“We need to go east. Close to where we ran into each other, but a bit further south.”
Rek nodded. “I can get us to the spot where we crossed paths. You can lead the way from there?”
I agreed, and we settled into a comfortable pace, riding abreast.
“Your message came much faster than I expected,” I said. “I thought the thieves intended to leave this area for a while.”
“Perhaps they ran across a caravan that looked too juicy a target to ignore,” he said. “All I know is the report of the robbery came in as I was about to head for bed for the night. Captain Jerome knows I want all information on the gang delivered to me immediately, so the message came straight to me.”
I nodded. Jerome must be the guard captain I had seen in the woods with Rek.
Any further conversation became impossible as Rek led us off the road. Once in the forest, the trees forced us to ride single file. Beneath the canopy of leaves, the moonlight became patchy, and both Samuel and Benjamin lit lanterns which they held aloft to give just enough light for the six of us.
I could understand Rek not wanting to advertise our presence too widely through the forest—I just hoped none of the horses put a foot wrong and came up lame in the gloom. But without knowing how swiftly the thieves were moving, we had no way to know how much time we had.
“Is it possible they’ll have beaten us there?” Adara asked in a breathy voice, obviously thinking the same thing I was.
“Unlikely in the extreme,” Benjamin said shortly. “The message reached the palace via the royal messenger system. Our couriers move far faster than ordinary travelers, and especially compared to a large group. With no one on their tail, the thieves won’t push themselves to the sort of extreme speed that draws attention.”
I nodded, trying to reassure myself with his words, but in truth, I couldn’t help wondering if it would be better if they did beat us there. As long as we had some sign to give us warning, it would mean an excuse not to enter the cave.
No such sign appeared, however, despite it taking me longer to find the right spot than I would have liked. In the darkness, the forest looked different, and I almost missed the unnaturally round clearing.
The other five looked around with interest, but none of them expressed the doubt they must be feeling at seeing an ordinary stretch of forest. I dismounted and stood in front of the hidden cave entrance.
In spite of my resolution to save my breath, I couldn’t help asking once.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” My question was directed toward Rek, but my eyes strayed to Adara.
He also looked at his sister before glancing inquiringly at Samuel.
“There’s no sign of anyone having been in this area tonight, sir,” he said. “These tracks are older than that.”
Rek nodded and turned back to me. “They’re not in there yet, so we can have a quick look, at least. If there aren’t sufficient hiding spaces, we’ll come straight back out.”
That meant the faster I moved, the better. I turned back to face the empty air.
“Open sesame.”
“Seriously?” Adara asked with a giggle. “That’s what opens the cave?”
Before anyone could answer, the grinding noise of moving stone drowned out further conversation. Rek, Adara, and Navid were transfixed by the opening that was slowly appearing, but I caught a concerned look pass between Samuel and Benjamin. If the thieves were close, they’d surely hear the noise.
Impatience seized me, and I swung down out of the saddle. The others followed my lead, all of us turning our reins over to Benjamin.
“Remember, your role is only to watch and report back to my father if things go wrong,” Rek told him sternly. “Don’t try anything heroic. One more sword will do us little good against forty.”
“Your Highness, I really don’t think this is—”
“Your objections have been noted,” Rek said in authoritative tones, rendering his guard silent. “I mean that literally,” he added, softening the words with a smile. “I’ve left a letter in my room explaining that both you and Samuel strongly objected to either myself or Adara being part of this night’s work, and that you only complied under royal command. If anything happens to the rest of us, you won’t be blamed.”
“We’ll see about that,” Benjamin muttered as he collected the final reins. But it was clear from his expression when he looked at Rek that he was only allowed such informal asides because of his extreme loyalty. I could see now why Rek had wanted only his most trusted men to join us.
We took both lanterns with us, Benjamin seeming content to rely on the horses’ instincts and the patchy moonlight. The others spoke in whispers as we moved along the rocky tunnel, questioning the blank stone ahead of us.
“There’s a bend in the corridor,” I explained. “The cave is just beyond it.”
We turned the corner in a huddled group, so close together that Navid almost collided with Adara when she stopped abruptly. I had thought myself inured to the wonders inside the cave by my previous exposure, but it still made me catch my breath. In the span of less than two days I had already forgotten how much of it there was, the overwhelming reality robbing me of coherent thought for a moment.