Page 150 of Paladin's Faith

“But how did you get here so fast?” asked Marguerite. “We rode as fast as we could and we didn’t spend more than ten minutes at the keep…”

“Remounts,” said Jorge, waving to the horses. “Three each. We picked up the bowmen on the way. But you say you’ve actually been to the keep?”

“I’m sorry,” said Marguerite, “but I had to try to get Shane away.”

“I take it you didn’t succeed?” asked Jorge.

“No. He wouldn’t come with us and he wouldn’t let us in. He said it was too dangerous to be there.”

“Either the demon’s smart, or he is,” said Sir, and walked away to shout at one of the grooms for something horse-related. Jorge shrugged.

“Err…you’re not mad?” asked Marguerite.

Jorge heaved a sigh. “Let’s say that I’m exasperated. But you haven’t taken holy orders and you’re civilians. You’ll have to stay with us long enough for the priests to be absolutely certain that a demon didn’t jump to you.” He grimaced. “Some of the others are pretty mad. I…well, I understand why you tried.”

“But we stole your horses!”

“It’s fine,” said Jorge, “Davith left a note.”

“See, I told her…”

Marguerite squared her shoulders. “Then I’m going into the fight with you.”

“Like hell you are.”

“Shane won’t hurt me.”

Jorge scowled at her. “Which, if we were just fighting Shane, might be important. But an arrow doesn’t care who it hits.”

“You’ll take Wren and Judith, though?”

“Wren and Judith are trained fighters. You’re a trained…” Jorge trailed off, apparently realizing that he had no idea what Marguerite did.

“Negotiator,” said Marguerite, which was only adjacent to a lie, not the real thing.

It was, unfortunately, the wrong thing to say. “We don’t negotiate with demons,” said Jorge stiffly.

“Fine, then use me as a human shield once we’re inside!”

Jorge looked appalled at the very suggestion. So did Wren. Judith looked like Judith, but there was something slightly tighter in the set of her mouth.

“I’m actually fine with staying back,” Davith volunteered.

“Listen,” said Marguerite desperately, “you still have to make sure we aren’t possessed, right?”

“Ideally, yes.”

“So you’ll either need to leave someone to guard us—and you know you haven’t got enough people—or you let us follow along. Because otherwise Davith and I are going to light out of here and lead you on a chase through the hills for weeks.”

“This woman does not speak for me,” Davith said.

Jorge’s scowl deepened to consume his whole face. “Unless we hogtie you and carry you over the saddle.”

“I believe my bodyguard would object to that,” said Marguerite, elbowing Wren in the ribs.

“Huh?” said Wren. “Oh, yes. I would. Very much.”

Jorge appeared to be marshalling further arguments when Burnet the priest slapped him on the back. “Let them come,” he said. “If your paladin friend has as many archers as they say, they may hold back for fear of hitting them, and that’s all to the good.”