Page 27 of Deadly Maiden (Dragons and Darkthings #1)

Kroll Krasten

Father,

I don’t have much time to write this. Thank you for your reply. I can’t meet you in Darsum or Bollingham as you know. The safest for me is somewhere outside of a town. I enclose a hand drawn map. Darsum will pass near where I marked. There is an old house with a broken green roof and a well at the X. I can be there tomorrow early, about an hour after sunrise.

See you then.

With much love, W

“Excellent copying of her scribble. This looks like what a loving daughter would write.” I nod to the scribe, then reread what he penned. The boy messenger waits, shifting on his feet as if nervous. “You. Boy. The seal of Thander Munk will be applied, with a map tucked inside it, then you will take it to Landos Diamond. Correct?” I hand the letter back to the scribe. The red-brown wax is already heated. The seal will take only seconds to affix.

“Yes, Ser.” The young man steps up. “I ride into Darsum, deliver it, say as little as possible. Wait for his reply.”

“Indeed. Then bring the reply to me.”

The scribe checks where he placed the melted wax, stamps shut the envelope with the folded message and map, then hands it to the young man.

“Ride! Go!” Leaning back in my canvas chair, I watch him sprint to his mount and ride up the trail leading to a break in the trees.

Almost done. Get the father, then lure out the girl with more letters. A pity the boy can’t be relied on to get deeper into the organization of this abominable church. Although a raid in Langordin, where he believes she is hiding, that would be more difficult than pouncing on her in the open.

I run a finger down the cleft of my chin, thinking of what is needed.

Somewhere with a landmark close to Langordin.

Somewhere Darsum travels past also, so she will assume it really is her father she is meeting, and not my hand-picked soldiers, mage, and myself, ironskin edgemaster to King Madlin.

While waiting for the girl, I can amuse myself playing with Landos, former follower of the Gothschilds. That alone merits punishment. And for harboring the fugitive child?

The man has escaped the king’s justice for far too long.

He should have been executed twenty years ago.