Instead of resting for the night, they had raced to the infirmary, Kerrick stopping only to check the location of the army and to care for the horses. He wiped the dirt off his hands.

“You don’t think...” Belen shook his head as if unable to voice his fears.

“It’s a guessing game at this point,” Flea said. “Better to just get there and worry later.”

Belen studied the boy. “I haven’t been around, so how’d you get so smart without me?”

“I’ve been learning from the best.” Flea flashed his lopsided grin.

“And he is...?” Belen prompted.

“Quain. That man’s a fountain of wisdom.”

Belen’s deep laugh rumbled right through Kerrick. He soaked it in, relishing the moment.

“A fountain!” Belen sputtered. “Oh, he’s a fountain all right. A fountain of bull—”

“Mr. Belen, mind your language around the young man,” Mom admonished.

“Sorry, Mom.” But he sounded far from contrite. Instead, he frowned at Kerrick. “Don’t you know better than to let Flea spend unsupervised time with the monkeys?”

“He’d pulled his own disappearing act,” Flea said.

“Oh, right, that forest thing.” Belen ran his fingers over his scar. He gestured to Flea and Kerrick. “Between us and Avry, we could form a special squad. The Presumed Dead unit.”

At another time and place—like when they were all relaxing around a campfire safe and warm—that comment would have been funny. Not now. Not when he’d no idea what had happened to Avry, if anything.

“And we’ve all had a taste of death,” Flea said in a quiet voice. “On both sides. We’ve been the griever and the grieve-ee.”

“Grieve-ee? Is that even a word?” Belen asked.

“Yes.”

“So sayeth the death magician?” Belen teased.

“Yes.”

Belen chuckled. “We’ll have no more presumed dead. We confirm with our very own eyes from now on. Otherwise, we assume the best. Got it?”

“The death magician agree-eth.”

Kerrick tried being optimistic. Avry could have just gone into a cave. Despite her aversion to them, she was smart enough to realize they made a safe place to overnight in. Taking Flea’s advice to act now, worry later, Kerrick checked Hux’s saddle, ensuring the girth straps hadn’t loosened. “Let’s go.”

They mounted and continued, closing in on the infirmary just as he’d estimated, sixteen days after leaving. He slowed the horses. Soldiers patrolled around the entrance, doing wide sweeps. Once he confirmed they were friendlies, Kerrick approached the closest.

The man relaxed as he recognized Kerrick.

“What’s going on?” Kerrick asked the guard.

“Too much for me to explain, sir. Sergeant Odd’s in charge, he’ll fill you in.”

“Where’s Healer Avry?” he demanded.

Shaking his head, the man waved him off. Kerrick debated between grabbing the man and forcing him to talk, or... Hell. He spurred Huxley toward the cave’s entrance.