He retreated to where he’d left Hux, mulling over his      discovery. The smugglers wouldn’t be happy that their secret entrance was known.      The empty wagon meant no one was inside the city at the moment, or else they’d      have taken the wagon to deliver the goods. Not much Kerrick could do at this      point. He’d keep alert for intruders and hope the smugglers didn’t return      anytime soon.

To pass the time, Kerrick trained Hux. Or rather, he tried. His      father’s stable master had worked with their horses, but Kerrick hadn’t been      interested in that trade. Kerrick used positive reinforcement and repetition,      hoping for the best.

On the third day of his vigil, the forest pulsed with unease.      Irritants had intruded, leaving the main path and heading this way. Kerrick      counted five. Three men and two women. He led Hux farther away, then sought a      strategic position to watch them.

Crashing through the underbrush, one of the men cursed. “I’m      bringing my machete next time,” he growled.

“Good idea, Jack, and why don’t you invite a priest along, too.      Save us all some time,” another man groused.

“Shut up, Sylas,” Jack said.

The smugglers each carried a barrel probably full of alcohol.      Short swords hung from their belts and each had a dagger tucked on the opposite      side. They aimed for the tunnel.

“Ugh. It stinks,” one of the women said. “I thought the ducts      were no longer in use.”

“They ain’t, princess. This is just runoff from the streets,”      Jack said.

“Smells like profit to me,” the third man said, chuckling.

Kerrick thought fast. He needed to keep the entrance clear.      And, although Avry and the guys could handle five armed opponents, the smugglers      might ambush them in the dark tunnels. Casualties were not an option.

He had to stop them now.

CHAPTER 13

“All? As in all 2095 of them?” I asked Melina.

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible.” I didn’t even know if the two of us would make it out, let alone thousands.

“Then I’m not leaving.” She dashed away.

Stunned I stood there until a guard noticed and reminded me with two strikes of his reed that I needed to report to my tower. The sting from his weapon barely registered as I hurried back. Now what?

Could everyone escape? They vastly outnumbered the guards, but all the guards inside here only had keys to the towers. We couldn’t get far without the rest of the keys. And the guards on the other side wouldn’t open them for us. Unless Odd could steal all the keys?

I trudged up to the sixth level. Stretching my legs, back, and neck muscles, I concentrated on the problem. I understood why Melina wanted to rescue them all—my stomach soured at the idea of leaving them behind—but...

Fydelia joined me. “Did you talk to Melina?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Didn’t go as you expected, did it?”

I met her gaze. And she accused me of being too smart for my own good. No sense lying to her. “No.”

She nodded.

Taking a chance, I asked, “Has anyone ever escaped?”

If she was surprised by the change in topic, she didn’t show it. “Nope.”

“Has anyone tried?”

“Yep.”

“And?”

“The guards can’t be seduced or bribed or tricked—it’s been tried dozens of times. And the last time there was a riot, guards from the outer perimeters flooded the prayer room brandishing swords. It wasn’t pretty.”

“Were you here?”

“It was right before I arrived, so I got an up-close look at the consequences.” She shuddered.

So much for overpowering the guards. “Has anyone been forgiven and released?” I asked.

“Nope.”

No surprise. A thud sounded from above.

Fydelia gnawed on her lower lip. “If we had weapons, it’d be a different story.” She gave me a pointed look.

Many of these women had been soldiers in Estrid’s holy army. If they kept their skills sharp... Another muted thump. “You’re still training, aren’t you?”

“Yep.”

“All of you?”

“Yep.”

“Just in case?”

“We’ve been here a long time. And you never know when the opportunity will arise. And I’m thinking you’re that opportunity, Irina.”

Gee, no pressure. “I don’t—”

“Weapons and opportunity, Irina. We’ll do the rest.” She left.

If only it were that easy. I spent the rest of the night mulling it over. Aside from the wood from the bunk beds, we had no other materials to make weapons. The metal spoons we used during meals could be of use. Except the guards would notice if a couple thousand spoons went missing.

Eventually, I drifted to sleep.

“My, my, what a pickle you’re in, my dear,” Tohon said. He lounged next to me on a huge canopy bed, wearing only his black silk pajama pants. “Trying to save the world, again?”