Fearless (Nameless #3)(6)
“If they’re thorough, four. If they’re scared, six,” said Gryphon.
“Can we take them?”
Gryphon snorted. If his hands were free he might have ruffled the kid’s red hair. “Not while we’re bound.”
Joshua shivered, despite the warmth of the tent. “My nose itches,” he complained. “And I gulped down the last of my waterskin when we came through the canyon. I could really use a private moment, if you know what I mean.”
Gryphon’s stomach groaned with hunger. “We’ll be fine. Zo won’t let them keep us here. Not for long.”
He could only hope she had that kind of sway with Commander Laden.
“What if Zo can’t convince them to let us go?”
Gryphon felt himself sigh. “I’m sorry, kid.” He hadn’t thought of Joshua when he attacked the commander. It wasn’t like him not to weigh every outcome of a decision before acting.
“For what? You did the right thing,” he said, shrugging—a difficult task considering the situation.
“I lost my composure.”
“You were angry,” said Joshua.
“I allowed my anger to control my actions.” He always lost control when it came to Zo. “Hear me now. Just because you feel the urge to act doesn’t always mean you should. It’s called self-control, and losing it can get you killed fast.” He waited a moment then said, “I was wrong to attack the commander.”
But it hadn’t felt wrong. If anything, closing his fist around that man’s neck had felt like justice. If Laden hadn’t sent Zo to Ram’s Gate, Gryphon would still have a home, a clan, a place where he belonged. Most importantly, he wouldn’t be walking to his death in less than a month.
But then, he also wouldn’t have met Zo.
That one sobering thought halted all rage.
The tent flaps whipped open and, to Gryphon’s surprise, Commander Laden stepped inside. A handful of guards followed, but Laden waved them away. “I will speak to them alone. Give me the keys and leave us.”
A guard made to protest, but one pointed look from Laden silenced him. The guard handed over the keys, bowed, and walked away. Laden was not a man to question. Absolute authority.
Joshua chuckled under his breath. “I counted six.”
Commander Laden stood before them, his dark eyes piercing and determined. He walked a slow circle around Gryphon and Joshua, his hands clasped behind his back. “You, son, are not very bright.”
Gryphon ground his teeth.
“You, a Ram, waltz into this camp under the skirt of a woman and assault the commander of the Allies within minutes of arriving.” Laden came full circle and stopped before Gryphon with a penetrating gaze. “Inside Ram’s Gate, the Seer would have contrived a slow death for a man with your nerve.”
Gryphon wasn’t surprised to hear the Seer’s reputation extended beyond the walls of Ram’s Gate. The beady-eyed woman was known for her creative punishments. Being Chief Barnabas’s right hand, she had authority to exact any pain she wished upon either Ram or Nameless. Gryphon could only imagine the loathing the Seer had for him—the rogue who escaped her “justice.”
Laden said, “You are either a fool or you have no regard for your life. Which is it?”
Gryphon bolstered as much dignity as he could from his current position on the floor. He didn’t respond, but stared at Laden unafraid.
To Gryphon’s surprise, the commander dropped to his knees and unlocked the manacles binding his wrists. He moved to do the same for Joshua. Gryphon jumped to his feet and squared his shoulders. “Why?” he asked. He didn’t want any favors from Laden.
“It’s complicated,” said Laden. He rubbed the side of his face as he spoke. “I never planned to send a spy into the Gate. Too dangerous, with almost no chance for success. Zo is like a daughter to me. She approached me a year ago, blind with revenge. She was determined, and you know once she is determined no one can sway her. She promised she had nothing to live for if she couldn’t serve the Allies. After months of pestering, I relented.
“I did everything in my power to help her. Coached her in customs and the social structure of the Ram. I hoped her abilities as a healer would save her from the cruelties of life inside, but there was one problem … ”
Gryphon spat out the words. “She was too pretty.” Heat crawled up his neck and into his face. “You must have known what would become of her.” His voice rose. “That some officer would claim her. Maybe that’s what you hoped for. Officers have information.” Gryphon’s chest heaved as he struggled to regain his calm. He could not afford to attack this man again. For Joshua’s sake.
Laden waited for Gryphon to finish before he addressed him. His voice sounded heavy, a low song rent with fatigue. “Have you ever led a group of men, Gryphon?”
Gryphon flinched. “No, sir.”
“Then you have no idea what it feels like to carry the weight of men’s lives on your shoulders.” He sighed. “The men who fight for me have families, wives and children who depend on them. I am accountable to them. As much as I have grown to care for Zo, as much as I consider her my own daughter, I am not in a position to relinquish a chance to damage my enemy. That’s what war is, a constant string of hard decisions loaded with painful risks.”