The Hawk said something, but Sydney bounded past her. With one worry put to rest, happiness came tumbling out, dispelling her negative emotions as if they’d never been.

  But the adrenaline had been left, and now it was easing, too, leaving her raw. She threw her arms around Ember and held her close. “I’m sorry,” she muttered into Ember’s strong shoulder. “I’m sorry I wouldn’t let you tell them who you are, and I’m sorry about denying the dragon, and I’m so sorry for getting separated from you.”

  “It’s all right, Sydney. Shh, now, it’s all right.”

  Sydney wasn’t yet in tears, but she might crumble at any moment, and she didn’t want the knights to see. She leaned back, taking deep breaths and trying to bring herself under control. The loving smile on Ember’s face nearly undid her, though.

  “I forgive you,” Ember said. “All the other stuff can wait.”

  Sydney took another deep breath, nearly undone again. She looked past Ember, desperate for something else to say that wouldn’t turn her into a soppy mess. “Where’s Camille?”

  The Hawk stepped in for her own hug, muttering something about greeting a creator before a snogging partner, but Ember spoke before Sydney could complain.

  “Camille is above with a group of knights.” She glanced back at where the column had gotten closer, many of them with a happy wave for Ember. She returned the gesture than leaned in between Sydney and the Hawk. “Sir Robert is with them.”

  * * *

  For the first time since starting this adventure, Rowena wished she was outdoors instead of in these damn tunnels. At least she’d have more room to pace. After Ember had quietly told them about Sir Robert, Sydney had blurted it out much louder, and now the knights were either excited or trepidatious, and the excited ones were making Rowena nervous. They wanted to believe their leader was a good man, and no doubt they’d fight to prove it. Also, once they saw him again, they’d probably blurt out Sydney’s accusations, and things would come to a head, leaving the knights on one side and her, Ember, Camille, and Sydney on the other.

  But once they found him, Sir Robert would hold Camille in front of him like a shield.

  And Sydney was standing there thinking. Rowena had expected a bit of anger, a few bursts of force. She kept herself between Sydney and Ember, ready to lift the strap again.

  “Where is Sir Robert?” Sydney finally asked.

  Ember told them of the route she’d taken. They weren’t that far from one another, even taking into account Ember’s speed. Sydney went silent again.

  “We have to go now. Camille is his hostage,” Rowena said.

  A few of the knights grumbled. Rowena put her unbound hand into her pocket, ready with her brimstone if she needed it.

  Sydney held up a hand, and everyone went silent. “The knights with him are hostages, too, if he’s the man I know he is.” She turned to the knights. “Have I ever lied to any of you?”

  A chorus of nos answered her, the loudest coming from Juzail at the front of their rank.

  “Do you trust me?”

  Juzail and all of the younger knights answered yes. Some of the others seemed unsure. “We want to,” one said. “You’re a good leader, Major, and you’ve always looked out for us on missions, but…”

  “I know,” Sydney said, her face drawn tight as if she was clenching her jaw. “I’ve always looked up to him, too, but every word I’ve told you is the truth, and I will hear his answer to my claims.”

  Now all the knights nodded, happy to confess their suspicions to Sir Robert like idiots instead of attacking when they saw him, taking him prisoner, then getting the truth out of him.

  Though from what Ember said, they’d probably have to go through some knights in the process. Rowena sighed. Maybe they could take those knights prisoner, too? For a moment, she wished she’d never gotten involved in all this. Then she could have kept on hating the knights and not worrying about keeping them from getting hurt.

  When she looked at those she’d healed, those who’d thanked her, spoken to her, seemed to be learning how to think for themselves, she knew she couldn’t go back. Even after that farm boy had struck her, she hadn’t killed him, hadn’t gone back and annihilated his family, his town. If he came to her now and pleaded for an unselfish cause, she’d probably help then, too. She wouldn’t turn her back, didn’t plan on turning it now, but she’d do what she could for those who deserved helping.

  And there were more lives at stake here than those of the knights.

