A different kind of scream ripped from Jase’s chest. Feral and frightening. “Montegue!” His eyes were fire as he walked forward. His pace was burning rage.
“The inn,” Paxton said. “They must be hiding at the inn.”
A crazed energy ran through all of us now. Fear and caution had been snuffed out. We passed the mercantile. Like all the other businesses, it was deserted. Its striped awnings had been slashed in the ransacking melee, and the remnants snapped in the wind. Crates of strewn potatoes covered the ground beneath them.
We rounded the curve of the street, and the Ballenger Inn came into view. I had expected the street to be empty. Instead, Banques stood in the middle of it, facing us with twenty soldiers behind him. Three of them, No Neck, Divot Head, and Black Teeth, stood close together and looked like an impassable wall made of brick—but none held launchers. Just as Jase had anticipated, they had sent their strongest firepower to the entrance of town hoping to eliminate or at least cripple us. Those remaining only had weapons that were equal to ours, and our ranks outnumbered them by far.
Zane, Garvin, and Truko stood to the right of Banques, and off to his left were a dozen of the king’s other collaborators, traitors to Hell’s Mouth. In front of them three archers knelt, arrows drawn, aimed at our crowd. They could kill some of us, but they couldn’t take us all down before they were overwhelmed by our numbers. Of course, we did have launchers aimed at them, and they didn’t know the chambers were empty.
“I’ve been expecting you, Ballenger,” Banques called. “Zane guessed it was you. Your childhood antics were legend. He was right. Not dead after all.” He stared at Paxton and shook his head like he was scolding a child. “You picked the wrong side to betray, my friend.”
“Shut up, asshole!” Priya yelled. “Your last seconds on this earth are numbered.”
Jase stepped forward. “Where’s Montegue?” he called. “Bring him out! Now!”
“Oh, he’ll be here,” Banques replied. “Don’t worry about that. In the meantime, put your weapon down and order everyone behind you to do the same. We’re taking you into custody, Ballenger. You’re under arrest. It is the king’s duty to maintain order.”
Jase was beyond raging now. He was incredulous.
“It’s over, Banques. You’re done. The king’s done. Do you not have eyes? You have nothing but a few halfhearted soldiers who are ready to run if they’re smart.”
Banques nodded, his lower lip pursed, looking exactly like his patronizing brother. “Yes, I see that launcher in your hand. And all those behind you. You do paint a formidable picture. Nevertheless, you are still a convicted criminal of the realm, and the king does have some powers of persuasion.”
“They’re both as mad as bats,” Gunner whispered.
Zane stared straight at me, his chin lifting, confident, like he was sizing me up. Like soon I would be back in his grip and he would be whispering unspeakable atrocities in my ear again. Zane was not stupid. He could see our numbers. Why was he not worried?
My attention darted between the soldiers, the rooftops, and back to Zane.
My heart sped. Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The vial? Had Montegue found the vial?
Jase raised his launcher.
Banques nodded to the soldiers standing by the inn’s front doors and they pulled them open.
Montegue stood in the shadows within. He held something in his arms. Maybe I’m a bit of a gambler after all, and the best gamblers always hold back a bit of negotiating gold.
He stepped out into the light.
No, he didn’t hold something.
He held someone.
Gold.
Negotiating gold.
I couldn’t breathe.
My head throbbed with each step Montegue took. The only sound was the boardwalk creaking under his weight. There were no whispers. No one moved.
He stepped down into the street. “She’s alive, Ballenger,” he called. “Barely. She needs a healer.” His brows rose. “We’ll make a trade. You for her. You’d do that, right? She’s called for you several times. And her mother. She really should be with her. It’s your decision. I’m an honorable man. Are you?”
Jalaine lay draped across his arms, thin, pale, half dead. Maybe fully dead. I couldn’t see her chest moving.