They left the reeds with their heads low. Ronan walked stiffly. Mira supported him by the arm. The two prisoners were tied to a sapling and left where they would sit and watch the river. Scar-Jaw spat mud and called them curses. The other man kept his eyes down.
Lyria felt every step pull her farther from the estate. She thought of Kael and his mother and the Council, and of how fast everything could blow up. The ledger was out there somewhere. The Summit was hours away. Someone was planning to turn this into a spectacle.
Mira moved with business. She checked the rope on Ronan. She stepped up close to Scar-Jaw and hissed, "Tell me the boat man. Who runs this route?"
Scar-Jaw smirked. "You don't know who you're messing with, old woman."
Mira did not smile. She leaned in. Her voice dropped. "Your boss is a dead man if you don't answer. Name him."
