Page 56 of A Crown of Deceit & Ruin

“No! No, I would never do that, and he wouldn’t ask me to. But where we come from, people don’t necessarily trust animals. We couldn’t bring it back with us, but I didn’t want it following after you either, getting itself stuck in there, becoming endangered.”

Kestrel stiffened. She hadn’t even considered that. Given the way the fox had reacted when the Maw had almost taken her, there was no doubt in her mind that the fox would have come to her aid inside the fortress as well.

“What did you do then?”

“I tied it up,” he said simply. Then, seeing her immediate outrage, held up his hands and added hastily. “Loosely! I tied it up loosely! It should be able to wiggle free in an hour or so.”

Kestrel worried at her lip. She supposed it was a good thing that the creature had been subdued. But she didn’t like the idea of just leaving it.

As if he could see the thought in her eyes, Micah said, “We can’t bring it with us. It’s better off out here. The people of Irongate…they don’t treat animals well.”

“Why not?” Kestrel demanded. Then she remembered a word Leighton had shouted just after shoving her inside the fortress. “Because of the Animali? Is that what it’s called?”

Before he could reply, Leighton emerged from the fortress, shoes in hand.

Micah spun away from her, arms raised high in victory. “You found them! Well done, brother.”

“It wasn’t too difficult. They were right where she said they would be.” Leighton tossed them to Micah, who caught one in each hand.

He hissed, and when he handed them over to Kestrel she could see why. One of his fingers was protruding from the inside of the slipper. “Yikes, looks like he took a bite out of one of them.”

“I’ll be fine,” said Kestrel as she grabbed the shoes from him. She was eager to get them back on and hide the bloodied but healed flesh on her feet.

“We will see to it that you are fitted with new ones,”offered Leighton.

“That won’t be necessary,” she said.

Micah barked a laugh. “It absolutely will be. You think we plan on bringing some sand flea into our home and to muddy the place up?”

With one shoe still in hand, Kestrel thwacked him across the chest.

“Ow!”

“Come on you two,” Leighton called over his shoulder, already marching back the way they’d came. “We should return to the others. I don’t like keeping them waiting, especially with the moon cycle that just passed.”

Micah shuddered, likely thinking about the scourge that could’ve crossed their paths in time with the night sky. “I for one will be grateful to never set foot in this barren desert ever again, if I can help it.”

The smile he flashed Kestrel faltered when he realized who he was talking to. This place was her home, or at least the only home she’d ever known. As barren and as dangerous as it might be, her stomach still soured at the thought of leaving it and never returning.

That didn’t need to be her plan, she reminded herself. Once she spoke with the queen and arranged Thom’s release, they could come back. They could return home.

But as the three of them began their march back to the Thundersworn Brigade, something told Kestrel it would be a long while before she saw her home again.

Upon returning to where they’d left the rest of the Irongate entourage, Leighton summoned a small convoy of the Thundersworn Brigade and commanded them to collect the king’s body from where he had been left in the fortress. And once the knights were on their dutiful way, he upheld his promise to Kestrel and took her to the prisoner carriage. As expected, it wasthe same sand-glider being piloted by the giant scorpion, the one Efrem had been near.

As they approached, Leighton cast a wary glance her way. “Remember, prisoners are not permitted to speak with anyone, not even those guarding them.”

“I understand.”

“He will be punished if you utter even a word to him?—”

“Alright, I get it,” she snapped, annoyed that he felt the need to remind her, but also somewhat appreciative that he was making it so clear. The last thing she wanted was to get Thom in more trouble.

But Leighton still wasn’t finished.

“That includes if he talks to you.”

This time when Kestrel opened her mouth to respond, she fell silent. There was no telling how Thom would react upon seeing her, especially seeing that she was still in the company of the very people he had warned her not to trust.

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