“Perfect timing,” Rydon grumbled, and Gabe flashed him a grin.
“Aye.”
“How’s she holding up?”
Gabriol shrugged. “About as well as can be expected, considering her brother’s been snatched, the cleric too, although he was taken somewhere called Thanoras House, and her sister is in the hands of a deranged Olympian.”
“Sounds like any other day to me,” Rydon scoffed.
“Aye.”
“Can you sneak me in now or should we wait for nightfall?”
Gabe shook his head, glancing over his shoulder. “I can sneak you inside now, but getting you to where Ren and the others are will need to be done later tonight. There’s some sort of reception for the royals and other fancy guests, so everyone that matters will be in the throne room.” He reached out and clapped Rydon’s shoulder. “Your timing is uncanny.”
They walked for a bit in silence. Rydon kept his gaze down, which was easy to do with how unsettled the news of Croak’s capture made him.
“I’m assuming they took the boy to the dungeons,” he said aloud. Gabe glanced back at him with a short nod. “Any chance you can sneak me in to see him?”
“No, not now. But if you’re still around, you can help us get him out tomorrow night.”
“Good. It bothers me more than I like, thinking of him down there. At the hands of the man who tortured Ren.”
Gabe nodded again, ducking his head as he sighed. “Aye. Hopefully, he’ll keep his damned mouth shut.”
Rydon threw back his head and laughed, catching himself at the last moment when several heads turned in their direction. He lowered his head and walked faster. “That’s about as likely as Ren having a plan that doesn’t involve killing someone.”
As they neared the castle, Rydon opened his mouth to ask something when shouts sounded ahead of them. They ducked behind a building on their left as soldiers rushed past, their armor clanging.
Exchanging a look, Gabriol leaned out of cover. A moment later, he moved back and pushed Rydon further out of sight.
“I don’t know what’s happened, but we can’t go in this way.”
“Let’s wait then.”
More soldiers rushed past, while others went toward the castle.
“Fuck.” Rydon closed his eyes.
“What?”
“I think I know what’s happened.”
Gabriol lifted an ashen eyebrow as he waited for Rydon to continue.
Opening his mouth to answer, he was saved from doing so when a soldier passing nearby shouted.
“Spartans! Spartans at the gates!”
Rydon shrugged, a rueful smile on his face when Gabriol rolled his eyes.
The dull roarof conversations in the throne room made Lerek wince more than once. He’d forgotten how loud these events were.
As more and more dignitaries and their families arrived, Lerek wished he’d never returned. His face felt as if it was frozen in a satirical mien of crown prince arrogance mixed with feigned graciousness.
This is what he’d run from in the first place.
Lerek shuddered.
