Gareth tilts his bowl and finishes his soup. “We need to make straight for the slavers’ villas. Cut off the head of the snake, then free the slaves.”
“Guards.” Parnon points to the slopes that hew close to the road. “Stationed in towers here.”
“How many?”
“Not many.” Parnon stands, his joints creaking. Glad I’m not the only one getting older.
“They don’t need as many guards to keep the slaves in line here, I suppose.” Chastain scratches the golden stubble on his cheek. “There’s nowhere to run, no escape. Flee to the Abyss? No chance. Try to swim through Siren Sound to the west? A beautiful song and a quick death await. And the Neverending Sea to the east? Filled with creatures that no one has been able to slay. They kill everyone that so much as touches the surface, and the beaches are always littered with bones.”
I swallow hard. “Bone beaches. Blech.”
Parnon grunts his agreement. “These hills. Few guards. All lesser fae.”
“Do you think they’d turn on the masters?” Gareth asks.
Parnon cocks his head to the side. “They could. The guards aren’t treated as the mine slaves, but that is not to say they are treated well.”
Chastain reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small bit of gold, then turns it into a peacock in his palm. “Can they be bought?”
“Not with riches. They’re surrounded by riches every day. But freedom?” Parnon shrugs. “That might be worth something.”
“Noted.” Chastain melts the gold back into a small brick and pockets it.
Something drifts down and lands in Gareth’s hair. I pluck it free, but it crumbles to dust in my fingers. “What is that? Can’t be snow.”
Looking up, I see more of it falling, raining down from the cloud hanging over us.
Gareth scrapes a bigger flake of it from my shoulders and peers at it. That’s when the wind changes, and I can smell it.
Something inside me shrivels as I recognize the scent.
“Bodies.” Parnon looks up, then at the trees. Beyond, the air is thick with smoke.
“Is that normal?”Did I just ask if burning corpses was normal?
Parnon shakes his head.
“We need to move.” Chastain tosses the rest of his soup on the ground. “Now.”
“Mount up!” Gareth circles his finger in the air.
I pull my shirt over my nose as energy starts thrumming through my veins. This is it.Clotty, I’m here. “Okay, so we charge in, take care of the slavers, get the guards to join in, then save all the slaves.” I rub my palms together. “This is going to be grand.” I shudder.Except for the burning bodies.But I refuse to believe it could be Clotty. Maybe the slavers did everyone a favor and burned themselves up?
I bounce on the balls of my feet. “Let’s go.” I’ve already braided my hair—seems appropriate for battle. All I need is a sword of some sort, and I’m ready.
Parnon and Gareth exchange a look, and I get the distinct feeling that they’ve come to some agreement without clueing me in.
“What was that?” I put a hand on my hip.
“What?” Gareth strides toward the wagon where everyone is haphazardly packing up.
I dog his steps. “You and Parnon did a thing.”
“A thing?” He purses his lips a little and opens his eyes wide in a (failed) attempt to look innocent. “No idea what you mean.”
I follow him over to Iridiel. “Tell me.”
“Nothing to tell.” He wipes ashes from the saddle, then digs out a thin strip of fabric from his pack and drapes it over my face. “Cover up. It’s not good to breathe this in.”
