Eva considered him. That was easy to say; difficult to do.
Every friend she had was someone who'd gone through countless trials with her. Ollie. Jason.
She didn't just wake up one day and think it was a good idea to put her faith in them. No, they'd proven themselves time and again.
Now here was this man asking her for something he hadn't earned.
He might as well have asked for the stars.
The kicker, however, was that he had a point. It would be difficult for them to survive if she questioned every word out of his mouth.
Moreover, everything he'd said about Shea was correct.
Seeing that his words had made her think, Phillip started down again, but not without one last parting shot.
"Also, Caden has a scar right here." He tapped a place on his shoulder, shooting Eva a perceptive smile. "I should know because I'm the one who gave it to him."
Eva stumbled, eyeing the other man with caution.
Damn it. Caden did have a scar exactly where he indicated.
The observations about Shea were one thing. The Battle Queen was a popular figure who drew attention wherever she went.
It would be difficult but not impossible to gather information on her.
Caden was another thing entirely. He existed in the shadows. The best advantage for a man like that was secrets.
The only way Phillip could have known about that scar was if he knew Caden.
It wasn't enough for Eva to fully trust Phillip, but it did make her relax her guard. Just a little.
"A pathfinder and a few Trateri scouts were watching our back trail," Eva volunteered.
"Which scouts?" Phillip asked.
Eva paused when they reached the bottom of the incline as she tried to decide whether sharing such information could endanger the lives of those involved.
"Roscoe and Ghost," Eva admitted.
Phillip looked back at her in surprise. "Fiona with them?"
Eva eyed him. "I don't know."
Phillip's face grew thoughtful. "My guess is she was. She's the only one who can make them listen to reason."
"You know them?" Eva finally asked.
Phillip's mouth twitched. "You could say that."
The answer made Eva believe his words a little bit more. His knowledge of the Trateri was too detailed for a throwaway.
"Those three are crazy. If we can find them, our situation will be a lot better," Phillip said.
"That's a big if."
Trying to locate a small group in these mountains was the equivalent of throwing a dagger and expecting to kill a red back.
Impossible.
