there. I can get you into the castle, but that’s it. I’m not helping you trap him or fight him. You’ll have to deal with that on your own.” He gave a sideways glance toward Inga. “I have no control over who tries to stop you.”
Daewyn sighed loudly but nodded.
When he started this mission, Julian hadn’t planned on having two others on his team. Maybe they would be beneficial to him, maybe not. Either way, Julian planned to be in front of Marenon’s Map by the next day. He just hoped Nalani had been able to acquire the orange medallion.
Chapter Seven
Alric could hardly keep his hands from shaking as he walked in the fields east of Jekyll Rock. The stronghold was small in the distance and the three travelled together silently. Lorcan kept a slow pace behind Alric and Kaden; he was probably just as nervous.
Alric couldn’t believe they were about to do this. He had never killed a man in cold blood. He had experienced his fair share of shady dealings, and he had let people die before, but never had he been a murderer. It was never how he worked, yet on this morning he would be forced to do so.
Kaden had no idea of course. Before the sun had risen, Alric and Lorcan told him that there was something that he needed to see just outside of the city. Kaden tried to ask what it was, but they told him that he would just have to see it for himself.
“I just don’t understand why you can’t tell me,” he said.
“You just…you just have to wait and see,” Alric answered. “We aren’t far.”
He looked over his shoulder to make sure the guards from the city wall wouldn’t be able to see them. He wasn’t comfortable with the distance yet, so they kept walking.
The sun had barely come up over the horizon and Alric could tell that it was going to be a beautiful day. The summers in Marenon were always beautiful in the western part of the land. But regardless of the summer’s natural beauty, he knew it would be the grayest day of his life.
The night before, he had talked extensively with Lorcan about the plan to kill Kaden. They never could decide on a specific ruse to lure him, so they decided just to tell the man the truth once they got him far away from the city. Lorcan had insisted that they let Kaden die with honor, but that didn’t mean much to Alric. Honor was just a word. Kaden was marked for death either way, so there wasn’t much use in giving the man a chance, but Lorcan was unrelenting. Kaden wouldn’t die without knowing the reason. He would know why Alric and Lorcan killed him. Alric would rather stick a knife in Kaden’s back. It would be quick and Kaden’s pain wouldn’t last.
He wished there was another way. He had cursed Anithistor over and over for putting him in this position. But Coffman was his friend, and Nalani deserved to live. Kaden was just another soldier that would become an unfortunate casualty of war.
After a few minutes, Alric looked over his shoulder again and felt satisfied with the distance between them and Jekyll Rock. He stopped abruptly in the middle of the open field, and the others did the same.
Kaden shrugged. “What is it?”
Alric closed his eyes for a moment. Was he really going to do this? Was it possible that Anithistor was bluffing? He took a deep breath and turned to Kaden.
Kaden looked from Alric to Lorcan and back to Alric, then his eyes narrowed. “What is this?” he asked. “You told me to bring my sword. What do you want?”
Alric pulled out his sword slowly and studied the glinting blade. “I’d like to tell you that we actually had something to show you, but we don’t.”
“You brought me out here to kill me didn’t you?”
Alric’s silence was his answer.
Lorcan spoke next. “We’ve been put into a difficult position.”
“Anithistor says he’s going to torture and kill Nalani and Coffman if I don’t bring your head to him.”
Kaden stiffened at the words.
“He thinks if he can kill you, then the Dunarians will be completely lost,” Alric said.
“I see,” said Kaden. “So that’s it? You just planned to bring me out here to die? Why did you have me bring my sword? To give me a chance?” He laughed loudly at this.
Alric’s face didn’t change. “Personally I thought it would be better to stab