I didn’t like the idea of entering Mallma while blinded by the hood. Not only did it make me vulnerable, but my not being able to see the facial expressions and physical reactions of the guards put us at a disadvantage. But not wearing it would guarantee failure. The soldiers in Palla Cahua, most of whom I’ve worked with, would recognize me quickly.

  The soldiers manning the gates weren’t the best and the brightest that Mallma had to offer. This entry point was rarely utilized, as it faced the Forest of the Forgotten and had no road running to it. In most scenarios, moving through the gates would garner suspicion because of their seldom use. But the only road into Casi ran from Pall Cahue. The guards were accustomed to soldiers wearing the Casi uniform traveling through the village, often with prisoners. Thus, after putting on the stolen uniforms, Avian, Kiri, and Sani had the perfect disguises.

  “You don’t need to wear that yet,” Avian said.

  I pulled the hood off. “Getting an idea of what it will be like.” I inspected it. “What if I added a small hole so I could see something?”

  Avian shook her head. “Doing anything out of the ordinary will draw attention.” She paused. “Oh, I forgot. You’re the boss, not little ole me.” She grinned. “Do you think a hole is a good idea, boss?”

  “Is this how you’re going to be now?” I sighed. “You were the one who insisted on having a single leader.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me. She wanted to be the unquestioned leader, and her training in battle and strategy qualified her as the best choice. The Brigand were known for being the most effective force, both as assassins and on the battlefield. But they were also ruthless. If I allowed her to lead us, she would leave a trail of bodies in our wake. What I said before wasn’t just for her sake. My father’s connections in the capital were much more likely to help us if we didn’t stack up a list of murder victims.

  I glanced at Kiri. Even if I could convince the connections to help us, despite dropping many yaksha. The toll on Kiri and me would be heavier than either of us would accept. To Avian, killing and cooking a man held the same moral equivalence—just a task needing to be completed. Kiri and I didn’t feel the same. Each death resulting from our journey weighed on me, as I imagined it did for Kiri.

  Avian dragged a prisoner to a thick tree. He wiggled as she pulled, trying to speak through his gag.

  I stepped toward her, ready to act if she attempted to drop another body. At this point, I wondered if she’d do such a thing just to spite me. What would I do if she did? Kicking her out of the party would bring down the wrath of Layla and the Rasmun. They didn’t tolerate broken contracts.

  Kiri looked from her to me, then raised her eyebrows.

  Avian pulled a dagger from her belt, spinning it in her hand to get a reverse grip.

  “Don’t.” I drew my sword.

  Avian’s body stiffened at the sound of my sword sliding out of leather. She grabbed the prisoner’s arm and cut the bindings around his wrist.

  He put his hands together, as if performing a human prayer, dropping to his knees and staring at her with pleading eyes.

  Kiri stepped between Avian and me, putting her hands out as if ordering us both to stop. “Let’s talk about this.” She glanced at me and whispered, “Put the sword away.”

  Ignoring us, Avian said, “Hug the tree.”

  The prisoner remained on his knees. His entire body trembled. “I just left my watch. Have you ever been cold for an entire winter? Night after night, I watched the side of a cliff, as if an army was going to climb up it just to attack this almost deserted castle.” A tear ran down his cheek. “I’m not ready to die.”

  Avian glanced at me while rolling her eyes. “I’m not going to kill you.” Her voice raised. “Unless you waste any more of my time. Your choice, hug the tree or my dagger.”

  He staggered to his feet, apologizing as he almost toppled over. On shaky legs, he spun and grabbed the tree, wrapping his arms around it. “Please have mercy.”

  She sighed. “I can’t believe you were a soldier. Grabbing his left wrist, she looped a rope around it, pulling it tight. Then she tied the other hand, making sure there was no give in the line. Afterward, she inspected the knots and nodded.

  I sheathed my sword.

  “Good choice.” She grinned. “Do you really think you’d use that thing before my dagger took you down?”

  Normally, I wouldn’t think my odds against a Brigand assassin, when fighting one on one, were favorable. But with her limited vision, she wouldn’t have seen me grab a handful of Dante’s blinding powder. While she was tough, the surprise of the burning would have given me the time I needed. Plus, I think Sani and Kiri would have backed me up.

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  Kiri dropped her arms, exhaling slowly. Her shoulders relaxed.

  Avian tied the second prisoner and the guard to similar-sized trees. As she finished with the guard, he started moving his head violently, trying to speak through his gag.

  She pulled it down. “What?”

  “Can you at least give me some pants?”

  She glanced down at his nude ass and slapped it. “Be happy you’re alive.”

  “Not for long if you leave us here,” he protested.

  Avian shoved the gag back in his mouth, then pressed his face against the bark. “Don’t worry, Kiri is going to have her friend set you free.” She laughed as she released the grip on his head. “When he shows up, you’ll be happy not to be wearing your pants. Why put them on just to shit them?”

  I asked Kiri, “Do you think the sasquatch received your message?”

