There you are!โ he shouted at them. โFather has half the castle turned out looking for you.โ โUs?โ Hadrian asked. โYes.โ Fanen nodded. โHe wants to see the two thieves in his chambers right away.โ โYou didnโt steal the silver or anything, did you, Royce?โ Hadrian asked. โI would bet it has more to do with your flirting with Lenare this afternoon and threatening Mauvin just to show off,โ Royce retorted. โThat was your fault,โ Hadrian said, jabbing his finger at him.
Michael J. SullivanYou think heโs still alive?โ Royce asked, nodding his head toward Alric. โSure,โ Hadrian replied without bothering to look. โHeโs probably sleeping. Why do you ask?โ โI was just pondering something. Do you think a person could smother in a wet potato bag?โ Hadrian lifted his head and looked over at the motionless prince. โI really hadnโt thought about it until now.
Michael J. SullivanAโrisโta?โ Degan asked, sounding horse. โWhat is it?โ โA rat bit me,โ she said, once again shocked by her own rasping voice. โJasper does that ifโโ Gaunt coughed and hacked. After a moment, he spoke again. โIf he thinks youโre dead or too weak to fight.โ โJasper?โ โI call him that, but Iโve also named the stones in my cell.โ โI only counted mine,โ Arista said. โTwo hundred and thirty-four,โ Degan replied instantly. โI have two hundred and twenty-eight.โ โDid you count the cracked ones as two?โ โNo.
Michael J. SullivanRoyce turned to Hadrian. โItโs supposed to make them look tough, but all it really does is make it easy to identify them as thieves for the rest of their lives. Painting a red hand on everyone is pretty stupid when you think about it.โ โThat tattoo is supposed to be a hand?โ Hadrian asked. โI thought it was a little red chicken. But now that you mention it, a hand does make more sense.โ Royce looked back at Will and tilted his head to one side. โDoes kinda look like a chicken.
Michael J. Sullivan