Casseck and Gramwell passed Sage and entered a room at the end of the barracks passage, but she waited until Ash appeared, headed for the same room before reaching out of the shadows. He grabbed her hand and twisted it back sharply before releasing it with a scowl. “Don’t ever sneak up on me like that. I could’ve broken your wrist.”
“I’m sorry,” she gasped. Spirit above, she’d forgotten about how upset he was with her over this morning. Would he even listen? “I need to talk to Captain Quinn.”
His scowl grew darker. “Why?”
“It’s not a simple matter,” she insisted. “And we can’t be overheard.”
Ash pressed his lips together. “Fine.” He took her arm and led her back down the passage to a room she assumed he shared with another soldier. He grabbed a candle and stepped back out to light it on the torch outside, then closed and bolted the door behind him. He put his hands on his hips. “It’s risky for you to come down here.”
“You think a fowler doesn’t know how to move through the shadows?” She didn’t wait for his response. “First, I want to know why you won’t take me to Captain Quinn.”
“His speaking to you is dangerous. If people see it, they might think you know what we’re up to. Tomorrow I’ll be driving a wagon again. You can order me around as needed to speak to us, or go through Charlie.” He paused. “I’ve answered you as best I can; now please tell me what is so important it couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”
“I know what’s going on.” Sage pulled out the folded parchment. “Tonight I learned who’s been traveling this area and will be at Tegann when we are.” She rapidly described what she’d written down. “Look at all these marriages. Look at the dowries that went with them. It’s enough to build a small army. And here”—she pointed to the other column—“is what we have with us now.”
He looked at her rather than the paper she tried to show him. “And what is your conclusion?”
She took a deep breath. “I think the duke is planning to take the brides and force their families to support him. By binding all the wealth of Crescera to his allies, he has an army and the resources to arm and feed it. He can take everything west of the Catrix Mountains with what he already has and keep it with what our women provide. Those men surrounding us, the one hundred and thirty I heard you talking about, are meant to make sure we get to Tegann and trap us there. Every noble with enough power to stop the duke will be at the Concordium, and it will be all over before they realize we haven’t shown up.”
“And you pieced all of this together on your own?” he asked slowly.
“Yes.” Sage suddenly doubted herself. She lowered the page, embarrassed. Ash took the paper and scanned it silently. When she dared to look up again, she found him staring at her with what she could only identify as fear.
“Tell me,” he whispered hoarsely. “Tell me right now that you were always on our side, that this isn’t switching of loyalties.”
Her eyes burned with tears. “You still doubt me?”
“Say it, Sage.”
“I swear it!” she nearly shouted. “And you can go to hell if you don’t believe me!” She turned to leave, but he caught her arm.
“I’m sorry, Sage. Don’t go, please.” He pulled her closer by her elbows, but not as close as he had that morning—she’d ruined that. “It’s just … Sweet Spirit, this changes everything.”
“So I’m right?”
“We’ll discuss it tonight, but, yes, I think you’re right.”
“What can you do?”
“I don’t know, but this is worse than we ever imagined.” The seriousness of his voice frightened her, and she began to tremble. His hands slid up to her shoulders. “Thanks to you, however, we may be able to even the odds a bit.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you,” he said. “We have your weapon, and if it works, there will be a lot fewer enemies able to fight. We’ll need time, though. It takes about three days for the sickness to take effect.”
“Please let me help,” she begged. “I’ll go mad if you don’t give me something to do.”
Ash sighed. “Sage, you aren’t a lady. Don’t you understand what that means? If the duke finds out, you’re worthless to him, except for information. He’s already planning treason; do you think he’d hesitate to torture you? We haven’t kept you in the dark because we don’t trust you or think you capable, but to protect you. In that respect, I wish to the Spirit you were a lady. It would be easier to keep you safe.”
She dropped her eyes. “I feel foolish now.”
“Don’t. We’d be both blind and helpless without you. That is truth.” He chucked her chin gently. “Your ability to figure things out on your own is unparalleled, but also aggravating. You know too much.”
Sage took a deep breath and let it out, resigned. “I will accept you cannot tell me everything now, if you promise to tell me what you can, and everything else later.”
“I swear it.”
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Now what? Play the lady? Flirt and keep my ears open?”
Ash nodded. “Yes. Casseck already told me how good you are.” His smile was a little shaky. “And I have a real job for you, if you’re interested.”
44
THE ROOM WAS silent as they stared at Starling’s parchment.
“It’s useless to question what we would’ve done if we’d known,” Quinn said to himself as much as everyone else. “Focus on what we can do now.”
“Our list of options is pretty short,” Rob said bitterly. “We’ll be outnumbered seven to one, and that doesn’t count the Kimisar. I’m the only one worth keeping. You’re all dead and you know it.”
Quinn folded up the paper and tucked it into his jacket. Where the army came from wasn’t as relevant as how to stop it. “Look here,” he said, sweeping a finger over the map. “We’ve been tracking these squads, thinking they were scattered randomly as they traveled east, but as more have been added, it’s started to look like a circle.”
With a charcoal pencil he traced every day’s summary of positions relative to their own progress along the Tegann Road.
“It’s a wheel,” said Cass, “with us at the center. It’s to isolate us from communication and keep us from escaping.”
Quinn nodded. “Right. But since we were headed to Tegann, there was no reason to act unless we deviated. We were already doing what they wanted.”
Rob grunted. “I feel so much better.”
“But.” Quinn raised a finger. “There’s a hole.” He pointed to a spot on the north side of the circle. “There was never anyone here.”
Rob brightened. “That squad we eliminated last month was probably supposed to be there.”
“That’s my thought, too,” said Quinn. “So we might have a way out.” He stood up straight. “Who’s getting the sketch from our forward picket in the morning?” Gramwell raised his hand. “Let him know we’ll keep up patrols at the fortress as long as it’s practical, but we can’t count on being able to talk to our scouts after tomorrow.”
“What should he tell the other scouts?” asked Gramwell, bending down to write notes.