he would betray her.
“I’m alone.” His voice didn’t even quaver.
The tall man hit him again, with calculated force. “Don’t ever lie to me again, boy. Beywulf here can track a breeze. He’s been following your little banditry tour for three days now. Talk or get hurt.”
“He . . . argued with me. We split up a few hours ago. He went north.” Shael closed her eyes before the next blow.
“Obstinate little git. Still, I suppose it’s in the genes. Tie him up and finish searching him, S’kith. Beywulf, you and Leyla, go and find . . . her.”
Beywulf put his nose to the ground, and followed Keilin’s back trail like a hound. It took him all of thirty seconds to find her tree, and drag her out of it, kicking and squalling.
Meanwhile S’kith’s rough hands were searching Keilin. Skillfully he removed the knife from the boy’s belt, and then the two hidden knives from Keilin’s back and sleeve. His hand moved down the boy’s leg, and arrived at the ankle pouch. He touched it, and the remote expression briefly went out of his eyes. Casually the bald-headed man looked at the rest of his party, while apparently checking the soles of Keilin’s boots. Their attention was held by Shael’s antics. He moved to the other side of Keilin so his back was toward them. And put his finger to his lips. Then he went on searching as if he’d found nothing.
They were put down side-by-side in front of the fire. The one called Cap was looking at them down his long nose, the expression in his eagle eyes cold. “Two little pairs of green eyes.” He produced Keilin’s pendant from his pocket and touched it to Shael’s cheek . . . and snatched it away. “Another flipping one. I search for near on twenty years to find one person the core sections respond to . . . and within a month of finding one, I find another two . . . together. Brother and sister?”
“Yes,” said Keilin.
“No!” said Shael, vehemently.
His cold stare washed over them. Finally he spoke. “One of you is still lying to me.”
Keilin had less experience at facial schooling. “You, boy? You don’t learn, do you? Well, you will.”
He turned away briefly, and stared into the