Rematch part 1
This is the first part of the story Rematch.
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“Join us for a drink, sorcerer lord,” a farmer offered. The inn was full with men eager to celebrate now that Kaleoth was no longer in imminent danger.
Jayden held up a full cup for the man and his friends to see. “I’m already well supplied, thank you.”
The farmer laughed. “Then join us for another drink!”
Dana was used to traveling unnoticed with Jayden, no surprise when he was a wanted criminal in their homeland. They’d stayed well clear of major cities and traveled on half-forgotten roads between small towns to ramshackle cities like Fish Bait that had degenerated into slums. Seeing such poverty and desperation in the kingdom had been an eye-opening experience for her. This made being cheered and cherished in the Kaleoth city of River Twin almost bewildering.
Jayden and Dana had destroyed the bridge to Kaleoth with great difficulty, and Jayden had nearly died in the process. Great as the risk had been, they’d done the deed before an army from their homeland could invade. That had won them great respect in River Twin, and they’d been treated like celebrities in the month they’d stayed here.
“Hail and well met, sorcerer,” a spearman said as he entered The Moody Muse inn. Such welcomes were common ever since Dana, Maya and Jayden had settled in the inn for the winter. Such a long stay was expensive, but Jayden had gold enough to cover the cost. That had only increased his popularity, since paying customers were rare in these parts.
Jayden raised a drink in toast to the spearman. He’d been nursing the same drink all night as he sat at the back corner of the inn’s common room. Thirty other people shared the room and kept warm by a roaring fire. The innkeeper kept drinks flowing and served hot food. Business was good, and in Jayden’s case a little too good.
“Kind sir, merciful and benevolent one, I beseech your aid,” a middle-aged man said as he sat across from Jayden. “Word reached me how you thwarted the invasion of my homeland. Surely one who can do such a mighty deed can help a humble man in need.”
“Merciful?” Jayden asked Dana. “When did that word ever apply to me?”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard it used to describe you.”
The man pressed his case. “My eldest daughter Elsa fled home in the arms of a rapscallion of the worst kind. He seduced her with honeyed words and promises of adventure and riches. Already they flee for distant lands, taking with them her dowry and a horse I’ll admit to being a nag. Surely one so great as yourself can bring Elsa back and punish this rogue.”
Jayden set down his drink and looked at Dana. “Does this sound like the sort of thing I should be interested in, but aren’t?”
Dana didn’t look up from her dinner. “Yes.”
“It’s strange how often that happens.”
Outraged, the man sputtered, “B-but sir! How can you leave my beloved daughter in the hands of such a man?”
“Because I’ve been called a rogue, villain, blackguard, backstabber, thief, betrayer and so on for years. Honestly, you’ve never heard the stories about me?”
“I thought you’d turned over a new leaf,” the man suggested.
“Sadly, no.” Jayden took another sip from his drink. “I wish the young couple every happiness and success.”
Disheartened, the man left Jayden’s table and rejoined the crowd. Dana finished her meal and made a mark on a sheet of paper. “That’s three today, fifteen this week and eighty overall requests for your help, every one of which you’ve turned down. Have you considered renting a house outside city limits? It might cut down on the number of people trying to hire you.”
“In my experience it actually makes the problem worse.”
“How is that possible?”
“Men become bolder when there are no witnesses to their deeds,” Jayden explained. “There are a limitless number of people in this city who could use my help, but they wouldn’t dare ask when neighbors can hear the requests. It’s shameful for most men to ask for help. Besides, it’s cold out, and I wouldn’t want anyone to fall sick coming to find me when the answer is going to be no.”
“I know we have money, but we could take a few paying jobs. It’s not like we’ve got anything better to do until your ‘friend’ comes back, and it would help the people of River Twin.”
Jayden frowned and looked out a nearby window, where an early snow drifted down in thick flakes. “I want to return home as soon as possible. The more I become embroiled in local affairs the harder it’s going to be to leave when I owe debts and favors to locals. Better to make a hasty exit once the scout I hired returns with news of where we can safely cross the river.”
Another man forced his way through the crowd and sat at Jayden’s table. “Heroic sorcerer, you have already sacrificed much for our city.”
“Yet I imagine you’re going to ask for more,” Jayden said dryly.
“Winter has come to Kaleoth, making travel difficult and dangerous. The invasion you prevented means frontier soldiers we once relied on are manning the defenses in case the invaders attack again. Honest men dare not travel far when threats abound.”
The man unrolled a map on the table. “Caravans running between River Twin and the capital are in danger from wolves, bandits and monsters coming down from the mountains. Few men dare travel even with protection, and none without it. That makes this an irresistible opportunity for the canny investor.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Dana asked.
“A hundred gold coins invested in such a caravan can bring in a handsome return of a hundred fifty once it safely reaches its destination. A forty-wagon caravan is preparing to head out and is selling shares at a premium to men with the cash and the courage to back up their gold. How can you say no to a chance at riches?”
Jayden set down his drink. “Easily. No.”
“You’re a hard bargainer, so I’ll raise the offer to a hundred fifty plus first pick of the loot and bounties from anyone you defeat,” the man said. “We might not even get attacked, making you a healthy profit for sitting on the back of a wagon. Plus, your reputation might make regional tax collectors think twice about asking us to pay tolls.”
“Out!” Dana yelled at him. When the man opened his mouth, Dana asked, “Do you want to see an angry sorcerer lord? Scoot.”
“Protecting my reputation?” Jayden asked with a wry smile.
Dana pointed at him. “You’re already a wanted criminal in one kingdom. I don’t want to make it two.”
Their conversation ended when Maya joined them with a large wood board. The plucky young woman smiled as she approached Jayden, and she blushed a little. “This might keep people from pestering you so much. Here you go, let me set this next to your table.”
Dana looked at the board that Maya had painted with skulls and crossbones, plus what looked like charred bodies. The words ‘Do not bother the wizard’ were written in red paint across the top, with ‘or else…’ along the bottom. Dana frowned. “That’s not the kind of message we want to send.”
“Good use of shading,” Jayden said. Dana elbowed him in the ribs.
Just then a smiling man in a tacky suit marched up and placed both hands on their table. “Have I got a business proposition for you!”
Maya jabbed a finger at her sign. “Do you not see this?”
“A good businessman lets nothing get between him and other people’s money,” the man said proudly.
“Even pain?” Jayden asked.
