Forged in Blood II Read Online Free PDF

She raised her eyebrows, inviting him to elaborate.
    He didn’t. His face grew colder.
    Amaranthe couldn’t tell if that was a warning or a threat in his eyes. “He should be with Sespian right now. I
know
Sespian would like to see you.” Belatedly, she added, “My lord.” She wasn’t sure
what
his status was, as Emperor Raumesys had been the one to send him into exile and Raumesys was years dead now. The military men were “my lord”ing him, though, so she better do it too.
    “If Sespian has been alive all this time,” the colonel said, “why’d he let all of this come to pass? Why isn’t he on the throne now?”
    “Forge ushered him out of the city on that months-long inspection of the border forts,” Amaranthe said. “They tried to arrange his death on the train ride back, only, with the help of some plucky outlaws, he refused to die in the fiery explosion that lit up the night.” She decided not to mention that the plucky outlaws had been responsible for the explosion. The
Behemoth
had been on its way with plans to annihilate the train anyway.
    “My lord,” the colonel said in an exasperated you’re-not-believing-any-of-this-rubbish-are-you voice.
    “Let’s secure them in one of the freight cars,” Starcrest said. “I’ve kept in touch with General Ridgecrest over the years, and my understanding is that he’s currently commanding Fort Urgot.” When the colonel nodded, Starcrest finished with, “I’ll get the latest intelligence from him.”
    “He doesn’t
know
the latest intelligence, my lord,” Amaranthe said. “He might only have the version that’s been in the newspapers. Very few know what’s really going on, that Forge has been angling to run the empire,
more
than the empire, from the beginning. They own Ravido Marblecrest. They—erk.”
    The captain had grabbed her arm, hauling her to her feet. With her ankles bound, she had to concentrate on not tripping over Starcrest’s boots—that seemed a faux pas an exoneration-seeking outlaw should avoid—instead of speaking. Books and Akstyr were similarly hoisted. Akstyr did trip and would have planted his nose in the metal decking right in front of Starcrest’s daughter, except someone caught him by the collar, like a mother wolf picking up a pup by the scruff of its neck. This save didn’t keep Akstyr from blushing with indignation, perhaps embarrassment.
    “Sergeant,” someone yelled out the doorway.
    Were there reinforcements waiting in the coal car? There must be, for mere seconds passed before three burly men swung inside, crowding the already crowded cab further. Amaranthe got a face full of someone’s back, then a meaty arm wrapped around her waist, hoisting her into the air. She landed with an “oomph” on someone’s shoulder.
    Her captor swung out of the cab and climbed along the narrow ledge back to the other cars. Icy wind clawed at them, and tree branches whipped past, all too close for comfort, but neither the threat of a fall nor his burden slowed him down. Amaranthe decided not to wriggle or attempt any sort of escape at that moment.
    Not until she, Akstyr, and Books had been paraded through five cars of troops—more than one man hissed at her with recognition in his eyes, half-rising from a seat, a hand reaching for a dagger—and dumped in a freight car did she start considering escape plans again. Crates were piled all about them; surely she could find something to facilitate rope freeing. Although, given the overpowering smell of turnips and potatoes, that wasn’t a guarantee. The two armed soldiers stationed on either side of the door provided a further obstacle to freedom.
    “Did I not say we should ride back to town and forgo the hijacking attempt?” Books asked.
    Alas, the soldiers had not thought to gag anyone. Well, that could be to her advantage. Perhaps she could plant some suggestions in their captors’ minds.
    “You did say that,” Amaranthe agreed. “But if we had, we wouldn’t know that