Page 99 of Secrets of Graves and Gold

As we set off through the woods, I send out a little of my magic to flow around our group. By daylight, when we’re not too near to the march, I’ve found the simplest effect for avoiding notice is to deflect attention rather than making us outright invisible. It’s a perfect balance, the magic to nudge anyone’s eyes away from us having the consequence of pulling their gaze toward something else.

If Stavros is right, the scourge sorcerers won’t get close enough to have us in their sights anyway.

He takes the lead, guiding us through the forest and across a sprawling field until we reach a country road. “Now that we’re setting our own course, we don’t have to stay so far off the beaten path,” he says. “We’ll make better time on even ground.”

By the second peal of a town bell, I think I can see the town it belongs to off in the distance to our right. Stavros turns his head that way as Casimir and Alek swap places so Alek can ride for a bit. When I look at Rheave to offer a similar exchange, he simply shakes his head with a defiant expression.

I tap his shoulder with the side of my foot. “Next time. Your body can’t keep going without rest no matter how much you’d like it to.”

Stavros glances back at us. “Actually, I think our daimon should take the horse now—but not to rest just yet. We don’t know how well Voleska and the others were able to pass on the message about the scourge sorcerers’ plans, and we weren’t sure of where the march was going back then. Rheave, you’re the only one of us not officially wanted for arrest. Ride over to that town as quickly as you can and warn them that the uprising has sent a concealed army this way and that they’re only a few hours behind us.”

My body balks at the idea of our party splitting up even briefly, but I force myself to slide off Toast’s back so Rheave can take him. We have to get a warning to the royal troops as soon as possible.

I just have no idea what kind of reception he might get. We don’t know what’s been going on in the rest of the country while we were tangling with the scourge sorcerers in Nikodi.

“How’s Rheave going to find us again while Ivy’s keeping us hidden?” Alek asks.

The daimon-man pats Toast’s neck from where he’s hefted himself onto the stallion. “Her horse can find her without seeing. He already did before in the forest.”

He lifts his hand in a casual salute and launches Toast into a gallop. As they race across the open ground toward the distant town, Stavros motions for the rest of us to tramp onward.

I loosen my cloak a little to let in a bit of warmth from the rising sun. Now that we’ve left the northernmost part of the country behind, the winter chill isn’t quite as biting.

Casimir chuckles at me, the collar of his own cloak folded up to shield the lower part of his face. “You’ve all got stronger constitutions than me, I think. I like my warmth and comforts.”

I bump my elbow against his. “And you should have them.”

He hums, the sound faintly muffled by the fabric. “Eventually. For now, I’ll appreciate the beauty of the wild countryside and the lovely flush that nippy breeze brings to your cheeks.”

Even more of a flush creeps over my face at the compliment. I push myself to walk a little faster, thinking of the mass of angry scourge sorcerers and their allies behind us.

It isn’t long at all before Alek alerts us with a noise of concern. “I think that’s Rheave on his way back now. He’s coming at quite a clip. I don’t see anyone pursuing him, though.”

Stavros peers across the terrain from his lower vantage point. “He’s probably simply hurrying to rejoin us.” His forehead furrows all the same.

We don’t slow our pace on the road, but I move to the side closest to Rheave in case that’ll help Toast find his way to me. How much it’s the daimon-man’s senses and how much the horse’s, I’m not sure, but they hurtle straight toward us without hesitation.

Rheave only pulls on the reins when they’re so close I can hear Toast’s huffs of breath. At that distance, maybe ten paces from the road, my magic wouldn’t be enough to divert anyone’s attention from the sight of us.

He urges the stallion into pace alongside our group. “I don’t know if that went well.”

“What happened?” Stavros demands.

The daimon-man glances back toward the town, frowning. “There were men at the gate—guards. I told them about the people from the uprising heading this way, planning to attack the king. Instead of seeming concerned, they asked me how I knew and something about frozen trees.”

My stomach flips over. The counteraction to my fire magic. Did someone see it and realize it was caused by illicit magic of some kind?

Have I drawn the attention of even more enemies down on me and my men?

“I told them I didn’t have time to do more than give the warning and headed right back,” Rheave goes on. “But when I was turning around, I saw past the gate—on the other side, there were a couple of people in uniform nearby. Uniforms that looked like the royal army’s. Why would they be here?”

Alek knits his brow. “We’re only about a day’s walk from the main front where the army’s been fighting the Order of the Wild. It wouldn’t be very strange to have a few soldiers stationed in the area to monitor things, would it?”

He aims the question at Stavros, who rubs his jaw. “Not necessarily. But they should have been asking about numbers, how well armed, and matters like that, not acting as if they weren’t sure they should even believe you.”

Rheave deflates a little. “Maybe they didn’t. I might not have explained it well enough.”

“I’m sure you did as well as any of us could,” I tell him.

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