“Why would that—yeouch!” The man hopped off while grabbing his right foot.
Dana put a hand over her face. “You really need to stop doing that.”
“He’ll recover,” Jayden replied. He smiled at Maya, making her blush again. The poor woman had spent a month with Dana and Jayden since she’d helped save his life, and she was every bit as smitten with him as when they’d first met. “You seem to be settling in well.”
“I know fellow orphans raised by Baron Vrask who settled in River Twin,” she explained. “They’re helping me a lot. One girl showed me where to buy paints and canvas, and another introduced me to shopkeepers who need new signs. It’s not great work, but it’s a start.”
Jayden’s smile faded when he asked, “Have you been able to find permanent accommodations?”
“No, but I’m looking. So many people came over from Edgeland before you destroyed the bridge that there’s not enough housing. Most of the refugees are renting rooms, and a few are making their own homes or fixing ruined buildings. There’s not much space to live outside of my room in this inn.” Maya looked down, her face flushing red in embarrassment. “My room that you’re paying for.”
“And I will continue to pay for it as long as necessary,” he told her. “When I destroyed the bridge, I forced the enemy army to camp in your home city instead of marching through it, making Edgeland dangerous for young women such as yourself. You’re homeless because of me, and I will do right by you no matter the cost.”
Maya blushed again. “Thank you.”
The inn’s door opened and a man bundled up against the cold hurried in. Jayden stood up when the man came to his table and waved to the innkeeper. “A hot meal and a drink for this man, at my expense.”
The innkeeper set down a plate of roast fish and dumplings, and watched in astonishment as the man devoured the meal so quickly it looked like he might choke. Jayden glanced at the innkeeper and said, “Another course appears to be in order.”
Once the innkeeper left, Jayden leaned across the table. “Ibrin, good man and talented scout, what news do you have?”
“Uniformly bad,” the scout said. “I checked bridges and low places on Racehorse River within ten days travel both north and south. Most bridges are gone, destroyed by Kaleoth frontier soldiers to keep back the invaders. The two left standing are under heavy guard on both sides of the river. No man could cross them without being cut down before he went halfway.”
“How strong are the forces on the opposite side of the river?” Jayden pressed him.
“Five or six hundred strong with heavy support by archers.” The discussion ended when the innkeeper brought a second plate of food. Ibrin ate more slowly this time, getting a few words out between mouthfuls of food. “The few low spots on the river that could be crossed are under even heavier guard. Kaleoth frontier soldiers brought in ogres to help hold the line, and enemy forces brought cavalry and ballista. Both sides built field fortifications, wood forts, barricades, ditches and walls. I’m sorry to say this after you paid me good money for the job, but the only way a man is going to cross that river is if he can fly, and with so many archers even that is risky.”
Jayden slouched in his chair. “The news you bring is valuable regardless if you brought the answer I wanted to hear or not.”
Ibrin finished his food and nodded to Jayden. “You’re a better man than most to say that. I wish you well, sir, and pray you find what you’re looking for. It may not be my place to say this, but if you can’t go home, you’ll find Kaleoth is glad to have you.”
With his job done the scout left the inn. Jayden brooded at his table with a foul look on his face that kept further petitioners back. Dana tried to console him, saying, “You can do good in Kaleoth. Fighting could start up again in spring, and the enemy army still has Wall Wolf.”
“All the more reason to leave,” Jayden said. “I can do more to stop the invasion on the other side of the border than here. Excuse me, I need time alone.”
Jayden got up and left. Maya looked at Dana, who said, “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Dana followed Jayden out of the inn and to the snowy outskirts of River Twin. They were close enough to see the destroyed bridge brought down on both sides so only the center portion remained. Cooking fires from thousands of enemy soldiers lit up Edgeland in the dark. Both sides of the river now boasted complex wood and stone fortifications manned by crack troops, an intimidating obstacle even to the world’s only sorcerer lord.
Once he was far from the city, Jayden stopped beneath a large old oak and cast a spell. Dana watched shadows swirl together to form a giant clawed hand as big as a man. The hand hovered with the palm flat and the fingers stretched out. He stood there for long minutes doing nothing until the hand began to tremble and then smoke. Bit by bit it boiled away until nothing remained.
“Five minutes,” Jayden said morosely.
“I’ve noticed you practicing that spell a lot this week.”
“The spell could ferry us across the river, but it moves too slowly and ends to quickly to make the journey safely. We could stand on the hand as it carried us, but we’d be floating targets for enemy archers. If we crossed far from enemy forces we would also be far from roads and settlements, not a safe course of action during winter.”
Dana thought about what the scout Ibrin had said. “How high can you make the hand fly?”
“I’ve never gotten it to go over fifty feet,” Jayden reported. “Sorcerer lords of old could make magic wings, but it’s a spell I’ve never found. I’m told the spell doesn’t grant users the innate knowledge of how to fly, which in ancient times killed more than a few sorcerer lord apprentices.”
Jayden turned to face her, frustration growing in his voice. “Fighting that enemy army would be ruinous even if Kaleoth soldiers won, but I could drive them off by ambushing supply caravans bringing those men food. They’d have to retreat after they went a month without nourishment. It’s a task I could do better than most and would save thousands of lives. Instead I find myself marooned here.”
“Surrounded by people who love you for saving their lives,” Dana reminded him.
“It’s a pleasant exile, I admit, but an exile nonetheless.” Jayden glared at the enemy troops across the river. “My greatest nightmare has come true, proof that all my efforts up to this point didn’t prevent the king and queen from attacking neighboring nations, and here I stand unable to do anything. I despise feeling helpless.”
“Welcome to how the rest of us feel,” Dana told him. “Most people see huge events like this happening and can’t do a thing to stop them. We just have to keep our heads down and hope the storm passes.”
“More is expected of a sorcerer,” Jayden said.
“And from a prince, I get that, but you’re just one man. Jayden, none of the spells I’ve seen you use can stop an army or make you invulnerable. That iron golem Wall Wolf nearly killed you, and after almost dying you’re chomping at the bit for another fight.”
“That’s because the people of Kaleoth are still in danger.” Jayden pointed at the opposing army. “Armies don’t fight in winter if they can help it, so our foes are likely quartered in Edgeland until spring, but in my heart I fear the worst. These soldiers could have been deployed elsewhere now that they know the advantage of surprise is lost and there is no easy path to Kaleoth, yet they remain. I despise the king and queen, but I don’t doubt their abilities. Those men are here for a reason, one I don’t understand, and the longer they stay the more time they have to put their plan in effect.”
