“I suppose there is some comfort in having a path set out for you,” he said. “Some younger sons resent having siblings to live up to, but my brothers were good to me. I respected them and learned a good deal.” He caught her eye. “Of course, things are different now that I’ve decided not to follow in their footsteps.”

Kyra remembered what he’d said earlier about joining the road patrols, and how abruptly he’d changed the topic. She bit her lip, gauging his receptiveness. “Who’s Jack?”

Tristam’s shoulders stiffened, and he made a visible effort to relax again. “I suppose there’s no reason to keep it secret,” he said. “Jack was a friend. We came to the Palace the same year and trained together almost up until I became a knight.”

“Was?”

“He was killed in the first Demon Rider raid. I joined the city’s defense to avenge his death. I thought it would be a simple thing, but it grew more and more complicated. The Demon Riders evaded us despite our best efforts. There were people working against us, leaking our secrets to the barbarians. I hated them and vowed to capture those responsible, but even that was not what I expected.” Tristam paused. “Sometimes, when you look more closely at your enemies, they start looking less like enemies.”

Kyra realized with a jolt that he was talking about her. Tristam was still lost in his own thoughts.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” he said. “Though I’m not quite sure how to say it.”

“Tristam, you’ve been interrogating me for weeks. And now you can’t ask a question?”

There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes before his expression turned serious again. “When you watched the rent collection, you saw me there?”

She nodded. “You stood right by the wagon, commanding the Red Shields.”

“And when the Demon Riders attacked Forge, did you recognize me when you saw me on the streets?”

When Kyra nodded again, he fell silent, as if he were turning words around in his head. “You didn’t have to throw that rock,” he finally said. “It nearly got you killed.”

Again, she worried he was mocking her, but the only thing she saw in his eyes was curiosity and a desire to understand.

“I did hesitate,” she said. “But I guess there wasn’t much time for thinking.”

“I’m grateful,” he said, “for what you did.”

The night passed without any sign of the Demon Riders. As the sky began to lighten, Kyra refilled their water bottles at a nearby river. The spray was cold in the morning air, and Kyra took a few moments to stretch her stiff limbs. Tristam was rearranging their packs when she came back with two full water skins.

“Here,” she said, laying them down behind Tristam.

He jumped at her voice. “How did you do that?”

“Do what?”