“Gone,” the man said.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX
Ryker
I frowned at the man.“What do you meangone?”
They certainly hadn’t left the realm; none of them could do so.
“Your friends came and took them,” one of the patrons snarled at me. “Loaded them all up and took them away.”
Since they were still sitting here, I couldn’t have heard him right. “They loaded up everyone in town?”
“Would we still be here if they took everyone?” another man snapped at me.
The first man groaned while the second gave a warning shake of his head. There was a difference between hostile and blatantly disrespectful behavior toward an aristocrat. Both actions could get them killed, but the second was more likely to.
I ignored their antagonism. Whatever happened here had left them rattled, and I had more things to care about than disrespect from a townsman.
“Then who did they take? Andwhotook them?” I asked.
“The king’s men took them,” the bartender answered. “They came and rounded up all the women and any girl over twelve.”
My stomach fell as a chill ran down my spine. “Allof them?”
“I’m sure a few got away. Where they went, I don’t know. If it was in the woods, then they’re probably dead. If they’re captured and can’t throw lightning, they’ll die. The guards throwing them into prison carriages and chaining them to horses made it clear that if they tried to run or open a portal, they’d suffer the consequences. Anyone who tried to interfere is burning in the green.”
The smoke.It wasn’t coming from businesses or cooking fires; Ivan’s men had set fire tomoreamsirah.
A chill seeped through my skin, into my muscles, and punctured my bones. I’d come here looking to see what the townspeople knew; what I’d discovered was far worse than anything I could have imagined.
Ellery!
“What are they going to do to them?” one of the men demanded of me.
“I don’t know.”
But I worried I did.
I didn’t bother to gather my remaining carisle as I rose so abruptly that my stool skidded across the floor. My heart raced as adrenaline pounded in my temples, and fear for Ellery spurred me onward. I couldn’t move fast enough to get out of this building and somewhere I could open a portal to her.
I knew my actions would only make the patrons curious and cause them to talk. It didn’t matter what they said about me; if I didn’t get to Ellery in time, they’d have a lot more to talk about.
I was almost running when the door opened, the bell rang, and Samael entered the tavern. My gaze shot past him to the doorway and freedom when I stopped.
I struggled to keep my face composed as some of his men entered behind him. They fanned out to ensure I couldn’t get past them.
What the fuck?
Are they here because of me?
As I scanned their steely faces and lifted chins, I understood that’sexactlywhy they were here. I recalled that man from earlier who’d turned and run in the other direction when he spotted me.
He hadn’t been avoiding coming closer to me; he was going to reportme… tothem.
That told me where I stood with at least one amsirah in Nottingshire, and I was sure plenty of others too. I quelled my fury over this. The townsfolk couldn’t know I was working to help them, but they knewSamaelwasn’t.
“Ryker,” Samael greeted.
