3. Farrow

Half an hour later, I sat atop the horse I’d borrowed from the royal guards’ stable with my fingers tapping impatiently against the saddle horn while I waited at the opening of the courtyard for the two knights who were being forced to accompany me.

Honestly, I didn’t want anyone else to tag along. They’d only slow me down, and I didn’t exactly trust my father’s servants. Aside from Sable, everyone in this damn castle seemed corrupt.

But only royal knights had enough authorization to access the stockroom and gather all the supplies we would need for our journey. So I’d have to devise a way to steal their provisions and lose them on the road. Hopefully this very night.

The courtyard was dark, and the torches slotted into their sconces on the walls cast more shadows than actual illumination. When a single figure meandered into the clearing on foot from a side passage as if lost, a feeling of distinct unease crawled up the back of my neck.

Who the hell was this? I very much doubted they had the same clearance I did right now to be out after curfew.

I frowned before calling, “Hey, halt. Who goes there?”

The figure jerked to a trembling stop and turned slowly in my direction before lowering his hood with quivering, frightened fingers. Torchlight flickered off a bald head where I noticed a purple birthmark covering nearly half of his bare scalp.

By God, I’d seen that birthmark before. It had been on Roloff, the very soothsayer Sable and I had been discussing earlier.

“What’re you doing out here?” I asked incredulously, dismounting and surging forward into his path. “Are you insane? Don’t you know the royal child’s been born and the king’s sent men out to capture you? Why haven’t you run yet?”

“I—I’m not sure, good sir,” he answered in a wavering voice, darting his gaze around fearfully as if not sure where to go now that I’d blocked his way. “I just know I’m m-meant to be here. In this place. At this moment. Even if it warrants my own demise. But p-p-please, if you could just ignore the fact that you see me right now and not turn me in…”

I sniffed out my amusement. Soothsayers were such odd ducks. Lying to save their own necks one moment, only to walk right into danger the next, all because of their ridiculous prophecies.

“But I can’t simply let an outlaw run free, now can I?” I taunted, casting him a dark smile. “It’s just not in my blood.”

“Your blood?” Roloff echoed in confusion, tipping his head to the side and squinting as if he were trying to figure out who I was. Nervous stutter gone, he said, “Just whose blood runs through your veins, boy?”

When his eyes milked over until they were nearly all white, I groaned. “Oh, for the love of God. Don’t try that rubbish on me.”

He was past hearing, though, as he reached out and barely touched my arm, flesh against flesh. As soon as he made contact, a tiny jolt of electricity sparked between us.

I jumped back, scowling. “What the hell?”

It was never good when a soothsayer touched you. They always started spouting crazy shit about your future. And rarely anyone ever liked knowing what would become of themselves. “I gave you no such permission to read me.”

But Roloff didn’t seem to mind the censure in my voice. Blinking his eyes back to normal, he sighed out his relief and smiled cheerfully. “Oh!” he said, his shoulders relaxing. “It’s just you.”

“Just me?” I lifted my eyebrows, cautious yet curious. “You think you know who I am, do you?”

“Of course. Your energy is very strong, my lord. And besides, every seeing eye in Far Shore knows of the Bastard Betrayer.”

I straightened, narrowing my eyes. “Now what did you just call me?”

“Bastard Betrayer,” the soothsayer repeated, bobbing his head and smiling as if either title was something honorable I should be proud of. “You’re to be famous, you know. Soon, everyone in Far Shore will call you such.”

“Everyone?” Cocking my head to the side, I murmured, “Is that so?”

All the while, a bloom of excitement blossomed in my chest. But famous? Did this mean I was going to complete my mission with success and save Sable?

I didn’t dare hope, except okay, I did. I hoped long and hard.

The word betrayer, however, caught me up. Betrayer didn’t sound so good. In fact, it sounded downright treacherous.

“Oh, no. Don’t look so worried, my lord.” The soothsayer patted my arm encouragingly. “Yes, sadly you’ll betray everyone you ever loved and nearly everyone you ever will love. But the worst of your disloyalty will be the very action that saves Far Shore and brings peace to many kingdoms. All your dishonorable decisions will be the most honorable thing you’ll ever do.”

