CHAPTER NINE
Royce slipped down toward the castle in the early morning light, only too aware that for this part, he was nearly alone. The others were there, but further back, hidden out of sight among buildings.
The boy who had said that his brother might be able to help walked with him. His name was Nicolas, and he seemed nervous as they got closer. For a moment, Royce thought that it might all be some kind of trick to lure him there, but then he realized that Nicolas was probably just worried that he was traveling with probably the most wanted man in the kingdom right then.
“It will be all right,” Royce said to the younger boy. “And if it isn’t… well, you run, and you don’t look back.”
If all this went wrong, it wasn’t as if Nicolas would be able to save him. He suspected that no one
