“He died protecting me, and it didn’t even matter.” Pressure enclosed my sternum. “King Silas is relentless.”
“If you knew your potential, you’d understand why.” Gold eyes found me within the shadows of an oak tree. “You radiate the purest energy I’ve ever felt. The power in your blood is unparalleled.”
“This is all so confusing. I don’t feel powerful or special.”
Stryder faced the trees ahead of us. “You’re more than special, kid. The poison used on the king is one of the strongest we have. A single drop would kill a full-grown monstrous boar. He drank five. It should’ve been a horribly gruesome death. Blood oozing from every orifice of his face—mouth, nose, and ears. You spared him that fate.”
“Me?” I halted in step. “I didn’t do anything.”
“But you did.” He turned to me. “I reckon our mistake was putting it in the coffee.”
“Because coffee is the nectar of the gods and purifies everyone it touches?”
“No.” His lips twitched. “Because you made it.”
“I don’t understand.” The understatement of the century.
“Don’t fully understand it myself,” he said with a frown. “All I know is there’s power in your blood. What I told the prince in that regard is true enough.”
“Does King Silas really want to sacrifice me in a blood ritual?”
“Enough questions.” Stryder grabbed my arm again and encouraged me along. “Keep walking.”
I glanced at the surrounding trees. Was Rowan hiding somewhere nearby, waiting for the right moment to intervene?
Did I want him to be?
Stryder was insanely powerful. I dreaded to think of him fighting any of my men. Swords were no match against fire spells. Briar could perform spells, but his skills lay in green magic, growing plants and healing people, not hurting them. Rowan’s shadow ability, what I’d dubbed the Bone Crusher, was deadly, but he could only use it once. And Lake was strong and moved swiftly, but all it’d take was one powerful blast aimed his way to…
No. I needed to save myself this time.
I stumbled my way through the foliage and vines. Thornbushes caught on my pants, and my shoes slid on the occasional scatter of damp leaves. Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back. This wasn’t the time to cry. I needed to form a plan and find a way out of this mess.
Find my way back home.
“What’s that sound?” I asked, hearing a rushing in the distance. “A stream?”
“If you say so.”
There’d been a stream nearby when I’d first met Oreo. Not far from it had been the king’s road. If I could reach it, I could…
Never mind. I was technically an escaped criminal. Being seen on such a public route wouldn’t be a good idea, let alone waving someone down and asking for help.
“Why do this?” I asked, desperate to put an end to this hellish night. “If it’s for the money, I can pay you.”
His brow arched. “You’ll pay me, will ya?”
“Yep. Just name your price. Whatever you’re being paid, I’ll double it. The café makes decent profit. Surely, with what I have saved up, I can make enough to cover the rest. It might take me a while, but—”
“Have you forgotten you’re a wanted man?” he reminded me. “Unless you have my weight in gold just lying around somewhere, I’m not interested. Capturing you is a guaranteed payday.”
“Please.” My voice shook. “There has to be some bargain we can make. Muffins for life or something.”
“Begging won’t do you any good, kid. Besides, I hate sweets.”
“You sound just like Rowan.”
“Stop talking and walk. I tire of your voice.”
