The Bound (Ascension #2)(26)

But Orden was a step ahead of her, already turning in their direction. “Good sirs,” he said, offering them a stiff, short bow, “did you say the prisoners were relocated to an inn? All of your hard work, and they’ve already been transported. Did you find the woman you were looking for?”

The soldiers looked back and forth between each other. Their expressions gave away that they were trying to place Orden but drawing a blank.

“Speak quick, soldier. I’m on my way to speak with General Wingra at present, and I need some answers.” Orden was over a handbreadth taller than both men, and without his oversize floppy hat, he even appeared dignified.

Mention of the General got their tongues wagging.

“Yes, sir. The prisoners were relocated to the Huntress and Eagle Inn and put in custody of a Byern royal. I’ve not heard about the other girl.”

Orden tossed each man a silver coin from his purse, and they disappeared without another word.

“Good lads there,” Orden said, shaking his head. “To the inn then?”

She followed him without complaint. Thankfully, they had gotten the information they needed and avoided a blunder in the prison.

With Orden at the lead, they took a strategic path around the square to the Huntress and Eagle Inn. Cyrene could just see out of the corner of her eye that the square was a mess of soldiers and citizens brawling in the center. Tensions seemed to have come to a peak between Byern and Aurum. It was pandemonium.

They slipped through the front doors without being harassed, and Cyrene was shocked to see the disarray inside. The common room was as bad as the fight outside. A man was in the thick of it, swinging at another man in front of him and yelling insults. The crowd was growing, drawing in more people from outside. It was likely how she and Orden had slipped inside so easily.

With a start, she realized that the instigator in the fight was…Ceis’f.

“Creator!” Cyrene cried.

He must have found out that Maelia and Ahlvie had been transferred here.

Orden nudged her toward the now abandoned stairs leading up to the rooms. She and Orden hurried up the steps.

“We should split up,” Cyrene said. “We’ll cover more ground. You take the next flight.”

“I can’t leave you here alone. If you get caught, it’ll be your neck.”

Cyrene opened her mouth to argue, but he just bullied his way past her and down the hall.

“All right,” she grumbled.

They checked the first three rooms but to no avail. They were completely empty. As they were moving toward the next room, she heard steps from the far stairwell. She and Orden hurried into the room, but she left the door cracked open and peeked out into the hallway. Her heart beat heavily in her throat as she waited.

Two figures appeared at the base of the staircase. “Come on, Affiliate.”

Cyrene’s eyes widened, and her stomach dropped clear out of her body.

Kael Dremylon.

By the Creator! What is Kael Dremylon doing in Strat? And why is Maelia with him?

Cyrene had thought that the townspeople were exaggerating by calling a Byern noble a royal. But it actually was the Crown Prince. Her heart fluttered as she got a good look at him for the first time. He had roguish good looks with dark hair and blue-gray eyes that held only mischief. Blood coated the sleeve of his white shirt, and he seemed to be favoring his right arm.

“If she doesn’t turn up,” he said, looking at Maelia, “then I’ll have to take you with me to the Aurum capital. We can let this…” Kael’s voice trailed off as he escorted Maelia into a room and shut the door.

Cyrene’s hands shook but with fear or anger, she wasn’t sure.

Kael wants to take Maelia all the way to the capital of Aurum? No, I need to take Maelia with me. This is not a part of my plan!

“We have to get her out of there,” Cyrene said.

Orden grabbed her arm before she could do anything rash.

“You can’t just barge in there. If the Prince gets one look at you, there will be hundreds of guards on our heads before we can get ten paces away from this inn. Do you want to jeopardize everyone?”

“I can’t leave her behind,” she insisted.

“She would want you to be safe before compromising everyone.”

Cyrene furrowed her brows, and Orden released his hold on her with a sigh.

“Didn’t you hear what he said? If you don’t show up, then he’s taking her to Aurum. Let’s get Ahlvie and then come back for her. At least we have the advantage of knowing where she’s headed if we can’t get her out.”

Cyrene nodded. She didn’t like this, not one bit, but the last thing she wanted was to barge in on Kael Dremylon and ruin everything.

Orden hurried back out into the empty hallway. They were halfway up the third flight of stairs when they heard a series of loud thumps. Cyrene met Orden’s eyes, and they rushed up the last few stairs to find four guards crumpled on the ground. Avoca was standing over them in a plum cloak with gold stitching. Her blonde hair fell loose over one shoulder, and she looked both beautiful and deadly.

Ahlvie stood behind her with his eyes nearly popping out of his face. Then, his expression softened into something just short of adoration. A second later, he noticed Cyrene standing on the threshold and broke out into a smile. “You’re alive!”

“I’m all for the heartfelt reunions,” Avoca said, “but this place is crawling with soldiers. I suggest we make a hasty exit.”