Bloodtraitor by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes Read Free Book Online

remember why I had wanted to save her.
    Then Hara saw Nathaniel, and the drugged flush abruptly disappeared from her face, replaced by ghostlike pallor. She whispered “Dear Anhamirak” under her breath, then lifted her head and looked around with more focus, pausing as she beheld each of us waiting in the woods. “You hypocritical fools,” she said. “And
you,
” she added to Nathaniel, “have no right. These criminals have been exiled from serpiente society for years. They have no power to sell one of us.”
    Nathaniel just shrugged. It was a mercenary’s job to follow the laws, not explain or justify them. Vance and Kadee had recently made a deal that made it illegal for us to sell anyone in the future, but unfortunately, it had been too late. Misha had already set this up. Even if she hadn’t, Aaron was a prince of the serpiente. By Midnight’s laws, he had the right to sell any of his people at any time he wanted.
    Legally,
I reminded myself.
Midnight’s laws give us the
legal
right, but no man or woman ever has the
moral
right to sell another. Even if she would have gladly done the same to all of us, given a chance.
    Nathaniel spoke to Misha briefly. “Given she would obviously like to kill you all, perhaps you and your people should move on before I untie her.” He turned back to the cobra. “Lady Hara, do you ride?”
    Hara nodded slowly.
    “Lady?” Misha mocked.
    “Misha, we’re done here.”
    Misha stiffened as if struck.
    She wasn’t ready to move on. The violence was still twined within her. She had thought that selling Hara would help, that she would feel some relief, some peace, but there was nothing and now it was almost done.
    I dropped down from the tree and crossed to my sister, trying to send out calming thoughts. “Misha, we should get back to camp,” I said softly. “I am sure you have plans to meet with your king. There is much still left to do.”
    “King?”
Hara asked, incredulous. She continued as if casually speculating about the weather. “Can you imagine, a child of Obsidian bowing to my illegitimate brother. But I suppose you grew used to having a master, back in—”
    With a cry of rage more suited to an animal than a person, Misha launched herself at the cobra. The two foxes tried to grab her, but she fought tooth and claw. I received a swipe of her nails across my face and an elbow in my chest when I intervened, so I backed off, listening to my heart pound.
    At this point, Nathaniel could have claimed Misha for interfering with a trade. If he wasn’t determined to see her on the throne, to get the support of prophecy behind his wild plans against Midnight, he would have seized her as a bonus.
    My whole body chilled when the vampire waded into the fray. Within moments, he had Misha pinned to the ground with a hand on the back of her neck.
    “
Lady
Misha,” he hissed, speaking very softly and deliberately, “take your people, and go. Now. Or
I
will take your people. Am I clear?”
    I looked around at the others. I trusted Vance to stay out of the way if Misha continued to cause problems, and Kadee had refused to be here at all for the trade, but some of the others might be spellbound enough to jump in to protect their future queen.
    I drew in a slow breath, consciously making the decision: if Misha forced Nathaniel to respond, I would let the mercenary choose my sister’s fate.
Torquil,
I decided. If he tried to get involved, I would grab him and hold him back. Aika would be smart and keep safe as long as he was all right.
    I couldn’t decide if I was relieved or disappointed when Misha’s body stilled, and I felt the wave of red-hot rage inside her start to cool, like lava blackening on the surface despite the molten rock still flowing underneath.
    Nathaniel left her in the dirt and returned to Hara.
    I offered my hand to Misha, but she shoved herself up on her own and stalked away. She did not look back at me, or at the cobra we had just given away, like a burnt