Venn leaned forward. “You’ve been gathering information to take to the princess. What else have you learned?”
“Well, I’m sorry to say my experience is not dissimilar to many of the other refugees here. The Hunt is central to many in their decision to leave Devendra, and mine isn’t the only family home to burn. Whole streets are swallowed in flames, and all of the circumstances are mysterious. And it’s striking fear into the hearts of everyone.”
“What do you know about the Hunt?”
“They’re led by Prince Grandeur. From what I can gather, King Newlan granted him total authority in the hunting down of the rebels. It’s all-out war, my friend. The prince is paranoid and will arrest anyone for the slightest reason. As near as I can tell, suspicion alone is a sufficient reason to detain and torture someone—no evidence is actually required.”
“That goes against all of our laws.”
He tipped his head. “Another reason why I was hesitant to go to the king. The princess seems our only chance for justice.”
Venn wasn’t sure what Serene would have the power to do. But she certainly did need to know about all of this. He cleared his throat. “Finn—the boy with us—says his father was arrested by the Hunt and tortured. They released him, but he still decided to flee with his family.”
“Where is the boy’s father now?”
“A good question. I’m hoping to find him in the logbook, though I have to admit, I’ve wondered if he just abandoned his children.”
“And Vera? What does she think of her husband’s leaving?”
“Oh. She’s not married to David Holm. She was traveling with me. She’s one of the princess’s maids. We found the children near the road, their mother dead, their father gone.”
Zander muttered a short prayer. “Those poor children . . .” He shook his head. “I hope you can find their father. And for their sakes, I hope he had good reason to leave them.”
Venn wasn’t as hopeful, but he accepted the words with a nod. “Since you’ve been here a little longer than I have, can you tell me anything else about the camp?”
“Not much. Although from the stories I’ve heard, the refugees who made it here are better off than those who went south into Zennor.”
Venn frowned. “Why?”
“The people who fled into Zennor are disappearing. Some are taken even before they cross the river Ivern.”
Venn’s spine stiffened. “What do you mean,taken?”
“Camps are found with disturbed ground, sometimes blood, and occasionally a body, but nothing else. Entire families—gone. Many of the men here are increasingly bitter; they fled the Hunt, sending word to their families to flee into Zennor. The men thought it would be a safer destination, and they planned to meet them there after losing the Hunt in Mortise. But those families haven’t been seen again.”
Venn’s mind flashed to the words that had been hurled at him outside the inn:“Do you know what the Zennorians stole from me? My wife. My children.”
Venn’s frown deepened. “Right by the river . . . that’s clan territory. Could they be responsible for this?” It seemed doubtful. Last Venn had heard, relations with the clans and the monarchy were settling—partly because of Princess Imara’s betrothal to the Kabu clan’s leader, a man named Skyer.
“I don’t know if the clans are to blame or not,” Zander said. “Either way, it doesn’t reflect well on King Buhari. He’s either behind the disappearances, or he’s incapable of stopping them. And I’m not talking about a handful of men and women. From my estimate, there arehundredsof men, women, and children who have disappeared. That many people can’t simply vanish. Even the jungles of Zennor aren’t that deep. Someone knows where they are.”
All of this was more haunting and dire than Venn had ever imagined.
“I think that might be some of the reason you received such unkindness on the road,” Zander continued. “People are angry—and afraid. At first, I thought it was simply bigoted people, or even an argument against Grandeur, in a way. I’ve heard some mutterings that it’s the Zennorian in him that makes him attack his own people so bitterly. But I think it has far more to do with what’s happening along the Zennorian border.
“Regardless, it might be best if you can go to the princess now. Tell her of all this, and I can stay and attempt to learn more.”
“I can’t leave yet. If we can’t learn about David Holm’s fate, the children are coming with Vera and me to Duvan. Perhaps you should go now?”
He shook his head. “Soon, perhaps, but not yet. The Keeper can’t put me off forever, and I want to meet with him first, to better determine who he is. A thief and an exploiter, that much I know, but I would learn the rest.” Zander focused solely on Venn. “Do you think the princess will be able to do anything to help us? Here in the camp, but also in Devendra? Can she stop the Hunt?”
“I don’t know,” Venn said honestly. “But I do know she’ll try.”
Chapter 17
Vera
With Venn gone for the day, Vera worked on sewing some of the holes in Finn and Sarah’s clothes while the children played a game. Venn had procured some dice, and though the children didn’t play any complicated gambling game, they seemed to enjoy seeing who could get the highest rolls.
