Page 71 of Sword & Sacrifice

“Names,” Archer ordered.

The constable remained silent, refusing to share those details.

Carolin grabbed a small coin pouch from her belt and tossed it onto the desk. “Information fee,” she explained with a sharp smile that could coax as easily as threaten.

The constable eyed the coin pouch for a while, then covered it with his hand. “According to a witness, their names are Penn Kaurier and Adelaide Orestes.”

The names swept over the Arnsveldian soldiers like a rockslide. Everyone in Arnsveld knew those two names. The Witch herself, and the king’s personal messenger—his closest friend.

Archer’s fists clenched at his side. The traitors had somehow turned Valerian and captured Adelaide. No wonder she’d called him home. Knowing Adelaide, she hadn’t called Archer here just to save her. Something more sinister was brewing in this small border town.

“Which direction did the soldiers head?” Carolin asked.

The constable’s lips pressed in a thin line. “I wouldn’t follow them if I were you. Whatever the king is paying you, it’s not enough to wade through this shit.”

“Thanks for your advice.”

“We’re not fucking taking it though,” Mahler muttered.

Carolin elbowed him and said, “Just tell us what you told them, and we’ll follow the clues ourselves.”

“Look.” The constable leaned forward on the desk and locked eyes with each of them in turn. When he reached Archer, his brow furrowed, and he glanced away quickly, choosing to focus on Carolin instead. “I’ll tell you this: Adelaide is a powerful mage in her own right. Anyone who could take her hostage is not someone to fuck with. Even her daughter knew that—” He cut himself off, realizing he’d said too much.

“Emmaline was here?” Norwin asked, elbowing his way to the front of the group. “Where is she? Is she still in town?” Norwin was originally from the same village in the Vorland Foothills as Emmaline. They’d grown up together, spending the summers running around their little village with a hoard of other children.

The constable’s gaze dropped to his desk. “She’s already left town, and I don’t know where she is.”

If Adelaide had to separate from her daughter, her message to Silas makes more sense. Adelaide had probably sent Emmaline to Litus, where she would hopefully be a safe distance from the trouble brewing in Arnsveld.

“I also don’t know where Niall and Valerian went,” the constable continued, “but the other soldiers headed east, into the mountains.”

Carolin thanked him for the information and led the way out of the office.

As they gathered their horses, Mahler asked, “What do you think they’re doing in the mountains?”

“Trying to cross them?” Norwin suggested.

Mahler scoffed. “With winter coming? Unless they head south toward the pass, the snow will take care of them quick.”

“We can’t rely on nature to solve our problems,” Carolin said.

“We can if the Witch is there. She can brew up an early blizzard to freeze their balls off.”

Norwin’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Not if she’s a hostage.”

“I don’t believe that for a minute,” Mahler said. “The Witch is too powerful to be a hostage. If she’s with them, it’s because she’s trying to lead them into a trap.”

“We need to follow the soldiers first,” Archer said. “If they received the same instructions as their coconspirators back in the capital, they were led here on purpose. We need to find out why.”

The soldiers had a day’s head start, but Archer and the others knew the mountains better. Archer would hunt the soldiers to the highest peak to save his friends and protect his kingdom.

Chapter Thirty-Two

The sight of mountains normally made Penn’s heart swell after a long trip, knowing he was finally headed home. Now, it filled him with dread. He hoped the mages only wanted to pass through the Desalore Mountains into Denholmstead or Lyberna, to become someone else’s problem.

Penn had chosen a lesser-known road, neglected by travelers, so the carriage bumped and rattled along it. Unpleasant, but manageable—until the sharp point of a dagger drove into Penn’s side, near his kidney.

As he started to look down, Niall growled, “Eyes front.”