squint at the lock. It was the same as the door to the tower stairs: a classic tumbler, easy enough to pick—if he had the right tools.
“We’ll be back,” Sev promised, and Kade followed him down the hallway.
“I thought you said you didn’t need a key,” Kade said accusingly as Sev copied what he’d done earlier, hands skimming over every surface of the table and walls.
“I don’t—but I do need lockpicks. Thin strips of metal. Small tongs or pliers, a hairpin…”
“Do you think you’re likely to find a hairpin inside a prison tower?” Kade asked dryly.
Sev sighed and straightened, stopping his search. “Point taken. Maybe…,” he began, scanning the room, until a glimmer of light caught his attention near the front door. He leapt forward, crouching down to lift the piece of metal he’d broken off Kade’s belt buckle. It was almost exactly what he needed—almost. It was easy to tell at a glance that while it was the right shape and thinness…
“Too short,” Sev said with a curse, trying it on the lock to the tower stairs just to be sure—but his suspicions were confirmed. He held it up to his own belt, but he knew the dimensions would be roughly the same. If only they could get their hands on a larger buckle….
“A horse’s saddle,” Kade said abruptly.
Sev’s head snapped up. “Yes,” he said, nodding. “They must have stables somewhere nearby….”
He strode for the door, but Kade gripped his arm. “What if she hears?” He jerked his chin upward, indicating the Rider keeping a lookout atop the tower above them.
While they could probably pick Riella’s lock without the Rider hearing—the tower was easily five stories high—Sev knew that picking the lock on the bottom of the stairs would be far more dangerous. The tower would act like a funnel, amplifying sound, the echoes reverberating all the way to the top. But how could Sev unlock Riella’s cell and walk right past the door leading to Veronyka’s? Should he do neither, and get a letter to the commander instead? But while Veronyka was obviously being held for some purpose, Riella was a complication, a liability… and more likely to wind up dead.
Sev glanced back down the hallway before answering in a low voice. “Now’s our best chance to get Riella out of here, while that Rider’s focused outside the building. As for Veronyka… I won’t unlock the tower door unless the Rider leaves. Sending a letter to the commander might be our best option.” Kade’s expression was pained, but he nodded. “Come on,” Sev said, leading the way back outside. “Let’s go.”
* * *
As they suspected, there were stables nearby—barely a hundred feet away across the grassy courtyard closed in by the tower and the wings of the ground-level prison.
Sev hurried toward the building, while Kade struggled to keep up. He was fading fast—Sev could see it in the slump of his shoulders and the heaviness of his eyes. His face was looking sallow and drawn too, and Sev hoped it was just exhaustion and not more blood loss. He thought of the popped stitch and tried not to panic, especially when Kade stumbled over a stone in the darkness and clutched at his stomach.
As Kade staggered, Sev slipped deftly underneath his arm, helping to support him.
“I’m fine,” Kade insisted, but he leaned heavily on Sev. “Just tired is all…” His words slurred slightly, causing more alarm to shoot through Sev’s veins.
Maybe, if Sev could convince Kade to leave with Riella, he could attempt to save Veronyka, too, and pretend to be a tower guard if the Rider found him. He still might wind up dead, but if Kade and Riella were safe…
Sev couldn’t tell if it was his spy’s instincts telling him to resume his role as a soldier, or his sudden urge to be a hero telling him to be reckless. A spy was supposed to gather information, stick to the shadows, and let others call the shots. But what if Sev could use his role as a spy to be a hero? Maybe the two weren’t mutually exclusive. He wanted to act, to make his own choices—to follow the path that was before him. And maybe that path was leading him back to being a spy.
When they reached the stables, Sev poked his head inside, relieved to see that there were no horses or stable hands. Whatever guards had been inside the tower had probably taken the animals when they were forced to flee, and he