Dana took him by the arm. “Come on, there’s nothing more we can do tonight.”
“I doubt morning will bring new insights, but if nothing else tonight may have some value.” Jayden selected two short branches off the ground and tossed one to her. “On guard.”
“You gave me a fencing lesson this morning.” Jayden had made sword fighting a daily routine. Dana didn’t complain when she needed the practice if she was ever going to use her magic sword to its full potential.
“I’m giving you another one. The warrior who sweats before battle doesn’t bleed during it.”
Dana took the improvised sword and dueled Jayden. She thought she did well, or at least walked away without bruises this time. When they were done she was overheated and exhausted. “You’re teaching me how to fight. Who taught you?”
Jayden tossed his branch down. “The captain of the guard. He was the best swordsman in the kingdom, and I begged him day and night to teach me.”
Dreading the answer, Dana asked, “What happened to him? I didn’t see him when I saw those memories of your youth.”
“The king and queen discharged him for drinking, womanizing and speaking his mind whether or not anyone asked for his opinions. He moved to Zentrix Kingdom, where he continues to drink, womanize, speak his mind and teach swordsmanship to young men of limited means.” Jayden smiled. “Men of influence in Zentrix despise him while the common folk adore him, so little has changed besides his address.”
“There’s got to be a line of men at the inn trying to get your help. We need to send them home or else they’ll badger you until morning.”
Dana led Jayden back to River Twin. They’d nearly reached The Moody Muse when Jayden pulled her to a halt. “Why is Maya waiting outside the inn?”
Maya stood shivering in the cold by the inn’s front door. When she saw them, she ran over and grabbed Jayden’s hands. “There’s a scary looking man waiting for you inside. He says he wants to talk with you. I told him you weren’t taking job offers, and he said you’re going to take his. He told me to get you, and when I said I didn’t know where you’d gone he said not to come back without you. I looked and looked, but you two weren’t at any of the places I checked, and I was scared to go back into the inn alone.”
Jayden scowled. “Dana, I think I’m going to damage my good reputation in Kaleoth.”
Jayden marched into the inn with Dana and Maya following him. Maya pointed at a man in a dark cloak standing at the table where Jayden had been seated earlier. He was armed with a sword still in its sheath, but the man wore simple leather clothes instead of armor. Jayden headed straight for the stranger, stopping ten feet away and resting his hands on the back of a nearby chair.
“I take a dim view of people abusing my friends, and that includes ordering one into the cold as if she was your servant,” Jayden snarled. Nearby patrons backed away and the innkeeper ducked behind his bar. The stranger turned to look at Jayden. Looking angrier than normal, Jayden said, “I ask for neither thanks nor reward from your people for what I did, but expecting basic civility shouldn’t be too much.”
“Dark times demand different behavior of men,” the stranger said, his voice betraying no fear. “My master would have words with you outside.”
“Then by all means, invite him in,” Jayden countered. “I wouldn’t want him to catch cold.”
“He wishes to discuss matters with you in private.”
Jayden didn’t budge. “I care precious little who your master is or what he wants of me. You may have noticed a rather colorful sign by the table you’re standing at. The message is succinct and less of an exaggeration than you’d think. I am seconds away from inflicting serious injuries on you, and let the consequences be what they may.”
The stranger approached him and took a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket. He tossed it to Jayden, who caught the paper, unfolded it and stared at it for a moment before burning it in a nearby lantern. Jayden glared at the stranger. “This is going to cost you.”
“My master brought enough money.”
“I meant personally,” Jayden said a second before he punched the man below the belt. Men winced in sympathy as the stranger fell to the floor. Jayden headed for the door and said, “Dana, Maya, we have to deal with this. As for you, errand boy, come when you’re able.”
“The invitation is only for you,” the stranger croaked.
“Obedience isn’t my one of my strengths.”
Jayden left the inn with Dana and Maya, and then headed to a nearby house guarded by four heavily armored knights. The knights parted when Jayden approached, granting entrance to a small room with a table, four chairs and three men.
“I appreciate your coming, especially on short notice,” one of the men said. He was a youth of roughly twenty years, handsome and well dressed in furs. His hair was dark brown and trimmed short. He had a warm, sincere voice, and an expression of relief at seeing Jayden. That look was soon replaced with concern when he asked, “Special Agent Ulem was supposed to guide you here.”
“Special Agent Ulem showed shocking disrespect for my friends, the sort of behavior I’d expect from thugs and bandits. He’ll be along once he can stand.”
The other two men tensed at this news and stepped forward. Both wore the gray and green robes of Kaleoth wizards, and their staffs were black oak set with jewels. The youth waved them back, and did the same when the knights outside looked in.
“King Brent is going to be disappointed,” the youth said. “I keep telling him I can handle myself, and he keeps sending men to guide me as if I was a child. I apologize for any offense given and trust you won’t prevent it from hearing my offer.”
Jayden folded his arms across his chest. “Pray tell, what does a prince want with a wanted criminal?”
Dana gasped. Maya pointed at the youth and asked, “You’re Prince Onus?”
The prince bowed. “The one, the only, the poorly named. I wish we could have met under better conditions, but for security reasons I travel as quietly as possible. The king and queen may have spies in the city who could attack me if they knew I was here. It forces me to use intermediaries whenever possible, sometimes men who are better skilled in battle than in negotiations. And in regards to your status as a wanted man, the bounties on your head have never applied in Kaleoth.”
“Charming,” Jayden said. “I’m surprised King Brent would risk his only surviving heir by sending him to a city in peril.”
“I come because of River Twin’s peril,” Prince Onus replied. “Kaleoth has only four cities, none larger than River Twin. We can’t afford to lose it, especially if doing so opens up the rest of the kingdom to invasion. If River Twin falls then Kaleoth falls with it.”
Jayden didn’t respond or unfold his arms. Prince Onus pulled out the chairs and offered them. “I had heard you didn’t travel alone any longer. Please, allow me to offer some hospitality in such dark times.”
“Interesting that you should use the expression ‘dark times’,” Jayden said as he sat down. “Your agent used it as an excuse.”
Prince Onus winced as if struck. “My apologies. Some men use their high positions like a club.”
Jayden didn’t look impressed. “Your letter, which I burned according to your written instructions, claimed you needed my services in the defense of the kingdom. Save both my time and yours by skipping ahead to the job you need done so badly.”
