“Yeah?”
“I’ll make sure these soldiers don’t bother you or your patrons.” I gestured to the tavern before slipping my hands into the pockets of my trousers. “And when this is all over, Midnight Jester will continue to run as usual.”
He barked out a laugh. “Are you saying that as the king of Lendria, or as the guild master of Cruor who used to rely on my services?”
I couldn’t help but smile at that. Two parts of my life so very much at odds with one another, and yet I knew in my core I’d always turn a blind eye to this place, so long as nothing too egregious occurred. If not for me, then for Leena.
“Both, I guess. Thanks, Dez. For everything.”
He snorted and averted his gaze, glancing instead at the rafters. “You’ve got nothing to thank me for. I run a tavern. That’s all.”
“Yes, well…” I tipped my chin in a bow just the same. “We’ll be back.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He gave a flippant wave and then turned his back on me. I slipped through the door and joined Gaige and Madeline on the other side. She was curiously eyeing one of Gaige’s errant shadows as he detailed the nature of our existence to her.
“So our corporeal bodies are back in Hireath. When we return with our forces, we’ll be very much in the flesh.”
“I see.” She poked a shadow. “Can you feel that?”
“No, but it is distracting.” He took a step back and then caught my eye. “Ah, Noc. Shall we?”
“Let’s.”
Madeline straightened and wiped all traces of interest from her expression. Stoic and reserved, she transformed into the Sentinel I’d always known and walked with purposeful, lengthy strides toward her troops. The authority she commanded was palpable, and there wasn’t a single person who didn’t stand at attention when she passed. When we reached the nearest campfire, she barked orders to set up camp, and everyone flew into motion.
“I only have fifty or so soldiers, but one of mine counts for five of any other brigade. That I can guarantee.” She folded her arms across her chest and watched as tents went up without hesitation.
“We appreciate the support, no matter—”
A lonely, grating howl erupted from the depths of the Kitska Forest, and several of Madeline’s soldiers flinched. Even I cut a glance to the jagged treetops. Being that Cruor was nestled within this cursed wood, I’d grown used to the errant calls of monsters throughout the years. But this one was hauntingly close. It reminded me of the time Yazmin had used a monster to distract us from an ambush and Gaige had paid the ultimate price. I couldn’t let that happen again. We couldn’t afford to lose any more people before the war even started.
“Are those calls fairly common around here? They’ve got us all on edge.” Madeline flattened her lips as she too scoured the dense wood.
“You have nothing to fear,” Gaige said, voice surprisingly calm. I expected him, out of everyone, to be more concerned about the danger such beasts posed. “They won’t harm you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “How can you be so sure?”
He pulled at the collar of his tunic, despite the fact I knew he couldn’t feel it chafing against his neck. Not in this state. “Because I’ll tell them not to.”
Madeline blinked slowly. “Is that another power of the undead? Controlling monsters?”
“No. Care to explain?” I asked.
“I’ll show you on our way back to Hireath,” he said.
Madeline rubbed her chin as she glanced between us. “Well, I won’t keep you two from that. I have enough proof of your existence, Noc, to take up arms against Varek. We’ll await your return.”
Setting aside my frustration with Gaige, I turned to Madeline. “Thank you. Your support means more than you could ever know. We’ll return quickly, I promise.”
“See you then.” She hoisted the nearest crate full of supplies and joined her soldiers to set up camp. Slowly, I dragged my gaze back to Gaige. He twisted the key about his neck, flashed me a quick look, and then started toward the darkened wood.
“Follow me.”
With that, I took off after him, and we sped through the trees in search of the haunting, bloodcurdling calls we usually avoided at all costs.
Thirty-One
Leena
