They searched us. Easily found and confiscated the razor I’d all but forgotten about in my pocket, as well as the needle. Leander didn’t have time to admonish me over my questionable items as they also took his rapier, which prompted a string of muttered threats over the condition that it better return in. Any documents on his person were also quickly taken and passed off before I had the chance to wonder at their nature.

No one wanted to ride with the witch. For all their manly bravado and weaponry, they all feared for their safety enough that Leander was the only man brave enough to risk sitting with me. But even with me on another horse, they still took their precautions. Our bridle was tied to that of another soldier’s horse, discouraging any attempts of escape, and then they lined up two soldiers in front, one at the side, and three behind. The seventh man—the scout—was already gone with the documents they’d taken.

As an added measure of safety, my wrists were tied together as tightly as they could get away with. Clearly afraid that if I had use of my hands, I’d find a way to do whatever it was witches were capable of. Even with my cooperation, without the use of my hands it took multiple people to help me onto the horse’s back. Leander, by comparison, did not have his wrists bound so that he could steer the beast. Once I finally sat firmly in the saddle, he climbed up behind me to reach around my sides for the reins.

As we traveled, one of the men in front of us moved his arms through the air. It was as if he plucked wisps of smoke that only he could see. Occasionally, he’d even move his mouth as if he were talking, but no sound accompanied it.

Leander followed my gaze. “Windbinders find it easier to send messages when they capture the entire sound. See the patch on his sleeve?”

I squinted in the dark, but I couldn’t make out the symbol.

“It means he’s part of the thrashers—the military’s Windbound Mages. They’re messengers, and spies.” He lowered his mouth until his breath tickled my ear. “And they’re always listening. Remember what I said.”

Tell no one of the truth.

“I see.” I said, absorbing the warning and falling back into silence as we continued to ride through the night.

If I was exhausted, then Leander was doubly so. Even though I’d played a huge part in the events out at sea and woken with every ache imaginable, I felt strangely alert. But Leander? He looked positively haggard as the night wore on. The weight of him against my back increased with every mile as he struggled to stay upright in the saddle.

Just as I thought they’d force us to ride until dawn, we stopped at an old farmhouse. Black masses were tied to posts in the yard, the horses tied to what likely used to be a fence in the front, while dim candle light lit the first story windows. The second story was dark as it fought to hold up the weight of its sagging roof.

Despite all of his anger and exhaustion, Leander helped me off the horse without any complaint. His arms were surprisingly gentle as he helped guide my way to the ground.

“Thank you.” I said, holding his gaze for a moment and seeing the fear that hid underneath his cracking mask.

He’s genuinely worried about this.

Was being discovered by the emperor so terrible? Or was it the accusation of witchcraft that had shaken him?

I raised my tied hands, maneuvering them to cup his cheek in the only gesture of comfort I could manage. A silent reassurance that we’d be okay—at least, that I hoped we’d be okay. Leander’s eyes widened a fraction in surprise at the gesture, but he kept his silence as he raised a hand to press it against mine.

“Come on then.” The captain of the squad said, interrupting the moment.

He grabbed the tail end of my rope, while another man proceeded to tie Leander’s wrists behind his back. With both of us restrained, they led us to the house. It smelled like mildew and rot inside. A building long abandoned before experiencing its current occupation.

A few soldiers lingered in the front room, their expressions almost sinister in the flickering candle light.

“Where’s the general?” The captain asked as he knocked a clump of dirt off of his boots.

One of the men against the wall pushed off and stood at attention as he addressed the captain. “End of the hall, sir.”

“Thank you. At ease, soldier.”

The hallway was short enough with only a couple of dark rooms branching off of it before we came to its end. The captain rapt his knuckle against the wood twice before a voice inside responded.

“Come in.”

Hand on the door knob, the captain twisted to level me with a warning look. “Be on your best behavior if you wish for leniency.”

“When my father hears about our treatment, you’d best hope for your own leniency.”

His nostrils flared at the threat. “I’m following orders—”

“And if I was a witch, you’d already be dead.” I seethed.

“Why, you insolent wench.” He lifted a hand to strike me.

“I would reconsider.” Leander’s voice was soft, but held a surprising promise of violence at its edge.

I’d forgotten he was behind us, and apparently so did the captain as he lowered his hand back down and shoved the door open without another moment’s hesitation.

I was yanked roughly forward, feeling the chafe of the rope against my wrists as my eyes swept the room. A large table with two chairs had been dragged to the center. The one closest to the door sat empty while a muscular man with blonde hair occupied the other. His head was bent down over the cluttered surface, and he did not look up as the door shut behind us.

“Sir,” The captain saluted. “We found who we believe to be the witch and her accomplice, as you’ve requested.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” The general said, not looking up from his work.

