“Who are these other folk?” the guard asked.
“We’re using seemings.” Oster turned and gave a nod. Some of the seemings disappeared. Three of them changed. Minimus now looked like a sickly child. Joe appeared to be a teenage girl. Sultan became an elderly humpbacked woman. Cole supposed that Brady was the hump.
“These people are in my care,” Oster said. “Women and children. Desmond wants them safe.”
The guards glanced at each other. “All right, Oster. Just confirm your identity with today’s password.”
“Downstream,” Oster said.
“And your identity slogan?”
“Ignore nothing.”
The guards moved aside. Oster waved for the others to go ahead. “Don’t admit anyone else besides Desmond,” he admonished the guards. “And don’t mention seeing me to anyone but him.”
“Understood,” the guard said.
Oster came inside and pulled the doors closed, locking them. Unlike every other part of Blackmont Castle that Cole had seen, the champion’s quarters were spacious and beautifully furnished. The bearskins on the ground and mounted trophy heads on the wall suggested that the Dreadknight had been a hunter.
Oster led them through a few handsome rooms to a bedchamber. He went to the large bed made of varnished logs, and started pushing. “A little help?” he asked.
Minimus hustled over to the bed, and together they slid it sideways. Minimus’s and Sultan’s seemings dissipated. Joe no longer appeared to be a teenage girl.
“The floor beneath the bed is a seeming,” Oster said. “Stairs lead down.”
“You all go,” Minimus said. “I’ll pull the bed back into place to make it harder for anyone to chase us. I’ll crawl under it and follow you.”
“The bed is heavy,” Oster warned.
“I felt its weight,” Minimus said. “I’m small but mighty. I can handle it.”
“Would you like me to take the boy?” Oster asked Sultan.
“I have him,” Sultan said, his face shiny with perspiration. “We may need your sword up ahead.”
“You know I can walk, right?” Brady said.
“I want to make sure we’re quick,” Sultan explained.
“You’re wounded,” Joe said. “Give me the boy.” Sultan handed Brady to Joe, who slung the boy over his shoulder.
Cole followed Jace and Twitch through the fake floor. With each step, the insubstantial floor came higher on his body until his head sank below it. Dim globes on the wall provided light. At the bottom of the long flight of stairs, Cole found himself beside Dalton.
“Having fun?” Cole asked.
“That was the first time I’ve ever been shot at,” Dalton said. “I feel bad for Sultan. That has to hurt!”
“Come on,” Oster urged.
As Cole followed, from above and behind, he heard the sound of the bed sliding into place. He kept glancing back until he saw Minimus catch up with the group.
“We should be in the clear now,” Oster said. “Only a couple of the other knights know about this passage, and they have their hands full with the Rogue Knight. Once we’re outside the castle, we should make for the lower stables. If we can get you on good horses, I expect you can ride clear of all this. Any idea where you’re going?”
“To find Trillian the torivor,” Mira said.
Cole cast a quick, nervous glance at Dalton, still curious what his friend knew about Trillian. Dalton leaned his way and whispered, “He’s a caged monster. Sort of like the Ellowine boogeyman.”
Oster stopped walking. “Today I’ve heard some things that weren’t meant for my ears,” he said. He held out a hand toward Mira. “I understand you’re Miracle Pemberton. And it sounded like Trillian has your sister, Honor. But if Trillian has claimed her, the story ends there. The torivor is imprisoned at the Lost Palace for a reason. He is one of the most powerful beings in the five kingdoms. Maybe the most powerful. Trillian can send servants beyond his borders, but he can’t leave. However, if you enter his domain, you’ll be at his mercy.”
“I appreciate the advice,” Mira said. “We’re going in that direction, though. The rest we’ll figure out on the way.”
Oster shook his head and started walking again. “If you avoid the Lost Palace, that route carries some benefit. Not a lot of people will want to follow you to the northeast. For the sake of my peace, please give it a lot of thought before approaching the Lost Palace. Talk to some locals. Learn what perils await you. Consider alternatives.”
