Another woman spoke. “They were sneaking around. I took them by surprise.” Tristam raised his head. It was the Demon Rider woman who’d killed Jack. Raw hatred ran through him.

“Was there anyone else with them?” asked the man.

“I don’t think so, Leyus,” the woman answered. “But James is after this one.” The woman jerked her thumb toward Tristam. “He’s the same knight I caught spying last time. You will recognize him from James’s portraits.”

“You’re right,” said Leyus. “Kyra, did James ever speak of him?” Leyus asked.

“James never told us much of anything,”

What now? Was Kyra still working for James? He struggled to think of another explanation, any explanation, of what he was hearing.

The one called Leyus turned his attention to Tristam.

“What were you doing in the forest?”

Tristam raised himself onto one elbow and lifted his face toward the Demon Riders. “Regular patrols.” Dust from the ground coated his throat and made his voice hoarse.

“You are not in a position to lie to me, knight.”

A cat swiped at Tristam with its paw, knocking him sideways and ripping a trail in his tunic. The blow knocked the breath out of him, and he couldn’t have answered even if he wanted to.

“How is the other one?” asked Leyus.

Tristam saw some movement from Martin’s direction. He clenched his fists as Martin first groaned and then screamed.

“Useless.” Leyus’s voice dripped with disgust. “Are there others out there?”

Tristam stared stone-faced at the ground and steeled himself for another blow. None came.

“So James is looking for the knight?” said Leyus. “What about the Red Shield?”

“We have no use for him,” said Pashla.

“What are you going to do with them?” Kyra asked. Her voice was high-pitched, bordering on hysteria.

“That is not your concern. Leave us,” the man said. Tristam looked up to see someone pull Kyra out of sight.

“Deal with the Red Shield.”

Almost before Leyus finished speaking, a cat grabbed Martin by the arm and dragged him toward the trees. Tristam felt the blood drain from his face as Martin’s screams grew worse. The cries echoed through Tristam’s head, and he squeezed his eyes shut. It was a horrible relief when Martin finally quieted.

“Take the knight and watch him,” said Leyus, looking this time at Tristam. “We will hand him over to James when he comes.”

Martin’s screams were impossible to ignore. Kyra longed to clamp her hands over her ears, but Pashla gripped her arm in an unforgiving hold. Then his screams stopped, and Kyra went limp, unable to face what had happened.

“Will you kill Tristam, too?”

“That is Leyus’s decision,” said Pashla. She pulled Kyra farther away from the crowd.

“You can’t,” Kyra said.

“Why? What is he to you?”