Page 56 of Lake of Sorrow

“I don’t have anything to do with either of those things.”

“We’ll see,” he said grimly.

15

For those who don’t know where to look, there is no water in the desert.

~ Sandsteader proverb

It was dark and drizzling by the time Kaylina, Jankarr—and the Kar’ruk prisoner bound and draped over his taybarri—rode toward one of the eastern city gates. Kaylina had her cloak on again, her hood pulled low to hide her face, but she considered slipping off Levitke and running into the countryside. She didn’t want to endure an interrogation at ranger headquarters any more than she wanted to be arrested for the poisoning attempt of the queen. Even if she wasn’t bound, she felt as much a prisoner as the Kar’ruk.

“Halt, ranger.” A city guard and a man in ranger blacks stepped out of the gatehouse. “What is your— Is that a Kar’ruk?”

“A prisoner I’m taking for questioning, yes,” Jankarr said.

Both the guard and ranger swore in surprise.

Kaylina assumed Targon hadn’t yet put the word out that Kar’ruk had crossed the border and infiltrated the preserve. Maybe he hoped to never do that since it meant the invaders had gotten past the rangers in the watchtowers.

“What about him?” The ranger pointed at Kaylina, the wan light from the lanterns not enough to illuminate the lack of beard stubble on her jaw.

“That’s the person who assisted me in capturing the Kar’ruk.”

“Jankarr, you know we need the identities of everyone entering the gate after dark. And during daylight right now, as well.” The ranger waved in the direction of the royal castle on its cliff overlooking the harbor and the city.

“Come, then.” Jankarr crooked a finger to beckon him closer, then bent and whispered in the ranger’s ear.

The guard folded his arms over his chest while glowering suspiciously.

“Ah. Go ahead through, Jankarr.” The ranger looked at the guard. “That is a trainee who has not yet earned the right to be called a ranger, but my colleague vouches for him.”

“The rangers are vouching for a lot lately,” the guard grumbled, but he stepped back.

What did that mean? Something to do with the murders? The stories in the newspaper?

Not responding to that, Jankarr led the way toward headquarters. The paces of both taybarri picked up. Maybe they knew they would get food once they arrived.

Though their route took them down the far side of the river from Stillguard Castle, Kaylina glimpsed the dark towers as they passed over an arched bridge. She sucked in a breath. A purple glow emanated from the plant’s window.

“It changed back,” she whispered. “It does like the honey water.”

Jankarr looked at the tower, then at her, again giving her the you-have-turned-into-something-strange look.

He probably wouldn’t ask her again for a massage. Which was fine. She hadn’t even massaged Vlerion, but she worried about what Jankarr would tell Targon, Targon who already had far too much of an interest in her.

When they entered ranger headquarters, men in the courtyard spotted the Kar’ruk and rushed over to help Jankarr haul him off. Kaylina dismounted at the stable, thanking Levitke for the ride.

Momentarily left alone, she was tempted to sneak out through the still-open gate before Targon returned. And before anyone thought to lock her in a room—or a cell.

Then her brother poked his head out a window in the stone infirmary building where Doctor Penderbrock worked.

“Fray?” Kaylina gave Levitke a final pat and jogged across the courtyard toward the window. “Are you all right? Did you get hurt again?”

“No, but researching in dusty basement archives made me wheezy. The doctor stirred up a concoction that I’ve been faithfully breathing while I read. He’s been letting me work in the office of his infirmary. I’ll show you what I have so far.”

“That’s good of him to let you loiter.” Kaylina noticed Levitke trailing her across the courtyard, despite the parting pat. Was she supposed to feed the taybarri? She made a shooing motion and whispered, “Tell Jankarr I said you should get extra food.”

“I haven’t been loitering. I’ve been working assiduously on the requested research. I also helped him organize the medicines in his cabinets. They weren’t alphabetized or filed by category or anything. They were all shoved haphazardly in there. Some were upside down. Two were leaking. An apothecary shop struck by a meteor couldn’t have been in more disarray.” Frayvar clasped an aggrieved hand to his chest. “I don’t know how he found anything.”

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