The Banished of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood, #1)(25)

They reached the edge of the roof, and Maia craned her neck to peer up the crumbling cliff that stretched high above. “How will we climb it?” she asked.

He squatted at the edge of the roof. “You will see when it is lighter. We cannot climb it in the dark without a lantern, and it would be impossible for us to use a lantern without attracting attention. Patience.”

The kishion came up behind them, and for a moment, she sensed he was ready to shove Collier off the roof to his death. She shuddered at the thought and deliberately edged closer to Collier, putting herself in the way.

The sky side of the hill was purple with the dawn, the colors reminding her of plums and velvet. Some of the houses were just starting to sputter awake, and lazy plumes of smoke from the first fires rose like mist off the rooflines.

“A moment longer,” Collier said. He seemed almost giddy with excitement. His long arm pointed. “Do you see it yet?”

Her eyes were still adjusting to the dawn light, but she did see the small sliver of stone jutting up from the roofline. There were ridges in the cliff that formed a makeshift ladder.

“It is not far to the next level. If there were a rope, it would be easier, but the ledges are wide enough. Just follow me, and we will be up there in a moment, before the sun can reveal us. I will go first to show the way. Come.”

He rose, brushed his hands together, and then pressed his chest against the wall of the cliff and stepped onto the first jutting stone. He beckoned for Maia to follow. Her heart was hammering loudly in her ears, but she had faced more terrible challenges than this, so she joined him in his ascent. The kishion glanced back along the roof and then followed them.

She hugged the rock as she shuffled sideways up. Collier pointed out a series of higher ridges, leading ever upward. Cautiously, she proceeded to the next ledge, and then the next. Her boot slipped once, causing a spasm of shock, but Collier’s hand pressed against her back, steadying her. “Easy, lass,” he whispered.

There was a hanging ledge just above them and Collier planted his foot in the gap and clambered onto it. He leaned down to pull her up after him and then clawed through some brush that was growing in the gaps of the stone. They had made it; they had entered the second tier of the town. Maia breathed heavily, grateful for the reprieve, and moments later the kishion joined them, his eyes wary and watchful.

“Follow me,” Collier said confidently, and they walked down the main road that wound its way around the darkened houses. The sounds of their boots mingled with the birdsong, and Maia felt her panic tapering off.

“Thank you for helping us, Master Collier,” Maia said, keeping pace with his broad stride. He was tall and strong, reminding her of a sturdy warhorse.

“You are welcome. There is a secret way up to the manor house over there. Do you see that tall building? That is the inn where I stayed last night. Corriveaux arrived during the night with soldiers, and word spread quickly. A servant thought I should know. I paid him well for the news. The king would surely want to know fugitives are being hunted in his land.” He gave her a sidelong look, his expression indicating he knew she was the fugitive but did not care. “Have you seen any?”

She quelled a smile at his banter, but she knew she still could not trust him. With the King of Dahomey in league with the Dochte Mandar, both were dangerous to her. Whatever reasons Collier had for helping her probably had little to do with gallantry.

With the sun rising, the purple shade turned to orange. The air smelled fresh and clean, and she felt her muscles invigorated by the walk. She brushed her hair behind her ear and craned her neck, looking up at the vast manor sprawling along the top of the hillside.

Collier’s voice was urgent yet hushed. “People are coming. Quick, move into that gap between the buildings.”

The three of them found shelter in the gap, which brought them to the edge of the cliff face again, this part of it even steeper than the last. After following Collier through some twisting passageways, they reached a thick grove of trees, split by a narrow shelf of steep stone stairs leading up arduously between a series of clefts and boulders.

“The climb is rugged, but it is the fastest way to the stables.”

The kishion stared at Collier, his eyes suspicious.

“I know you do not trust me,” Collier said, returning the look. “But bear in mind that I am risking a great deal to help you. That should count for something. If you were to tell anyone that the king’s collier aided you, it would not go well for me. I trust we have mutual reasons to remain quiet on this. Do you agree, my lady?”

Maia nodded.

“Well enough. Up the steps then.”

It was not long before Maia’s legs were burning with the effort of climbing the stone steps. They were crooked and too steep, but Collier seemed to mount them easily with his long legs. She grimaced as she pushed herself, but the cool morning air helped her make it to the top of the final cliff. The trees on the lower level provided the travelers with cover from any prying eyes.

The manor house occupied the expanse of the hilltop. The three-story behemoth had a sloping roof and a single parapet on one end, topped with a cupola and an iron spike. A huge oak tree stood in the midst of a small terraced garden with neat, trimmed hedges. Some small arches of stone built into the rocky cliff helped extend the lawns and grounds slightly. Several gray doves flew overhead, cooing as they went.

There was no smoke from any of the chimneys of the manor. No signs of life at all.