“Someone is coming out,” says Saeth.
“Advise me later,” I say to Reed in a rush. “We’re planning to retake the Royal Sector, but I need more people from inside the palace. Would you be willing to join us?”
His head snaps around. “Yes. Yes, of course.”
“You’re turning down a thousand silvers?”
He looks at me like I’m crazy. “I swore not to take bribes against the king. How is this any different?”
The relief that swells in my chest is so potent that I nearly can’t contain it. I clap him on the shoulder. “You have my gratitude, Reed.”
“We have to go,” says Thorin.
“Meet us in two hours,” I say to Reed. “There’s a small abandoned mill at the crossroads between Steel City and Artis. Can you get there?”
He nods briskly. “Yes.”
I keep my voice low. “Good. The wagon will slow, but not stop. Climb onto the back. Bring whatever weapons you have.” A man and woman have approached from one of the houses, so I don’t wait for an answer to any of this, I just raise my voice. “Thank you! We were worried we wouldn’t be able to make it back tonight, and there’d be hell to pay from the foreman.”
Reed looks back at me and nods. “I’m . . . ?glad I could help.”
Thorin and Saeth climb onto the wagon, and I follow, and Thorin says to the woman, “You’re lucky to have such a kind neighbor.”
The man grunts and says, “Not so lucky. He’s one of the ones who was working for that crooked king.”
“They’re going to hang him when they catch him,” says the woman. “As well they should, for what he did.”
“Poisoning us all,” says the man. He spits at Reed’s feet.
My hands have already formed fists, but Thorin cracks the whip, and we’re off.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Harristan
Sommer lives a short distance away, but we can’t risk villagers telling two stories of a broken wagon wheel, so this time, Saeth is going to drive the horses while Thorin slips off the wagon and tries to deliver a message. It feels like both a larger risk and a smaller one, all at the same time.
With Thorin off the wagon, Francis shifts forward to sit behind me again.
“That boy is going to tell those people who you were, and there’s going to be an army waiting for us at the crossroads,” he says.
“Thatboyis a man from my personal guard,” I say, “and I trust that his word is good.”
He grunts. “For a thousand silvers a man might think about slipping a dagger between your ribs right now.”
“And I could slit your throat in half the time,” Saeth says sharply. “Move back.”
“I didn’t say I was going to!”
Saeth hooks the reins around the rail and turns on the bench, and it’s a second later that I realize he has a weapon in his hand. Francis swears and scrambles back so quickly that he stumbles and nearly falls over some of the hay bales.
I put a hand on Saeth’s arm. “Enough. Itisa lot of money. You heard Reed. It’s going to make anyone waver in their convictions.” I look back at Francis. “Though anyone who believes they’d actually receive such a ransom is a fool. The consuls have conspired to steal my throne. They’ve connived a web of lies thick enough to convince half of Kandala that I’m poisoning them. You think they’ll honestly pay a thousand silvers?”
“If they’re just going to lie,” says Francis, “they should’ve offered more. I don’t think any of your guards would stay loyal fortenthousand.”
Saeth scoffs. “No one would believe a ransom of that size.”
“But that’s exactly why,” I say. “No one would believe it. A thousand is enough to turn heads yet still be believable.”