“Reports of your lack of tack are clearly true, but given your experiences I suppose it’s not surprising.” Prince Onus offered chairs to Dana and Maya before sitting down. “Enemy forces remain at the border, curious when there is no way across. Racehorse River runs too fast to freeze over or for boats to cross, and rebuilding the bridge while under fire from Kaleoth troops is impossible. Grandfather believes the enemy still seeks to invade, and I proved him correct.”
The prince tossed a cracked crystal ball with a bronze stand onto the table. “It cost the only crystal ball in the kingdom, but before it was destroyed by an interceptor spell it showed enemy forces building two mobile drawbridges inside Edgeland. The first is forty feet long, the second equally long but not as wide, and both are mounted on wheels. I believe the enemy intends to set one across the gap to the remaining bridge section and use the second bridge to cover the remaining distance to the riverbank. Once that’s done they can march soldiers across. They still have Wall Wolf, maimed by your assistant but still standing. The only blessing in this matter is that Wall Wolf is undoubtedly too heavy to cross these makeshift bridges.”
“It won’t have to,” Jayden told the prince. “Racehorse River runs fast, but Wall Wolf’s great weight means the river can’t wash the golem downstream. The enemy general Kyver Rendmal will likely send Wall Wolf in first by walking across the bottom of the river and then attack your troops. The enemy army will bridge the river while your forces are occupied.”
“That’s my feeling as well. Grandfather is calling upon aid from the Guild of Heroes, the Brotherhood of the Righteous, the Servants of the Cause, the Square Pegs, anyone who might listen. He even asked for help from the Yelinid Banking Cartel.”
“Why would bankers fight a war?” Dana asked.
The two wizards looked surprised that she’d spoke, but the prince didn’t seem to be bothered. “Dead men don’t pay back loans, and conquerors don’t honor the debts of their enemies. If Yelinid expects to ever see the money we borrowed from them, they have to keep us alive.”
“How soon until these bridge sections are completed?” Jayden asked the prince.
“The last image from the crystal ball showed the first section was finished and the second nearly done. I need those bridges destroyed before they can be deployed, a difficult request when they’re made from some of the largest trees I’ve seen. Such thick timbers won’t burn easily, and green wood from freshly felled trees even less so.”
“You have two wizards,” Dana pointed out. “Why do you need three?”
Prince Onus waved at his wizards. “Malvel is a fire wizard, and Klim understands water and wind magic. Both are talented and brave, but by their own admissions aren’t powerful. My original plan was for Klim to create a magic cloud and fly the two of them over, then have Malvel set the bridges on fire. It would have placed them in great danger while offering little chance of success, but having a sorcerer lord improves the odds.”
Prince Onus looked nervous when he said, “It may surprise you that grandfather’s spies developed a lengthy file on you, Jayden, including eyewitness evidence of the spells you have cast in the past.”
“Should I feel honored or paranoid?” Jayden asked.
“Both,” the prince replied. “Grandfather keeps files on anyone who might be a valuable ally or enemy. His file showed considerable evidence of your hatred for the king and queen of your homeland, if not the reason why, so you were listed as a possible friend in time of need. As for paranoia, that’s a healthy trait to cultivate.”
The prince looked at Dana. He was cute, close to her age, and good God did the man sound sincere. She could feel herself blushing.
“Our file mentioned the young lady, but not her name or the magic sword she used to cripple Wall Wolf. Please, may I see it?”
“No,” Jayden said.
“It’s my sword,” she reminded him. Dana gave the sword to Prince Onus. The prince drew it and marveled at the blade before sheathing it and returning it to Dana.
“Impressive. Grandfather’s spies keep a close eye on powerful magic items in the region in case they are used against us. I’m surprised I’d never heard of this weapon before. Is it named?”
“I didn’t know people named weapons,” Dana admitted.
“It’s a guy thing,” Jayden told her.
“It might be the right tool for the job, even if it’s not what I had in mind,” Prince Onus said. “I’m told you can create a black whip that melts through nearly anything.”
“Technically it ages through them, but I see your point,” Jayden replied. “The whip won’t attract attention with light and smoke the way your fire wizard’s spells would. We could get in, cut through the bridges with my magic whip and leave unnoticed, but it would buy less time than you’d think. Kyver could replace anything we destroy.”
“Not easily.” The prince held up his ruined crystal ball again. “Prior to this war, the resident nobleman Baron Vrask had his people harvest timber to cover high taxes imposed on him. The largest trees were cut down long ago. We saw enemy soldiers searching high and low for the trees for their bridges, using up the best trees in the process. Using smaller trees less suited for the task will still take a month or longer. That could be long enough for grandfather to summon help. If nothing else there might be deep snow that would slow down another attack.”
“Your plan puts my life in great danger,” Jayden pointed out.
“I realize what I’m asking. I don’t know what your grievance is against your own king and queen, even if I share your dislike of them. This is a chance to hurt them and save good men. Naturally I’m offering pay proportional to the risk.”
Shocking everyone in the room, Jayden said, “I don’t want it.”
There was a stunned silence in the room, broken when Prince Onus said, “I didn’t see this coming.”
“You need the money here,” Jayden told him. “I need to get back into my home kingdom if I’m to do any good. Once I’ve done this for you, Klim is to make a magic clouds and take me anywhere I want to go, no questions, no limits. Those are my terms.”
Prince Onus looked at Klim, who nodded. “It’s a deal. Klim tells me there’s a storm coming tomorrow night. That will be the best chance for the three of you to infiltrate the enemy city.”
Jayden got up to leave. “That’s enough time to finish my business here. Prince, meeting you has been more of a pleasure than I’d expected, and I respect your ignoring how abusive I can be. Few have that skill.”
The prince smiled. “Years living under my grandfather’s rule have given me a thick skin. I’m grateful you accepted, even if grandfather was sure we could count on you.” The prince’s brow furrowed for a moment before he said, “Grandfather is normally quite clever, especially for a man of his advanced years, but when I told him I was going to enlist your aid he said something that didn’t make sense.”
“What might that be?” Jayden asked.
“He said you take after your mother in every way that matters, which makes no sense when no one knows your parentage.”
Jayden was silent for a moment. “You needn’t worry that your grandfather’s wits are slipping. His mind is only sharpening with age, and he paid me a compliment. I bid you good evening. Dana, Maya, come.”
