Raisa knew Wil from court. He was sloppy and good-natured, unusual for a wizard. Two years older than the Bayar twins, he’d been in love with Fiona for as long as Raisa could remember.

They each led a spare horse, carrying baggage and supplies. Off to the right, through the trees, Raisa caught glimpses of water. That would be the east branch of the Tamron River.

“What day is it?” she asked.

Micah laughed softly. “You haven’t been sleeping that long, Your Highness. It’s the day after we met in the Wien Hall library. We left in the middle of the night. I expect we’ll be four days to Fetters.”

“Will you... Will we head up through Demonai Vale, then?” she asked. That would provide another opportunity, if she could somehow get away.

“No,” Micah said. “We’ll go east, skirting the mountains, and up through Delphi. I have no desire to meet up with any of the Demonai.” He snapped his reins and their horse picked up the pace to catch up with the others. Even though Raisa was small, Raider was feeling the burden of carrying two riders.

Was there any chance Amon would come after her? It seemed unlikely. Until now, she’d managed to avoid Micah Bayar and the other wizards from Fellsmarch. Amon would have no reason to suspect them. Maybe he’d even think she’d decided to go home on her own. No doubt he’d be searching for her, but he’d have no idea where to look.

Would his magical connection tell him she was in trouble? Might it lead him to her? She prayed it would, but worried what would happen if it did.

They stopped for lunch in a small clearing between the road and the river. They did not build a fire. Raisa, Micah, and Fiona stood among the trees, eating cold meat, bread, and cheese, and washing it down with cider while Wil and the Mander brothers grained the horses and led them down to the river to water them.

“Now that I’m awake, maybe I should ride Switcher, so Raider doesn’t tire,” Raisa said.

“Oh no, Your Highness, I’m enjoying our time together, and hope you are too,” Micah said, brushing his lips across her cheek. “I think Raider understands.”

Micah might be arrogant, but he’d never been stupid.

It was a cloudy, cool spring day, the air so laden with moisture it was like breathing underwater. Raisa shivered, her skin pebbled with goose bumps, though it wasn’t that cold. She swiped wet tendrils of hair off her face, feeling unsettled.

Fiona did her best to ignore Raisa’s presence, but her disapproval was palpable. Clearly, she believed the assassins should have been allowed to do their job.