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I didn’t even have the energy to curse. Asinia launched herself over one of the traps, and I followed, sending another bolt over my shoulder.
The creature snarled.
Prisca had already lost too many people. Of the three of us, I had the best odds of survival. “I’m going to distract it.” I lunged over one of the traps. “Get out of here.”
“Not happening,” Demos snarled back, ducking beneath the low ceiling of the next cavern. “Prisca needs you. You’re our best chance to get her back.”
I didn’t bother arguing. He was as stubborn as his sister, and it would just waste time. Silver flashed on one of the walls, catching my attention. I recognized these caverns. We’d hidden a few dead bodies around here somewhere. “Where are the guards we killed?”
Behind us, the creature roared. Asinia let out a choked sound that might’ve been a laugh. “Something tells me the monster set off one of the traps. Hopefully that distracts it for a while.”
“The bodies are three caverns to our left,” Demos said. “I think.”
“I have an idea.”
* * *
“Do you need anything else?”
I smiled at the innkeeper’s wife. “No thank you. I’m going to rest.”
“Well, be sure to lock your door.”
I kept the smile on my face, nodding as I closed the door. I’d need to find new accommodations soon. This woman was far too nosy.
Her insistence on making sure meals were delivered to my rooms had made it much too difficult to eavesdrop on drunk patrons. I ground my teeth. Eavesdropping was my best chance at finding the smallest seed of information about Jamic’s whereabouts. If we could find Regner’s false son, we could prevent the human king from reinforcing his barrier.
I needed something. A direction. A whisper about guards gathering somewhere remote. A sighting of one of Regner’s generals in a place he shouldn’t be.
Instead, drunk travelers had spoken of strange creatures being bred near various mountains, of wards in unlikely places, of armies gathered in the ashes of several northern villages.
So I traveled through Eprotha in the guise of a rich widow, listening for anything we could use.
I traveled alone. I ate alone. I slept alone.
And it was glorious.
There was no one to look at me with censure in their eyes. No one to demand obedience. No one to stare at me as if I were the great betrayer.
Father’s ashen face flashed through my mind.
“How? Gods, how? How did I miss such a thing?”
And then, to learn he knew I wasn’t corrupt. Knew my magic wasn’t a rejection of the gods but was instead from my mother’s bloodline…
Prisca had made my father admit to being weak. And a hypocrite. At the time, I’d wanted to slap her. Now, I recognized it for the gift it was.
Because I didn’t have either the time or the inclination to mourn a weak hypocrite.
Striding to the window, I threw it open, gazing down into the bustling street. I’d made it to a fishing village north of Thobirea. An area of the kingdom I’d never been to before. I wanted to be out, roaming the city like a stray cat, soaking up everything I could. Unfortunately, I had to be careful not to draw attention from the guards. The priestesses. Even with the wash of blue on my temple declaring me legal.
A knock sounded on my door. The innkeeper’s wife. Again. My skin burned at her intrusiveness, but I pasted on a smile and crossed the room.
The boy who blinked at me was unfamiliar. He was also dressed in Regner’s colors. I went still, summoning my fire until my hand heated—the warmth a comfort.
“Are you Madinia Farrow?”
My hand heated further, and he swallowed as if he knew just how close to the edge I leaned.
