Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1)(17)

“Is the apothecary involved with the secret organization that aids the Krigers?”

“No,” he replied. “He is simply my supplier. That is all.”

I kept perfectly still as Anders situated himself next to me. “How come—”

There was a small prick on my back. “I’m sorry,” the assassin whispered. “But I’m tired, and you enjoy talking far too much for my taste.”

My eyelids felt like lead, and then blackness engulfed me.

“Wake up,” a soothing voice whispered in my ear.

I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, pretending to still be asleep, too exhausted to walk again all day.

“I can feel you’re outside the capital’s walls, but where? The Forest of a Thousand Lakes is large, and I don’t want to spread my resources thin searching for you.”

My eyes flew open, and I bolted upright, finding myself on a soft, feather mattress, wrapped in silk sheets. Heavy fabric was draped above the bed and tied to each of the four posts. Soft wallpaper covered the walls, and several paintings framed in gold hung on them. A roaring fire in the hearth heated the room.

The mirror next to the bed revealed dirt and grime covering the side of my face, and my hair stuck out in all directions. I still had on the same clothes. Standing behind me was a black-caped figure. Twisting around, I came face-to-face with Morlet holding a small tray laden with food. It seemed like such an odd thing for a king to do. Almost … ordinary.

“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” he pleasantly said. “Let’s start over, shall we?” He sounded calm and cordial.

“Are you really communicating with me in a dream?” I demanded, wondering how his magic worked.

He chuckled. “I bring you food because you appear to be starving and instead of thanks, you question me. You are an interesting one.” He sat on a plush, red velvet chair next to the bed and slid the tray of food toward me.

Unable to resist, I grabbed the spoon and devoured the stew. The meat melted in my mouth, and the vegetables tasted divine. After scarfing down every last morsel, I pushed the tray to the end of the bed and sat cross-legged, facing him.

“You have questions,” he mused.

“I do.” Even though it seemed impossible, I knew this dream was somehow real, that I was with the man I was supposed to defeat—a monster that set people on fire and murdered hundreds for his own pleasure. This was the reason I existed. And here we sat, facing one another in his bedchamber. If only he would remove his cloak so I could see the man underneath it.

“You’ll need to refrain from asking anything tonight,” he kindly said. “I brought you here, so I will ask the questions. If you cooperate, the next time we meet you may ask me anything you wish. Understand?”

“No.” There was no way I was going to play along with him. “I want to know—”

“I’m asking the questions, not you,” he said, his voice instantly harsh. He tilted his head to the side, and light illuminated his chin and nose, revealing a fraction of the man beneath the cape. When he realized I was staring at him, he moved his head, once again concealing himself in the shadow of his hood. “Where are you?” he demanded.

“I don’t know.”

“Hmm,” he said, drumming his slender fingers on the arms of the chair. “Do I need to torture a child in front of you in order for you to cooperate?”

It sounded as if he was discussing what to have for dinner, not threatening me. “I honestly don’t know where we are.”

“We?”

My breath caught as I realized my error. “You and me,” I quickly answered, trying to play it off. “Is this the castle?”

He leaned back on his chair, observing me. Since I couldn’t see his face, I had no idea if he bought my excuse.

“When you wake up, where will you be?” he calmly asked. “In the forest?”

“Yes.” I was afraid if I didn’t tell him something, he’d make good on his threat. Since he already suspected as much, this truth could do no harm. Besides, I’d never be able to watch a child be tortured.

“How did you get out of the capital?” he asked, leaning forward. “I sealed the gates.”

I needed to tread carefully. “It was late at night, and soldats were after me. I ran until the wall was in sight.”

“Go on,” he encouraged.

“I’m not sure what happened,” I lied. “One minute I was inside the capital, the next, I was standing on the other side of the wall.” At first, I considering telling him that a citizen had helped me escape, but there was no reason to doom an innocent person. And under no circumstances could he know that blocks in the wall came loose. There needed to be a way to get back inside.

“And then you ran into the forest?”

“Yes.”

He crossed his legs. “There’s something you’re not telling me. I can feel it.” His voice was soft and seductive, making my head swim.

Wanting to change the subject, I stood and examined the room. Twelve paintings hung on the walls, each depicting a weapon of some sort. One in particular felt as if it had a life all its own. Moving toward the long, wooden pole, the elegant but deadly looking weapon mesmerized me. It appeared to be about five or six feet tall with intricate carvings along the entire length of it.