“Is there a back door to this prison island?”

“Here. Where the old drawbridge used to be.” Oscar pointed to the opposite end of the island. “It’s a smaller fortification but still guarded. I can’t see a viable entry point.”

I had a way in, of course. My sword would cut through the ward like a hot knife through butter. But that wasn’t something I liked to advertise. Not when our city’s entire defense depended on the invulnerability of its ward.

Mason knew what I was thinking. He slumped in a chair and said, “You might as well tell him. If we’re going to get this done, he needs all the facts.”

Oscar turned to me with a quizzical look. I bit my lip. “You know my sword has some…uh, magical properties?” Oscar encouraged me with a nod. “Part of that means it can cut through anything.”

“Anything?” Oscars caterpillars were creeping up again.

“Well, I haven’t tested it on every substance in the universe, but so far, yeah. Anything.”

He thought about that for a moment, and his eyebrows threatened to fall off the top of his head as understanding dawned.

“It can cut through a ward?”

“Uh-huh.”

We let him rant and curse and pace for a full minute before he returned to the map

“Do you have any idea what that means? Our enemies are always looking for a way to break us! What if the opji find out about this?”

“Relax. It’s a Valkyrie blade. It needs a Valkyrie to wield it.”

“Oh, that’s much better! So all they need is to kidnap you too. Or worse, threaten Mason or that furry little dervish you’re so fond of.” He jabbed a finger toward Jacoby asleep on the couch. “Or any of your precious rescues. What wouldn’t you do to save one of them?”

He had a point. But my vulnerability wasn’t the question here.

“Oscar, stand down.” Mason pointed to the map. “Let’s solve one problem before we make another. Kyra is safe. The sword is safe.”

“Are there more of these swords?” Oscar wasn’t ready to let it go. “Does this cousin of yours have one too?”

I nodded. “Yes, but Hub would have confiscated it. I guess it’s in lockup now.”
Another minute passed while he paced the room, cursing my ancestry under his breath.

Mason caught my eye and winked.