“Too fast,” I said. “Who’s trying to take Isowon from you?”
“That thing,” said Fallon. “Diriel’s monster, whatever it is. He sent it to kill me.”
“Diriel? From Akyre? Why would he do that?”
“To take what’s mine, obviously! Look around, Sir Lukien. Isowon is incomparable. There’s nothing like it in all the Bitter Kingdoms and certainly not in that ash heap, Akyre. I built this whole place with spices. My routes, my contacts-they’re worth more than all the provinces of Akyre put together.”
“Akyre’s already at war with Kasse and Drin,” I said. “We saw the refugees on the road. I doubt he’d try to attack Isowon as well.”
“You don’t know Diriel, then,” said Fallon. “He wants everything, all the Bitter Kingdoms. This was all part of the Akyren empire once. That’s Diriel’s goal-to remake the empire. My spice routes would make that a lot easier for him.”
Cricket grimaced at the news. “I don’t remember any of this. Not even Diriel. How can that be, Lukien?”
“She’s from Akyre, Anton,” explained Marilius, “but she can’t remember more than that.”
Fallon’s delicate face grew tender. “Then you’re a refugee too, girl. Like the others. I promise you: when this deed is done and the monster is killed, we will find your lost memories.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I warned. “I never said I’d help you. I don’t even know what this thing is.” Suddenly all I could think of was the monster I’d seen when I’d nearly died. “Describe it.”
“It isn’t human, that’s for sure,” said Fallon. “It comes at night, looking for me, prowling outside the palace. Nine feet tall at least.”
“You’ve seen it?”
Fallon shook his head. “No. But Marilius has.”
“So?” I looked at Marilius. “What’s it like?”
“Like Anton said, Lukien-a monster. I barely even got a look at it.”
“When was that?”
Marilius shrugged. “About a week ago.”
“Right before he left me,” sneered Fallon. “After the worst attack.”
“Mercenaries don’t stick around when things get too tough,” I said. “Now I know why you left, Marilius. The only thing I don’t understand is why you came back.”
“And that’s none of your concern, Lukien. Are you going to help us or not?”
“I still haven’t heard a good reason why I should.”
“Because I’m rich,” said Fallon. “And I can make you rich, too.”
“Not interested. Marilius should have told you I’m not a mercenary anymore.”
“He’s a knight-errant,” said Marilius sarcastically. “Lukien wants to do good, Anton.”
“Well then, it’s killed people,” said Fallon, dangling that fact like a treat. “Not just soldiers but townspeople too. Almost a dozen now.”
I tried to look unmoved. “Maybe the townsfolk should leave.”
Fallon grinned. “Or maybe you’re afraid, Sir Lukien?”
“I’m not afraid of anything, Fallon. Not dying and certainly not your monster. I just don’t want us involved.”
“Bullshit,” said Marilius. “You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want to get involved. You came to the Bitter Kingdoms looking for trouble, Lukien, you and that sword of yours. You want to prove what a big man you are? Here’s your chance.”
“Marilius, I don’t think I’m the one trying to prove himself here,” I said with a wink. “Besides. . my business is in Akyre.”
“Oh, right,” said Marilius. “Time for a rematch with Wrestler. Go ahead, take Cricket to Akyre. Get your neck broken again. But just remember those people you saw on the road, Lukien. That’s what Diriel is like. That’s what you’ll be riding into if you leave here.”
“Or you can stay!” said Fallon brightly. He reached a hand across the table toward Cricket. “Let me help you figure out who you are, child. You’ll be safe here.”
“If you help us beat this monster, Lukien,” said Marilius.
Now they had me stumped. Fallon, Marilius, even the servants-they all waited, staring like helpless kittens. But the only one I really cared about was Cricket.
“Cricket, walk with me.”
I got out of my chair and started toward the other side of the pool, where the sea lapped into the palace. Cricket quickly followed. Out of earshot I said, “I’m lost here, squire. I can’t make this decision without you.”
“What about Malator?” she asked. “What’s he think you should do?”
“I haven’t asked him, and I’m not going to. These are our lives, Cricket. We can leave right now. We can head back toward Akyre and take our chances, maybe try to find that waterfall of yours, shake lose some of your memories.”
“We could,” agreed Cricket. “But I know you, Lukien. You want to fight this thing because no one else can beat it. And you want to pay your debt to Marilius for saving us.”
“Cricket, Fallon is out of his mind. And I can’t be sure, but I think he and Marilius are lovers.”
“What?” Cricket stifled her laugh with her hand. “Honestly!”
I just shook my head. “This is madness. Malator showed me a monster before we left Jador. And I saw a monster in my dreams. It’s all connected, Cricket-the monster, the Legion of the Lost, everything.”
“Then that’s your answer, Lukien. You found your mission.”
“I already have a mission, Cricket. You.”
“Oh, I’m not going anywhere, Lukien, don’t you worry. I’m your squire. I want to see this beasty for myself!”
I didn’t tell Cricket why I really wanted to find this monster. I didn’t tell her that day or any other day. This monster stalking Anton Fallon, this unnamed, unseen thing-how could it not be the same beast Malator had drawn? It wasn’t just after Fallon, it was after Cricket, too. And if it was after Cricket, that meant it had to die.
12
We rode out from Isowon at dawn the next morning, the new day’s sunlight gleaming off my old bronze armor. Cricket had spent much of the night making it ready, insisting I wear it to battle the beast. She had polished the breast plate into a satiny mirror, removing every bit of grime. She worked proudly, like a real squire, and rode at my side on her well-groomed pony, her cape of rass skin on her shoulders like a trophy.
Marilius rode at point, leading us east along the coast. Before he’d fled Isowon for Arad, other of Fallon’s men had tracked a trail of blood this same way. They never found the monster, just the skeletal remains of their fellow mercenaries. Still, they suspected the creature made its lair in the hills at the mouth of the Dovra River-almost a day’s ride from Fallon’s palace.
No one seemed to know why the creature only attacked at night, or why it made its home so far from its intended prey. I puzzled over this as we rode.
Before long we were out of Isowon’s shadow, leaving the protection of the palace far behind. For the first time in months-maybe even years-I felt like a knight again, like a Royal Charger, confident and ready to face Fallon’s monster. I’d made a terrible mistake when fighting Wrestler-I had left my sword behind. This time, Malator and all his magic would be with me. Whatever the creature might be, it was mortal, and I was not, and that meant I could kill it. I made the link with Malator as we rode, speaking to him wordlessly while Cricket and Marilius made small talk of their own.
You’ve been quiet, I told him. Any advice?
I expected Malator to be petulant over being excluded. Instead he was pensive. This is why you came here, Lukien, he said. Maybe now we’ll have some answers.
You still don’t know what the monster is?
I do not.
But you’ve been thinking about it, right? I sighed out loud. Come on, Malator-you saw death when you drew that picture in the sand.
You saw death, Lukien. I saw a monster.