I scrutinized the man, barely containing my annoyance at his lack of attention. He wore a plain shirt that did nothing to hide the broad shoulders of a seasoned soldier, and the definition of his arms would have made the noble women back home swoon.

I wanted to see the face of the man who’d ordered us to be brought here.

“Should we leave you to finish your work?” The words spilled out of me, causing Leander to tense. “Surely we’re interrupting something of the utmost importance that you would have us ride for miles only to be met with silence. Perhaps we might delay these introductions in favor of sleep since you’re clearly unprepared to begin our interrogation.”

A smile of amusement played at the corner of the general’s mouth as emerald green eyes lifted from the table to meet mine.

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“How dare you speak to the general with such disrespect!” The captain tugged at the rope, and I stumbled to the side.

“He’s earned no respect from me. I’ll speak to him however I like.” I spat.

The captain’s face blanched. “You will address him with the respect deserving of his rank and house—”

“And you will address me with the respect deserving of my house or I shall see you stripped of yours.” I hissed in response.

The general leaned back in his chair, waving a dismissive hand in amusement. “Thank you for escorting them here, Captain Brecht. Go and bring me the witness.”

Captain Brecht saluted again, glaring daggers at me as he shut the door behind himself.

“Please forgive my mistress.” Leander eyed me with warning. A clear ‘Are you trying to antagonize him?’ in his gaze. He continued, “As you may imagine, we are exhausted from the journey.”

“I’ll try and take that into consideration.” The general said, appraising us. “You speak with the air of nobility, yet lack the timid nature of a proper lady which would reveal you as such.”

I glared at his presumptions. He himself spoke like one of the nobility. The cadence alone was telling.

“What use have I to be timid?” I replied. Our treatment so far had certainly not encouraged me to be. “Unlike many of my sex, my education rivals that of most lords. I am not afraid of a fragile man’s ego. Why should I restrain myself in order to present an image of subservience?” I laughed at the absurdity of it. “You’ll release us regardless of whether or not you agree that I am a proper lady.”

“And what if I were to find your candor grating?” The general asked as he laced his fingers together. Pinning me under his undivided attention. “Do you not fear my own ego?”

I refused to shrink away from it. “A fragile man would not rise to the rank of general.” I replied simply. “If you were so easily put off by a woman’s candor, you wouldn’t deserve the title.”

The general chuckled. “An interesting assumption, though I’d have to agree with your assessment. To lead the empire’s military, one must learn to exercise patience. To become the emperor’s First General, I scraped my way through the ranks, and now there are few things that occur within the empire without my knowledge. And what I don’t know, I find out.”

Fear crawled up the nape of my neck at the information. “First General.” I repeated, trying to appear aloof. “If I’m meant to be impressed, you’ll be sorely mistaken. My opinion of you remains at the lowest tier.”

“Oh really?” The general asked, his own tone matching mine. “And why is that?”

I held my bound wrists out before him. “I hold no weapons, and yet you’ve had me brought before you with the same dignity as a cow on its way to slaughter.”

“Ah, but you see my men were hunting a witch who massacred many men aboard the Caerus. If you are that witch, then I cannot allow you the opportunity to kill again, now can I?”

A knock sounded on the door, interrupting our exchange.

“Enter.” The general commanded, his eyes remaining locked on mine.

The smell of sweat reached my nostrils as a man was ushered in. The general motioned him forward until he came to stand at his side, which gave me a better look at him. Middle age and average build with sweat stains in the pits of his shirt causing the stench, and loose threads fraying the edges of his shorts. What really caught my attention were the bloody scabs that marred his skin. Tiny, bite-sized scabs.

“This man claims his crew was attacked by rats during negotiations. A curious claim to say the least. But when I boarded the Caerus this evening to see the evidence for myself, I can’t say that it was unfounded. The implementation of the attack certainly lends itself to the assumption of witchcraft.” The general’s demeanor had shifted into something too casual to be natural. Something dangerous. “And I find it very suspicious that two key participants in the incident were nowhere to be found.”

Leander kept silent, but the assumption of guilt because of the ‘victimized’ witness was too much.

“An interesting claim indeed, given that your witness is a pirate himself.” I clenched my fists, tightening the bonds and earning a jolt of pain in my left hand. “And they hadn’t been negotiating when they’d attacked.”

“Witchcraft is punishable by the executioner's axe! I’ll be applauded as a hero for bringing you to the emperor—”

“Enough!” The First General’s voice raised with a startling finality. “As a matter of formality, I am encouraged to inform you all that my Magebinding allows me to recognize lies. I’m not interested in wasting time listening to the creative ways you will excuse your actions, and I will not tolerate deceptions.” His tone once again became conversational, but his eyes were hardened as he observed every twitch and breath the three of us emitted.

This, I could believe, was a general.