********
“Join us for a drink, sorcerer lord,” a farmer offered. The inn was full with men eager to celebrate now that Kaleoth was no longer in imminent danger.
Jayden held up a full cup for the man and his friends to see. “I’m already well supplied, thank you.”
The farmer laughed. “Then join us for another drink!”
Dana was used to traveling unnoticed with Jayden, no surprise when he was a wanted criminal in their homeland. They’d stayed well clear of major cities and traveled on half-forgotten roads between small towns to ramshackle cities like Fish Bait that had degenerated into slums. Seeing such poverty and desperation in the kingdom had been an eye-opening experience for her. This made being cheered and cherished in the Kaleoth city of River Twin almost bewildering.
Jayden and Dana had destroyed the bridge to Kaleoth with great difficulty, and Jayden had nearly died in the process. Great as the risk had been, they’d done the deed before an army from their homeland could invade. That had won them great respect in River Twin, and they’d been treated like celebrities in the month they’d stayed here.
“Hail and well met, sorcerer,” a spearman said as he entered The Moody Muse inn. Such welcomes were common ever since Dana, Maya and Jayden had settled in the inn for the winter. Such a long stay was expensive, but Jayden had gold enough to cover the cost. That had only increased his popularity, since paying customers were rare in these parts.
Jayden raised a drink in toast to the spearman. He’d been nursing the same drink all night as he sat at the back corner of the inn’s common room. Thirty other people shared the room and kept warm by a roaring fire. The innkeeper kept drinks flowing and served hot food. Business was good, and in Jayden’s case a little too good.
“Kind sir, merciful and benevolent one, I beseech your aid,” a middle-aged man said as he sat across from Jayden. “Word reached me how you thwarted the invasion of my homeland. Surely one who can do such a mighty deed can help a humble man in need.”
“Merciful?” Jayden asked Dana. “When did that word ever apply to me?”
“It’s the first time I’ve heard it used to describe you.”
The man pressed his case. “My eldest daughter Elsa fled home in the arms of a rapscallion of the worst kind. He seduced her with honeyed words and promises of adventure and riches. Already they flee for distant lands, taking with them her dowry and a horse I’ll admit to being a nag. Surely one so great as yourself can bring Elsa back and punish this rogue.”
Jayden set down his drink and looked at Dana. “Does this sound like the sort of thing I should be interested in, but aren’t?”
Dana didn’t look up from her dinner. “Yes.”
“It’s strange how often that happens.”
Outraged, the man sputtered, “B-but sir! How can you leave my beloved daughter in the hands of such a man?”
“Because I’ve been called a rogue, villain, blackguard, backstabber, thief, betrayer and so on for years. Honestly, you’ve never heard the stories about me?”
“I thought you’d turned over a new leaf,” the man suggested.
“Sadly, no.” Jayden took another sip from his drink. “I wish the young couple every happiness and success.”
Disheartened, the man left Jayden’s table and rejoined the crowd. Dana finished her meal and made a mark on a sheet of paper. “That’s three today, fifteen this week and eighty overall requests for your help, every one of which you’ve turned down. Have you considered renting a house outside city limits? It might cut down on the number of people trying to hire you.”
“In my experience it actually makes the problem worse.”
“How is that possible?”
“Men become bolder when there are no witnesses to their deeds,” Jayden explained. “There are a limitless number of people in this city who could use my help, but they wouldn’t dare ask when neighbors can hear the requests. It’s shameful for most men to ask for help. Besides, it’s cold out, and I wouldn’t want anyone to fall sick coming to find me when the answer is going to be no.”
“I know we have money, but we could take a few paying jobs. It’s not like we’ve got anything better to do until your ‘friend’ comes back, and it would help the people of River Twin.”
Jayden frowned and looked out a nearby window, where an early snow drifted down in thick flakes. “I want to return home as soon as possible. The more I become embroiled in local affairs the harder it’s going to be to leave when I owe debts and favors to locals. Better to make a hasty exit once the scout I hired returns with news of where we can safely cross the river.”
Another man forced his way through the crowd and sat at Jayden’s table. “Heroic sorcerer, you have already sacrificed much for our city.”
“Yet I imagine you’re going to ask for more,” Jayden said dryly.
“Winter has come to Kaleoth, making travel difficult and dangerous. The invasion you prevented means frontier soldiers we once relied on are manning the defenses in case the invaders attack again. Honest men dare not travel far when threats abound.”
The man unrolled a map on the table. “Caravans running between River Twin and the capital are in danger from wolves, bandits and monsters coming down from the mountains. Few men dare travel even with protection, and none without it. That makes this an irresistible opportunity for the canny investor.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Dana asked.
“A hundred gold coins invested in such a caravan can bring in a handsome return of a hundred fifty once it safely reaches its destination. A forty-wagon caravan is preparing to head out and is selling shares at a premium to men with the cash and the courage to back up their gold. How can you say no to a chance at riches?”
Jayden set down his drink. “Easily. No.”
“You’re a hard bargainer, so I’ll raise the offer to a hundred fifty plus first pick of the loot and bounties from anyone you defeat,” the man said. “We might not even get attacked, making you a healthy profit for sitting on the back of a wagon. Plus, your reputation might make regional tax collectors think twice about asking us to pay tolls.”
“Out!” Dana yelled at him. When the man opened his mouth, Dana asked, “Do you want to see an angry sorcerer lord? Scoot.”
“Protecting my reputation?” Jayden asked with a wry smile.
Dana pointed at him. “You’re already a wanted criminal in one kingdom. I don’t want to make it two.”
Their conversation ended when Maya joined them with a large wood board. The plucky young woman smiled as she approached Jayden, and she blushed a little. “This might keep people from pestering you so much. Here you go, let me set this next to your table.”
Dana looked at the board that Maya had painted with skulls and crossbones, plus what looked like charred bodies. The words ‘Do not bother the wizard’ were written in red paint across the top, with ‘or else…’ along the bottom. Dana frowned. “That’s not the kind of message we want to send.”
“Good use of shading,” Jayden said. Dana elbowed him in the ribs.
Just then a smiling man in a tacky suit marched up and placed both hands on their table. “Have I got a business proposition for you!”
Maya jabbed a finger at her sign. “Do you not see this?”
“A good businessman lets nothing get between him and other people’s money,” the man said proudly.
“Even pain?” Jayden asked.