“I can tell Mira about Trillian,” Skye said. “We won’t rush into anything.”
They continued forward. Oster glanced back at Mira. “Are you really the daughter of the High King? Weren’t his daughters killed?”
“He staged our deaths and stole our shaping abilities,” Mira explained. “It stopped us from aging.”
Oster didn’t ask more questions.
Cole matched Dalton’s pace and spoke softly to him. “What’s the full story on Trillian?” he asked.
Dalton sucked in a breath. “Oster covered the basics. I don’t know much more, just stuff I’ve heard at the Silver Lining. People in Elloweer love secrets—they hide behind illusions, they use passwords, they trade rumors. But they don’t want to know more about the torivor. They just want him locked away. Based on the little I’ve heard, this guy is a walking horror movie.”
“And we’re going right to his door?” Cole said. “Great.”
What were they going to do when they got to Trillian? Couldn’t they survive one crisis before racing to another? Cole felt a distressingly familiar tension as he considered the road ahead.
“I want to walk,” Brady complained after a short time.
“We’re in a hurry,” Joe said.
“I can hurry!” Brady fussed. “I’m not a baby!”
Joe set him down. “If you walk slowly, I’ll pick you up again,” he warned.
Brady scampered ahead until he was right behind Oster. The floor of the corridor sloped downward. Damaged masonry and dried mud along portions of the floor hinted that the passage wasn’t used very often. Something scuttled in a shadowy corner.
“We made it,” Oster said. They had reached a huge door of corroded iron set in a rusty frame. Oster threw back three bolts. “No telling for certain who is on the other side. Ready?”
They all became legionnaires.
“That’ll do,” Oster said, leaning and straining to pull the large door. Minimus lent a hand, and the door groaned open.
From the doorway Cole saw only darkness. Skye extended a hand, and a dim globe of light drifted into the room, revealing a dirt floor and a bunch of old plows and farming tools.
“Where are we?” Skye asked.
“Smokehouse basement,” Oster said. “This door is hidden by a seeming, as is the trapdoor up in the smokehouse.”
They filed into the room. It reeked of dust, soot, and old metal. Oster went up a creaky flight of steps, unfastened a bolt, and opened the trapdoor. “All clear,” he said.
They went up into the smokehouse. The place was deserted. Cole could taste smoked meat in the air. Oster peeked out the front door. “Nobody in sight,” he said. “They aren’t here to sack the town. They want the Rogue Knight, and he’s keeping them busy up at the castle.”
Sultan collapsed. Suddenly, half of them were no longer legionnaires, including him. He lay motionless, facedown.
Crouching beside the fallen illusionist, Joe examined the wound under his shoulder. The shaft protruded from near the top of the armpit. “He’s lost a lot of blood,” Joe said. “His shirt is soaked. The seeming masked how bad this is.” Using a knife, he cut away the material around the quarrel. Jace edged in as close as he could, looking over Joe’s shoulder. Twitch kept his distance. “It must have hit a blood vessel. Hopefully, not the main artery, but he’s in bad shape.?
??
“He needs Band-Aids,” Brady advised.
“Come here,” Cole said, leading Brady away from Sultan.
“I hate it here,” Brady whispered. “People always die.”
“We’ll try to help him,” Cole said, watching worriedly.
Joe leaned close and probed near the wound. Sultan flinched and growled in pain. Propping himself up one arm, Sultan looked around the room with wide eyes. “What happened?”
“You passed out,” Joe said. “You’ve lost a lot of blood.”
“You had better go,” Sultan said. “There’s no time for this.”
“You’ll die if we leave you,” Joe said, taking some bandages from a pouch he wore. He packed the bandages around the wound. “I don’t want to try to pull the quarrel out yet. I’d break off the shaft, but it’s too short and thick to snap easily. Cruel little dart. Try not to jostle it.” He tied the bandages in place with twine. “Let’s hope the pressure slows the bleeding.”
“Thank you,” Sultan said.
Joe helped Sultan up. “Come on. We’re going to get you to those horses.”