“Right,” I said slowly. “Because that’s what betrayal does—generates honor and brings nations together.”

The soothsayer began to nod encouragingly, only for his smile to falter at my glib reply. “Well, no. Not typically, of course. But in this situation, yes, yes, it most certainly will.”

“That’s it,” I growled, grabbing two handfuls of the front of his tunic and yanking him close. I shook him hard enough to rattle his teeth. “Take it back.”

I’d force him to recant his irritating prophecy, even if I had to pull his tongue out and put it back in sideways to make him say what I wanted.

No one called me a traitor.

“But, I—I—I can’t. Your destiny isn’t mine to change. It is what it is. I’m just delivering the message.”

“A message full of untruths,” I snapped.

“Excuse me,” the little man gasped in outrage, not even mildly intimidated by my glower. “I beg your pardon, but I have been tested for purity, kind sir. I cannot tell a lie.”

“You lied about the gender of the child born tonight. It’s a girl; did you know that? And you told your king it would be a boy.”

Color leached from his face. “Yes, well. That—that was—that was most unfortunate indeed, but I had to discolor the truth a bit, in order to save a life. My own. And in the event of preserving life, extenuating circumstances can be made for lying. It’s written in the scrolls. My purpose hasn’t been fulfilled yet, you see, so I must live longer.”

Unable to help myself, I snorted out a laugh. “You sound like my sister.”

“Really?” he inquired with interest. “Which one? I hope the little opinionated one. She’s quite my favorite.”

At the mention of Sable, I ground my teeth.

She was my favorite too.

Agony ripped through my stomach like cloth tearing in two. And it reminded me of my immediate purpose in life: saving her.

Over Roloff’s shoulder, I spotted the two guards who were supposed to accompany me as they entered the courtyard, cantering up on their horses.

Remembering the urgency behind my plight, I pulled the little, bald man close.

“If you like Sable so much,” I hissed in his ear, “then you shouldn’t mind keeping her company for me until I can return, now should you?”

“Wha—but what does that mean?” he asked, glancing behind him in concern when he finally heard the hoof beats approach.

“Here’s your destiny, soothsayer. Take care of Sable. Tell her I’ll complete this mission they’re forcing me to do so I can return as soon as possible to free her. Tell her to hang tight. I will save her. All she needs to do is survive until I get back. And you? You help her survive.”

“I’ll—what now? Hey! What’s going on here?” Eyes widening when he finally spotted the knights as they stepped under the lamplight, Roloff started to struggle to be free. “You know, I really shouldn’t be seen by any guards just now. They’re after me.”

“I know. That’s why I’m turning you in. I can’t just betray my king and father by letting you get away, now, can I?”

His mouth fell open, shocked by my betrayal of him.

Shoving him toward the other two, I said, “Look who I found, boys? It’s that lying soothsayer the king’s searching for. Why don’t you two take him back and turn him in to the dungeon? I’m sure they’ll reward you handsomely for such a catch.”

They each leapt off their horses to tackle Roloff. Once they had him well in hand, one guard glanced my way. “What about our journey?”

I hitched my chin up. “Go on. I’ll stay here and wait with the horses. We can head out as soon as you collect your bounty.”

“Indeed!” They seemed fine with that idea. “Thank you, Farrow.”

As they fell right along with my plan, brutishly jostling and steering Roloff toward the castle on foot, I glanced toward their horses they’d left behind.

Perfect.

“No, thank you,” I murmured.

As soon as all three were gone, I relieved one of the guards’ mounts of all its weapons and food they’d stockpiled for our trip, then I slapped its flanks and sent it trotting back in the direction of the stables. After securing the rest of the supplies to the second horse, I tied its reins to my own and climbed back into the saddle.

Galloping out of the courtyard and into the night by myself, I headed toward Donnelly.

I didn’t have time to wait around for anyone else. Whatever it took, I was going to free Sable as soon as possible.