Page 39 of A Thieving Curse

They’d stumbled upon a village yesterday, but no one there had seen her. Someone had mentioned a rumor of a dragon that lived high in the mountains. The villagers suggested she had been captured by it, but when pressed, they admitted they didn’t know of anyone who had ever been taken or attacked, and opinions on where exactly in the endless peaks the beast might reside varied wildly. The creature was probably nothing more than local legend.

Part of Gareth hoped it was true, though. Dragons in stories took beautiful maidens captive, sometimes to lure in knights, sometimes just out of greed. If a dragon had taken her, it might be keeping her alive. And that would explain why there was no trail. A dragon left no trail through the sky.

But a dragon should leave evidence where it landed, and they’d found nothing anywhere near the prints from Raelyn’s horse where one could have set down. Still, Gareth refused to give up. He felt in his soul that Raelyn was alive, and he wouldn’t abandon her.

He set aside his food, long gone cold, frustration and fear gnawing at him.

Father emerged from his tent on the other side of the fire. He looked at Gareth for a moment in silence, then came and sat next to him. “You need to eat.”

Is Raelyn eating? Is whatever took her feeding her?“Can’t.”

“Gareth,” Father said. Gareth tensed. He didn’t like that cautious tone. “It’s time for us to let her go.”

“I’m not giving up.” Gareth stood, but Father grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

“We tried, Gareth.” Father’s expression pinched, the look in his eyes broken and pleading. “You tried. She’s…she’s not coming back. And we have responsibilities. We need to tell King Henry—”

“No.” Gareth yanked his hand free. “Go if you like. I’m not going to stop looking.”

He stomped away until the sounds of the camp were muffled, then sat on a moonlit boulder and held his head in his hands. How could Father give up on her?She’s not dead. She’s not.

Sometime later he heard someone coming and leapt to his feet, reaching for his sword before remembering he’d taken it off. His wariness shifted to a different kind of threat as Father made his way over, carrying a torch.

“Gareth.”

No.He recognized that hard edge, that impassive, regal comportment.

“I’ve discussed it with Sir Christopher. Every day she’s missing, our chances of finding her alive dwindle. We aren’t going to find her, and we can’t afford to waste more time when King Henry expected us to have already arrived.”

“It’s not wasting time!” Gareth clenched his fists. “I’m not abandoning her!”

“It’s not abandoning.” Father continued to watch him, stoic as marble. “I don’t want to admit it, either, but she’s gone, son, and searching—”

“No!” Gareth’s chest heaved. “We haven’t found her body!”

“That doesn’t mean she’s alive. Her body could have been taken far—”

“How could yousaythat?” He took a step away, shaking his head as his heart pounded. “She’s your daughter! She’s counting on us!”

“Eynlae is counting on us,” Father said gruffly. “We must go to Rethalyon—”

“Because the treaty has always been more important than Raelyn,” Gareth spat. “Hasn’t it? Do you even love her?”

“Of course I love her!” Father’s emotionless façade splintered. The torch trembled in his hand. “I loved her. I hope she knew that.”

“Then don’t give up on her!” Gareth stepped forward, pleading. “Keep looking—”

“I have a duty to my people to fulfill.”

“And I have a duty to my sister! Let me stay with a couple knights and—”

“No.”

“Alone then!”

“So I can lose another child?” Father asked, his voice tight. “Absolutely not. We leave for the Rethali palace in the morning. All of us. This is not a discussion, Gareth. This is an order.”

Gareth growled, picked up a stone, and threw it into the woods. “Hang your orders! Hang King Henry and his stupid son! She’s my sister, mybest friend, and I won’t leave her to the mercy of some monster! People don’t just vanish without a trace! Something took her—”

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