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When she opened them again, Rangar was standing by the door to her cell, eyes wide, expression stricken.

“You might have bitten off more than you can chew, captain,” she told him.

In his face she saw his dreams of fame and promotion wither and die. Now he would be glad just to get out from under her cousin’s notice unscathed.

“It appears your cloak and knife have been sold at the market.” Herron returned, wiping bloody hands on a cloth.

She shrugged. “I guessed as much.”

He studied her face, looking for evidence of her being upset about it, and when he couldn’t find it, he turned away.

“Bring her out to my carriage. I’m taking her to the palace.”

He strode out, and the captain of the guard opened the door and held it for her.

She stood carefully, and felt herself sliding to the side. The captain caught her before she went down.

“You’re going to owe me your life before this night is through,” he hissed at Rangar. “Is she injured?”

“No!” Rangar sounded sick.

“If you’re lying and I’m in any way implicated later, you will suffer all the consequences I can arrange.” The captain of the guard lifted her into his arms and walked out into a room Ava only had a brief impression of before.

It appeared to be an armory with a few tables for note taking and inventory, and armor and weapons lining the walls.

The body of the warden lay in one corner.

A soldier stood, staring at the blood.

“Keys,” the captain of the guard snapped at him, and he jolted, then looked at the warden’s body in horror.

“The Herald is waiting.”

The soldier moved as if struck by lightning, finding the keys on the body and holding them out with shaking hands.

Ava was bundled into the coach with hands still bound, though, and the captain handed her cousin the key.

As soon as the coach rumbled away, Herron crossed his arms over his chest.

“What’s wrong with you?” He asked the question politely.

“No food for two days,” she said.

He gave a grunt. “Unfortunately, the queen knows you’re here.” He flicked his gaze over her, top to bottom, and grimaced. “We’ll have to clean you up.”

“How did she discover my presence?” Ava had an inkling, and it both filled her with joy and worried her.

“Apparently you are going by Ava Yngstra of Grimwalt now, which upset our aunt slightly, but the Commander of the Rising Wave, the Turncoat King himself, asked after you personally. It appears they have captured all thirty flares we purchased at great expense and they have surrounded the city. If we don’t produce you, what we had planned to rain down on them, they will rain down on us.” Herron’s lips were a thin line. “I think I’m quoting almost word for word.”

The Commander of the Rising Wave could not have been burned with flare fire, then. Unless General Ru was pretending he was still alive.

But, no. Rangar was a liar. And she would not believe he had killed Luc and her other friends. She simply would not.

“So, was the queen was taken by surprise about the flares?” Ava looked Herron directly in the eyes. “You in trouble, cousin?”

He struck out at her.

A backhanded arc from left to right.