Kade slowly shook his head and held one up for Sev to see more closely. Its surface was rounded, like a stone found in a riverbed, its shape carefully smoothed after years under the steady flow of water. In fact, the shape reminded Sev of—
“Eggs,” Kade said, his tone was almost reverent. “Phoenix eggs.”
Sev’s mind flashed back to the conversation he’d had with Trix, when she’d said Sev had almost ruined everything after his failed escape attempt. He’d figured she was talking about getting Kade in trouble, but maybe it was more than that. These sacks of grain, were they concealing these priceless treasures all along? Had Sev unwittingly almost stolen a llama loaded with phoenix eggs?
Shouts echoed from the campsite, and Kade hastily put the egg into the small ditch he’d dug.
“I was supposed to take them to the Riders,” he said, reaching to add the others. “I’ve been watching these eggs from the moment we left Aura Nova, never letting them out of my sight—well, until your escape attempt. But now . . . I don’t think any of us are getting out of here alive.” He swallowed, eyes frantic. “I can’t risk them being discovered. All of this,” he said, his voice heavy with defeat, “for nothing.”
“Not for nothing,” Sev said fiercely. “We’re both here—both still alive. We’ll take them together.”
“There are soldiers everywhere. If they—”
“Exactly,” Sev interrupted, “and I’m one of them.”
Kade reached for an egg, then hesitated. “Sev, I . . .”
“Load up a bag,” Sev insisted, “and we’ll carry them together. If we’re stopped, I’ll tell them I’m under orders. Come on, quickly.”
Kade nodded, looking around for something to pack the eggs into.
Sev jogged up the slope, retrieving a satchel from one of the llamas. He emptied what he could and held it open for Kade to load.
The eggs were about the size of one of Sev’s hands, and as heavy as true stones. With twelve of them packed together, the straps cut deep grooves into Kade’s skin as he slung it over his shoulder.
Arms and legs tingling with adrenaline, Sev straightened and took in their surroundings. The river was the outermost boundary of their camp, enclosing them on its eastern side. If they followed it south, away from the falls, they could find a place where it was narrow enough to cross. Then, once over the water, they could proceed more quickly, deep into the wilderness, praying to Teyke that no other soldier parties were descending on the camp tonight.
Judging by what Sev had gathered from their attack plans, in order to find the Rider lair, they needed to travel northeast. Hopefully they’d find it—or be spotted by Rider scouts—and be able to warn them before the soldiers regrouped.
“You, mageslave!” a voice called out, stopping them in their tracks.
Kade was walking just to the side of Sev, but his size—and the chain on his neck—made him stand out. Sev bristled, his patience with that word all but evaporated. Then a warm hand gripped his arm, as if Kade could sense that Sev meant to do something stupid. He flashed a warning look, and with a shaky breath, Sev nodded and turned to face the coming soldiers.
“Is there a problem?” he asked, his voice taut with suppressed anger. He angled his body in front of Kade’s, hoping to take the brunt of their attention. Luckily, these soldiers were strangers from the newly arrived group and not people who knew him as a meek idiot.
“Yeah, there’s a problem. You not seen the campsite?”
There were two of them, the glow from the cook fires behind casting their faces into shadow.
“ ’Course,” Sev said, shrugging dismissively. “That’s why I’m taking this one upstream for fresh water. Captain’s orders.”
“What’s wrong with the water here?” asked the smaller of the two, jerking a thumb at the stream directly behind Sev and Kade.
“Yeah, and where’s your bucket?” added the other.
“Have you seen what those soldiers back there are doing near the water?” Sev asked, going for affability, though his throat was dry. “The captain didn’t want to risk it, so we’re going farther upstream. And what d’you think’s in the bag?” he asked, giving Kade a dismissive nod, and hating himself for it. “Rocks?”
The soldiers chuckled, loosening their stances.
“We best be off,” Sev said, knowing that the longer they remained speaking to these soldiers, the worse their chances would be of getting away. “Don’t want to keep the captain waiting.”
He turned, not allowing them a chance to argue, and with a nudge to Kade, began to walk back the way they’d come. Once the soldiers had moved on, they’d have to figure out another way to cross the river.
“Wait,” the taller one called, and Sev turned, his hand clenching against Kade’s tunic. “Which captain?”
Sev swallowed. “Captain Belden,” he said—what else could he say? He didn’t know who was in charge of the arriving party.
“Captain Belden?” the man repeated, his voice sharp. The short one’s hand dropped to his belt. “Captain Belden is indisposed. When did he give you this order?”
Sev’s heart skipped a beat, and he sensed Kade’s muscles tense under his hand.
As Sev searched for what to say, a breath of air slipped across his neck, carrying Kade’s voice with it. He felt the words before he heard them, the world slowing around him, all his senses hyperaware.
He felt the heavy thump of Kade’s satchel hitting the earth, heard the intake of breath and crunch of gravel underfoot as he tore off, and smelled the last dregs of him disappear in the gust of wind he left in his wake.
Though Sev seemed to experience it all in some frozen, crystalline moment, the soldiers bolted after Kade at top speed. They forgot Sev entirely, seeing the running bondservant as the only threat, and leaving Sev standing alone in the middle of the forest.
Kade ran like a Stellan horse, an agile blur as he leapt obstacles and slipped between trees. His pursuers shouted, their voices swallowed in the swish and snap of the undergrowth.
Sev became aware of his body, poised to run after Kade, to help him as he ran for his life. But then Kade’s words came back to him, rattling around his head like precious, forgotten gems inside an empty jar.
“You know what you have to do,” he’d said, before dropping the bag and running off.
Sev looked down at the satchel at his feet.
You know what you have to do.
Kade had sacrificed himself, leading them away from Sev and away from the precious phoenix eggs. Sev had to warn the Riders that the soldiers were coming; he had to get the eggs there safely.
He squeezed his eyes shut, barely daring to breathe as he listened for a grunt of pain or a shout of triumph that would tell him Kade had been taken down. But the campsite was too loud, and his blood rushed in his ears, louder even than the waterfalls, drowning out all other sounds.
Bending down on shaky legs, Sev hoisted the satchel over his shoulder. It was even heavier than he’d expected, and he knew it would be a challenge to carry it across camp, never mind across the mountainside.
Then he thought of Trix. She would know what to do, if she was still alive. She would fix everything. He would give her the phoenix eggs, and once the eggs were safe, he could go looking for Kade. Kade was smart, capable. . . . He could outrun the soldiers, fight them like he had Ott and Jotham, or hide until the coast was clear. Sev just had to find Trix, and everything would be all right again.