‘Good, because I’ve wanted to apologise for hitting you on the head so hard all those years ago.’
He sounded genuinely sorry, which made me smile a little.
‘It was my first time knocking someone unconscious, and I think if you weren’t the goddess Hecate reborn, you probably would have died.’
‘Gods aren’t real.’I shook my head at his silliness.
‘Sure they are.My mother said my father was a god, and that’s why I’m so strong.She was crazy, but itwouldexplain why I’m so good-looking.’
I found myself chuckling despite my mood.
‘So, am I forgiven?’
‘Well, have you gotten better at knocking people unconscious?’I asked, my tone serious.
‘Much!They rarely die now,’ he said with a reassuring nod.
‘Then I forgive you,’ I said.I looked down at Torgrin’s drawings again.‘Have you ever been to Ephemeros?’I asked.
Atlas shook his head.
‘I met his father, you know?’I proceeded to tell Atlas about the kidnapping and how Torgrin came to confront his father, who had planned on handing me over to King Goa.
‘Why do you think King Goa wants me?’
‘I don’t know, Caris.But I do know Torgrin despised the king.’
Night fell, and Wolfe came to sit silently next to me while I tended the fire.He had not spoken to me or anyone else since I’d arrived.Ania said he’d been like this since the night of the attack.She sat down close to her brother, and Tomas and Finn joined our little group to eat.
I picked at my plate, still struggling to keep food down.My shoulder was showing signs of infection, something I’d never experienced before.
We were running out of time.‘We need to go back for them.’I didn’t need to say who.Everyone present knew I spoke of Torgrin and Cillian.
Tomas spoke first.‘They will have hundreds of soldiers guarding the gate now they know what you are capable of.’
‘The Order also has dragon fire,’ Finn reminded us.
‘King Hared and Merrick will have set a trap expecting you to attempt a rescue,’ Atlas warned.
‘What if we had more men?Possibly an army.What would be the plan then?’I wouldn’t wait another day.I needed to do something.
Ever the captain, it was Atlas who replied.‘I would send the bulk of my troops in hard to take down the gate.Then, two small units would go to the castle.The first would execute the rescue of Torgrin and Cillian, and the other would find the dragon fire.’Atlas looked up at everyone.‘We would destroy Capita Castle, just like they did Murus.’
‘Good.Then that’s what we will do.’I stood up.Wolfe looked up at me and I smiled at him reassuringly.
‘There’s one problem, Caris, we don’t have an army anymore,’ Ania said bitterly.
‘Give me two days, and I’ll be back with one,’ I said as I moved towards the horses on the other side of camp.
‘Caris!’Atlas ran up behind me.‘I think that fever is messing with your mind.Where do you think you’re going?’
‘I’m going to find Torgrin’s father.He has soldiers, and he can get me an army.’
CHAPTER 35
Irode through the night and for half a day before I reached the field where Torgrin’s father took me.
I peered across the long grass at the old inn.It was quiet today, and I noted that only two other horses were in the stables.Torgrin’s father had said that if we needed to escape King Hared, we should leave a message here.
