he’d moved up the plan and left without me. I probably shouldn’t have been surprised—he had been pretty adamant that I not be put in danger—but the betrayal stung.
I bit the inside of my mouth until I tasted blood. He wasn’t the first guy who’d snuck out of my bed, but it was usually the other way around, and I usually didn’t care so much.
That thought led to another one. Why did I care so much? He was still the raider warlord who’d thought it was fine to take me as his personal prisoner. He was bossy, possessive, and had some serious family issues. I should have been thrilled he was gone. But I wasn’t.
Despite all his faults—and there were some serious ones—he was the first person I’d let get close to me in a long time. The first person I’d trusted. And he’d left me. Just like my parents and just like Astrid.
I swallowed the metallic tang of blood and realized that I’d balled the blanket in my fists.
Fenrey was staring at me. “I’m sure he’ll be back, dear.”
“I’m sure he won’t,” I muttered, then forced myself to meet Fenrey’s eyes. “He’s gone ahead to the mine. He’s putting the plan into motion without me. It’s the only reason he would have left in the dark.”
“Oh.” Fenrey’s expression was sympathetic, then he jumped as if he’d been stung. “If that’s the case, then we need to get things going on this end.” He bustled from the room, pausing in the arched doorway and looking back. “Eat up and come upstairs as soon as you can. We still need you, dear.”
“Thanks.” I gave him a weak smile, then he hurried off down the tunnel toward the ladder leading to his shop.
He was right. The Carlogians did need me, even if Kaalek was too arrogant to realize that he did. I chugged my tea and then tossed back Kaalek’s as well. After I gathered my clothes, I dressed and grabbed one of the biscuits, munching it as I walked down the tunnel and climbed up the ladder.
Even before I pushed through the curtain to the front of the shop, the excited chatter of voices reached my ears. Had I slept in again?
“There she is,” Coxley said, when I emerged from behind the doorway curtain. “How’s that ankle?”
“Like new,” I told him.
He winked at me. “Just in time for today.”
“I won’t be running anywhere. Kaalek left without me.”
The conversation halted, and everyone swung their heads to me.
“That’s why I said we needed to pick up the pace,” Fenrey said, waving for the villagers to join him at the worktable. He rolled out the map that Kaalek had marked yesterday. “If the Vandar is already on his way to the mine, we need to make sure the imperial soldiers here are taken care of. We don’t want the mine calling for reinforcements.”
“They can call all they want,” Coxley said. “As long as there’s no one to answer.”
Fenrey clapped him on the back. “Well said, my friend.”
“You don’t need to worry about the explosions,” Brylynn said, leaning both hands on his cane. “Rix and I worked through the night. The wires are laid, and the charges are active. Right, Rix?”
There was no answer, and I glanced around the room, finding the Carlogian chemist sitting in a chair, with his head tipped back, and his eyes closed.
“Rix!” Brylynn’s gruff voice boomed throughout the space, and Rix woke suddenly, jumping and slipping out of the chair and onto the floor with a thud.
“Ow!” He looked around, scowling. “Why’d you have to yell like that?”
The old Carlogian sighed. “I was telling everyone about our explosives.”
Rix’s frown became a grin as he stood up, rubbing his backside. “They’re good to go, and we won’t have to worry about any of our neighbors happening on them. Anyone who isn’t part of the resistance is currently enjoying a very long slumber, thanks to some delicious pastries filled with cream and sleeping draught.”
The village baker beamed and curtsied as everyone clapped. “I delivered them personally, and insisted they eat one on the spot and give me their opinion on my new hurly-flower cream.”
“Hurley-flower.” Fenrey rubbed his own belly. “That sounds tasty.”
She twitched one shoulder. “It’s the only thing sweet enough to mask the taste of the chemicals.”
“No retching?” I asked.
“We thought this would be less suspicious and less messy,” she said.
“What about the tunnels?” I scanned the room for the carpenter, but didn’t see him. “Will they be able to withstand