Startled, I turned to see Percy walking toward me, a satchel dangling between his fingers.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“But of course something’s wrong.” He frowned, looking down at me, hat pointed toward the dirt. “We were supposed to watch each other’s backs in there, and I let you down.”
I laughed. “You’re hardly to blame for that.”
“Well,Isay I am.” He sheepishly pulled on the satchel’s strings. “I picked these up back at the outpost. It’s not the greatest apology, but it does come packaged with my solemn swear.”
“Solemn swear?” I asked, a smile creeping up my face.
“To do better next time.” He offered me the bag.
Curious, I took it and pulled it open. The nostalgic scent of candied oranges wafted from inside. Ainwir used to buy me these little sweets during our travels.
Chuckling, I pulled one out. “Thank you.”
Bowing, he grinned at me. “Keep Whisper company. He gets lonely.”
Pulling out a second candy, I offered it to the dog. Despite his size, Whisper took the candy daintily from my hands. “Good boy,” I whispered, rubbing his head.
Still smiling, I closed the bag, saving the rest for later. What a sweetheart. Between his tone and body language, I’d gotten the impression Percy had been utterly sincere.
A bard tainted by the Empty, with a heart of gold. All my companions were mysteries to solve, their pasts a puzzle.
Pulling my knees up, I stared forward, reminding myself I was supposed to be paying rapt attention.
Serifos awaited us, a mere stopping point on our journey. My mother had dumped me on its streets, and in its outskirts, Ainwir had found me. Most of my life had been spent in its underbelly, learning how to make dishonest coin.
Sometimes, I tried to convince myself I had no other choice. I couldn’t choose my master, nor his profession. I was working with the only skill I knew.
But it wasn’t true. I’d never wanted for more, never thought outside myself. And I’d never felt guilt over it until now.
10
Chapter 10
We’d roused in the morning to the sound of movement in the forest to our south. I’d been dragged from my bedroll and tossed onto a horse, mind racing with fear as I wondered what would happen if the soldiers caught us.
A confrontation would beget bloodshed and death. Here, in the wilderness, that could spell our doom. The guards doubtless understood the danger as keenly as we did—catching murderers in a world where violent death was to be avoided at all costs was their job. They’d have a means to outpace us, surround us, and force surrender.
I glanced around nervously as we left the woods behind and returned to the main road. The sounds of pursuit had faded an hour ago, but my heart raced nonetheless.
Eleos turned his head. “We’ll be fine. They didn’t see our faces, remember?”
“Stop reading my mind.”
“I’m not. You’re practically carved into my back, and I can feel your heartbeat.”
Realizing he was right, I sat back on the saddle and almost lost my balance. Floundering for a handhold, I grabbed him again,less tightly this time.
Percy rode at the rear of our little formation, eyes glued behind us, Whisper trotting at his side, nose to the ground. Scanning the road, I watched intently for the gates I both loathed and adored the sight of.
Serifos: the last bastion of the isthmus. A thin strip of land carved through the Empty, leading to Therapne and Cynthus in the southwest. Pearl white gates rose above the trees, visible far before you reached the city’s outskirts. There wasn’t space for farmlands here: ranches gathered around a river, where herds roamed the thinning trees.
Once, mountains had risen toward the sky, wrapping Serifos in their protective embrace. Hints of white rock peeked from the ranches, though the mountains had long crumbled and disappeared into the Empty.
I sat forward as we crossed the bridge into the city proper. The guards here had not yet received word of the assault on the dungeons. Hopefully, we could get lost in the streets before they did. Leaning around Eleos, I took in the sight of my old home.
