Kerrick doubted that was the full story.

“Do you think Prince Ryne will send soldiers after us?” Flea asked. “He probably thinks we’re deserting him again.”

Kerrick considered. “He might. It would depend on what he planned for us to do after the attack on the Skeleton King.”

“I don’t care about his plans anymore,” Avry said. “I’m tired of being used as bait.”

“Is that the reason we left so fast?” Quain asked.

“One of them. But think about this... With Ryne’s forces split to the north and south, what’s left?” she asked.

Following her logic, Kerrick said, “The middle.”

“Right. And who’s going to fill that middle, keeping Ryne’s troops divided?”

Kerrick cursed under his breath. “Tohon.”

“Exactly.”

Loren said, “Prince Ryne has troops at HQ.”

“Not enough,” Belen said. “Tohon’s been amassing his dead armies in Vyg. Probably just waiting for the right moment.”

“Are we going to warn the soldiers at HQ?” Quain asked.

“We can, but that’s not the reason we’re going north,” Avry said. She drew in a deep breath.

Unease rippled through Kerrick. He braced for Avry’s next sentence, knowing it would be big. She didn’t disappoint him.

“Warning them won’t help in the long run,” she said. “We need to assassinate Tohon and stop this war.”

Chapter Twenty-One

CHAPTER 21

Stunned silence.

Only the soft steps of the horses sounded in the dark forest.

Kerrick recovered first. “Shouldn’t assassinating Tohon be Ryne’s job?”

“It should,” I agreed.

“But?” he prompted.

“But no one can get near him. I’ve thought about this. Wynn and Sepp were right, I’m the only one he won’t kill right away. I’m the only one who can get close.”

“He’s not going to underestimate you again,” Kerrick said in a quiet tone.

“True. That’s why I need all your help.”

“Do we even trust Wynn that Tohon is awake?” Flea asked. “That could be a ruse to get us to storm his castle in Sogra and be ambushed.”

“Storm the castle?” Quain huffed. “You and what army? It’s more like sneak in and hope for the best.”

Ignoring Quain, I mulled over my dreams with Tohon, Wynn’s and Sepp’s palpable fear, and the increase in attacks by the squads of dead soldiers.

“He’s awake,” I said. “And his castle’s a trap. That’s a given. He’s probably in Vyg somewhere near the action, but not too close to the danger.”

“What about Zila?” Kerrick asked in a subdued tone.

“If she survived, then she’s either at the castle or with Tohon.”

“And the chance that she’s alive?” Flea asked me.

“It’d be a miracle.”

No response. We rode on in silence.

“How do we find Tohon?” Belen asked. He’d been quiet during most of the discussion. “Vyg is a big place.”