Chapter 30

I had been on horseback for the better part of the morning.

Leaving the city of Maple had been a rather tedious affair. We had gone through the forest to avoid roadblocks. There wasn’t a clear path, so we needed to go on foot, holding our horses’ reins.

We were now going to Perch to meet with the rebel leaders. Gideon had offered to accompany me and serve as a liaison between the leaders and myself.

Xander would stay behind while conducting his investigation and meet us in Perch once his business in Maple was concluded.

I had felt it was better to leave the city since it was under the watch of Mr. Hawk. If his ability was as good as Diana’s, I feared that if I slipped up, I would get caught, or worse, Xander would somehow expose himself while trying to protect me.

I saw Xander act on impulse at the baron’s manor. I was a liability to him in that situation. Not to mention that the baron’s men had kept a close eye on us since our arrival in his district.

I had the distinct feeling th