We all exchanged glances.

“Belen shouldn’t get into trouble,” Flea said. “He was right. There wasn’t any danger.”

“This time,” Loren said.

I packed my knapsack early the next morning. It didn’t take long. Too many hours remained before I would be with my sister. I’d endured three long years without her, but the thought of waiting until midnight seemed unbearable.

An unusually subdued Belen worked knife-defense drills with me, which helped to pass the time. But after dinner, I couldn’t keep still.

“You should rest,” Kerrick said. “It’s going to be at least a full day before we can sleep again.”

“Why don’t you tell her another Prince Ryne story,” Quain said. “That always puts her right to sleep.”

I muffled a laugh over Kerrick’s sour expression.

“Tell her about Jael,” Belen said in a quiet voice. He stared at the flames and not at Kerrick. “Tell Avry how if it wasn’t for Jael, you would have killed Ryne.”

I glanced at Kerrick, expecting an angry retort. But he had shut down. Kerrick stood without a word, and left. A minute later, Loren arrived. He rubbed his hands over the fire to warm them.

Sensing the mood, Loren asked, “What did I miss?”

“Nothing.” Belen threw a log onto the fire. “Absolutely nothing.”

I lay in my bedroll, but I couldn’t sleep. When Kerrick approached to wake me, I sat up. No one else had fallen asleep, either. As I stuffed my remaining things in my knapsack, the others also packed the rest of their belongings.

“We’ll meet you just south of Zabin around midday,” Kerrick said to Belen. “If we don’t arrive by after—”

“I know,” Belen said.

We left the cave together. Taking our packs, Belen led the others northwest, while Kerrick and I headed north. He offered his hand and I took it without hesitation. Through his connection with the forest, I sensed the location of the others. Handy.

It didn’t take long to reach the training camp. Nothing had changed. Once again we slipped inside the barrack without trouble.

I woke Noelle.

She stared at me a moment. “You came back.”

“I said I would.”

“Is Kerrick with you?”

“Yes, he’s in the hall. Are you ready to go?”

Pushing her covers off, she sat up. Instead of wearing nightclothes, she wore her training uniform. Smart girl.

“It’s nice of him to help us,” she said.

I agreed. “Where did you hide your pack?”

“No one in our neighborhood would help me when Mom and Allyn were sick.”

“Noelle, we need to go. You can tell me this later.”

“I was ten years old. No one would help me. They died and left me all alone. I’ve been alone for the last three and a half years.”

I sat next to her and put my arm around her shoulder. “You’re not alone now, little shadow.”

She shrugged me off and stood. “Don’t call me that. And you’re right. I’m not alone anymore.” Noelle crossed to her desk, grabbed what looked like an oversize hairbrush and banged it repeatedly on the wood.

The sharp slaps splintered the quiet night, rattling the window. I jumped to my feet, and rushed to stop her. “What are—?” I froze in horror.

Voices yelled, boots drummed, doors slammed and the unmistakable sound of steel striking steel rang from the hallway.

Noelle stopped pounding on the desk. She gestured toward the door with the mallet. “You’re too late. Again. I don’t need or want your help.”

Chapter 13

Noelle swung the mallet at my head. “You…”

I ducked.

She reversed direction. “Abandoned…”

I ducked again.

Lunging forward with her weapon, she aimed for my stomach. “Me!”

I hopped back, but stepped in close when she raised the mallet above her head. As she brought her arms down, I grabbed her wrists. Skin on skin. Noelle struggled, but I held tight.

She cursed. “I hate you. I want to kill you, but you’re too valuable.” Noelle nearly growled the words.

They burned through my heart like acid. I kept my grip on her wrists, but in the end I couldn’t hurt her. She had endured so much, I wasn’t going to cause her any more pain.

The door banged. Voices ordered me to release her. I ripped the mallet from her hands and spun her toward the soldiers. Then I yanked my knife from my belt. Before anyone could react, I threw the weapon at the closest soldier, burying the blade into his shoulder. He yelped.

I hurled the mallet at the window. The glass shattered with an explosive crash. In two quick strides, I reached the broken window and dove through it. Hitting the hard ground with my shoulder, I rolled. Despite the pain, I gained my feet and ran. Shouts and curses followed, but I didn’t stop until I climbed over the fence.

Instead of racing into the woods, I turned left and hugged the fence. When I encountered a dark section, I pressed up against the wooden boards, hoping to blend in.

I muffled my gasps for breath as the fastest soldiers reached the barrier. My heart ceased its frantic beat when the soldiers landed on my side. They glanced both ways. And just when I felt on the edge of passing out, they headed into the forest.

Sagging in relief after the last of them disappeared, I fought to regain my composure. Everything had happened so fast, but once again, those years spent on the run had trained me not to hesitate even when my own sister tried to beat me over the head with a mallet.