Read 3: Black Blades for Free Online

look pale.”
    “I was up too late last night.” Kahlil watched Alidas’ face for some notion of what he would want done tomorrow. Nanvess’ involvement in the assassination complicated things.           
    Alidas observed the fire and after a moment said, “You should sit down.”
    Kahlil took a chair. As usual, Alidas remained on his feet, leaning against his desk. Kahlil supposed that Alidas only kept chairs for the sake of other people.
    “I have a train ticket to Ris’ela. It’s southeast in the Tushoya lands.” Alidas glanced down at one of the books on his desk. “I know you don’t know anyone there, but that might be an advantage. No one there will know you either. You can make a clean start of it.”
    “You want me to just leave?” Kahlil couldn’t credit it. “But what about tomorrow? What—”
    “An assassination attempt against Jath’ibaye is dangerous to the Bousim House,” Alidas told him, “but division within the house is worse. Guansho Bousim is old and he knows he has lost much of his power to Nanvess’ father. For the sake of uniting the entire Bousim House, the gaunsho will appoint Nanvess as his heir.”
    “But they don’t know what they’re doing. Jath’ibaye—”
    “Kyle,” Alidas stepped closer to him, “it isn’t your concern anymore. You need to leave.”
    But Jath’ibaye was his concern, far more than Alidas could know. He looked up to say so just as Alidas reached out and brushed a strand of Kahlil’s black hair back from his face, shocking him to silence. It was so unlike Alidas to touch him.
    “You should have your own life,” Alidas said. “For the last two years you’ve lived in secrecy, in isolation. You’ve had no friends, no family. No one.”
    “I had you, and I didn’t need—” Kahlil cut himself off as he realized how pathetic he sounded. “You saved my life; I owed you the work.”
    Alidas watched the fire. His dark eyes caught its light and glowed like amber.
      “I saved you because I knew I could use you,” he finally said. “I saw the remains of the man you killed with your bare hands. And I knew that if I could control you, I could bring the men I wanted down. I wasn’t moved by kindness or even pity. I wanted your skills.”
    “And now that you’ve had them you want me to leave?”
    “I want to give you your life back,” Alidas said.
    “In Ris’ela?” Scorn crept into Kahlil’s voice. “What would a person like me do there?”
    “Whatever you liked.”
    “I don’t think I even know how to live like that. I’ve never—”
    “I have orders to kill you,” Alidas said flatly. He didn’t meet Kahlil’s eyes, but only glanced down at the pile of books on his desk.
    “From Nanvess?” Kahlil asked, hopeful. Nanvess hadn’t been named guansho yet. He still had to answer to his uncle’s authority.
    “From Gaunsho Bousim. The house must remain united.” Alidas pulled the grate of the wood stove open. He threw in another scrap of wood, a piece of broken table leg. “That’s why I bought the ticket for you. I was going to leave it here and hope that you had the sense to go.”
    “I see.” Kahlil’s stomach clenched and for a moment he thought he might be sick again. “So this is my fair warning, then?”
    Alidas nodded. “If I see you again, I’ll have no choice.”
    “I understand.” Kahlil forced briskness into his tone. “You should probably have your key back.”
    “Yes, I suppose I should.”
    Kahlil unclasped the chain around his neck and slid the key off. For a moment he held it in his hand, feeling the warmth it radiated, before he handed it over. Alidas’ concerns were matters of house loyalties and political stability. He was an excellent leader to his men and an honorable servant to his gaunsho. He would never involve himself in something he’d been ordered to disregard.
    “What will happen tomorrow at the Bell Dance?”         
    “That depends on the men involved.” Alidas