He was still confused about what was going on—had the commander sent Veronyka and these two others to destroy Rolan’s soldiers and free the animages? If he had, why was Veronyka not helping to escort them to safety? And wasn’t the point of Sev’s spy work to avoid a fiery bloodbath like the one he’d just witnessed? Had there been a change in plans?
As he watched, Veronyka dismounted to face one of the other Riders, perched atop a rocky bluff near the edge of the Foothills. Their phoenixes fluttered down among the rocks below with the third Rider, leaving the pair of them alone.
“It’s a bit odd, isn’t it?” said Kade, coming to stand next to Sev and following his line of sight. “Didn’t you say she was the only female Rider at the Eyrie?”
“I thought she was…,” Sev said, thinking back to his time there. He hadn’t stayed long, but he’d seen the Riders go out on patrol or return from flying practice, walking the stronghold or practicing in the training yard; Veronyka was the only girl he recalled. He knew they planned to recruit with the eggs he’d brought them, but it would be too soon for any of them to be flying and fighting.
“Do you think—” Kade began suddenly, then stopped. There was a loud, echoing clang, like a metal door being slammed shut. Then something that looked like a scuffle broke out between the two Riders. Veronyka abruptly staggered back, as if from a blow, before she crumpled into the other Rider’s arms.
Sev took an involuntary step forward, but the Riders were hundreds of yards away, visible at all only because of the fires that burned all around, illuminating their surroundings, and the setting sun glowing behind them.
The Phoenix Rider Veronyka had been talking to hoisted Veronyka, unconscious, onto one of the phoenixes and flew away, followed behind by the other Rider. Veronyka’s phoenix was nowhere to be found.
The sight of two phoenixes disappearing into the evening sky gave Sev a sudden, powerful wave of familiarity. He turned to Kade.
“The Phoenix Riders who met with Rolan,” he said, and Kade was nodding, as if he’d already gotten there.
They watched the Riders fly away, but as it turned out, they didn’t go far. With their phoenixes still hot from the battle, they glowed, and it was easy enough to see them alight atop a stone tower to the south, likely at the very outskirts of Ferro.
“The prison tower,” said someone behind Sev, and he turned to find the eldest of the animage prisoners standing behind him.
“Prison tower?” Sev repeated, darting a curious look at Kade.
“Well, it started out as an outpost or some such,” the man said, scratching his stubbled jaw. “But the governor likes to use it for high-priority prisoners, when last I heard.”
The man shrugged and returned to the others, and Sev turned a regretful look on Kade. “I think she’s in trouble. Veronyka. We need to help her.”
Sev knew that as they were—two exhausted animages with varying degrees of battle wounds—they wouldn’t be much help at all, but they could at least scope things out. Then they could try to send a letter to the commander and tell him what had happened in case he wasn’t aware of her being here. Their pigeon had yet to return since its last trip, but Sev would worry about that problem later.
Kade, slouched and dirty and stiff with heavy bandaging, looked at Sev for a long while. Then he smiled.
“What?” Sev asked dubiously. He’d expected any number of reactions from Kade—arguments against such a dangerous plan or wiser, more intelligent suggestions—but not humor.
“It’s just… you’ve changed,” Kade said, unmistakable fondness in his voice. “The last time she was in trouble, when Jotham and Ott ransacked her home, you wanted to look the other way. Now it’s you who’s suggesting we risk everything to help her.”
Sev felt his cheeks heat. Was this praise or admonishment? “She saved my life,” he said with a half shrug.
Kade shook his head, still grinning. “But that was after you’d saved hers—you’re already square.”
Sev snorted. “So, what, are you regretting your influence on me?”
“This isn’t me,” Kade said, expression thoughtful. “I think this was you all along.”
Sev was taken aback by that. He remembered himself as a child, rushing into danger without a second’s hesitation, wanting to save the farm and his parents with no consideration for himself. Then he thought of his years on the