"Where have you been,"
Geryl huffed. I went to the castle.
Lara stared at her as if she'd misheard.
"You what?"
Yes, I was with a woman called Akira, apparently she is the sorcerer's right hand. That woman has a talent for naming stray cats. Pennijy. Terrible name.
"What happened?" she whispered.
Akira has set a trap for the king's army.
Lara blinked. "A trap?"
Geryl hopped onto her lap.
In the Hidden Valley. The mountains there are unstable. She's stationed men along the ridgeline. Once Thornak's soldiers enter, they'll bring the rocks down and bury every last one.
Lara felt her stomach twist.
There's more. Akira has a pendant, a blue crystal, she calls it the echo crystal.
Lara shot to her feet, nearly knocking Geryl off. "I need to inform Thornak at once."
She burst from the tent. The nearest guard straightened.
"Where is the king?"
"His Majesty left with Prince Kael," the guard replied. "They followed the other guards."
