Page 44 of Oath of Rebellion

Her mother had died thirty years ago when Scarlet was five. She'd lived with her grandmother and Knox until she'd been old enough to join her father on the road. He'd been a fighter, a ranger paid by the crown to do a circuit through his territory and solve problems for the people.

Then he went to war and died.

Scarlet had been filled with anger for a long time after that, and the Hunters had provided a way to channel that into an income. She listened behind the gazebo and looked at the moon.

There were no others around, so she slipped inside. The king paced in the middle and when he turned around, he sucked in a breath and froze in his tracks.

He scowled, "Don't sneak up on me like that. You're the Hunter that brought Eirwyn home?"

She nodded, her hood hiding her face and keeping her in shadows.

"You're going to take her into the forest and cut out her heart. Bring it back to me. The official story is that Eirwyn's going to run off to the tavern again. But she gets lost in the dark and killed."

Scarlet's stomach clenched, and her blood went cold. She blinked in surprise. "You want me to kill the princess?"

He nodded. One wrong move, and he'd kill her. She'd heard of it happening before. Her mind raced as she breathed through her surprise. She didn't move, just focused on breathing and watching him.

His aura was steady. He wouldn't attack her. Not yet, not unless she refused. A small curl of smoke rose from his nose, his hands behind his back as he stared with those cold, emotionless eyes.

She couldn't question him too much or he'd see it as a challenge of his authority. A Hunter took a job and did it, regardless of the personal feelings on the matter.

They talked more, but Scarlet sensed another aura. She hurried him along by asking for half the payment. When he left, she'd turned to sense the aura on the other side of the gazebo wall.

She felt it was Eirwyn, recognizing her aura. She pulled out the sleep powder and stepped into the garden.

Scarlet slung the princess over her shoulder before she hit the ground and grunted. She was heavier than she'd thought a petite little woman like her would be. It didn't matter, though.

She turned to go through the back gate of the gardens, juggling the princess on her shoulder.

The guards were now passed out drunk on the ground outside the gate house. Scarlet clung to the shadows and slipped past them.

She tossed Eirwyn over the front of the horse, wincing as she flopped. Knox would not be happy about this. He'd clearly been smitten with Eirwyn, and there was no way she could go through with the king's request.

But she couldn't let anyone else go through with it, either. Eirwyn had been nothing but kind to her. When Scarlet had first seen Eirwyn in the tavern years ago, she'd been telling the most fascinating story with bursts of light figures dancing on the ceiling. Red had kept to herself and ignored most of the patrons, but she liked to keep her ears and eyes on gossip in town, especially when the royals were in residence.

It was always best to be prepared.

She swung into the saddle behind Eirwyn and led them through the back alleys toward the edge of town. Then she turned to the Lone Road and pursed her lips.

It was a full moon, and the fear and adrenaline from the king's words had grown within her chest, threatening to drown her. She focused on her breathing even as fear licked at her heels.

She kicked the horse into a gallop. They had to reach Grandmother's house before the Growlers caught their scent.

****

Ashur eyed the cylindrical tube warily as they crept down the hallway of the castle. "Are you sure that's going to work?"

The rambunctious crowd in the courtyard had provided good cover to get into the castle. They'd easily picked the lock and knocked a guard out, entering through a parlor of some sort.

Knox shook his head and peered around the corner. "We've tested it for weeks, Ashur. It'll work."

Ashur sighed and muttered a common prayer to Borga, but Knox didn't look at him as they continued to the servant's stairs. They went up to the main floor. At the top of the stairs, was a door that led to the kitchens.

They walked toward the door, his heart racing. If the king captured any of them, it would be the end of all their hard work. Fear beat at him, but he couldn't stop now.

The king's forces were still pushing into the forest. Will hadn't been able to stop them, and the king didn't respond to their letters in the newspapers.

With Auckwald reclaimed, it was time to lower the taxes and stop the war. Then Knox could send all the bedraggled and weary villagers in Vidrland back home. That was the only way to get peace in the forest.

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