“Why would that—yeouch!” The man hopped off while grabbing his right foot.
Dana put a hand over her face. “You really need to stop doing that.”
“He’ll recover,” Jayden replied. He smiled at Maya, making her blush again. The poor woman had spent a month with Dana and Jayden since she’d helped save his life, and she was every bit as smitten with him as when they’d first met. “You seem to be settling in well.”
“I know fellow orphans raised by Baron Vrask who settled in River Twin,” she explained. “They’re helping me a lot. One girl showed me where to buy paints and canvas, and another introduced me to shopkeepers who need new signs. It’s not great work, but it’s a start.”
Jayden’s smile faded when he asked, “Have you been able to find permanent accommodations?”
“No, but I’m looking. So many people came over from Edgeland before you destroyed the bridge that there’s not enough housing. Most of the refugees are renting rooms, and a few are making their own homes or fixing ruined buildings. There’s not much space to live outside of my room in this inn.” Maya looked down, her face flushing red in embarrassment. “My room that you’re paying for.”
“And I will continue to pay for it as long as necessary,” he told her. “When I destroyed the bridge, I forced the enemy army to camp in your home city instead of marching through it, making Edgeland dangerous for young women such as yourself. You’re homeless because of me, and I will do right by you no matter the cost.”
Maya blushed again. “Thank you.”
The inn’s door opened and a man bundled up against the cold hurried in. Jayden stood up when the man came to his table and waved to the innkeeper. “A hot meal and a drink for this man, at my expense.”
The innkeeper set down a plate of roast fish and dumplings, and watched in astonishment as the man devoured the meal so quickly it looked like he might choke. Jayden glanced at the innkeeper and said, “Another course appears to be in order.”
Once the innkeeper left, Jayden leaned across the table. “Ibrin, good man and talented scout, what news do you have?”
“Uniformly bad,” the scout said. “I checked bridges and low places on Racehorse River within ten days travel both north and south. Most bridges are gone, destroyed by Kaleoth frontier soldiers to keep back the invaders. The two left standing are under heavy guard on both sides of the river. No man could cross them without being cut down before he went halfway.”
“How strong are the forces on the opposite side of the river?” Jayden pressed him.
“Five or six hundred strong with heavy support by archers.” The discussion ended when the innkeeper brought a second plate of food. Ibrin ate more slowly this time, getting a few words out between mouthfuls of food. “The few low spots on the river that could be crossed are under even heavier guard. Kaleoth frontier soldiers brought in ogres to help hold the line, and enemy forces brought cavalry and ballista. Both sides built field fortifications, wood forts, barricades, ditches and walls. I’m sorry to say this after you paid me good money for the job, but the only way a man is going to cross that river is if he can fly, and with so many archers even that is risky.”
Jayden slouched in his chair. “The news you bring is valuable regardless if you brought the answer I wanted to hear or not.”
Ibrin finished his food and nodded to Jayden. “You’re a better man than most to say that. I wish you well, sir, and pray you find what you’re looking for. It may not be my place to say this, but if you can’t go home, you’ll find Kaleoth is glad to have you.”
With his job done the scout left the inn. Jayden brooded at his table with a foul look on his face that kept further petitioners back. Dana tried to console him, saying, “You can do good in Kaleoth. Fighting could start up again in spring, and the enemy army still has Wall Wolf.”
“All the more reason to leave,” Jayden said. “I can do more to stop the invasion on the other side of the border than here. Excuse me, I need time alone.”
Jayden got up and left. Maya looked at Dana, who said, “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Dana followed Jayden out of the inn and to the snowy outskirts of River Twin. They were close enough to see the destroyed bridge brought down on both sides so only the center portion remained. Cooking fires from thousands of enemy soldiers lit up Edgeland in the dark. Both sides of the river now boasted complex wood and stone fortifications manned by crack troops, an intimidating obstacle even to the world’s only sorcerer lord.
Once he was far from the city, Jayden stopped beneath a large old oak and cast a spell. Dana watched shadows swirl together to form a giant clawed hand as big as a man. The hand hovered with the palm flat and the fingers stretched out. He stood there for long minutes doing nothing until the hand began to tremble and then smoke. Bit by bit it boiled away until nothing remained.
“Five minutes,” Jayden said morosely.
“I’ve noticed you practicing that spell a lot this week.”
“The spell could ferry us across the river, but it moves too slowly and ends to quickly to make the journey safely. We could stand on the hand as it carried us, but we’d be floating targets for enemy archers. If we crossed far from enemy forces we would also be far from roads and settlements, not a safe course of action during winter.”
Dana thought about what the scout Ibrin had said. “How high can you make the hand fly?”
“I’ve never gotten it to go over fifty feet,” Jayden reported. “Sorcerer lords of old could make magic wings, but it’s a spell I’ve never found. I’m told the spell doesn’t grant users the innate knowledge of how to fly, which in ancient times killed more than a few sorcerer lord apprentices.”
Jayden turned to face her, frustration growing in his voice. “Fighting that enemy army would be ruinous even if Kaleoth soldiers won, but I could drive them off by ambushing supply caravans bringing those men food. They’d have to retreat after they went a month without nourishment. It’s a task I could do better than most and would save thousands of lives. Instead I find myself marooned here.”
“Surrounded by people who love you for saving their lives,” Dana reminded him.
“It’s a pleasant exile, I admit, but an exile nonetheless.” Jayden glared at the enemy troops across the river. “My greatest nightmare has come true, proof that all my efforts up to this point didn’t prevent the king and queen from attacking neighboring nations, and here I stand unable to do anything. I despise feeling helpless.”
“Welcome to how the rest of us feel,” Dana told him. “Most people see huge events like this happening and can’t do a thing to stop them. We just have to keep our heads down and hope the storm passes.”
“More is expected of a sorcerer,” Jayden said.
“And from a prince, I get that, but you’re just one man. Jayden, none of the spells I’ve seen you use can stop an army or make you invulnerable. That iron golem Wall Wolf nearly killed you, and after almost dying you’re chomping at the bit for another fight.”
“That’s because the people of Kaleoth are still in danger.” Jayden pointed at the opposing army. “Armies don’t fight in winter if they can help it, so our foes are likely quartered in Edgeland until spring, but in my heart I fear the worst. These soldiers could have been deployed elsewhere now that they know the advantage of surprise is lost and there is no easy path to Kaleoth, yet they remain. I despise the king and queen, but I don’t doubt their abilities. Those men are here for a reason, one I don’t understand, and the longer they stay the more time they have to put their plan in effect.”
