He pointed into the jungle, but Cas saw nothing. “I’ve seen others. Everyone is going south.”
Perhaps he’d seen the Lera troops headed to the Southern Mountains. Cas felt a burst of hope. If he was able to find them, he’d be safe again. He’d have a horse and a sword and an army to take back the castle.
“I’m sure they won’t bother you,” he said, even though he had no idea. He thanked the men again, turning to walk away. A child stood directly in front of him, and he stopped short, giving her a weak smile. She stuck her thumbs in her ears, shot her tongue out, and made a face at him. She shrieked with delight as she ran away, like she’d waited most of her life to do that.
Cas cast a glance over his shoulder as he started walking again. The men followed him with their eyes, their mouths set in hard lines. He picked up his pace, telling himself it was because he hoped to find the Lera soldiers, not because he was afraid of two strange men.
He began to search for signs of horses or anything that indicated someone had come this way. He spotted a footprint here and there, though that could have been from the people he’d just met. But the footprints seemed to be headed south, so he followed them.
A rustling sound behind him almost made him turn, but he caught himself just in time. He took a careful step forward, trying not to let his shoulders tense. If someone was watching him, he didn’t want them to know he was aware of their presence.
He pushed a branch out of his face, using the opportunity to peek over his shoulder.
Something slammed into him. He hit the ground.
The young man grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked Cas to his feet.
The old man stood in front of him, spear aimed directly at Cas’s neck. He drew the spear back, preparing to plunge it straight into Cas’s flesh.
Cas grabbed onto the arm holding him, using the anchor to lift his legs off the ground. Cas launched his feet into the man’s chest. The man stumbled backward, tripping over a vine and hitting the ground.
The arm around him loosened as he returned his feet to the ground. Cas lifted his elbow and slammed it into the young man’s side. He grunted, and Cas spun out of his grasp.
The old man lunged at him with the spear, and Cas dove out of the way. The man swung the spear wildly, and Cas quickly ducked. He popped right back up, grabbing hold of the wooden handle of the spear as it came at his head again. He yanked it out of the man’s hands.
He took a step back, away from the man’s flailing hands. He used both hands to sink the sharp tip of the spear into the man’s neck.
The old man made a strange gasping sound as he fell, the blood draining down his bare chest.
The young man had disappeared, and Cas whirled around, frantically scanning the area. The man was standing on a fallen tree right behind Cas, sword poised. He jumped before Cas could react.
Cas darted out of the way, but not before the blade sliced across his bad shoulder. He stumbled as he felt blood start to trickle down his arm.
The young man grabbed him by the hair, and Cas tried to pull away, yelling as the pain shot through his scalp. He dropped to his knees. The young man stepped in front of him. Cas felt the metal of a blade against his skin, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWO WARRIORS AND four horses waited near the riverbank. Iria and Koldo greeted the two men, but Em hung back with Aren, surveying their weapons and supplies. The two new warriors were fresh and clean next to the four travelers—their red-and-white coats were crisp and their faces weren’t drawn and exhausted. They both had swords, and probably a knife or two hidden somewhere.
“This must be the famous Emelina Flores,” a warrior with a mustache said, striding over to her. “I’m Miguel.”
“Em.” She jerked her head to her friend. “Aren.”
“Nice to meet you both.” He gestured at his warrior buddy. “This is Francisco. I’m glad we found you. We were starting to think you weren’t coming.”
“We’ve had to travel on foot,” Iria said.
“Did you come from the castle?” Em asked hurriedly. “What happened?”
Matching grins spread across Miguel’s and Francisco’s faces. “The castle is ours. The king is dead.”
Relief and dread smacked against her all at once.
“The rest of the royal family has gone missing,” Miguel continued, and she almost collapsed from relief. “We assume they’re headed for Fort Victorra, so we’ll take care of that when we arrive. We’ve informed some of the locals out here that there is a sizable reward for killing any member of the royal family.”
Iria’s eyes flicked briefly to Em before she smiled at the warriors. “Wonderful. Should we keep going then? Aren and Em, you’ll need to share a horse.”
The sounds of a man grunting echoed through the trees. Em whirled around, searching for the source of the noise.