“It was a little sloppy,” I chimed in. “A few of our guards were hurt. Perhaps next time you can just stab the fish hook right through my stomach and dangle me from the trees. It’d be more effective.”

Ryne’s gaze focused on me. “I see. Avry, I’d like a word in private.”

“Okeydokey.”

He stared at me as if gauging my mood before turning away.

I followed him. Expecting him to lead me to an empty corner, he surprised me by pulling open one of the oversize loading doors. In this section of the building, large mounds of earth had been piled. And right in the middle was a huge hole in the ground.

Ryne headed straight for it and descended steps that led down to an underground room.

I paused at the edge.

He glanced up. “We’ll be more comfortable in my office.”

Oh, no. “Your office is down there?”

“Yes, along with a number of caverns and tunnels. We could house our entire army down there if we had to.”

I groaned. “The mines.”

“Exactly. And the best part is, they extend for miles in all directions. Once we figure out where they go, we can use them to move troops unseen. Isn’t it wonderful?”

From a military standpoint, yes, but I’d rather be outside under the stars than under the ground. My visions of spending a night in a normal bed vanished. I joined him at the bottom.

Ryne led me along a well-lit corridor. Lanterns hung every few feet and the air remained warm.

“Up here in the living levels, there’s plenty of light,” Ryne explained, noticing my interest. “As you go deeper, the spacing of the lanterns is wider, and the ones we haven’t explored are dark.”

“Living levels?”

“Yes, the miners stayed here while on duty. There’s an entire cavern filled with bunk beds. It would make a good infirmary, except...”

“Except what?”

“I don’t want injured to be brought to HQ, they’re too easy to follow. And I don’t think navigating dark tunnels with casualties is a good idea.”

“So where do you want to locate the infirmary?”

“Closer to Zabin.”

Not what I expected. “Why?”

“I’ve just received some intelligence on Cellina’s troop movements.” He rested his hand on his sword’s hilt. “It appears the bulk of her army is retreating back into Vyg Realm.”

“Why? Doesn’t she have the upper hand?”

“She does. We’ve been harrying her northern flank, but it’s caused more of a nuisance, like mosquito bites on an ufa, than any real harm.”

I considered. “Is she trying to lure you down to Zabin?”

“Perhaps. She’s leaving a couple companies behind to guard the town.”

“Maybe she set a trap.” Unbidden, memories of another trap played in my mind. Tohon had surrounded Zabin with his dead soldiers, encircling us. Ulany, his earth mage, had hidden them underneath the ground until it had been time to strike. A shudder of horror ripped through me. “Can she command the dead like Tohon?”