Dana took him by the arm. “Come on, there’s nothing more we can do tonight.”
“I doubt morning will bring new insights, but if nothing else tonight may have some value.” Jayden selected two short branches off the ground and tossed one to her. “On guard.”
“You gave me a fencing lesson this morning.” Jayden had made sword fighting a daily routine. Dana didn’t complain when she needed the practice if she was ever going to use her magic sword to its full potential.
“I’m giving you another one. The warrior who sweats before battle doesn’t bleed during it.”
Dana took the improvised sword and dueled Jayden. She thought she did well, or at least walked away without bruises this time. When they were done she was overheated and exhausted. “You’re teaching me how to fight. Who taught you?”
Jayden tossed his branch down. “The captain of the guard. He was the best swordsman in the kingdom, and I begged him day and night to teach me.”
Dreading the answer, Dana asked, “What happened to him? I didn’t see him when I saw those memories of your youth.”
“The king and queen discharged him for drinking, womanizing and speaking his mind whether or not anyone asked for his opinions. He moved to Zentrix Kingdom, where he continues to drink, womanize, speak his mind and teach swordsmanship to young men of limited means.” Jayden smiled. “Men of influence in Zentrix despise him while the common folk adore him, so little has changed besides his address.”
“There’s got to be a line of men at the inn trying to get your help. We need to send them home or else they’ll badger you until morning.”
Dana led Jayden back to River Twin. They’d nearly reached The Moody Muse when Jayden pulled her to a halt. “Why is Maya waiting outside the inn?”
Maya stood shivering in the cold by the inn’s front door. When she saw them, she ran over and grabbed Jayden’s hands. “There’s a scary looking man waiting for you inside. He says he wants to talk with you. I told him you weren’t taking job offers, and he said you’re going to take his. He told me to get you, and when I said I didn’t know where you’d gone he said not to come back without you. I looked and looked, but you two weren’t at any of the places I checked, and I was scared to go back into the inn alone.”
Jayden scowled. “Dana, I think I’m going to damage my good reputation in Kaleoth.”
Jayden marched into the inn with Dana and Maya following him. Maya pointed at a man in a dark cloak standing at the table where Jayden had been seated earlier. He was armed with a sword still in its sheath, but the man wore simple leather clothes instead of armor. Jayden headed straight for the stranger, stopping ten feet away and resting his hands on the back of a nearby chair.
“I take a dim view of people abusing my friends, and that includes ordering one into the cold as if she was your servant,” Jayden snarled. Nearby patrons backed away and the innkeeper ducked behind his bar. The stranger turned to look at Jayden. Looking angrier than normal, Jayden said, “I ask for neither thanks nor reward from your people for what I did, but expecting basic civility shouldn’t be too much.”
“Dark times demand different behavior of men,” the stranger said, his voice betraying no fear. “My master would have words with you outside.”
“Then by all means, invite him in,” Jayden countered. “I wouldn’t want him to catch cold.”
“He wishes to discuss matters with you in private.”
Jayden didn’t budge. “I care precious little who your master is or what he wants of me. You may have noticed a rather colorful sign by the table you’re standing at. The message is succinct and less of an exaggeration than you’d think. I am seconds away from inflicting serious injuries on you, and let the consequences be what they may.”
The stranger approached him and took a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket. He tossed it to Jayden, who caught the paper, unfolded it and stared at it for a moment before burning it in a nearby lantern. Jayden glared at the stranger. “This is going to cost you.”
“My master brought enough money.”
“I meant personally,” Jayden said a second before he punched the man below the belt. Men winced in sympathy as the stranger fell to the floor. Jayden headed for the door and said, “Dana, Maya, we have to deal with this. As for you, errand boy, come when you’re able.”
“The invitation is only for you,” the stranger croaked.
“Obedience isn’t my one of my strengths.”
Jayden left the inn with Dana and Maya, and then headed to a nearby house guarded by four heavily armored knights. The knights parted when Jayden approached, granting entrance to a small room with a table, four chairs and three men.
“I appreciate your coming, especially on short notice,” one of the men said. He was a youth of roughly twenty years, handsome and well dressed in furs. His hair was dark brown and trimmed short. He had a warm, sincere voice, and an expression of relief at seeing Jayden. That look was soon replaced with concern when he asked, “Special Agent Ulem was supposed to guide you here.”
“Special Agent Ulem showed shocking disrespect for my friends, the sort of behavior I’d expect from thugs and bandits. He’ll be along once he can stand.”
The other two men tensed at this news and stepped forward. Both wore the gray and green robes of Kaleoth wizards, and their staffs were black oak set with jewels. The youth waved them back, and did the same when the knights outside looked in.
“King Brent is going to be disappointed,” the youth said. “I keep telling him I can handle myself, and he keeps sending men to guide me as if I was a child. I apologize for any offense given and trust you won’t prevent it from hearing my offer.”
Jayden folded his arms across his chest. “Pray tell, what does a prince want with a wanted criminal?”
Dana gasped. Maya pointed at the youth and asked, “You’re Prince Onus?”
The prince bowed. “The one, the only, the poorly named. I wish we could have met under better conditions, but for security reasons I travel as quietly as possible. The king and queen may have spies in the city who could attack me if they knew I was here. It forces me to use intermediaries whenever possible, sometimes men who are better skilled in battle than in negotiations. And in regards to your status as a wanted man, the bounties on your head have never applied in Kaleoth.”
“Charming,” Jayden said. “I’m surprised King Brent would risk his only surviving heir by sending him to a city in peril.”
“I come because of River Twin’s peril,” Prince Onus replied. “Kaleoth has only four cities, none larger than River Twin. We can’t afford to lose it, especially if doing so opens up the rest of the kingdom to invasion. If River Twin falls then Kaleoth falls with it.”
Jayden didn’t respond or unfold his arms. Prince Onus pulled out the chairs and offered them. “I had heard you didn’t travel alone any longer. Please, allow me to offer some hospitality in such dark times.”
“Interesting that you should use the expression ‘dark times’,” Jayden said as he sat down. “Your agent used it as an excuse.”
Prince Onus winced as if struck. “My apologies. Some men use their high positions like a club.”
Jayden didn’t look impressed. “Your letter, which I burned according to your written instructions, claimed you needed my services in the defense of the kingdom. Save both my time and yours by skipping ahead to the job you need done so badly.”
