Page 97 of Crown of Briars
“Come with me.” My fingers interlaced with his as I tugged him toward the forest.
At first, he resisted. “Sybelle…”
“We won’t gointhe woods,” I promised. “But we need something behind us to provide camouflage.”
After a moment, Varius relented, and he let me lead him toward the forest. When we were a few paces away from the darkened wood, I crouched low to the grass, the morning dew leaving wet patches on my trousers and cloak. As discreetly aspossible, I tugged open the scaled pouch, making sure to keep it hidden in my pocket. Going by touch, I ran my fingers over each one, searching for the topaz stone. Its edges were slightly smoother than the others, and it was a rectangular shape.
There. As soon as my fingers closed over it, I felt the magic sweep over me. My other hand remained tightly enclosed in Varius’s. An icy tickling sensation crept from the top of my head and inched down my spine. Beside me, Varius drew in a sharp breath, and I knew he was feeling it, too.
“What is that?” he hissed.
“Be quiet, or they’ll hear you,” I whispered.
I kept one hand firmly on the stone and the other tucked in Varius’s palm. A few seconds later, the first of the soldiers emerged from the barracks. Some were jogging down the hill, while others ambled at a leisurely pace. One tall, wiry figure shoved another and laughed at something he said.
A low hiss emitted from Varius’s lips, and I followed his gaze, my stomach hollowing.
Warwick was here.
“How the hell did he escape his cell?” Varius breathed, his chest rumbling with a growl.
I shook my head, warring between terror and anger. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from Warwick. He was the tallest soldier, his bulky frame impressive compared to his peers. He strode downhill with a confident swagger that made my blood boil.
Bastard.
When over two dozen men were crowded at the bottom of the hill, Warwick clapped his hands together.
“All right, soldiers, you know what to do. Start with twenty laps. The one in last place has to take my spot in the dungeons tonight and relieve poor Rylen.”
Laughter and howls met his words, and Warwick grinned in response.
Varius was rigid beside me. I turned to look at him, and his eyes were dark with fury.
“They broke him out,” he whispered. “And left a decoy in his place. They…defiedme. For him.”
His dark brows were knitted together in confusion. Something akin to hurt and shame filled his features.
He had been betrayed by his own men. I couldn’t imagine the pain this was causing him.
“Why is Warwick giving orders?” I asked quietly, changing the subject.
“Because Murvo is dead,” he said softly. “And Warwick is the First Lieutenant.”
My blood chilled. Murvo was dead? What the hell had happened? I scanned Varius’s expression again, but his face had transformed into a hard mask, giving nothing away.
“But none of that should matter because Warwick should be in thedungeons,” Varius seethed. “These soldiers shouldn’t be running drills with himat all. Why are they acting as if everything is normal?”
Black shadows crept along the ground in front of us. I dug my fingernails into the back of Varius’s hand.
“Stop that,” I snapped. “I can’t camouflage your shadows.”
Varius’s gaze jerked to me. “Howareyou camouflaging us, exactly? I thought humans didn’t have magic.”
I bit down on my lower lip, considering how to respond. If I dodged the question, he would assume I had magic of my own.
I made a calculated decision and withdrew my hand from my pocket, showing him the topaz stone. “With this. It has magical properties. I found it in a cavern near my castle.”
Varius’s eyes sharpened as he looked over the stone. He reached for it, but I tucked it back into my pocket.
