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Ahead of them, Dom shook his head. “The witch will wander,” he said dryly.

“She’s not the one I’m worried about,” Sigil answered, looking straight at Charlie. “If another hunter steals my bounty—”

“Don’t worry, Sigil, I won’t try to run. Even I’m not that stupid,” Charlie answered, rolling his eyes.

Corayne balked. “By the gods, Sigil, are you really still going to collect on him?”

The Temur woman shrugged her broad shoulders. She took the jerky from Corayne’s hand. “I like to keep my options open.”

Corayne snatched it back.

“She’s getting faster, Sarn,” Sigil said over the back of her horse. On the other side, Sorasa only blinked, less than impressed.

But Corayne grinned, ripping another bite. “Getting faster,” she muttered so only Andry could hear.

“About time,” he said, tipping his head to smile down at her.

She matched his grin, and the warmth of it spread through Andry’s body, tingling in his cold limbs.

The top of the city hill leveled off at Oscovko’s castle, with only a single gate. The other sides dropped off down the hill, too high for any army to climb. Wolves snarled from the ramparts, menacing and brutish, hewn of black granite, a stark contrast to the gray. Only one wolf was white, cut from pure limestone. It leered above the gate, wearing a crown.

This time there were no old wardens to hoodwink, but a garrison of bold young soldiers led by a sharp-eyed captain. Andry despaired of their plan even as he dismounted, joining Charlie with the parchment unrolled for all to see.

“The prince would not summon you to Volaska,” the captain said with a scoff, indicating the imposing fortress behind the gates. He gave the scroll and the Companions a narrow look. “He lives in the camp outside the city, not the castle.”

“Does he? How strange,” Charlie said, pantomiming shock.

Andry was less skilled, feeling his face go hot again. His palmssweated in his gloves. He tried to think, wondering what a knight or even his noble mother would say.

But Corayne was faster, jumping off her horse to land on able feet. Dom followed close behind, her immortal shadow.

The captain gulped, craning his neck to look Dom in the eye, even as Corayne stood in front of him.

“My name is Corayne an-Amarat,” she said sharply.

Andry sucked in a breath.Assassins and bounty hunters and entire kingdoms hunt you!he wanted to shout. He remembered every blade set against her.But does she?his mind roared.

“Corayne—” he hissed under his breath.

Luckily, the captain didn’t know or care.

“Good for you,” he answered, confused.

She held her ground. “Take that name to your prince and see what he has to say.”

“The prince will throw you all in the stocks if he hears about this nonsense,” the captain snapped, growing frustrated.

Corayne only grinned. “Let’s prove you right.”

An hour passed before Dom broke his vigil over Corayne, careful to keep the captain away from her. He craned his head, looking back down the road into the city. On the walls, the stone wolves cast long shadows cut by the dipping sun.

Andry followed his gaze, squinting down the hill, but saw nothing in the distance.

“A retinue is approaching the gate,” Dom said, squaring his body so that Corayne was fully behind him. He twitched his cloak,freeing his sword should he need it.

Andry followed suit in a single fluid motion, throwing his cloak back over one side. Chill bit through his clothes, but he ignored it.

“Get back on your horse,” he whispered to Corayne.