Horse hooves slapped off the dirt as riders approached. Lacking time to maneuver under the crate, I burrowed into the hay, pushing enough of it away to see out with one eye. Three men on horseback approached.

  One of the men spoke while the other two riders stayed back a few paces, their eyes scanning the scene. “My lady, I’ve gotten word of a missing soldier.”

  “Deserter?” Yauri asked.

  “I think not. Suspicious men lurk outside our gates. They almost went unnoticed by the watch captain, but a soldier had a long-sight potion. He found what looked like a scarred man with two accomplices.” He scanned the area. “We think they might be the Forgotten.”

  At first, I thought the Casi soldier we robbed of his uniform had made it to the gate faster than we expected, bringing his two prisoners with him. But I didn’t remember him having any scars.

  “Because of this, you wish to hold up the food supplies Casi desperately needs?”

  He shook his head. “The soldier on watch reported first seeing someone wearing a Casi uniform. We fear the forgotten have captured Casi soldiers and are holding them. Can you carry a message to Casi for us?” He peered at the wagons. “We are fortunate that you’re already prepared for the trip.” He reached his arm out, with a piece of parchment gripped between his fingers.

  Yauri took the parchment. “I planned on leaving after Patra rose. But since this seems dire, I can leave immediately.”

  He bowed his head. “Your aid is much appreciated. Lar and the council won’t forget.”

  “Will the soldiers stop us from leaving?”

  “They have orders not to allow anyone to leave the village, but I will send a rider ahead and tell them to give you passage.”

  I let out a sigh of relief, covering my mouth instantly, hoping nobody overheard.

  The man’s eyebrows rose, and he glanced at the worker, as if the sound came from him. Before he could ask the meaning, the village bells rang.

  Yauri signaled her men. “Get the wagons moving!”

  I waited until I couldn’t hear the horses clomping anymore before shifting in the hay and moving under the crate. It wasn’t high enough for me to sit up, or long enough to stretch my legs. Instead, I lay on my side, with my knees bent to my chest and my head tucked forward.

  I had never noticed how dire road maintenance was needed. The wagon seemed to hit a bump nearly as often as I breathed. Each one sent a jolt through my body, making me fear my ribs would be bruised by the time we cleared the last cottages.

  The distraction of the lumpy road wasn’t enough to keep my mind off Avian. She must have gotten out of the village well before us, since we hadn’t planned on the long wait at Yauri’s farm. By now she must be getting worried. How long would she waited for us? I also wondered what she would report about Lar’s movements.

  The wagon slowed to a stop after moving for some time. I wanted to poke my head out but wasn’t sure if our delay was caused by the soldiers. Perhaps not all the guards received the orders to allow us to pass, or the man tricked us, knowing we would be stopped and searched.

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  I stayed under my crate until I heard Yauri’s voice. “Tye, you can come out.”

  Cautiously, I lifted the crate and crawled out, peeking through the hay before standing. Kiri and Sani had stayed hidden. “What about them?”

  “I’ve given up guessing what Lar will do next. He might change his mind and send riders to check on us. Most realize I don’t travel with two men per cart. One extra man won’t draw suspicion, but three will. Let us travel further before your friends get out.” Yauri glanced up and down the road. “Speaking of friends. I don’t see the Brigand assassin you said would meet us.”

  I climbed out of the wagon and brushed the hay off my clothes. “She should have been here before us.” I thought for a moment. “Perhaps she heard the bells and started moving toward Casi. If traveling alone and on foot, she would stay off the road.”

  “We’ll continue moving and will watch for her as we do so.” Yauri turned and headed back to the first wagon. I followed. She climbed up and offered a hand to help me. I took it. The edge of the wagon had several boards attached to the front wall, making an area to sit. While Yauri’s spot had a cushion, I sat directly on the wood.

  Just like when riding under the crate, I felt each bump as the horses pulled us across the dirt. As we moved, I switched my focus from one side of the road to the other, scanning for any signs of Avian. Allowing her to follow Lar alone wasn’t the smartest move. I agreed to provide safe passage to the portal. Layla, like all Rasmun, didn’t accept excuses once an agreement was made.

  Yauri continued peering forward as she spoke. “I’ve been giving your situation some thought. I don’t think clearing your names will be as easy as you think. Lar has noble friends who will take up his cause.”

  “He never seemed the type to rub elbows with nobles.”

  “Lar is skilled at being what he needs to be. When with the soldiers, he’s one of the guys, throwing back drinks and bragging about conquests. I’ve witnessed the way he acts when he’s around those of higher stations. Suddenly he’s an expert on fine food and drink.” She scoffed. “He has aspirations well beyond the village of Palla Cahua.”

  “You seem to know a lot about him.” I studied her face, still trying to determine how much I could trust her.

  “We have some mutual friends. I’ve grown to dislike him and never trusted a word from his mouth. But we share a mistrust of the authorities and an ambitious outlook on life.”

  Her words surprised me. Of course, if she was smuggling illegal items, she must not have much love for the royals. But Lar was part of the authorities. Yes, he was breaking the rules by practicing spell-craft, but he worked within the royal’s system to have us arrested. I wondered if she realized he was a Nazer Wigon.

  “You’ve gotten quiet. What is on your mind?” She asked.

  “The friends you share. Are they all True Blood Wigons?”

  “Are you?” she asked. “Do you believe only those born to specific families can decide when magic can and can’t be used?”

  “I’m certainly not a Nazer Wigon like Lar is.” I crossed my arms.

  She scoffed. “If only.” She shook her head. “Lar is a Void Wigon.”

  The air felt a little harder to breathe in. Two Void Wigons so close to home. How was this possible? “So, we agree Void Wigons can’t be trusted.”

  “They are very dangerous.” Her face turned to stone.

  Was she hiding an emotion from me? Perhaps a Void Wigon has harmed someone she knew. My instincts were telling me she was a Nazer Wigon. I needed her help, so I wanted to avoid discussing my opinion of that religion. But she disliked the Void Wigons as much as me. “When venturing outside the walls, I ran into another one.”

  “Another Void Wigon.” She shivered. “Whenever there are two in proximity, I’d wager they’re up to something. You won’t want to be anywhere near that something.”

  I considered telling her about Dante and his experiment. All I would have to do was pull the apprentice from under his crate. He was bound where he couldn’t struggle, and the gag in his mouth allowed no noise, but if I unleashed him, she would see what I was talking about. But I was unsure how much I could trust a Naser Wigon.

  “This discussion is making you uncomfortable.” She smiled at me. “Keep in mind, Naser Wigons, like True Bloods, agree it is wrong to use the blood of animals or any parts of intelligent creatures.” She studied my face. “There are many in Mallma who disagree with restricting law-abiding Wigon from responsibly using spell-craft. Most want to find a civil way to shift Mallma away from True Blood and toward Naser.”

  The worker in the last wagon whistled loudly. Yauri looked behind us and muttered something under her breath. I glanced back. In the distance was a single horse, riding fast right toward us.