Chapter 13
Compounding Uncertainty
Zaid couldn’t breathe. Not that he didn’t want to, or that his airway was blocked off. He just wasn’t allowed to. The body could only last a few minutes at most without oxygen, he would pass out first, of course, but he didn’t know if the ubir’s compulsion would last in unconsciousness.
He was rooted to the floor, his lungs burning, and he had several broken ribs. Years of training had him focusing his mind and pushing the pain someplace far away. Once his own mind was quiet again, he found where the ubir’s anchor was buried deep. He started tugging and pulling at it, but it was as if roots were starting to form and burrowed deeper.
His lungs were on fire. From his spot on the floor, he could see the dark sheen of one of his daggers laying on the near