He turned to the pirate, motioning for him to begin. “Go on. Prove to me how catching a witch will spare you the gallows. What did you see?”

The pirate’s gaze was glued to the ground as he spoke. “Aye, sir. Me crew an’ I were set upon by rats upon the deck of the merchant vessel. They swept through the ship like a wave, they did.” He nervously wrung a cap between his hands. “They were no ordinary rats. They had no fear as they climbed up our bodies and ate through our skin.” His head lifted to meet my face, eyes raised to stare accusingly into my soul. I recognized those eyes. “Explain what other Magebound who could do so? There is no such magic in all the world except for witchcraft that could have accomplished such a feat!”

He’d thrown a knife at me. He’d fallen over the side of the ship covered in rats. He’d survived.

“And you are sure that this is the witch you saw?” The general asked, sounding bored.

The pirate nodded vehemently, continuing as if his life depended on this story. “She still wears the blood of the fallen on her clothes. And you—” He then pointed at Leander. “Only a familiar should have been able to fight with your unnatural speed. You held your own against five of our men. They all died because of you two!”

The general took in my appearance. The blood splatters were undeniable. “I appreciate your testimony, Mr. Morland. I would hate to wrongfully accuse anyone of the atrocity that befell your men, least of all the Duke of Blood’s only daughter. For your sake, I hope you’re correct in your accusations. Jasper does have a tendency for silencing unwarranted rumors after all.”

The pirate’s face blanched at the name. “The LeMonts have returned?”

“And you,” The general focused on Leander, ignoring the pirate entirely. “Accused of being a familiar...” He shook his head with a chuckle. “I’ve seen an umbra before, and you’re much too human to be one. Though that’s not to say that your mistress’s umbra isn’t hiding somewhere outside.” The general picked up one of the papers strewn across the table’s surface. “Although, I will admit that when I saw your name in the ledger, I was surprised to see a dead house. No one’s come forth to claim the Leander inheritance in almost two generations. Tell me, where have you been hiding all this time, Lord William Caspian Leander?”

A disbelieving gasp trapped itself in my throat and I nearly choked on it.

Caspian?

“I’ve been in Astalia and only recently found the opportunity to return and claim my birthright.” He replied smoothly. “You’ll find proof of my identity among the other documents confiscated during our arrest...”

I could barely hear their continued conversation as my mind rallied against the impossible. Caspian was an Eidolon. A creature of spirit— of the heavens. He was immortal and— he’d shone up out of nowhere to warn me…actually, no. Not nowhere. He'd been on the ship all along! Hidden in plain sight. He’d never stopped watching me, had he?

I tilted my head to try and look at the man to my side. The lean physique, his dark hair, and mischievous golden eyes—the eyes! How could I have been so blind to the similarities? I had never seen amber eyes like Caspian’s, or Leander’s before. I felt so stupid for not realizing it sooner.

The knowledge should have explained everything. Should have brought a sense of relief with its revelation, but instead I felt immense dread. I’d bound Caspian with my magic, and Leander knew it.

“...have anything you’d like to say Lady LeMont?” The general asked, breaking me from my spiral.

“I...” My mouth was painfully dry as I swallowed. “I—I’m sorry, I need a moment.” What had I missed while I’d been reeling at Leander’s identity? I had to focus and remember why we were here.

The general said he’d know if we lied.

We may not be in a courthouse, but were absolutely on trial. I didn't have to know the general in order to know what kind of man sat before me. He’d been searching for inaccuracies and weaknesses since the moment we’d entered the room.

The pirate had all but buried us with what he believed to be true, which meant the general would perceive it as the truth. But if I wasn’t a witch, and didn’t confess my binding, what conclusion would he come to? Would I be executed if I couldn’t prove my innocence? There was too much in my head to sort through and decipher.

To tell the truth could be foolish, but to lie could mean death, and silence in the absence of an answer could be damning all on its own.

“You don’t have to answer him.” Leander’s voice was in my ear, as if placed there directly from his mouth. I hadn’t even seen his mouth move.

“I have nothing to hide.” My heart hammered in my chest as I realized the decision I’d made. “Because I’m not a witch. I did not form a pact with an umbra or any other dark spirit in order to attain magic.”

The general’s face didn’t shift as he judged my truth. He leaned back in his chair tapping a finger against the table. “Do you deny that you were behind the rat attacks as well, my lady?”

“Daelyn, don’t...” Leander’s whispered, his voice pleading.

It was too late to heed his warning, and I’d never agreed to his plan. “I acted to save myself, and the innocent lives aboard that ship.” I stared into the general’s green eyes, refusing to back down and flinch away at the intensity that met mine. “There is only one kind of Magebound which can force its will on that of another, and I am the sole heir to that legacy. I am the first of my kind, and I commanded the rats.”