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"But if he can help --"

"He doesn’t coht for a moment "How do you know all this?"

"I ate froer"

Conner e, I’lad to have chosen a thief and an orphan as my prince"

As en were already waiting at the river entrance into the castle e arrived Conner looked surprised to find them there but an, "Take this carriage back to the inn and wait for us there I don’t want it here to arouse anyone’s suspicions"

"Have Tobias take it," Cregan said "He’s not useful for anything"

"Then he’s not useful forWe must hurry too because I fear we’ll be late"

I led the way up the river Ien was behind me, then Conner, then Tobias, Roden, and Mott at the last Almost immediately, a roof of dirt and rock rose over our heads as we entered a tunnel leading beneath castle grounds The castle walls were not much farther ahead

I had found this entrance ht The kitchen staff all kne often I used it to sneak in and out of the castle grounds, but they liked me and never told anyone I was finally found out when I fell into the river once and returned to the castle s of rotten fruit and moldy meat

"It smells horrible in here," Tobias said

"Nobody promised it’d be pleasant," I called back to hien walked closer behind rab my arate, which was in desperate need of a cleaning The gate was clogged with large, rotting chunks of food and debris It dato be sick," Conner said, covering his nose with a handkerchief "The smell!"

I hida difficult time I used the pin to pick the lock within seconds It was an old lock with soft tu, I’d have to order a better security systeate, and after another few roup that we had passed beneath the castle walls Now that we had coht by occasional oil lamps When servants came down there, they often had their hands full and needed a lit path It wasn’t rateful for it

"How much farther?" Conner asked

"Not far" Here, the path widened and ere able to walk several persons across Conner caught up to Ied behind

"Keep up, Roden," Conner scolded "We are pushing against time"

Roden answered with a shout of surprise We turned to see what the trouble was Cregan held hian!" Conner yelled "What are you doing?"

Our group widened into a circle Mott had his hand on his sword, but he wouldn’t draw it Not unless Conner ordered it And he’d wounded hirath’s ht

"Change of plans," Cregan said, his mouth curved into a nasty sneer "Your orphan boy won’t be king after all"

I took a step forward and nodded at Roden "But why threaten your own choice for king, Cregan?"

Cregan grinned evilly, then released Roden and handed him his sword Roden didn’t even have the courtesy to act surprised He’d known all along that Cregan was following us

"You are traitors!" Conner said "Traitors to this plan, to Carthya, tomy fortune Once Roden’s on the throne, he will ent Won’t be long before I take everything you have"

Conner turned his glare to Roden "After all I’ve done for you, this is your repayment?"

"You’d have left me at Farthenwood to die," Roden said stiffly "I owe you nothing"