“Noak and his warriors are en route to intercept them. Everything is covered.”

So Ryne had already figured it out. Kerrick shouldn’t be surprised. He glanced at Avry, but she gnawed on her lower lip as if deep in thought. Belen and the others sported cuts and bruises. Wet muck coated Flea’s back as if he’d been wrestling in the mud.

One of Fydelia’s officers rushed up. “The camp is secured. Prince Ryne wishes to speak to you.” She swept her arm out. “All of you.”

“Come on,” Fydelia said.

“We’ll catch up in a minute,” Avry said. “I need to check my guys, make sure no one is hurt.”

The monkeys protested, but Avry glared them into silence.

When Fydelia hesitated, Avry said, “Can you tell Ryne that the Skeleton King has been infected with the plague? No one should touch his blood.”

That stopped Fydelia. “Blood?”

“Yes. Just keep your distance from him. I’ll explain everything to Ryne.”

With a queasy expression, Fydelia nodded and left.

“How did the Skeleton King get the plague?” Kerrick asked Avry.

She smiled sweetly. “I gave it to him.”

“How?”

“Long story, I’ll tell you later.”

“At least tell me what’s going on.”

“We’re not joining Ryne,” she said.

“We’re not?” Belen asked.

“No.” The steel in her voice dared anyone to question her.

“Fine by me. Where are we going?” Belen asked.

“North. Let’s get moving, I’ll fill you in on the way,” Avry said.

“Okay.” Belen handed him his dadao sword. “I found this with ours. Nice weapon, Kerrick, I want one for my birthday.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Er...when is your birthday?”

Belen muttered under his breath as they walked. It had been a recurring joke between them that Kerrick could never remember Belen’s birthday. Yet somehow an anonymous gift would appear on the correct date.

They continued toward the forest and stopped at the place they had hidden their packs and the saddles. The horses waited there, as well. Kerrick marveled at Hux’s loyalty as he scratched him behind the ears. He dug out the feed bags. Hoping to have the horses saddled and ready before full dark, Kerrick hustled and barked orders at the others to help him.

After one snide comment about weed boy, they were on their way. Flea and Belen on Tea, the monkeys riding Coffee, and he and Avry on Hux. Energy flowed into him as she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled against his back. The effort to prep the horses had drained him and, while he’d like her to save her strength, he’d need to stay focused.

“How did you manage to infect the Skeleton King?” Kerrick asked.

Her arms tightened around him for a moment before she relaxed. “He had a syringe full of the horrid stuff and threatened to use it on Belen.” She chuckled. “That was until Belen rammed the post and knocked the tent down.”

“All right!” Quain high-fived Belen.

Poppa Bear’s queasy expression didn’t match the gesture.

“...in the confusion, I found the syringe and stabbed him.” Avry finished her story.

“That filthy cannibal needs to die,” Belen said with such vehemence, Kerrick studied his friend.

“Won’t the plague kill him?” Flea asked.

“I don’t know,” Avry said. “He ingested some of my blood and that might protect him.”

Alarmed, Kerrick turned to glance at her. “How?”

“He bit me. It’s nothing.”

Kerrick doubted that was the full story.

“Do you think Prince Ryne will send soldiers after us?” Flea asked. “He probably thinks we’re deserting him again.”

Kerrick considered. “He might. It would depend on what he planned for us to do after the attack on the Skeleton King.”

“I don’t care about his plans anymore,” Avry said. “I’m tired of being used as bait.”

“Is that the reason we left so fast?” Quain asked.

“One of them. But think about this... With Ryne’s forces split to the north and south, what’s left?” she asked.

Following her logic, Kerrick said, “The middle.”

“Right. And who’s going to fill that middle, keeping Ryne’s troops divided?”

Kerrick cursed under his breath. “Tohon.”

“Exactly.”

Loren said, “Prince Ryne has troops at HQ.”

“Not enough,” Belen said. “Tohon’s been amassing his dead armies in Vyg. Probably just waiting for the right moment.”

“Are we going to warn the soldiers at HQ?” Quain asked.

“We can, but that’s not the reason we’re going north,” Avry said. She drew in a deep breath.

Unease rippled through Kerrick. He braced for Avry’s next sentence, knowing it would be big. She didn’t disappoint him.

“Warning them won’t help in the long run,” she said. “We need to assassinate Tohon and stop this war.”

CHAPTER 21

Stunned silence.

Only the soft steps of the horses sounded in the dark forest.

Kerrick recovered first. “Shouldn’t assassinating Tohon be Ryne’s job?”

“It should,” I agreed.

“But?” he prompted.