Draggah by Toby Neighbors Page A

of them under the bushes or nearby that had died and fallen to litter the ground around the spring.  She formed a little pile and then set about laying out their blanket.  It was late in the day and they all needed rest.
    “ Go ahead and sleep, ” she told Tiberius.  “ I ’ ll take the first watch. ”
    “ Are you going to be here when I wake up? ” he asked.
    She frowned.
    “ Look, I ’ m not trying to start a fight, ” he said.  “ I ’ m sorry I said that.  I just want to know things are going to be okay between us. ”
    “ I don ’ t know, ” Lexi said.  “ You have no idea what it feels like to be abandoned. ”
    “ I didn ’ t abandoned you, ” Tiberius said.
    “ But you might.  I just don ’ t know if I can trust you, Tiberius. ”
    “ You can trust me, I swear it, ” he pleaded.  “ Please, you have to know that I would die before I would ever hurt you again. ”
    Lexi thought about what he was saying.  Tiberius could see that she wasn ’ t comfortable.  She was the type of person who would rather be on her own than risk being hurt by sticking around.
    “ I know this is hard for you, ” Tiberius said.  “ But we ’ re not in Avondale anymore.  Things are different out here.  We need to stick together.  I care about you, Lexi; more than you ’ ll ever know. But if you don ’ t want that, I can back off.  I ’ m not going to betray you and I won ’ t smother you either, but we ’ re safer together. ”
    “ I know that, ” she said softly.
    “ Okay then, just don ’ t leave me.  I need you. ”
    There were tears in her eyes, but Tiberius decided not to push things.  He wanted to give her the time and the space she needed.  He stretched out on the blanket.  It felt good to be off his feet.  It was still hot and the sky was bright with amber light, but he draped one arm over his eyes and was soon asleep.

Chapter 6
    Leonosis
    He had recruited a group of men he felt were up to the challenge he would set for them.  They were all capable men, although spies weren ’ t common in the Nine Cities, since travel between the cities was severely limited.  The men all came from different backgrounds.  Some were Paladins, others were soldiers, and some were criminals.  What they all had in common was a strict loyalty to money.  Leonosis had plenty of money to spend and so he ’ d bought the best mercenaries that were available.
    “ You ’ ve all been chosen for a special task, ” Leonosis told them.  “ I need information.  I want you to sweep the city.  Leave no stone unturned.  Report to me even the most insignificant fact.  Do I make myself clear? ”
    The men all nodded.
    “ I ’ m paying for results, gentlemen.  I do not care what methods you employ to get them.  No one but me knows what you are doing and if I hear that any of you are talking with anyone but me about what you find, well, let ’ s just say that you won ’ t be talking to anyone ever again. ”
    Leonosis let his threat sink in.  Then he went to the small group of soldiers.
    “ As you all know, my brother was banished from Avondale, ” Leonosis said.  “ What you may not know is that someone from the city, a girl, brought him horses and supplies.  Someone let her out of the city and that means soldiers.  I want you to find those soldiers and bring them to me. ”
    The men saluted and then hurried away.  Leonosis then turned to the Paladins.
    “ My brother spent a lot of time at the temple, ” he said.  “ He was close to becoming one of you, yet he willingly left the city.  I want to know what he was up to.  I want to know everything.  No detail is insignificant.  I need to know why he wanted to leave. ”
    The Paladins bowed, then hurried away.  Leonosis turned to the group that remained.  They were criminals, some with reputations for more than just stealing or strong arming merchants.  He looked at the group. They were like ravenous wolves and he thought he related