The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy #2)

Nila held a small candle out to see us better. “Oh!” she said, startled. Then as she recognized me and saw the blood on my knife, she took a step back. “Oh no.” She turned and ran up the stairs. I didn’t dare call after her. I couldn’t risk Erick hearing us.

“Go now,” Mott said. “I’ll try to stop her before she wakes anyone. And, Jaron, you must come back.”

“I will.” I spoke with more confidence than I felt, but it seemed to comfort him. “And it probably doesn’t matter at this point, but I am sorry.”

Before Mott could respond, I returned to the office, then rushed at Erick who had Harlowe backed against the wall with his knife. I pushed between them and cried, “What are you doing?”

“He asked your name,” Erick said.

I turned to Harlowe. “No, sir, I don’t want you to remember my name. Nor to remember this night.” Then I pulled Erick away. “We’ve got to go.”

Erick’s eyes locked on my bloodstained knife, and Harlowe let out a horrified gasp when he realized what I must have done. “So that’s what you’re capable of,” Erick mumbled. “I underestimated you.”

“He asked for it,” I said, then nodded to Erick. “You go first.”

When he ducked out the window I turned back to Harlowe, who said, “Tell me you didn’t just —”

“Someday I hope you’ll understand.” I spoke so softly I was nearly mouthing the words. “Forgive me.”

Harlowe only shook his head, feeling horrified and betrayed if he felt anything at all. And I climbed down the tree, knowing that this was a crime for which I might never be forgiven.

You look upset,” Erick said as we rode out of Libeth only a few minutes later. Beside me, the other thieves were quietly celebrating, counting the number of drinks they could buy with their share of Harlowe’s money. It was disgusting how they already considered it theirs, and how they congratulated me as if I’d done something good.

“Smile,” Erick said. “This is a time to celebrate.”

“He saw my face,” I mumbled.

“Is that all?” Erick’s laugh was crass and made my muscles tense. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. What’s Carthya going to do about us? Nothing! You must know the reputation of their king.”

“Eckbert’s gone. They have a new king now.”

“That’s who I’m talking about. Eckbert’s son. What was his name again?”

“Jaron.”

“That’s right. I don’t know much about him, but from what I hear, we’ll have all the freedom in Carthya that we want.”

For some reason, I couldn’t help but chuckle. “What’s wrong with Jaron?”

“They say he’s wild and reckless, always has been. Everyone knows he was missing for a long time, but now he’s come back to rule. What could a boy with that history possibly know about ruling an entire country?”

“Probably not much.” I knew just enough to understand that I’d already made plenty of mistakes. Riding here with Erick right now was undoubtedly the biggest of them all.

“Exactly.” Erick chuckled. “But all we care about is that our own stupid Avenian king can deny knowledge of what we do.”

“Does he know?”

“If he does, we’re too small for him to care. When he wants something done without getting his own hands dirty, he’ll use the pirates.”

Which Vargan himself had all but admitted. Avenia wanted my land. The pirates wanted my life. They were a natural team.

Erick didn’t seem to notice my distress. Beside me, he chuckled to himself, then said, “Vargan’s main target is Carthya. You should know that if he finds out you’re a pirate, he might use your knowledge of Carthya to help him destroy it.”

Yes, that I knew.

Getting little response from me, Erick rode forward to tell the others more details about what had happened inside Harlowe’s home. He even pulled out the pocket watch to show them, then tucked it back inside his shirt without the slightest care for its real value. I couldn’t understand why Harlowe had given it up so easily and cursed myself for not keeping control of it.

We were almost back to our camp when my irritation turned to sudden anxiety. As we approached the ridge of a hill, we saw at least a dozen horses standing across the road, much farther down, blocking our passage. With one look at who was astride the horses, I knew I was in serious trouble.

I halted Mystic and said to a pockmarked thief beside me, “Are those King Vargan’s men?”

He squinted to see better, then frowned. “Looks that way. I suppose the good king has decided it’s time to collect taxes again.”

Erick was already riding toward us. “Everyone, back up your horses.”

We obeyed until we were protected from the soldiers’ sight. Then Erick gathered us closer and pulled from his saddlebag the sack of coins I had stolen from Harlowe. “Everyone take a share and hide it wherever you can,” he said. “In your boots or beneath your saddles, or wherever. Hurry!”

“Let’s just go another way,” I said, barely able to hide the concern in my voice. “Or wait until they’re gone.”

The thief nearest me laughed. “Sage doesn’t know the king’s tricks.”

I emphatically disagreed. I probably knew his tricks better than anyone here and had far more to lose than a handful of garlins. I absolutely could not go forward and risk any encounter with Vargan’s soldiers.

“They’ve probably already spotted us,” Erick said. “If we don’t go riding down that hill soon, they’ll come after us and make things much worse.”

For my part, I couldn’t see how things could get any worse.

Sensing my despair, Erick said, “We worked hard last night, and I know it bothers you to lose the coins. I hate this too, but we can’t avoid it. Now take some handfuls and let’s hope we get through with at least something left to us.”

I dreaded the thought of going forward. But equally risky was that if I abandoned Erick now, I’d lose any hope of getting to the pirates. Erick held out his saddlebag again, and when I reached into it, I noticed some rags beneath the coins and asked what they were for.

Erick shrugged. “In case one of my thieves is injured while we’re away from camp.”

I reached in again and withdrew the rags, then began unrolling them to their full length.

“The tax is the same whether or not you’re injured,” Erick protested. “Besides, there’s dried blood on them from the last time they were used.”

“Even better.” I began wrapping the bandages around my head, covering one eye and cheek and all of my hair. I made sure the part with the blood landed directly over my eye.

“Take that off,” Erick said. “You look ridiculous.”

“I look injured, which is completely different.” I ripped off an end of the fabric, then stuffed it in my mouth, between my cheek and gums. I hoped it gave me the look of having my cheek swollen. “There, now I look ridiculous,” I said.

Erick cursed under his breath, then told his men to stay relaxed and perhaps everyone could get through the barrier untouched.