Page 101 of King's Warrior

“This isn’t a competition,” Rufe snarled. Gods, he hated traitors—hated Whreyn.

“We have a few more. I’ll let you take first pick.”

None of the remaining guards professed allegiance to Niam, and none offered helpful information. They died where they stood.

Rufe approached the door, listening for voices from within. Nothing. If those assholes lied, he’d pray them back from the dead just to kill them all over again—slower this time.

Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, back and forth, back and forth. Someone pacing. Boards over the windows on this side of the house prevented Rufe from seeing in. Draylon lifted a hand, palm out, signaling Rufe to wait, then disappeared around the corner. Rufe slowly, silently, eased the locking bar out of the sturdy metal hasps securing it in place. He wanted to rush in, but only fools changed plans without notice.Not long now. Not long.Behind him, under the cover of the nearest shed, Niam no doubt found the delay even harder to bear.

Rufe waited, dagger in hand.

Crash!

The footsteps pounded away from the door, likely a guard checking out the noise. Rufe exchanged dagger for sword and threw open the door.

The boys huddled on the floor. Niam stormed in.

“Father!” Quillan charged Niam’s way, pulling Uri by the hand.

Uri’s eyes widened for a moment before he wrapped his arms around Niam’s thigh.

“Come. We’ll get you out of here.” Rufe scanned the room. No one else. Niam should’ve stayed put, but couldn’t be faulted for wanting to be with his sons.

“What about Lady Exa?” Quillan asked.

A woman burst into the room, brandishing a sword—a bloody sword—nearly as tall as herself. “That’s one Craician bas—” Upon seeing the boys, she changed to “—barbarian who’ll never see the light of another dawn.” A long brown braid hung down her back. She wore trousers, boots, and a blousy man’s shirt. This must be Draylon’s formidable Countess Exa.

“Report!” Draylon demanded, charging in through the doorway behind Exa.

Rufe opened his mouth, but Countess Exa answered, “Two inside the house, six outside that I saw. You got one in here. I took care of the other. How are we outside?”

“Five accounted for. It seems one may have escaped. Were all Craician?”

“Only three.” Exa smirked, sending cold chills down Rufe’s spine. He’d never met Countess Exa, but Yarif swore by her in afight. “They didn’t know I’m fluent in Craician and clearly hated the man who hired them. They gave me useful information.”

Draylon motioned toward the front door. “No time now. Let’s get you out of here.”

“I won’t argue there.” Exa’s voice softened. “Boys? Are you all right?”

“Yes, Lady Exa,” the boys said in unison.

Niam extricated himself from his sons’ embrace. “Let’s go home, but stay close to me or Rufe.” He nodded to Draylon. “This is Draylon. He’ll watch out for you, too.”

Revealing Draylon’s royal status would provide Whreyn’s followers with another target.

The boys nodded solemnly.

Rufe turned to the stranger who’d been so good to his family, regardless of not knowing them. “Lady Exa, I extend my deepest gratitude to you for risking yourself for Niam and the boys, and I’m glad you’re unhurt.”

Lady Exa’s raspy voice wasn’t what Rufe expected from such a delicate-looking woman who only reached his shoulder. “No one gets away with harming children on my watch. I’ll keep them with me. You go do what you must.”

Rufe nodded and exited the house, though his heart wanted him to stay with Niam and the boys. How close he’d come to losing them. He trod down the steps, where Casseign waited with several of their soldiers, two captives in their midst: a scrappy young man and a rawboned woman, neither in uniform.

“Who are you?” Rufe asked the woman in Delletinian. She spat at his feet. He turned to the man. “Perhaps you’re more cooperative.” The man didn’t reply.

Casseign tried again in broken Craician. The woman still scowled, but the man showed enough interest to express his understanding. Craician. Or affiliated. At least the man.

Cass stepped toward Rufe. “From what we’ve pieced together, these two, along with several others, found work at the manor house, killed the owners, and took possession. When first questioned, the man showed recognition when I mentioned Lord Whreyn to one of my men.”

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