Page 106 of The Study of Fire
Valek rolled over in his crate and rested on his elbows and knees. He slid the panel below him open, then he eased onto the cobblestones.
“I assume you have Yelena hidden somewhere in your wagon,” Cahil said.
“Have who, sir?” Ari asked, playing innocent. “All I have are goods for the market.”
From his position, Valek counted horses. Five. They stood in a semi-circle, blocking the front of the wagon.
“For the market? The market you just rode through without stopping to unload? I don’t think so. Despite your disguises and weak attempts to explain your presence, I know who you are and why you’re here. In fact, I was sent by Jal to come and escort you to the Keep.”
Valek combat crawled to the back of the wagon, where Janco and Marrok remained on their horses. Keeping the pile of goods between him and Cahil, he climbed the stack, stopping short of the top. Ari shifted his weight while Janco met Valek’s gaze. Janco signaled,Not yet.
“Relax,” Cahil said. “I’m not here to capture you. I’m here to join you. And I hope for the sake of all our lives you have a decent plan.”
Join us? No way Valek would believe a word that man said.
“A plan, sir?” Ari asked.
Cahil snorted with exasperation. “Yelena! Leif!” he called. “Come out and tell your big northern friend I’m telling the truth. Look for yourselves.”
Janco signaled.Go.
Valek climbed on top of the wagon.
Cahil said, “My people have not drawn their?—”
He launched into a diving tackle, knocking Cahil off his horse. The Wannabe King yelped as they hit the ground with a thud. Valek yanked his dagger, pulled Cahil to his feet and pressed the sharp blade to the man’s throat. His minions froze.
Ari pulled off the rugs and helped Yelena from her box. Leif, Gale, and Janco joined Ari with weapons in hand. However, Marrok stayed on Garnet.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t cut your throat?” Valek asked Cahil, even though he was pretty sure this was going to end with the Wannabe King’s death regardless.
“You won’t get into the Keep without me,” Cahil said. He kept still and held his hands up and away from his body.
“Why this sudden change of heart?” Yelena asked.
“You were right,” he said as if in pain. “They’re using me and…”
“And what?” she prompted.
“The rituals and killings have gotten out of hand. I can’t be a part of it anymore.” He looked at Marrok. “I wasn’t raised to be a killer. I was raised to be a leader. I’ll earn my throne the old-fashioned way.”
Although the expression on Marrok’s face never changed, his body relaxed.
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Ari asked.
“Yelena knows through her magic.”
She shook her head. “I can’t use it. It will alert Jal and risk the mission.”
“She already knows you’re here. You have thwarted her a number of times. Although it will be more difficult now, as she has gained an incredible amount of power through the Kirakawa ritual.”
“She?” Valek and Yelena asked in unison.
“We thought Jal was Gede,” Yelena said.
Cahil blinked at her for a moment in shock. “You didn’t know? What else don’t you know? You were planning an attack at the Keep, right? I thought you had it all figured out.”
“You thought wrong,” she said, annoyed. “We had to guess about the state of affairs inside the Keep.”
