Thaddeus was also amused. “Don’t feel too bad,” he remarked. “He wouldn’t have really let you escape.”
“Sure I would,” said Specter. “The old man is worthless to me. It’s the boy they want.”
Thaddeus twisted around to face him. “And why would you say that?”
“That’s not your concern,” Specter replied sharply. “You’re just here to see that the boss gets his cut.”
Thaddeus grunted. “And mine too.” He snapped the reins, pressing the horses to go faster.
For the next few hours they traveled in complete silence. Specter sat with arms folded, his eyes never leaving Ethan. Once again Ethan couldn’t help but feel there was something familiar about the man. But he knew this was impossible. Not only would he have remembered meeting someone with such pronounced scars and rough appearance, Specter was from Lumnia, so they could never have met before.
It was now well beyond midday, and Ethan could no longer bear the silence. “What happened to your face?” he asked.
“Way ho!” cried Thaddeus. “Did I just hear what I think I heard? Did someone dare to ask Specter about his scars?”
Specter was not amused. “It doesn’t matter how I got them, boy. And if you ask me again, I’ll give you some to match.”
Ethan met Specter’s hard stare without flinching. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I just wondered.”
“Best you hold your tongue,” Specter warned him. “So far as I’ve seen it gets you into nothing but trouble.”
“Maybe you should cut it out?” suggested Thaddeus.
“Maybe you should close your mouth as well,” Specter snapped back.
Thaddeus mumbled something incoherent, but kept his attention on driving the horses.
That evening they pulled the wagon off the road and built a small fire. Thaddeus produced a bottle of wine and a portion of roasted lamb from a pack, neither of which he offered to share.
Specter secured Ethan to a thin pine tree using a short chain and lock. This done, he tied Jonas’ hands and feet with rope and propped him up beside Ethan.
“I’ll untie you in the morning,” he said. “And I suggest you seriously consider abandoning your young friend. His fate is sealed. Yours is not.”
He gave each of them a piece of bread and a flask of water. Ethan hadn’t realized how hungry he was and devoured the meager repast in mere seconds.
Specter and Thaddeus sat close to the fire talking in whispers. Thaddeus glanced across at Ethan several times, pointing and shaking his head. Soon it was obvious that they were in a heated, albeit quiet argument.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” asked Ethan.
Jonas shifted into a slightly more comfortable position. “It doesn’t matter. The only thing I’m concerned with is how we’re going to get out of this mess.”
“I don’t want you getting yourself killed over me,” said Ethan. “You should take him up on his offer and go.”
Jonas gave him a sideways glance. “I doubt the offer is sincere. And even if it is, I have a duty to perform.”
Regardless of what Ethan had felt about Jonas previously, at that moment he was forced to admire his courage. “Thank you,” he said.
“Don’t thank me yet,” he replied. “All of my plans to break free relied on us both being tied with rope. I have nothing with which to loose your chains.”
Ethan’s heart sank. He had hoped Jonas was just biding his time. He twisted his wrists and pulled, but the shackles were too tight. He looked across at his captors. Specter had stood up and was glaring down at Thaddeus, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
“Try it and you won’t live long enough to spend your bounty,” said Thaddeus, his voice suddenly louder.
After another tense moment, Specter turned sharply away and stormed off into the night.
“Right now would have been a perfect time to escape,” remarked Jonas.
“How would you have done it?” asked Ethan.
“I can start small fires with magic, remember? Burning through a bit of rope wouldn’t be much of a challenge.”
Ethan looked again at the shackles and grunted with frustration. “This is just the sort of thing Markus would know how to handle. There wasn’t a pair of handcuffs anywhere in the world that he couldn’t get out of.”
“I don’t suppose he showed you how to do it?” asked Jonas.
Ethan’s head drooped. “No. He was going to, but there wasn’t time.” He pictured his friend’s smiling face. “Right now, I’d give anything to have him here.”
“Right now, I’d settle for the street urchin,” added Jonas, chuckling softly. “I bet