  “He seemed to have a destination in mind,” Ember said, shaking Rowena from her reverie. “If attacking is bad and talking might get bad, why don’t we find out where he’s going and what he wants to do? If he’s planning on something evil, and we stop it, that’s a good thing, right?”

  Everyone stared, but Ember didn’t wilt, smiling boldly under the scrutiny. Rowena was so proud she could have burst. The knights looked to one another, but none seemed able to find an objection. If Sir Robert was on his way to evil deeds, Sydney would be proven right, and they could all put a stop to it. If he wasn’t, he’d be exonerated, and Sydney would no doubt resign from the knights or throw herself on her sword or something equally stupid.

  “We already talked about the possibility of another workshop,” Rowena said. “I can perform the spell to locate reagents, and Ember can tell us if it’s in the same direction Sir Robert is heading.” She kept her voice pitched low. Since the thought of doing spells nearly made Sydney wet her pants, Rowena didn’t want to see what reaction the rest of them had. “We’ll destroy whatever we find either way.”

  “Yes,” Sydney said as she rubbed her chin and stared at nothing. “A good deed no matter how you look at it.” For the first time in a while, she seemed hopeful rather than angry, depressed, or moronic. “I like it, but…” She glanced at where the knights were leaning forward as if trying to hear better.

  Rowena rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. “I’ll cast my odious, horrible spell out of sight of your knights, don’t worry.”

  “Thank you,” Sydney said.

  “Wouldn’t want to take their large-spell virginity.”

  “Thank you.”

  “They’ve seen me cast already,” Rowena said as she walked toward a bend in the tunnel. “Surely, no one would be surprised at this point.”

  “Thank you.”

  By the time Rowena turned the corner, she was grinning.

  * * *

  Camille’s hopes soared with every knight or villager her escort found, but none were Sydney or Rowena, and her heart was tired of sinking. After the fight in the cavern, everyone had scattered, and most of the knights were just now making their way aboveground. Camille wished she’d seen Sydney and Rowena make it to safety as Ember had; she couldn’t help doubting the fact that it had ever happened.

  And Ember wasn’t there to say it again.

  After she’d fled, there had been silence for a moment, then the questions started. Camille had to keep reminding herself that the knights didn’t see her as a captive, even if Sir Robert’s stony stare implied otherwise. She’d tearfully said to Bennia that Ember had been musing about their troubles and the origins of the creatures they’d fought. Camille had spoken about her love of magical creatures and had again called the newest enemies dragonkin.

  The knights who’d already heard that word glanced at one another as if to see which of them might agree with such nonsense. Sir Robert’s officers scoffed. His face didn’t change.

  “I started wondering aloud if these creatures or the ones we’ve fought before really did have anything to do with dragons,” Camille had said between sniffles. “She called me a blind fool and said such complacency was why a dragon could have shown itself after all this time, and no one would believe it existed. She said she was going to prove it.” She blew loudly into a borrowed handkerchief, trying not to laugh at words that she couldn’t imagine Ember saying. “I…I’m ashamed of what I did, hitting her and calling her names, but I’ve been so scared, and I’m worried about Hilga and Sydney and everyone, and I couldn’t take someone naming me a fool.” She let the real emotions of the past week flow over her, calling on them to help her dissolve into tears. Bennia held her and suggested they give no more thought to Ember. As long as she wasn’t plotting against them, it was better not to have a madwoman in their ranks.

  The other knights had agreed but looked to Sir Robert. He licked his lips slowly as if buying time before he spoke. Camille wondered what he was feeling. If the Kells and the dragonkin were allies, he had to know of the dragon itself. She wondered if he was angry about the knights thinking the beast nothing but a bit of nonsense. According to Ember, the Kell had spoken of the dragon with reverence, had called it Nightmare, a fellow dreamer. Camille had never read of them acknowledging anyone outside their own people as actually existing.

  Dragons had been known to inspire feverish loyalty in their underlings. It was too bad they used those underlings for thieving and murdering so they might increase their hoards.

  Or defend their broods.