  She nodded. “I imagined him untying them as Patra sets. They won’t have time to get to Palla Cahua before the cold of night.” She pointed to the tents and fire we had built. “But they can survive if they stay here for the night.”

  “Which gives us time to leave Palla Cahue and start heading toward Cusi.” I said, just loud enough for the guard to hear. “By the time they alert the council, we’ll meet up with Dante, and he will tell us what to do next.” I made eye contact with the guard. “We’re letting you live for one reason and one reason only. Pass the message to Lar. Dante has tired of their arrangement and will honor it no longer. He can come after him if he wishes, but he’ll be prepared.”

  I picked up my pack and slung it over my back. Then made sure I had Dante’s blinding powder still attached to my waist. I pulled out a small amount, and walked to the guard, knowing he would try to free himself early. I wanted to slow him down as much as possible. Lifting my hand, I blew the powder into his eyes.

  He screamed and wiggled his head, rubbing it against the rough bark of the tree.

  Kiri glared at me with an open mouth, obviously not agreeing with my tactic. As I moved near her, I whispered. “Just in case. One more thing to slow him down.”

  Whispering back, she said, “That was mean.” She glanced at Avian. “Better than killing him though.” She paused, her face scrunching as she thought. “I should tell you, I sent another message to the sasquatch, trying to convey what direction we will be traveling.”

  I nodded. “If he remains friendly, then I will do my best to prevent Avian from harming him. But if he does anything to put us in jeopardy, I will give her the go-ahead to dispatch him.” I raised my eyebrows. “Is that a chance you’re willing to take?”

  She nodded. “I get a feeling. Not one he is sending me, but one I think is being communicated by my ancestors.” She paused. “They want me to keep him close.”

  Kiri glanced back at the guard, who was barely visible in the distance. “Do you think your lie will work?”

  I shrugged. “As long as the soldiers in Palla Cahua don’t see my face, they shouldn’t be able to figure out who we are. Nobody expected the infamous Bandits of Palla Cahua to return to that village so soon. Nor would they know right away who Dante is or expect us to know. Mallma doesn’t advertise the names of its spell masters.”

  “Your hope is that they believe Dante and Lar have been working together?” Avian asked.

  “At the very least, I want them to believe we were members of the Forgotten that were working with Dante, instead of the so-called ‘Bandits of Palla Cahua’. If they believe Lar was his cohort, that would be an additional benefit.” I paused, then speaking loud enough for Avian to hear, sarcastically said, “Not bad for a plan that doesn’t include mass murder and deep holes.”

  She scoffed. “A whole lot of maybe and perhaps. But it’s better than nothing.” She glared at me. “Boss.”

  Sani peered at me. “Do you want me to call you boss also?”

  “No!” I shook my head. “Nobody has to call me boss. But yes, someone needs to make the final decisions, as Avian correctly suggested. Since we need my connections to access the portal, I will be that leader.”

  “Picking a leader based on noble connections.” She rolled her eyes. “That always ends well.”

  Ignoring her, I turned to Sani. “I had a question about your power.”

  “I can’t use it again. Not for a few nights.”

  “That wasn’t my question.” I thought for a moment. “I’ve heard tales of wizards who used their powers in battle, defeating many warriors.”

  He nodded.

  “Why did they not run out of life-force as you had?”

  “My grandfather could heal dozens on a battlefield, then still take the mind of a bear for an afternoon.”

  “So, he had more of this life-force?”

  “My hataa?ii is the same as his. But I burn through more. As I train, I will become more efficient.”

  “How do you know how much you have left?”

  “That is hard to explain.” He thought for a moment. “When it gets low, my body and mind feel tired.”

  “Can you learn to do what the other wizards do?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not a wizard.” He glanced at Avian. “I might use magic the same way they do, but I’m not trained in their ways. Perhaps, with proper training, I could learn additional skills. But I wouldn’t. It isn’t our way.”

  His words repeated in my head. Just two nights ago, I’d have said the same about practicing spell-craft. Now I have created two potions, and plan on continuing my training when I acquire a table. During training, Dante told me the importance of having a stable surface. Mixing it on the ground might result in something additional finding its way into the mix. For the same reason, he said not to set up a table under a tree or anywhere dust is being kicked up. I shook the thought from my head. Why was I still listening to that crazy old man?

  Kiri asked, “Where will we go after Cusi? I’m not an expert, but if I’m thinking of the correct place, it’s nothing more than a small village built around a stronghold, with only one road leading in and out.” She thought for a moment. “It’s built on a mountain ridge. We aren’t equipped to climb to the next closest village.”

  “We can’t stay in Mallma.” I sighed. “As much as I don’t want to, we are going to cross into the Kingdom of Borra.”

  “Once again, not an expert, but I don’t think Borra is on the way to the capital.”

  “We need the heat to die down,” Avian said. “It’s much easier to disappear in Borra than in Mallma.”

  “Plus, I might find someone willing to show me how to unbind Lar’s grimoire.” I nodded. “If we can prove he is practicing spells, we can clear my name. My connections in the capital will be more willing to help if I don’t have a price on my head.”