. Unofficially, rumor has it he slept with Privileged Khen’s favorite concubine.”

“Officially? There was a shift in power within the royal cabal, and Borbador was on the wrong side. “Exiled.” Adamat watched his breath come out white. He leaned against one of the fixed guns that faced toward Kez. “What’s a Privileged doin’ out here anyway?” SouSmith finished loading his pistols and stuck them in his belt. Adamat trusted his country with the Mountainwatch far more than he trusted them with his life. They tended the high passes, manned the mines and the timber yards, and they were Adro’s first defense against a foreign invasion. Everyone knew the Mountainwatch was filled with convicts and cutthroats and the very hardest men in the Nine. He was up here on the roof of the world, a five-day journey from Adopest. “Even a Privileged has to come through me to get ya.” SouSmith resumed loading the weapon.Īdamat stifled a smile and realized the words had banished some of his nervousness.

There was no guarding anybody against one of these.

Powder mage promise of blood