Jade put her living hand through the part missing from Corven's chest.
Ty caught her coat belt with two chain links before the prison rail took her shoulder. She leaned farther anyway, left arm buried to the elbow in a dead man's open road.
"Your left hand chooses people before permission arrives."
"It learned from your entire skeleton, so hold my waist and complain later."
Her fingers found the ration cloth tied around the surviving worker's hand. The cloth pulled tight across Corven's cut ribs.
The trapped hand turned palm upward. Two fingers stayed bound to the stake while the thumb worked a loose end around Jade's index finger. The worker chose the grip and pulled once to test whether Jade answered.
Jade pulled back once.
On the far side, four blank helms walked beside Rillhold's oldest stake. Three hung from their belts. The fourth worker dragged one foot while both tied fingers kept closing around the stone.
The Reaper raised its scythe.
