Page 81 of King's Warrior

He reached inside, removed a lantern, used a burning twig from the fire to light the wick, and entered the hidden passageway. A quick hip bump closed the door. Stale air filled his lungs, and dust hung thick. He retrieved a sword kept by the door and secured the sheath and dagger into place.

Where would Mother go if faced with a foe? If she’d escaped, the soldiers would watch the stables. The children. She’d look for the children.

Niam followed the cobwebbed passageway to Uri’s room, lowering himself to study the floor. No footprints. He peered through the peephole. No one. No sounds either.

He aimed the lantern toward Quillan’s room. Footsteps appeared about halfway there, leading to the hidden peephole in the wall of Quillan’s antechamber. Niam drew his dagger, his sword being useless in such tight quarters.

Mother stood in the passageway, face a pale white. She’d dressed in trousers and a tunic, hair tied at her nape. “They’re gone,” she said. “Captain Casseign defied his commander and rescued me, but we arrived too late.”

“Where is Cass now?”

“Making arrangements to get you away from here.”

No! “Do you know where they went?”

“A group of riders headed north an hour ago, traveling fast.”

North. To Whreyn’s home? “Whreyn is behind this.”

Mother nodded, scrubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands. “That’s what I figured.”

“He wants me to marry his niece, denounce my sons as heirs, and name any son I have with her as my successor.” Niam clenched his fists. Never!

Mother snorted. “Any child you have with her will probably be Whreyn’s. He and his niece don’t have aconventionalrelationship.”

Which added another layer of evil to Whreyn’s plans, taking his brother’s daughter for his mistress. “We have to get the boys.”

“They’re safe for now.” Mother sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than Niam. “As long as you and the boys live, the people will never accept Whreyn or anyone else.”

Please let her words be true.“The missing and dead soldiers. Their loyalty to me caused their deaths. Some swore fealty to Whreyn to protect themselves and their loved ones, but are also loyal.”

Mother straightened to her full height, a touch of steel in her voice. “I think he vastly underestimates how much the people love you.”

“We must act.”

“I know.” Mother rolled back her head and stretched her neck from side to side until Niam heard an audible pop. “Whreyn is in bed with Craice. They’ve wanted a war with the empire, thinkingthey’ll win.” Her grin wasn’t friendly and reminded Niam of what an effective consort she’d been.

“What are you saying?”

“I say they should be careful what they wish for.”

“They’ll be watching the stables.”

This time, Mother’s sinister grin held humor. “Then we won’t go there.” She lifted her own lantern from the floor. “Come. I believe you’re about to take a trip. Extinguish your lantern. We might need to conserve oil.”

Niam snuffed his lantern and followed his mother down a set of stairs he’d not taken since playing there as a child. She turned a corner, taking a route he’d never traveled before. More stairs followed. He tried to track their movements and determine where in the castle they were before realizing they’d left the castle and were now in natural caverns within the mountain.

The air in the caverns kept a consistent, though cool, temperature. A breeze brushed his face. They must be near an exit. They stopped near what appeared at first glance to be a pile of rocks, but turned out to be cloaks, hats, and gloves and donned the warm garments. Who had helped Mother arrange all this? Cass?

“Watch your step,” Mother cautioned, stepping from the cave mouth onto a narrow ledge. She wended her way along the track, unperturbed at the treacherous footing.

Lights shone from windows above them, some from the castle itself. Niam had many questions, but they’d all have to wait for later.

Nickering came from somewhere ahead. Rather than slow, Mother picked up speed. Eyes glittered in the lantern light. Two mules waited, one saddled, one laden with packs. A smaller mule stood off to the side, ridden by a somewhat anxious-looking Willem.

“You had a plan?” Niam couldn’t help but ask his mother.

“Darling, I always have a plan.” She patted his cheek, then watched Niam mount the saddled mule. “Go to your cousin in Renvalle. He’ll help you.”

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