Honored Vow

studied Koren’s face for a minute before I walked back to the
    others.
    “I have a question.” Artem said.
    We all turned to look at him.
    “Besides Crane,” he said, his eyes on mine, “who else goes into the
    pit with you and Domin when you defend Logan?”
    “I can pick one other.”
    He nodded. “Then pick me, Jin, please.”
    “No,” I told him. “You have to stay here and act as sheseru while
    Yuri is away.”
    “If I die,” Yuri said, his hand reaching for Artem’s shoulder, “then
    you’re the new sheseru of the tribe of Mafdet.”
    Artem took a shuddering breath.
    “You have to remain to guard Koren.”
    His nod was decisive though not happy.
    “Take me with you, Jin.”
    I turned to look at the man who had come from Sobek with us six
    months ago and was now truly part of our household. “I can’t do that, Taj;
    you’re a member of the Shu.”
    He shook his head. “I resigned my place,” he told me. “I am now a
    member of the tribe of Mafdet.”
    “I’m sure Logan will consider you for the place of sheseru, then,”
    Yuri told him. “You’re much faster than—”
    “But I’m not stronger than you,” he told Yuri. “And I discussed it
    with Logan a while back, and he said that if I stayed, he would make me a
    manu and Ivan a baku.”

    116

    Mary Calmes

    “Ivan?” Markel was surprised.
    “Me?” Ivan said, and I realized I had forgotten he was there with us.
    I always called him; I never left him out, as he lived in the house with us.
    “Yes. Logan said that Markel and Artem would also be granted those
    positions when he returned from the sepat.”
    I looked around the room at all four men: Markel, Ivan, Taj, and
    Artem. They were stunned—all but Taj, who had been the only one privy
    to the plan—and pleased, I could tell. Ivan and Markel were especially
    touched, as they had been Domin’s sylvan and sheseru when he was semel
    of the tribe of Menhit.
    “Logan trusts you all implicitly,” Taj continued, “and the tribe is
    growing so fast that Logan needs his household full of those he deems
    most worthy.” He turned to Artem. “You’re the only one not living in the
    house, Artem, and you’re to move in at once.”
    He swallowed hard, overwhelmed, I could tell. As they all closed in
    around each other, talking, I walked to the window and looked out at the
    snow.
    “My reah.”
    The room went silent behind me, but I didn’t turn to Mikhail’s call.
    “I’m happy for you all,” I told him, facing the gray January sky.
    “But before anything else, we have to think about the sepat. Because no
    matter what you all think, without Logan Church, the tribe will suffer.
    Without him, I won’t be here; without me, Yuri won’t be himself, and so
    on, and so on…. The priority must be making sure that Logan comes
    home safe.”
    “Of course,” Mikhail agreed.
    “Yes, Jin,” Yuri agreed.
    I felt a hand on my shoulder, and when I turned, Crane was there.
    “I need you to help me get strong so I can go with you.”
    The fact that he wanted to go, even though I knew he had to be
    terrified, spoke volumes about his strength. “Okay.”
    “First thing tomorrow, let’s go talk to Ray and see about resigning
    our positions.”
    “You don’t have to do that, Crane, just me.”

    Honored Vow

    117

    “No, we both do. I just wanna be here, Jin, at the house, on the land.
    Yuri said he would teach me his business, he said I could go to work for
    him, with him. I think that would be best.”
    It was strange to think about everyone outside of their roles in the
    tribe, but they had lives that didn’t include Logan or me.
    Yuri owned and operated a security business where he installed
    high-tech alarm systems for commercial as well as residential clients.
    Mikhail had a demolition company that knocked stuff down—buildings,
    bridges—and then hauled the debris away and disposed of it. Markel was
    an artist, Ivan taught fifth grade, and Domin owned many very lucrative
    pawn shops, two in Reno and three in Las Vegas. Koren owned a real
    estate company in Lake Tahoe, and Delphine worked for her brother, for
    Logan, at the glassworks that he owned. She was the on-site manager.
    Everyone worked, and I was worried about not doing my share even
    though Logan said that my concern should have been him and the tribe
    and nothing else.
    “You already have Taj here patrolling, being the guardian of the
    house and the grounds. I want to do my part, but I have no idea when