Page 65

The inn was quiet except for the steady drumming of rain on the roof. After tossing and turning, Raven had finally fallen asleep on the bed an hour ago. Despite my exhaustion, I was still wide awake. To keep busy, I was organizing the supplies, but my gaze kept drifting back to Raven. The firelight flickered across her face, showing the faded cuts and bruises from the mine. I liked her better when she was asleep. No opinions, no running away every time I turned my head.

“I’ve never seen you shocked into silence before,” Kah said, finally deciding to comment on my reaction to Raven’s request.

I smirked at him. “I’ll admit, I didn’t see that one coming.” I’d thought it was going to take a miracle to get her to agree to go to Askeland with us. I hadn’t considered that she wanted her magic back just as much as I did. Then I’d played along by pretending like I was doinghera favor to let her tag along.

“She didn’t like you asking about Bloodbain. What do you think she’s not telling us?” Kah said.

“I think the truth potion made her tell Bloodbain something important,” I said, finally giving up on the supplies and stuffingit all back in the satchel. “Something she doesn’t want us to know.”

“About the stone?”

“I don’t know.” She was keeping her secrets well hidden. She hadn’t mentioned the map or the stone when I’d asked her about her time with Bloodbain, but I suspected she wasn’t as “out of it” as she claimed that night. I wondered if she was lying about her memory loss too, though I wasn’t sure why she would. Perhaps she was afraid of what information I would try to get out of her. Did she want to come to Askeland just to meet with my grandmother, or did she have an ulterior motive?

I moved silently over to the bed and knelt beside it. Raven was curled up under the blanket with her hands tucked under her chin. I gently pulled her right hand toward me. She let out a soft sigh but didn’t wake up. The faded bruises around her wrist from being tied to the platform sparked a pang in my chest. As frustrating as I thought Raven was, she didn’t deserve what the Rathalans had done to her.

I studied her palm in the dim light. The suli map was shaped like a circular labyrinth with a bird symbol in the center that reminded me of the illustration of the key from the book. There were no clear landmarks or directions to give me any clue about what secrets the map held.

“Do you think Bloodbain would have known what this was if he saw it?” I whispered to Kah.

“There’s no way to know.”

I ran my hand through my hair, thinking. Certain pieces of the puzzle were starting to click into place. The torn-out page in the book in the archives. The truth potion in the tea. The Magi’s warning that there would be others seeking the girl. At first, I’d thought Bloodbain was on a manhunt to find whoever set off the explosion in Thrailkull’s chambers. But after my conversation with Raven tonight, I was almost certain now thatthe commander wanted back the girl with the map. Meaning she was right—we needed to assume that the Rathalans wouldn’t just give up and go home.

I carefully tucked her hand back under the blanket and lay down beside Kah on the floor. I needed to get some sleep, but my mind was still racing. “Kah, do you think Bloodbain’s after the same thing we are?” I said, explaining my theory to him.

“That had crossed my mind. But I don’t think Raven would have been able to tell him the location of the stone without her magic, right? So, there’s no way he could find it before us. I hope.”

“Yes, but the bad news is that the armies of Malengard will be crawling across Eastlandra looking for us instead,” I said. The road to Askeland was treacherous enough without the enemy in pursuit.

We were both silent for a moment. I stared at Raven’s sleeping form, mentally preparing for the obstacles ahead.

“Whatever happens, she’s in our protection now. We can’t let anything happen to her,” I said. “She’s our only hope of saving Lila.”

“Jeddak.”

I woke up when Kah whispered my name. The room was dark and cold. The fire had gone out, and dawn had yet to break. A light rain pattered against the window.

“Do you hear that?” Kah breathed, moving toward the door.

Voices carried up from downstairs.

“I’ll check it out,” I said, slipping out of the room into the hallway. When I reached the top of the stairs, I could see a man talking to the innkeeper below. His back was to me, his faceconcealed by the hood of his black cloak. From the urgency of his voice, it didn’t sound like he was seeking accommodations.

“I’m looking for a girl?—”

His detailed description of Raven had me running back to the room.

“We have to go.Now. There’s a spy talking to the innkeeper.” I’d heard rumors the Rathalans had spies. Desperate or delinquent tribespeople who could easily slip in and out of tribal kingdoms and marketplaces where the Rathalans couldn’t go. Hell, the Wolves had thought I was one of them. I just hadn’t guessed a spy could have found us this quickly. He must be checking every inn in the marketplace. What I didn’t know was at what price the innkeeper would give away our room location.

You won’t be the only one seeking her.

“Raven, wake up,” I said, shaking her shoulder.

Her eyes flew open, and she flinched like she was being attacked.

“Skies, it’s just me.”

“I …” she stuttered, looking around wildly. “I was in the mine, and Hen …” She trailed off, her breathing ragged, her eyes glossy.