I followed after him with the strangest thought in my mind. That in the most unlikely of ways, Basil had become my friend too.
Trina was waiting for us alone when we arrived, at the bottom of a gulch with a shallow cave for shelter. The sun was finally beginning to rise, a welcome end to a night that had cored me from within. I slid off my horse and looked around for the rest of our group. “Where is everyone?”
Trina bit her lip. “I volunteered to stay back until the rest of you came.”
“Kestra?” Trina stared back with a blank expression and a wave of panic shot through me. I stepped closer to her and raised my voice. “How is she?”
Her eyes darted to Basil and Huge, then she held out a note. “I didn’t write this. Remember that.”
I took the note and backed away from the group before opening it. From the very first words, my gut began to twist.
Simon,
If Kestra survives the journey, then by the time you read this, she will be at the Blue Caves. She will leave them with magic in her fingertips and full memories of her role as Infidante.
Therefore, from this moment forward, any connection between you and Kestra is severed.
For your past defiance to me, you will give your life to the Halderians as their king, or I will take your life. I am Captain of the Coracks and I will have my way in the end.
Dominion armies are on their way toward Reddengrad. Trina is in command of your group, and I will join you as soon as possible. When I arrive, I will either greet a king or execute a fool. The choice is yours.
Your captain,
Grey Tenger
I crumpled the note and tossed it into the weeds, watching Trina’s shoulders deflate as I did.
“Simon—”
“Now I know why you offered to stay behind. You must have been bouncing on your toes in anticipation of watching me read it.”
She pointed at Gabe as Huge lifted him to the ground. “I stayed to treat him. And I need your help.”
“Let Basil do it, I won’t—”
“Gabe is your best friend, Simon, or he was. Help me!”
Numb to anything else happening around me, I dug through our saddlebags for the supplies Trina listed and passed them to Basil, who carried them over to her. Then I held Gabe while she wrapped the visible wounds.
“I’m sure his worst injuries are internal,” Trina said. “We should wait here a few hours and see how he’s doing. If he’s better, Huge will take him to Loelle.”
“I’ll take him now.” She knew full well why I was offering.
But Trina shook her head. “We have other orders. We’re going to the Hiplands.”
Of course we were. With a scowl, I asked, “Do you know why he wants me to be king? It’s because he can’t manipulate Commander Mindall. But he believes he can control me!”
She sighed, obviously tired of arguing. “If you’ve proven anything over the past couple of weeks, it’s that no one can control you. Take the throne or don’t, but either way, that’s where the Dominion is headed and we both know their plans for the Halderians. We have to help them.”
She was right about that much. War was certainly coming to Reddengrad, and the quickest route to their capital was straight through the Hiplands.
I heard the crackle of paper and looked over to see Basil holding the note from Tenger. When he’d read it, he frowned up at me. “Trina’s right. The Hiplands have to be our priority now.”
I snatched the note from his hands and stuffed it into the pocket of my coat. “You’re comfortable, then, abandoning Kestra to go to the Hiplands?”
“Of course not,” he replied. “But defending the Halderians must be our priority. Of all people, you should agree with me.”
Of all people.