“Can you make yourself a legionnaire?” Skye asked Dalton.
“Yes,” Dalton replied, creating the seeming after a moment’s effort. “I can probably do somebody else too.”
“Okay, you and Cole,” Skye said. “I can cover the others.”
“That’s nine people!” Dalton exclaimed.
“Eight,” Skye said. “I’ll hold Brady and make him part of my soldier.” She picked him up. Everybody became legionnaires again.
“You got me?” Cole asked Dalton.
“Looking good, Cole,” Skye said. “Shall we?”
“Don’t hurry too much,” Oster advised. “We want to look like a patrol investigating. It’s okay that Sultan was injured. We could have been involved in fighting already. The uniforms should convince most to ignore us, except perhaps a legionnaire commander. I didn’t see anyone in the immediate area. Follow me.”
They exited the smokehouse and made their way past some other buildings, toward a complex of stables adjoining some large corrals. Blackmont Castle stood behind them on higher ground. The sounds of fighting were muted by the distance.
Cole resisted the urge to increase his pace. He made a point of looking around at the surrounding structures, as if searching for someone. The illusionary legionnaires looked different from before. With the seemings up and nobody speaking, he found it hard to be sure who everybody else was, except for the legionnaire helping his wounded comrade.
The stables drew gradually nearer. The area seemed deserted. Cole figured most people had opted to hide out until the fighting was done.
Once inside the nearest stable, they found two long rows of stalls filled with horses. Skye dropped the legionnaire seemings. Oster trotted to a storage closet and began taking out saddles. “Everyone who knows how, lend a hand,” he said.
Cole had learned to care for mules back when he left the slave caravan. He figured saddling a horse couldn’t be too different, and he was right.
Everyone helped prep horses besides Dalton and Brady, who sat with Sultan. The wounded illusionist rested on the floor with one shoulder against the wall, head bowed. Cole didn’t like the look on his face. He seemed out of it.
Once the horses were ready, everyone mounted up. Skye put Brady in front of her, arms around him protectively. Joe helped Sultan climb onto a horse. The illusionist slouched and had to brace himself with his free hand, but he held the reins and stayed in the saddle. Minimus had selected the smallest horse he could find.
Oster mounted a horse as well. “After you’re away, my orders are to return to the Rogue Knight,” he said. “His chances of survival aren’t great, but while he stands, I’ll stand with him. Ride swiftly.”
“I’m not sure Sultan can do this,” Joe said. “And I’m worried about Brady. We don’t want to drag him into our trouble.”
“I was going to send Sultan away with Brady,” Skye said. “That won’t work now.”
“Someone should take them both,” Joe replied. “Are you up for it?”
“Mira will need my guidance with the torivor,” Skye said. “And it seems you have some medical know-how.”
“A little,” Joe said. “Okay. Where should I go?”
Skye thought for a moment. “Ride due north to the village of Rygel’s Forge. Then go northwest to Sutner’s Ferry. Stay at the Golden Goose. They’re sympathizers. We’ll try to find you there. Stay vigilant. Once the Enforcers discover Brady is gone, they’ll come looking.”
Joe rode over to Skye and took Brady from her. The boy didn’t look pleased but kept his mouth shut.
“I’ve never ridden a horse before,” Dalton said nervously.
“Stay with us,” Skye told him. “Hold the reins a little looser. Grip with your legs. Don’t fall off.”
All but Oster became legionnaires.
“I can do my seeming,” Dalton said.
“Worry about staying on your horse,” Skye replied.
“Don’t gallop away,” Oster said. “You’ll draw less attention if you take your time. I’ll watch from here until you’re clear.”
Leaving Oster behind, they rode out of the stable and trotted away from the castle. Cole followed Skye and kept an eye on Dalton, who looked terrified even as a legionnaire. Joe and Sultan veered away from them.
Looking ahead, Cole saw the road Skye was aiming toward. When he glanced back at Joe, Sultan was on the ground. Joe had dismounted and was trying to help him get up. The big man was unconscious and too heavy for Joe to lift.
