And I’d learned over the past year that there was no guarantee we’d have a later. I released his hand and turned to face him.

“But what about the prophetess?” he asked.

“She changed her mind.”

* * *

With hiding in the daylight and traveling at night, it took us four more days to loop wide around Zabin. According to Kerrick, Odd and the others had headed south toward the infirmary. I’d worried Cellina’s troops would find the new location, but the enemy patrols didn’t swoop that low. So far.

“What about Ryne?” I asked Kerrick during a rest stop.

“I’m not sure where he is. He might be hunkered down in the mines.”

“Might be?” That didn’t sound encouraging.

“Ryne’s too smart to get caught. He’ll figure out what’s going on and meet us at the infirmary.”

“Why the infirmary?”

“Because it’s safe for now. And he knows that’s where you’ll go.”

True. I was anxious to get back to attend to any injuries that might have occurred during the skirmishes. Also, Estrid concerned me. She hardly ate and kept quiet most of the time. Similar to Eva, but while being subdued seemed more Eva’s natural personality, it wasn’t Estrid’s. Perhaps she just needed time to adjust to the new reality.

After two more days of travel, we arrived at the infirmary. One of Lieutenant Macon’s men must have signaled our approach because Odd stormed from the entrance before we reached it. Glad he survived, my good mood faded when he headed straight for me.

“Where the hell have you been?” he demanded.

“Hi, Odd, nice to see you, too,” I said.

“Cut the crap. You didn’t follow any of the contingency plans, you endangered your friends, you—”

Kerrick materialized from the forest, or at least that was what it looked like, and stood next to me. He wore his flat, unreadable expression. But Odd didn’t back down. He eyed Kerrick with open hostility. Two inches taller than Kerrick, Odd possessed the lean, hard muscles of a longtime soldier. So did Kerrick, but he had been exhausting himself every night keeping us safe.

Odd returned his attention to me. “I see you found him.”

“And the High Priestess,” I said.

He gazed past my shoulder and gasped. “Thank the creator!” He hustled to her and escorted her into the infirmary, all the while fawning over her.

I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, he’d been recruited into her army and had fought for her as she conquered Casis and Pomyt Realms. Odd’s reaction to her arrival was an example of why Ryne needed her help.

Flea swept his bangs to the side. “Humph. The creator had nothing to do with her rescue.”

“Yeah, he should have cried, thank the Flea!” Quain said.

“Ooh, I like. We should use it all the time,” Loren added.