CHAPTER 27
Voltan was barking at the door, wanting to be let outside.
"Marik?" Amara said, concern spreading across her face.
"Soldiers from the castle," Adena explained.
"Oh, I've heard of him. Callie's husband had a rather unpleasant encounter with him a few years ago."
Erynn was a little surprised at the sudden anger in the old woman's voice, but the thought disappeared as she hobbled over to the window and peered out through a crack in the curtain. She counted six men, including Marik, galloping across the field from the direction of the trees. Two split off from the others as she watched and headed for the barn. The others continued toward the cottage.
Amara set down the cloth she was using to dry the dishes and walked calmly toward the door. "Stay inside and keep quiet, girls. I'll handle him."
Erynn had a sudden flashback in her mind — of her father walking forward from the wagon to meet Lord Caden. She turned to the door, fear gripping her heart. "Wait, Amara —"
But it was too late. Amara grabbed hold of Voltan's collar and opened the door. A second later they were gone, the door closed shut behind them.
Erynn started after her, but Adena grabbed her arm.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"We have to warn her," Erynn said. "She has no idea what she's walking into. Why they're even here."
"Erynn, we need to leave. Maybe she'll give us some time."
The words were like a stab to the heart, remembering how her father had once tried to do the very same thing. "Run," he had said, as he stepped forward to meet the fair-haired soldier with the limp and the scars. "Don't let them catch you, Erynn."
As Adena went to grab their things, all Erynn could do was turn back to the window. Amara was slowly making her way out to the road that passed between the cottage and barn, still keeping a tight grip on Voltan. There was a very determined nature to the way she was holding herself — as if she wasn't afraid at all and knew exactly what she was doing. But it didn't make Erynn feel any better.
Adena was running around the cottage, muttering something to herself as she gathered up their cloaks and packs and stowed the extra blankets in one of the back rooms.
"Erynn," she said a few seconds later, her voice growing urgent. "I know you wanted to stay, but it's too late. We need to go. Now."
Erynn glanced around the cottage, trying to think. Trying to decide. Even looking for something she could maybe use as a weapon. Then her eyes landed on the trap door almost hidden in the floor near the kitchen table — and she listened to what she was hearing inside: a voice telling her to stay. "Throw everything in the cellar."
"The cellar?" Adena asked. "We can't hide there. What if they search the cottage?"
"Just do it, Adena."
Adena appeared about ready to drop Erynn's things and high-tail it out the back door on her own, but then she set her jaw and went to the cellar. Seconds later she had lifted the door and tossed all of their things down the stairs.
Erynn caught a glimpse of the cool darkness down below the cottage — a space barely large enough for the two of them to hide — and a shiver ran down her spine. But she refused to let it scare her. If she could survive the caves of Galia, and the tunnel out of Caraden Castle, she could survive that root cellar, too.
The men slowed their horses as they reached the road. Marik looked tired, as if he'd slept in the same clothes for days, and was sporting a light growth of beard on his face. Erynn recognized the other soldiers from around the castle, but saw no sign of Quinn or any of his men.
Marik spurred his horse forward, until he was only a few feet from Amara, but the old woman just drew herself up taller and kept a firm hold on Voltan. The dog had not stopped barking. Erynn thought the noise might drive her insane.
"Who's there and what do you want?" Amara said, her voice so strong she almost growled. "I might be blind but I heard you lot coming a mile away."
Marik looked her over, appearing somewhat amused by her boldness, but at the same time not in the mood for games. "Marik Fayne, from Caraden. We're searching for two girls we believe might have passed this way. About sixteen years old. We tracked them into the woods out behind your barn. Have you heard of anyone like that in the area?"
Erynn watched Amara, barely able to breathe, but if the old woman was at all shocked or rattled by this news, she didn't show it.
"Someone slept in our barn a few nights back. We thought maybe it was the same thieves we had here last week. Stole two of our pigs. When I heard your horses I thought maybe you were them. But they didn't steal anything this time and seem to be long gone now."
Adena returned to the window, peering over Erynn's shoulder so she could see what was going on. "I still think we should leave, Erynn."
"Wait," Erynn said, finding it hard to hear what was going on over the sound of Voltan's barking. "I want to see what he does."
"What he does? Erynn, by then it could be too late."
At the back of her mind, Erynn knew her friend was right. But something inside her was also telling her to stay. To wait. And that she'd never save Gareth if she ran.
Marik eyed the cottage. "Who else lives here with you?"
"Just my niece," Amara said. "Her husband died a couple of years ago."
"Is she here?"
"She went to town."
"To Chapley?"
