astray again.
“What is this undercity like?” Dethan thought to ask.
“It is the sewer system. Some people they live down there. But mostly it is a place for vermin,” the man said.
Garreth looked at his brother. “I might be mistaken,” he said slowly, “but did the bennesah strike you as the kind of man who would volunteer to live in a sewer system?”
“With that belly and all those fine gold rings? I think not.”
“Then I believe we’ve been on a wild chase all this time.”
“She’s telling the truth,” Dethan noted.
“I can see that. But it doesn’t follow that
he
was truthful with
her
.”
“Also true. So, what’s your feeling?”
“He’s left the city already. As soon as he got the chance,” Garreth said.
“Agreed. Let’s get our horses and some search parties.”
“You think they walked out right under the noses of our army?”
“Yes.”
“Then search parties might do us very little good. We need a way to countermand this magic.”
“The wrena,” the woman said cautiously.
“What of her?” Garreth asked.
“No mind magic can be used on the wrena. The eyes of the wyvern see clear.”
“Intriguing,” Dethan said.
“I agree. I’ll go get her.”
“She’s wounded,” Dethan said with a frown.
“I am well aware!” Garreth called over his shoulder as he hurried away.
CHAPTER
FIVE
When he entered Sarielle’s room she sat up quickly in her bed. She also immediately cringed, her hand pressing into her belly in pain.
“Did you find them already?” she asked, guarded hope in her eyes.
“He has escaped the city, walked out right past our army. I’m certain your sisters are with him.”
“Vinqua,” she spat. At his questioning look, she explained, “The mage. I should have guessed.”
“He is laden with the gold from the treasury so he has not gotten far. I know you are unwell, but I am told you are immune to the mage’s magic.”
She was on her feet in an instant and then she staggered. She was incredibly pale, and he noticed that her bandages had soaked through with blood again and blood was staining her robe.
“Are you well enough for this?” he asked with concern.
“For my sisters’ safety and lives? You would have to bury me in the ground first. Besides, if he has my sisters, then that means he plans to come back for me or retake the city while you presumably have no control over me or the wyvern. I do not think you are any better thanthe bennesah … but for now you are my only means of getting my sisters back.”
Garreth displayed a small smile at that. “So be it,” he said. He knelt down at her feet and unlocked the manacle around her ankle.
“Now, need it be said that you should not try to escape?” he asked sternly.
“Without my sisters’ safety guaranteed first? Leaving them behind?”
“I do not know you well enough to assume you have such pure intentions,” he pointed out.
She took his offered hand, stepping carefully around the chain on the floor. “I might say the same. But I will pretend to believe you mean what you say and will return my sisters to me without holding them over me. I … have little choice but to
hope
you are a better man than the bennesah.”
“And I have little choice but to prove it to you. Come. You will ride with me.”
“I can ride on my own,” she said stubbornly.
“Gods, woman! You can barely stand! You will ride with me and use the support of my body. The last thing I need is for you to fall from a horse!”
She seemed to think on that a moment, then with great reluctance she let him lead her from the room.
She was exhausted before they even made it to the bottom of the stairs. Realizing this, Garreth swung her up into his arms, holding her high against the broad width of his chest. She pushed at his strong shoulders in resistance, but she may as well have been trying to push a cart full of boulders. Eventually she just sighed and relaxed against him, her arms hanging loosely about
“What is this undercity like?” Dethan thought to ask.
“It is the sewer system. Some people they live down there. But mostly it is a place for vermin,” the man said.
Garreth looked at his brother. “I might be mistaken,” he said slowly, “but did the bennesah strike you as the kind of man who would volunteer to live in a sewer system?”
“With that belly and all those fine gold rings? I think not.”
“Then I believe we’ve been on a wild chase all this time.”
“She’s telling the truth,” Dethan noted.
“I can see that. But it doesn’t follow that
he
was truthful with
her
.”
“Also true. So, what’s your feeling?”
“He’s left the city already. As soon as he got the chance,” Garreth said.
“Agreed. Let’s get our horses and some search parties.”
“You think they walked out right under the noses of our army?”
“Yes.”
“Then search parties might do us very little good. We need a way to countermand this magic.”
“The wrena,” the woman said cautiously.
“What of her?” Garreth asked.
“No mind magic can be used on the wrena. The eyes of the wyvern see clear.”
“Intriguing,” Dethan said.
“I agree. I’ll go get her.”
“She’s wounded,” Dethan said with a frown.
“I am well aware!” Garreth called over his shoulder as he hurried away.
CHAPTER
FIVE
When he entered Sarielle’s room she sat up quickly in her bed. She also immediately cringed, her hand pressing into her belly in pain.
“Did you find them already?” she asked, guarded hope in her eyes.
“He has escaped the city, walked out right past our army. I’m certain your sisters are with him.”
“Vinqua,” she spat. At his questioning look, she explained, “The mage. I should have guessed.”
“He is laden with the gold from the treasury so he has not gotten far. I know you are unwell, but I am told you are immune to the mage’s magic.”
She was on her feet in an instant and then she staggered. She was incredibly pale, and he noticed that her bandages had soaked through with blood again and blood was staining her robe.
“Are you well enough for this?” he asked with concern.
“For my sisters’ safety and lives? You would have to bury me in the ground first. Besides, if he has my sisters, then that means he plans to come back for me or retake the city while you presumably have no control over me or the wyvern. I do not think you are any better thanthe bennesah … but for now you are my only means of getting my sisters back.”
Garreth displayed a small smile at that. “So be it,” he said. He knelt down at her feet and unlocked the manacle around her ankle.
“Now, need it be said that you should not try to escape?” he asked sternly.
“Without my sisters’ safety guaranteed first? Leaving them behind?”
“I do not know you well enough to assume you have such pure intentions,” he pointed out.
She took his offered hand, stepping carefully around the chain on the floor. “I might say the same. But I will pretend to believe you mean what you say and will return my sisters to me without holding them over me. I … have little choice but to
hope
you are a better man than the bennesah.”
“And I have little choice but to prove it to you. Come. You will ride with me.”
“I can ride on my own,” she said stubbornly.
“Gods, woman! You can barely stand! You will ride with me and use the support of my body. The last thing I need is for you to fall from a horse!”
She seemed to think on that a moment, then with great reluctance she let him lead her from the room.
She was exhausted before they even made it to the bottom of the stairs. Realizing this, Garreth swung her up into his arms, holding her high against the broad width of his chest. She pushed at his strong shoulders in resistance, but she may as well have been trying to push a cart full of boulders. Eventually she just sighed and relaxed against him, her arms hanging loosely about
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