“Skye?” Cole asked.
“I see them,” she said.
Sultan staggered woozily to his feet, and Joe helped drape him over his saddle, feet on one side, head on the other. Joe mounted up and led Sultan’s horse by the reins. Slung over the saddle, Sultan didn’t look very lively. Cole hoped Joe would be able to get him medical attention soon. How good were the doctors in Elloweer? The technology seemed pretty primitive.
They reached the road without difficulty. Soon Joe, Brady, and Sultan had ridden out of view.
Cole ended up trotting beside Mira. She looked worried.
“You all right?” Cole asked.
“Do you think the Rogue Knight has any chance of escaping?” she asked. “There were so many legionnaires and guards. I know he’s a good fighter, but he can’t singlehandedly take on the whole kingdom.”
“If anyone has a chance, he does,” Cole said. “He doesn’t have to win the battle. He just has to fight his way free.”
“Except for taking me, he didn’t treat me badly,” Mira said. “I hope he makes it.”
As Cole trotted up the road, he kept glancing back at Blackmont Castle. He couldn’t tell whether the fighting had ended or if he and the others had simply moved too far away to hear it. Cole kept expecting to see a group of horsemen coming after them. Maybe guardsmen. Maybe legionnaires. Some of the Dreadknight’s men perhaps.
But time went on, and nobody came.
CHAPTER
26
THE RED ROAD
Not far into the ride, when Mira mentioned that she was thirsty, they realized that they had brought no provisions. Skye had grabbed blankets with the saddles, but they lacked anything to eat or drink. Minimus volunteered to go find food and water, and rode away alone.
As the day progressed, the road they traveled dwindled to a trail. They passed nobody coming from the opposite direction, and nobody approached from behind. By the time the sun went down, the faint trail was becoming hard to follow.
Minimus caught up to them while they were making camp off to one side of the trail near a stand of trees. The sight of the little knight filled Cole with relief. He hadn’t eaten since a quick snack before dawn, prior to the duel. After a long day on horseback, Cole’s mouth wa
s dry and his gurgling stomach felt like it had begun to digest itself.
The Halfknight led a second horse burdened with supplies including biscuits, sausages, cheese, nuts, and containers of water. Skye, Cole, Mira, Jace, Twitch, Dalton, and Minimus sat in a circle to share the food.
“Should we build a fire?” Jace asked.
“I don’t know,” Skye replied. “Brady was tended by Enforcers. They’ll send out search parties. We don’t want to draw attention.”
“The night is not cold,” Minimus said. “The food doesn’t require heating. No flames would be safer.”
“Where did you find all this?” Cole asked. “We weren’t expecting a feast!”
“I had to ride most of the way back to Blackmont Castle,” Minimus said. “Nobody lives out this way.”
“It’s true,” Skye said. “Hopefully, this will be the last place they’d expect us to go. Everyone knows to stay away from the torivor.”
“He has servants, though?” Cole asked.
“The Red Guard,” Skye said. “They’re the ones who must have taken Honor. If a member of the Red Guard is ever caught by legionnaires or the city guards, the penalty is death. No crime required. Members of the Unseen treat them the same way. They are servants of an ancient evil. You don’t come across them often. The chances increase as you get close to the Lost Palace.”
“I’ve heard of Trillian,” Dalton said. “People talk about him like he’s the scariest creature ever. But I’ve never heard who he actually is.”
Skye shook her head. “That’s because we don’t really know. People who go to the Lost Palace rarely return. If they do, they’ve joined the Red Guard and become Trillian’s devoted servants.”
“Haven’t you interrogated members of the Red Guard?” Jace asked.
“I’ve only ever seen one,” Skye said. “It was back when I was new to the Unseen. I didn’t get to talk with him, but I understand that he refused to answer any questions, even under torture. Frankly, I think most people prefer to leave the torivor alone. We don’t need to understand him as long as he stays put. Nobody wants to stir up that hornet’s nest. He’s the monster our parents scared us with to make us behave.”