I nodded to him before shifting my attention to the other man. There was something familiar about him.
“General Ryker,” the man greeted.
There were few who called me that anymore, andallof them were once soldiers under my command. However, while this man looked familiar, I knew all those who had followed me, and he wasn’t one of them.
“And you are?”
“Gaius Gisborne. I didn’t serve under you during the war, but I did serve under Colonel Baker.”
That’s why he looked familiar. I’d probably seen him on the battlefield. “He was a good man.”
“He was.”
“And what are you doing now?”
He looked to Samael. “Now I’m helping to keep order in the realm. It isveryneeded.”
I lifted an eyebrow at his pious, pompous demeanor. Ireallydidn’t like this guy. Even Samael rolled his eyes, and he usually lavished this bootlicking shit.
“First the Hooded Robber and now this.” Gaius waved a hand at the manacled servants. “This is a tragedy. We fought to keep Tempest safe from outside enemies, and the nobility has ensured no others ever invade us again. We should bethankingthem, not trying to destroy them.”
Gaius was Ivan’s wet dream of a follower.
“How right you are,” I muttered.
I shifted my attention to Samael. “Are you returning to Nottingshire tonight?”
“Yes. I doubt there will be any uprisings in the towns after the failure of this one, but I’ll be there to ensure there isn’t. Plus, we have to prepare for when the show rolls into town tomorrow.”
And that’s exactly what these poor bastards were to all of them… a show. Ivan and all of them were looking forward to this.
“I’ll see you there then,” I told him.
I had to learn how they planned to run thisshow. If there were any weaknesses in it, I would exploit them.
I wouldneverallow these amsirah to be tortured indefinitely. I’d kill them all myself before that happened.
Striding down the stairs, I walked past the rows of guards and toward the main gates. They opened as I approached.
When I stepped outside the gates, I walked far enough away from the castle so I could open a portal. I emerged into Nottingshire.
It had taken more time than I’d hoped before I could leave Ivan’s presence without a fight. Ellery would already be here.
Anxiety gnawed at my gut as I studied the villagers. None of them paid attention to me as they scurried about, trying to survive the battle their lives had become.
Everything about Nottingshire was more worn, drabber, and dirtier than when Leo had lived. Then there had been laughter; there was none now.
The place stank of mud, body odor, and excrement. Merchants hawked their wares with little enthusiasm, and few had the carisle to stop and buy anything.
Ivan hadn’t been king long, but his rule had devastated the realm. Years of it would destroy us all.
I couldn’t let that happen. Turning away from the sad, dirty amsirah, I started down the muddy street with far too much horse crap on it. There was a time when the roads were cleaned before the horse finished shitting.
I had an idea of where the Veiled Rock was and suspected it wouldn’t be difficult to find. No matter what it took, I would ensure no one discovered Ellery and Callan there.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
Ellery