  By the seven bells, she hoped that wasn’t happening now.

  Sir Robert had finally managed to say, “Keep marching.”

  Camille walked on her own with Bennia just behind her. When they found another group wandering up from the tunnels, Bennia had gasped and began to rush toward them but stopped herself. “Oh, thank the flame she’s all right.”

  Camille stood on tiptoe to look, but none of these proved to be Sydney or Rowena either. “Who?”

  “Recruit Diasi.” Bennia cleared her throat. “She’s a tracker, will make a fine knight. I was…worried.”

  Camille gave her some side-eye. She’d been worried about all the knights, but none had warranted such a reaction before. “I see.”

  Bennia’s skin was just lighter than Camille’s, but there was still a definite tinge in her cheeks. “I’m a sergeant. She’s a recruit.”

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “It’s against regulations.”

  “All right.”

  “Fraternizing could get us both thrown out of the knights.”

  Camille fought a grin. “Okay.”

  Bennia sighed, and the conviction had gone out of her words well before the last sentence. When Diasi turned toward them as if searching, her face lit up under a coating of dust, and she took a few hesitant steps. Bennia leaned forward as if pulled by invisible force.

  Camille smiled, happy someone got to find their lost love. She gave Bennia a little push. “Rules are made to be broken.” When Bennia didn’t move, she added, “And everyone else is hugging right now, too.”

  Bennia rushed forward, and Diasi met her halfway. No one else was swinging anyone around in welcome, but no one looked at them too harshly either. When they were done greeting each other, they stared longingly into each other’s eyes. Camille joined them hurriedly. She didn’t want Bennia or her lover to get thrown out of the knights just yet, not when she needed allies.

  She silently promised she’d help them make up for lost time later on.

  If any of them lived.

  “Urgh,” she said as she reached them.

  Diasi looked to her questioningly. “I’m sorry?”

  “I was going to say, I’m glad to meet a friend of Bennia’s,” she said, and Bennia gave her a slightly frightened look before pulling out of the embrace.

  “Right, yes. Thank you,” Bennia said hurriedly, straightening her tabard. “I’m glad you’re all right, Recruit. This is Camille, the master researcher from the library in Kingston.”

  “Yes, thank you, Sergeant. Hello, Camille. I’m Diasi.” She gave a half salute before she seemed to remember Camille wasn’t a knight, then reached out as if to hug her before dropping one arm and patting Camille awkwardly on the shoulder.

  Camille had to roll her lips to keep from laughing. “You two are going to have to become a lot better at acting like nothing’s happening if you’re going to start sneaking around.”

  Bennia stuttered, and Diasi went pink, but Camille waved their feeble protests away. “Nice to meet you. Were you with Major Sydney Blakely during the fight in the cavern?”

  Diasi nodded. “But we didn’t escape together.” She looked over the rest of the knights and gasped as Sir Robert ordered them to march again since the new wounded had been tended.

  “He’s…” She pointed. “We’re still following him? What about all the things the major said?”

  “What things?” Bennia asked, frowning.

  Camille took both their arms and kept them slightly apart from the others as they walked. She let Diasi tell the story, knowing it carried more weight from her. Bennia’s mouth stayed open for the entire tale.

  “We have to ask him about it, ask the others,” Bennia said, her dark brows turned down. “If it’s true, we can’t let him lead us any longer.”

  Camille bit her lip. “If you attack him, the loyal knights will fight you.”

  “They’d never—”

  At the head of the column, Sir Robert hopped atop a small boulder and raised his hands. “My brave, loyal knights, we have reached our destination.” He pointed to a large cave in the side of a nearby tor. “Down there is where my fellow officers and I were held, but when we escaped, we could not search the adjoining tunnels for other captives as these foul creatures pursued us. Now, we make certain that no other comrades suffer as we did.”

  The knights began to ready themselves for battle. One of the officers set up a temporary camp for those too wounded to fight. Camille didn’t know whether to rejoice or lament. In the caverns, she had a better chance of slipping away to find Sydney. Or get lost. But she knew Sir Robert couldn’t be leading them toward anything good.

