“You forget Khalon made Verity queen. She owes him a debt. My life seems to be the price of that debt.”
“There must be something we can do.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, my friend, but I won’t allow you or any other Orso to risk themselves for me.” Segreti resumed his seat on the cot. “I’ll think of something. I won’t stand for this humiliation.”
Vestri nodded. “I shall pray to the Goddess for you, my friend.” With that, he left Segreti to the stillness of the empty prison. It was clear the cells had not been occupied in a very long time. Segreti couldn’t remember hearing of the last poor creature to end up down here. Only a few more hours and this ordeal would be over. Would Ezra return to him?
The night sky filled with stars, the moonlight growing brighter as the evening continued. Several hours later as the guards changed, Gori arrived. Segreti was surprised to see he wasn’t accompanied by Lazzari.
“Vestri came to me.”
To see him? Why would Vestri report anything to Gori?
“He told me everything.” Gori’s intense gaze told Segreti exactly what Vestri had relayed to him, and suddenly the pieces began to fall into place. Quiet, unassuming Gori, who never seemed to have a thought of his own and followed Lazzari around like a lost cub. A clever ruse.
“It’s all true,” Segreti said, coming to stand at the iron bars beside the cell door. He shook his head, his voice lowered when he spoke. “Khalon will regret this day.”
Gori seemed to consider something before coming to some decision. “Take me hostage.”
“Pardon?”
“My knife.” He dropped his gaze to the knife sheathed in the scabbard at his belt.
“Are you certain?” Segreti asked, voice low.
Gori met his gaze. Gone was the uncertain insipidness, and in its place a darkness filled with machination. “Are you prepared to carry through with your plot?”
“Kill Khalon.”
“Well?” Gori’s gaze never wavered.
Segreti nodded, his gaze hard. “He’s shown his true colors. His deceit will cost him.” He slipped his arm through the bars as if to hug his friend, ignoring the shout of the Soldati guard who took off in their direction. Grabbing Gori’s knife, he spun Gori to face the guards, an arm around his neck and the tip of the knife pressed to his flesh.
“Please, Segreti, no!”
“Open this door!” Segreti glared at the two guards, swords brandished in their hands.
“Release him,” one demanded.
“Throw him the key to the cell or I’ll slice his throat. You’ll have an innocent Orso’s blood on your hands.”
The guards hesitated.
“Fine. Start a war with the Orso. I’m certain the countless deaths will be worth it.” Segreti made to cut Gori’s throat when one of the guards quickly unlatched the key from his belt and threw it at Gori, who caught it. He held it up, and Segreti growled at Gori. “Unlock the door.”
Gori fumbled from his awkward position, but they’d purposefully stood right at the door’s edge.
“No one moves,” Segreti warned as Gori struggled with the lock but finally managed to get it open. Segreti kicked at the cell door, then reached around to move the knife to his other hand and slowly step outside the cell, his gaze never leaving the armed Soldati. “Move,” Segreti ordered Gori. “Slowly.” He kept Gori in front of him as he backed them up toward the exit, the Soldati following him. Segreti had just reached the prison’s doorway when one of the Soldati shifted and roared, sounding the alarm. Blasted hell. Segreti grabbed Gori and dragged him along as he ran out and slammed the prison door closed, locking the guards inside.
“Stop!”
Several guards on either side of the corridor they stood in shouted, and Gori grabbed his arm. “This way.” They darted into a small corridor that appeared to be a dead end.
“Are you mad? We’ll be skewered!”
“Trust me.” Gori threw a hand out, pushing against the wall. To Segreti’s astonishment, a door appeared. “Quickly, before they see us.”
Segreti ran in after Gori, the door swiftly closing behind them.
“How did you know this was here?” Segreti asked, following Gori down the dimly lit passage. It was wide enough for two and seemed to stretch out for miles, with several dark tunnels every few feet on each side.
“We’ve been studying this castle for months.”
We? Segreti followed Gori through a maze of darkened corridors, the only light coming from wall sconces lit by magic that had been placed along the way. Segreti had never heard of there being secret passages inside Soldati Castle, but then he supposed if everyone knew about them, they wouldn’t be secret.
“I don’t understand,” Segreti murmured as they hurried down twists and turns.
“You will.”
Gori turned left into one of the tunnels. A door sat at the end, and Gori opened it for him. Inside was a small stone room with wall sconces, an old table with several maps laid out, and two familiar faces.
“Lazzari? Vestri?” Segreti scanned the small room. “Where’s Fausti?”
“We know you care for the cub, but he’s not one of us and can’t be trusted. He’s too naive and weak-willed.”
“For what?” Though Segreti already knew.
“To kill the Soldati king,” Gori replied, coming to stand at the head of the table. These were the conspirators Khalon had spent months looking for. As they’d suspected, the traitors had been right under everyone’s noses. It didn’t explain how they’d managed to evade capture this long.
“No one can kill the Soldati King,” Segreti grumbled. “Shouldn’t we be finding a way out of the castle?”
“We have time,” Gori assured him. “Few know of these tunnels.”
“How do you know of them?”
Vestri grinned broadly. “The fennec foxling servant.”
“Sansone.” Segreti shook his head. “How? The foxlings are loyal to Khalon. They’d never betray him, especially after he marched into our realm to rescue one of their own.” Sansone, like all foxling servants of the Soldati, had inherited his position from his father, the honor being passed down from generation to generation. Sansone would never betray the Soldati. Unless…
“We kidnapped his twin and have been holding him hostage for months. Given our allegiance to Pavoni and our king’s reputation with servants, Sansone was quick to give us what we wanted.” Lazzari’s lecherous gaze made Segreti feel sick to his stomach. He knew exactly what Lazzari inferred. Sansone either betrayed his king or these monsters would force themselves on his brother.
“Is the foxling still alive?”
“Of course,” Vestri said with a snort. “No use killing a good servant. Once we’ve killed Khalon, taken the Soldati realm, and dethroned Queen Verity, the foxlings will become our slaves.”
Segreti folded his arms over his chest. “You seem to be forgetting two rather important obstacles in this grand scheme of yours. Even if we somehow manage to kill Khalon, there’s the Saugur and the Eye, which are also the two reasons we won’t be able to get near Khalon.”