“We’ll ride out to the firing range beyond the river and get you set up with a weapons master and rifleman. Do you think you can do this?”
“Where’s my horse?” Anything to defy Savion and his cruelty.
Handing me a bag, Aiko pointed to a door. “Change. We can’t take the chance that Savion or someone loyal recognizes your clothes. These are just common clothes that most people wear. When you come out, we’ll be ready to go.”
In just a few short minutes, I legged up on a gorgeous tan and white horse. We were flying out of the stables and down the road moments after.
It was so good to feel the wind on my face. I was at home on this horse, galloping at breakneck speed, away from the stronghold, and away from where people could spot us.
Once we were in the forest just north of the stables, Aiko slowed our pace to a healthy trot, and we rode for an hour. Most of it was in pleasant silence, but I finally interrupted it.
“Why do you work to undermine the king, Lord Aiko?”
He answered with no hesitation. “He killed my sister. He used her in the bedroom, and when Kumi became pregnant, he killed her.” He glanced over at me. “It was years ago now, but until that day, I was loyal. So was she.”
“Only that made you turn away?”
“I had doubts before that, but I pushed them away until that moment. Once I saw her headless body being drained into the fountain, I knew I could not uphold a madman’s rule.”
Another silence followed. “You want to kill him.”
“Yes, I do. Me and thousands other of his subjects. I will be happy to see him brought down.”
“How long has he been king?”
“Since the Spine rose.” He glanced around at the trees. “He cheated to get the crown, too. Once the old king disappeared, there was a call for a new queen. Once Niniane won the crown, he slaughtered all the other men who possibly could have won.”
“Were you there?”
“Me?” He laughed quietly. “No. I’m not so old as that. I’m only two hundred. Odom was. Kane was, as well. A few of the lords. But not me.”
“Why now to bring him down?”
His lips curved in a smile. “Because you broke the Spine. The rebels have waited for that day for years. It’s why Savion wants you under his control. He thinks that we will follow him because you stand by him.”
“I won’t ever. I’ll die before that.”
Aiko nodded quietly. He understood completely.
“Thank you for getting my sword.”
“You seemed attached to it.”
“I am, really. I may suck as a magic wielder, but I can use this like nobody’s business.”
He slipped another look over to me. “Really?”
I chewed the inside of my lip. “Don’t think that I’m pretending or making that up. I can actually use it.”
An indulgent grin spread on his face. “Really.”
I sat up on the horse and stared at him. “Yes. Really. Would you like to be the first to spar?”
“Indeed, I would. A pleasure.”
Kicking his horse into a canter, he guided us off the large trail to a smaller one we followed for about ten minutes before we had to slow.
There was a treacherous cliff the horses had to take us down to a small but solid bridge across a swift river.
