Chapter 17

ASHUR STOOD NEAR THEstairs with a grim expression, leaning against the wall with a foot propped up behind him. He spied Knox and straightened, then jerked his head to the stairs.

Knox strode through the crowd and past the sleeping patrons who still held cups in their hands. If Ashur was wide awake, sober, and without a woman, then it was time to work.

He reached the top of the stairs and strode down the hall, following Ashur into the last room on the left. He closed the door behind him to find several of his most trusted men sitting around the room.

The old woman had said his men needed him to save the princess, but he couldn"t come right out and ask about her.

As soon as the door closed, his eyes narrowed on them. "Everyone is back from the wedding reception? How did it go?"

Nineel"s eyes glinted and he grinned, revealing one tooth missing. "Aye, well that was a great plan, master warden. It worked! Every single piece of it. Your spell put the entire castle to sleep, even the magic users. Then we lifted every jewel off those rich bastards."

"Only two people were coming awake as the last of us left, so the sleep darts took care of them," another said.

Several of the men chuckled, and Knox sighed in relief. He"d left the stealing to the men as he"d overseen the perimeter and made sure no one sounded the alarm.

"Excellent. Tomorrow, go to Vidrland and turn everything over to John. He"ll see that it can"t be traced back to us, sell it, and send the money to those who need it most. "

The man nodded. "Great. We circled around the city a few times to make sure no one was following us. All good though." The man kicked his saddle bags on the floor.

Knox sighed in relief. "Excellent."

"Well, not quite," Ashur said. "Tell him what else you heard while patrolling."

Knox" heart skipped a beat.

Several of them looked at each other, then Nineel continued. "The princess might"ve been kidnapped."

Knox felt his breath still, then he snorted. A green vapor escaped, sinking to the floor. He took a deep breath and controlled his racing emotions. The old woman was right. Eirwyn was in trouble.

He stood still, motionless as he tried to process. He growled, "Explain."

They all began speaking in rapid succession.

"Exactly what I said. She"s missing. No one knows where she went, but the king doesn"t seem too concerned about it."

"Not true, the king sent his men to fetch her from the tavern tonight. They searched every room for her, but she"s not here."

Knox frowned. "It"s probably too early for a reward for her safe return?"

One man shook his head. "There"s a rumor going around that she"s run off to stop the war and intercede with the Glathens. They will be mad about the marriage. The king was apparently angry about that rumor and burned a chair."

"I heard that she has left for the winter palace already and just wanted to give the newlyweds some space."

A few chuckled at that, but Knox began to pace.

"That"s not like her at all," he murmured. Some of the men"s chatter died down at his comment. A few glanced at each other.

Nineel said, "Those are just rumors, but that"s not our theory, master warden."

Ashur sighed and nodded. "After you went outside and the guards came to search, a bloodied soldier came in, desperate for shelter and a drink. He"d been chased by the Growlers, then they pinned him down. They were about to rip him apart when they caught a scent. The wolves had howled and bounded away on the hunt."

Nineel nodded. "And earlier before we robbed the palace, I overheard some guards talk about a woman who was thrown over the shoulder of a cloaked figure. They took off toward the woods on horseback."

His heart raced and green gas escaped his nose again. He waved it away, the men backing away from him and their chairs grating on the wooden floor.

Knox scowled, ignoring their wary expressions. "And the guards didn"t stop it? This is why the monarchy needs to change. The king doesn"t even care that his sister is missing."

"He"ll care about being robbed in his own castle," Ashur said confidently.

Knox rubbed his head. "But will he care enough to stop damaging the forest and chopping down trees with no regard for balance? Will he stop bleeding us dry with taxes? Will he stop the god-forsaken war? Or will he get angry and push back?"

Knox straightened and turned to pace in front of the door as he thought. The men shifted on their seats but didn"t interrupt or respond to his rant.

They had debated whether to go through with the robbery or not for weeks. Everyone knew he doubted the wisdom of it, but ultimately they had voted to go through with it. So Knox had led them anyway.

None of that mattered now though, because something had happened to Eirwyn, and he hadn"t been there to stop it. If she was in the forest at night during Growler mating season...

He squeezed his eyes shut, turning and reaching for the door.

"If the princess was taken into the forest, we must find her before the Growlers do. Ashur, ride with me. The rest of you stay the night here and listen. Try to find out which rumor is the largest and who"s saying what. Send three of you back to Vidrland tomorrow with the goods and the tailor and cobbler"s families. Two of you stay here in Demerel and keep watch."

He stared at each of them. Now he could add protect the princess to his list of responsibilities. A wave of apprehension washed over him.

"The princess is a priority. If anyone finds her, send word to me as soon as possible. She might be the key to the king"s downfall."

He threw open the door and strode down the stairs, out the door, and to the stable. Ashur quickly saddled his own horse, and as they mounted, he murmured softly, "About the jewels..."

Ashur trailed off, and Knox turned their horse to take the most direct route back to the Lone Road. His back straightened as he glanced around, but the streets were empty except for the occasional drunk sleeping in a doorway.

Ashur leaned close and said softly, "I still don"t understand why we didn"t just gut him. We had the opportunity. He was passed out with the rest of the lot."

Knox frowned and sighed. "I still think we can end this war peacefully. Did you leave the message for him?"

Ashur nodded and spoke more freely as they exited the town and entered the empty field that separated it from the forest. The moonlight shone above, almost full but not quite.

"I did. I took the queen"s lipstick and wrote it on the mirror in the king"s bed chamber. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but it severs just as easily. End the war or lose yours. Word for word, just like you said."

Knox placed a hand on the side of his horse, softly petting it. "Wonderful. We never heard from the king about the olive branch petition. This message might get the point across more effectively."

Ashur"s horse shifted as he replied. "Perhaps. I still think we should"ve just killed him then. If it had been Will instead of me, the king would"ve already been dead. But you"re the boss, mate."

Heavy is the crown, indeed. He just led the rebels, but the responsibilities were endless.

Knox sighed and rolled his eyes, making Ashur grin as they entered the forest. "Right, let"s hunt a princess."

They turned their horses along the Lone Road, listening for the Growlers and watching for signs of passage. Sure enough, they found horse tracks.

Knox swung down to inspect them. The back left shoe had an arrow print in it. His blood ran cold, and he strode back to Ryder.

"It"s Red," he said curtly as he swung onto his horse. "I"ll take it from here, Ashur. Go check on Will and see if he"s been able to stop the king"s men from trying to build that fucking road."

He kicked his horse"s sides just as a howl echoed through the forest.

Dear gods, don"t let him be too late.