Free Trinity by Clare Davidson Page A

that the Wolf wasn’t a
threat? “Heal yourself then.”
    Nidan gave her a lopsided grimace.
“I can’t. It’s impossible to use the magic of Pios to heal
yourself.”
    Kiana wanted to scream. “Then at
least clean and dress your wounds. Surely you’ve been taught how to
do that?”
    Nidan nodded. It looked like he
was going to continue looking through the saddlebags, but instead
he paused. “We should tie him up.”
    Kiana rolled her eyes. “Not now. He’s not in a fit state to do
anything.” Except cast
magic. She turned her back on
Nidan again, crouched down and tried to smile brightly at the
Wolf. If he really wanted us
dead, we would be by now. “Next
question.”
    The Wolf was still staring at her,
but he was also trying to open and close the fingers on his left
hand. They were all dark with bruises.
    The Wolf allowed his hand to slide
to the ground where it rested in the crook of a tree root.
“Thousands of people have been killed in your name, yet you take
the time to save me? It doesn’t make sense.”
    It’s all the senseless killing that doesn’t make sense. “Most of those deaths occurred before I
was even born.” She paused, choosing her words carefully.
“Recently, it’s your people who have brought the war to us. Not the
other way around.”
    He chewed on his lower lip.
“Before your current incarnation was born.”
    Kiana felt like she was being led
into a trap but nodded anyway.
    “ Your soul is
immortal. Even if the bodies you are born into are mortal, your
soul will carry all of your memories.”
    Kiana knew very little about the
soul. That had been Ysia’s domain, her role in the trinity. Kiana
wondered if the Wolves had preserved knowledge of Ysia’s power and
if everyone else had purposefully forgotten. She sat forward onto
her knees. “The only memories I have are my own.”
    The
Wolf shook his head as though denying her words. “Why did Pios save
you, but do nothing to save Ysia?” Every muscle in his face
and shoulders was taut.
    Kiana returned his stare; her mind
raced with questions. “I don’t know.”
    The Wolf’s eyes widened; they
looked desperate and slightly less cold. “How could you have
condoned so much killing? You and Pios could have brought
peace!”
    Kiana shook her head. Tears brimmed in her eyes. She couldn’t
answer his questions. Why can’t
I answer his questions?
    “ You could have
stopped all this!” He staggered to his feet.
    Kiana shifted her weight backwards
as he stared down at her. Behind, she heard Nidan hurry closer.
Without looking at him, Kiana held the flat of her palm up to order
him to stop. The Wolf was not a threat. The injured man breathed
heavily and tried to walk away, but the leg that had been pinned
beneath the horse gave way and he sank to the ground. Kiana
couldn’t quell her tears as he hunched his shoulders and bowed his
head. She clenched her hands into fists, forcing herself to stay
still.
    “ Why did you save
me?” The Wolf’s voice was almost inaudible. “Why did you and Pios
turn your backs on us? You could have saved us.”
    That was more than Kiana could
bear. She felt tears strangling her throat and brimming in her
eyes. Crawling forward, she knelt beside the Wolf, ignoring the
sting of twigs pressing through her dress. Kiana reached out to the
Wolf. She hesitated, knowing he wouldn’t welcome her touch. She was
aware of Nidan watching her every move; it unnerved her, but she
looked to him for help anyway.
    “ I suppose that’s
the price for killing a goddess,” Nidan said with an uncaring
shrug.
    Kiana glared at him.
    “ That was the act of one man!” The Wolf didn’t look up as he
spoke. “ Not Ysia. Not the rest of our people and not me.”
    “ I know.” Kiana
touched his shoulder. “I don’t know why the gods didn’t stop the
war. I don’t know why Pios chose not to save Ysia. I don’t
know.”
    “ But you should!”
The Wolf pulled away from her. His face contorted with pain as his
injured