"Yes," Amara said, starting to sound annoyed at his questions. "She had a few pigs she wanted to sell at the market."
"When did she leave?"
"Sunrise," Amara said. "Did these girls do something wrong?"
Marik seemed surprised. "You aren't aware of the warrant for their arrest?"
"No. I don't go to town much anymore and my niece hasn't been in a couple weeks."
"They're wanted for the murder of the king."
This time, Amara flinched. She raised a slightly shaky hand to her face. "Murder? I hadn't even heard he died. You say two girls did this?"
Marik was about to respond, but then he turned and gazed west down the road. The rest of his soldiers all did the same, and even Amara turned her head. Voltan barked even louder.
Erynn wasn't able to see what they were looking at, but a few seconds later she heard it. A wagon was coming up the road — and fast. Not long after it came into view — two horses galloping towards the cottage, with Callie leaning forward on the wagon seat and looking very, very alarmed.
"That's not good," Adena whispered. "What's she doing back so soon?"
Erynn tensed. "Judging by the look on her face, I'd say she heard about the warrant."
Voltan was still barking. Amara scolded him and he finally sat down and was quiet.
Callie brought the wagon to a stop near the cottage and quickly applied the brake. Then she jumped down and went to her aunt.
"Amara?" she said. "Is everything all right?"
Amara reached for her niece's hand and even from the cottage Erynn could see the squeeze. "These men are from Caraden, dear. They're looking for two girls they think murdered the king. I told them we had guests in our barn the other night, but that they seem to be gone now."
Callie's eyes were wide. They went from her aunt to the cottage — and very briefly to the window — before returning to Marik and the other three soldiers.
"Go along with it, Callie," Adena whispered.
Erynn could hardly watch. She wondered if Adena was right — if they should have just fled as soon as they saw Marik and hoped that Amara could give them some time.
Callie nervously wiped a strand of hair from her face. "I – I saw a couple of girls as I drove into town this morning. It looked like they were trying to cross the Elks River."
Marik raised a brow. "What did they look like?"
"One was fair, the other dark-haired. But I only saw them briefly."
Marik's men exchanged glances, but he hadn't taken his eyes off Callie.
"And when was this?"
"Not long after sunrise. I thoug
ht maybe they were the ones who slept in our barn."
Marik studied both of the women carefully, as if he was trying to decide whether or not he believed them. Then his eyes shifted to the empty wagon. "Your aunt says you went into Chapley to sell pigs."
"I did," Callie replied. "A half-dozen."
"Why the rush coming home? Your horses look ready to drop."
For a moment, Callie seemed speechless. "I – I heard in town you were looking for those girls. I thought maybe they were the ones I saw and was concerned for my aunt. I wanted to make sure she was all right."
"If they were crossing the Elks it sounds like they were headed south. Away from here."
"My aunt's blind," Callie said. "And here all alone. I was concerned."
"Not entirely alone," one of the soldiers said with a bit of a chuckle. "Looks like she's got a pretty good dog to watch over her."
Callie glanced down at Voltan, and then briefly back at the cottage — and the window.
Marik narrowed his eyes. "Did you tell anyone in town what you saw?"
Callie hesitated, now looking even more uncomfortable. "No, sir. Honestly, all I could think of was my aunt. Getting back here."
Marik didn't seem pleased, but before he could say another word, the two soldiers who'd gone to search the barn rode toward him across the yard.
"Looks like someone might have slept in one of the empty stalls," one of the men said. "Probably went in there to get out of the rain." He paused and eyed the cottage — and the two women standing out front. "Want us to check inside?"
Marik gazed long and hard at the cottage. And the window.
Erynn felt her heart pounding in her chest. She knew the army commander couldn't see her through the crack in the curtains, but she stepped back anyway. Ready to bolt if he made the slightest motion to his men, but not entirely sure if it would be to the root cellar or out the back door.
An eternity seemed to pass before he finally spoke. "No. If they crossed the Elks this morning, we might still catch up with them by nightfall." He turned back to Callie. "If I had the time, I would leave a couple of my men behind and order them to go through your barn and select a suitable penalty for not reporting what you saw. So consider yourself lucky. And the next time a warrant is issued and you see someone that fits the description, I hope you will make the report."
Callie nodded her head, but she kept her eyes down — as if she was afraid Marik might see the truth in them: that she knew the two girls he was looking for weren't trying to cross the Elks River that morning and were very likely still inside the cottage. "Yes, sir."
Marik stared at both of them for several more seconds. Then he turned his horse west and rode off past the wagon and down the road — the rest of his men following along behind.