“Reports of your lack of tack are clearly true, but given your experiences I suppose it’s not surprising.” Prince Onus offered chairs to Dana and Maya before sitting down. “Enemy forces remain at the border, curious when there is no way across. Racehorse River runs too fast to freeze over or for boats to cross, and rebuilding the bridge while under fire from Kaleoth troops is impossible. Grandfather believes the enemy still seeks to invade, and I proved him correct.”
The prince tossed a cracked crystal ball with a bronze stand onto the table. “It cost the only crystal ball in the kingdom, but before it was destroyed by an interceptor spell it showed enemy forces building two mobile drawbridges inside Edgeland. The first is forty feet long, the second equally long but not as wide, and both are mounted on wheels. I believe the enemy intends to set one across the gap to the remaining bridge section and use the second bridge to cover the remaining distance to the riverbank. Once that’s done they can march soldiers across. They still have Wall Wolf, maimed by your assistant but still standing. The only blessing in this matter is that Wall Wolf is undoubtedly too heavy to cross these makeshift bridges.”
“It won’t have to,” Jayden told the prince. “Racehorse River runs fast, but Wall Wolf’s great weight means the river can’t wash the golem downstream. The enemy general Kyver Rendmal will likely send Wall Wolf in first by walking across the bottom of the river and then attack your troops. The enemy army will bridge the river while your forces are occupied.”
“That’s my feeling as well. Grandfather is calling upon aid from the Guild of Heroes, the Brotherhood of the Righteous, the Servants of the Cause, the Square Pegs, anyone who might listen. He even asked for help from the Yelinid Banking Cartel.”
“Why would bankers fight a war?” Dana asked.
The two wizards looked surprised that she’d spoke, but the prince didn’t seem to be bothered. “Dead men don’t pay back loans, and conquerors don’t honor the debts of their enemies. If Yelinid expects to ever see the money we borrowed from them, they have to keep us alive.”
“How soon until these bridge sections are completed?” Jayden asked the prince.
“The last image from the crystal ball showed the first section was finished and the second nearly done. I need those bridges destroyed before they can be deployed, a difficult request when they’re made from some of the largest trees I’ve seen. Such thick timbers won’t burn easily, and green wood from freshly felled trees even less so.”
“You have two wizards,” Dana pointed out. “Why do you need three?”
Prince Onus waved at his wizards. “Malvel is a fire wizard, and Klim understands water and wind magic. Both are talented and brave, but by their own admissions aren’t powerful. My original plan was for Klim to create a magic cloud and fly the two of them over, then have Malvel set the bridges on fire. It would have placed them in great danger while offering little chance of success, but having a sorcerer lord improves the odds.”
Prince Onus looked nervous when he said, “It may surprise you that grandfather’s spies developed a lengthy file on you, Jayden, including eyewitness evidence of the spells you have cast in the past.”
“Should I feel honored or paranoid?” Jayden asked.
“Both,” the prince replied. “Grandfather keeps files on anyone who might be a valuable ally or enemy. His file showed considerable evidence of your hatred for the king and queen of your homeland, if not the reason why, so you were listed as a possible friend in time of need. As for paranoia, that’s a healthy trait to cultivate.”
The prince looked at Dana. He was cute, close to her age, and good God did the man sound sincere. She could feel herself blushing.
“Our file mentioned the young lady, but not her name or the magic sword she used to cripple Wall Wolf. Please, may I see it?”
“No,” Jayden said.
“It’s my sword,” she reminded him. Dana gave the sword to Prince Onus. The prince drew it and marveled at the blade before sheathing it and returning it to Dana.
“Impressive. Grandfather’s spies keep a close eye on powerful magic items in the region in case they are used against us. I’m surprised I’d never heard of this weapon before. Is it named?”
“I didn’t know people named weapons,” Dana admitted.
“It’s a guy thing,” Jayden told her.
“It might be the right tool for the job, even if it’s not what I had in mind,” Prince Onus said. “I’m told you can create a black whip that melts through nearly anything.”
“Technically it ages through them, but I see your point,” Jayden replied. “The whip won’t attract attention with light and smoke the way your fire wizard’s spells would. We could get in, cut through the bridges with my magic whip and leave unnoticed, but it would buy less time than you’d think. Kyver could replace anything we destroy.”
“Not easily.” The prince held up his ruined crystal ball again. “Prior to this war, the resident nobleman Baron Vrask had his people harvest timber to cover high taxes imposed on him. The largest trees were cut down long ago. We saw enemy soldiers searching high and low for the trees for their bridges, using up the best trees in the process. Using smaller trees less suited for the task will still take a month or longer. That could be long enough for grandfather to summon help. If nothing else there might be deep snow that would slow down another attack.”
“Your plan puts my life in great danger,” Jayden pointed out.
“I realize what I’m asking. I don’t know what your grievance is against your own king and queen, even if I share your dislike of them. This is a chance to hurt them and save good men. Naturally I’m offering pay proportional to the risk.”
Shocking everyone in the room, Jayden said, “I don’t want it.”
There was a stunned silence in the room, broken when Prince Onus said, “I didn’t see this coming.”
“You need the money here,” Jayden told him. “I need to get back into my home kingdom if I’m to do any good. Once I’ve done this for you, Klim is to make a magic clouds and take me anywhere I want to go, no questions, no limits. Those are my terms.”
Prince Onus looked at Klim, who nodded. “It’s a deal. Klim tells me there’s a storm coming tomorrow night. That will be the best chance for the three of you to infiltrate the enemy city.”
Jayden got up to leave. “That’s enough time to finish my business here. Prince, meeting you has been more of a pleasure than I’d expected, and I respect your ignoring how abusive I can be. Few have that skill.”
The prince smiled. “Years living under my grandfather’s rule have given me a thick skin. I’m grateful you accepted, even if grandfather was sure we could count on you.” The prince’s brow furrowed for a moment before he said, “Grandfather is normally quite clever, especially for a man of his advanced years, but when I told him I was going to enlist your aid he said something that didn’t make sense.”
“What might that be?” Jayden asked.
“He said you take after your mother in every way that matters, which makes no sense when no one knows your parentage.”
Jayden was silent for a moment. “You needn’t worry that your grandfather’s wits are slipping. His mind is only sharpening with age, and he paid me a compliment. I bid you good evening. Dana, Maya, come.”
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