Ruined (Ruined, #1)(62)

A spear was pointed right between his eyes.

He turned, raising his hands in surrender. Two men stood in front of him. One was about Cas’s age, the other much older. The young man had a sword dangling from his hand, letting the older man handle the spear that was pointed at Cas.

“I was just going to the river,” Cas said. “For water.”

The young man stepped closer to him, moving toward Cas so quietly that it became very obvious how these two had managed to sneak up on him so easily. He wore pants that ended above his knees, and a stained gray shirt. The older man wore the same kind of pants but no shirt at all.

The old man jabbed him in the chest with the spear and Cas gasped, stumbling backward. He’d poked Cas just hard enough to break the skin, and a dot of red started to appear over the castle insignia.

“You’re from the castle,” the man said accusingly. Cas flashed back to the warriors saying they were going to let the locals know there was a price on the prince’s head.

“I—I stole it.” His lie came out hesitantly. “The person wearing it was dead, so I took it. The Olso warriors attacked the castle.”

“Did the warriors kill the people in the castle?” The older man was so hopeful suddenly that Cas had to beat down a swell of rage. The image of his father’s white shirt turning red flashed through his memory.

“Some of them,” he said quietly.

“Good.” The man nodded, as if this satisfied him.

“You can have some water,” the young man said, sheathing his sword. “Then you’ll leave.”

Cas tried to appear grateful. The old man ran ahead, skipping over rocks until he reached the shore. The other man walked behind Cas, a little too close for comfort.

The old man walked to a large bucket and grabbed a cup hanging from the side. He scooped it inside, then held it out to Cas. “It’s clean.”

Cas took a quick, covert sniff of the water before tipping it to his mouth. It was clean, though it had an earthy taste, with a hint of fish. He gulped it down anyway, wiping a hand across his mouth when he was done. The man scooped out another cup for him, looking at Cas like he was an idiot as he drained that one as well.

“You should have stayed in the city,” the man said.

“Olso has taken over the city.” Cas handed him the cup. “They could come here. You should be careful.”

The man laughed. “Olso warriors have no problem with us.”

Cas just shrugged. “Thank you for the water.”

The man pointed in the direction Cas had come from. “Royal City is back that way.”

Cas didn’t tell him he wasn’t going to Royal City. Let them think he was.

“The others aren’t coming this way, are they?” the young man asked.

“What others?” Cas asked.

He pointed into the jungle, but Cas saw nothing. “I’ve seen others. Everyone is going south.”

Perhaps he’d seen the Lera troops headed to the Southern Mountains. Cas felt a burst of hope. If he was able to find them, he’d be safe again. He’d have a horse and a sword and an army to take back the castle.

“I’m sure they won’t bother you,” he said, even though he had no idea. He thanked the men again, turning to walk away. A child stood directly in front of him, and he stopped short, giving her a weak smile. She stuck her thumbs in her ears, shot her tongue out, and made a face at him. She shrieked with delight as she ran away, like she’d waited most of her life to do that.

Cas cast a glance over his shoulder as he started walking again. The men followed him with their eyes, their mouths set in hard lines. He picked up his pace, telling himself it was because he hoped to find the Lera soldiers, not because he was afraid of two strange men.

He began to search for signs of horses or anything that indicated someone had come this way. He spotted a footprint here and there, though that could have been from the people he’d just met. But the footprints seemed to be headed south, so he followed them.

A rustling sound behind him almost made him turn, but he caught himself just in time. He took a careful step forward, trying not to let his shoulders tense. If someone was watching him, he didn’t want them to know he was aware of their presence.

He pushed a branch out of his face, using the opportunity to peek over his shoulder.

Something slammed into him. He hit the ground.

The young man grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked Cas to his feet.

The old man stood in front of him, spear aimed directly at Cas’s neck. He drew the spear back, preparing to plunge it straight into Cas’s flesh.

Cas grabbed onto the arm holding him, using the anchor to lift his legs off the ground. Cas launched his feet into the man’s chest. The man stumbled backward, tripping over a vine and hitting the ground.

The arm around him loosened as he returned his feet to the ground. Cas lifted his elbow and slammed it into the young man’s side. He grunted, and Cas spun out of his grasp.

The old man lunged at him with the spear, and Cas dove out of the way. The man swung the spear wildly, and Cas quickly ducked. He popped right back up, grabbing hold of the wooden handle of the spear as it came at his head again. He yanked it out of the man’s hands.

He took a step back, away from the man’s flailing hands. He used both hands to sink the sharp tip of the spear into the man’s neck.