“Only if you have seen any legion forces coming this way.”
“I have not.” She took a step forward, but Emere did not give way. Apparently, his interrogation wasn’t finished.
“Not at all? And no rumors of the Twenty-Fifth Legion approaching?”
Time was of the essence, and the faster she got down from the pass, the better. Any moment now, Eldred would be whispering in her ear that he could smell Lysandros.
“Not at all. Is that why you’ve blocked the pass with all these men? To ask whoever comes by that question? Aren’t Imperial legionaries all over the three provinces of Lontaria, anyway?”
Emere smiled.
“There is a changing of the occupying legions, which means their numbers are much fewer than usual. And what few there are have holed up in their outposts, waiting for the main contingent of their legion to arrive. Thanks to the Princess of Arland.”
The princess Cain had mentioned. Curiosity reared its head.
“What happened?”
“It is quite a long story,” said Emere, whose smile widened. “She vanquished an armored chariot century on her own, killed the prefect of Arland, and gathered thousands of Arlanders to overtake the main Imperial fortress outside Kingsworth. I have no doubt she has even more soldiers at her command now.”
A gasp escaped Arienne. Emere nodded.
“It is indeed surprising. But this is why we are here, standing guard. Blocking the passage of Imperial spies and gathering news on the legion’s movements.”
There was one thing Arienne didn’t quite understand.
“You said you were the Liberators of Kamori? Has Kamori allied with Arland to fight against the Empire?”
Emere’s smile faded. His eyes darkened, and he did not reply. No matter. This was not a priority to Arienne. The important thing was for her to go down the pass undeterred.
Eldred whispered,“Arienne, I smell him. Just kill these useless nothings and be on your way.”
Above her, the peaks to the either side of the pass were covered in fresh snow. She could use the collapsing spell to set off an avalanche. But to kill all these people just to walk past them was completely absurd.
“Well, I’m not a spy. Let me pass.”
“A spy would say they are not a spy.”
“And one who isn’t a spy would also say the same.”
“Which is why we need to keep you here for a short while longer. Until we can make sure.”
Irritation rose in her. “Look, I am being pursued by the Empire. There’s no time to waste. If I do not pass, all of you may die. And you should hide as well. Even if for just a moment.”
Emere frowned. “You said you hadn’t seen any Imperial soldiers.”
“He’s not a soldier, and he’s only one man. But that one man—”
Emere, and the men around him, laughed.
“My lady, there are fifty-three Liberators in this square. We are well-settled and there is only one route through here, narrow and quite steep, which means we can defend this square against several more times the men. You need not worry over a single…” He suddenly gripped his chest.
The pressure in her chest that she’d felt in the old inn returned to Arienne as well. The birds around them suddenly fell silent.
In the square, soldiers were also gripping their chests, theireyes wide, falling where they had stood. Their mouths moved but made no sound. Behind her came the sound of footsteps coming up the path she had just taken.
All the fires in the square flickered in unison, then died.
28CAIN