  “If we offer to guard the wounded, we can stay up here,” Diasi said, her face pale.

  Bennia shook her head. “I won’t abandon those under my command. We’ll just have to see what he has in store. If he’s leading us for some nefarious purpose, we’ll have reason to take him prisoner.”

  Camille didn’t think it would be that easy. Part of her still wanted to denounce him right then, create enough confusion to at least slow the knights down, but she couldn’t force herself to move.

  The thought created a little bubble of panic. It wasn’t indecision. She actually couldn’t move.

  Her breath came quicker. Bennia and Diasi were still talking; the knights were ready to move out. They separated into orderly ranks, and Camille spied Sir Robert watching her, confident smile returned. He rubbed his thumb across a small, dark object in his left hand and grinned as he turned away.

  “Camille, you should stay up here,” Bennia said. “Even if—”

  Camille lurched forward, walking hurriedly, following the knights. She tried to make herself stop, screamed inside her own head, but she couldn’t form words, only teetered slightly but didn’t lose her balance. She fell in between two knights she didn’t know and marched through the black cavern maw.

  Chapter Twenty

  Camille could only move her eyes on her own. Without any input from her brain, her body marched through the gloom of the tunnels. The knights on either side of her carried lanterns, but they didn’t speak to her. She couldn’t tell if anyone spoke to her at all; she couldn’t turn her head because of something Sir Robert had done to her.

  Her thoughts and emotions kept churning. She thought of a thousand plans but couldn’t execute any of them. At every pause, every juncture, she’d think, “As soon as I get free…” but then they were moving again, and she had to readjust. She would regain control at some point, and she intended to be ready.

  At last they came to a large-roofed, oval-shaped cavern. They’d been heading downward for most of their journey, and though Camille couldn’t tilt her head far enough back to get a good look, she sensed space in the cool air, and by the light of a great many braziers, the cavern walls went past where she could see.

  Her body turned without her permission, and she would have gasped had she been able. Tables and large jars dotted the floor as they had in the other workroom, but there were so many more here. The knights faltered, mumbling and staring. Their words sounded awed, then angry as they came closer to the jars and saw their hateful inhabitants. Dragonkin, the large, part human, part dragon creatures they’d last fought floated inside, flexing their clawed hands and feet, wings, and scaly bodies.

  Sir Robert had stopped in the middle of all the equipment, waving the knights to crowd closer. Camille struggled and screamed again in her mind, trying to warn them off. She should have confronted Sir Robert a thousand times already, should have denounced him or fought him or done anything just to keep them from this place.

  “Spread out,” Sir Robert said in a commanding voice. “I know this place appalls you, but we must check each vessel for human captives.”

  Camille stayed where she was, but the knights scattered around her. She tried to glare at Sir Robert but didn’t know if she managed anything. He smiled, and it seemed to have a tinge of pity.

  When he walked toward her, she struggled anew in her mind, but her body still wouldn’t obey her. He stood with his hands behind his back and looked around proudly. “You know, I didn’t think this part would work,” he said softly. “I kept waiting for you to say something, but you let me lead them all the way here. I’ve never had captives just walk into my workshop before.”

  In her mind, Camille called down every curse on him. She’d seen something in his hand when she’d lost control of her body but couldn’t see it now. If he brought it out again, maybe one of the knights would notice and ask and release her.

  He scratched his black beard. “Of course, I was ready for any little thing you could say, but except for that one outburst when the homunculus got away, you didn’t do anything.” He chuckled. “Oh well, what did I expect? You’re only a librarian; you have no power.”

  She tried to fight through her shame. If he let her loose, she’d show him power. She might not have a sword or magic, but she could kick him in the balls as well as anyone. He moved aside, and she saw the knights rubbing condensation off the large jars and peering into them. Some rubbed their hands or smelled them as if they’d encountered more than water. Camille would have railed at them to stop touching things they weren’t familiar with, but they’d all been infected by the same curiosity-borne disease.