Chapter 38

  Titus had held his breath as they walked into the tavern, but to his relief there were only four saviors sitting at a single table – each one seemingly nursing a hangover. His heavy exhale got a curious glance from Snow before they both walked over to the bar and ordered some food.

  Despite the two of them sitting side by side again, Titus was unsure if Snow had indeed forgiven him. The fact that Snow wasn’t scowling or berating him or otherwise acting like… well, Snow, was starting to gnaw at him. It made him wonder what Snow had gone through before arriving here. A bitter thought then entered his mind.

  “Did Lia make it here?” Titus asked before he could stop himself.

  “She did. She’s sleeping,” Snow replied without looking at him.

  Titus let out another breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He wanted to ask if they were camping out in the woods or had a place to stay, but he bit down on his tongue. He didn’t want to launch into what might look like an interrogation and provoke suspicion. It was clear that Snow was still weighing everything he had said in the street, and he wanted him to see that he meant every word. That there were no more secrets, and no more hesitancy. But trust was lost, and Titus knew it would take time to get it back.

  Silence grew between them until plates and pints of cider arrived. Only after having a long drink did Snow say, “tell me about this plot.”

  Titus gave a brief look back over his shoulder at the saviors before beginning the tale. He told Snow everything, from Kern’s suspicious behavior on the road to the strange conversation in an empty room. He took a long draught himself before telling Snow how he couldn’t find Axl when the inn was on fire, but that he was sure the captain wasn’t involved in this mysterious plot.

  “Sounds like the fire was a cover… to kill you both and make it look like an accident,” Snow said in between bites.

  “That was my thought too,” Titus nodded before finally digging into his plate.

  “Kern could have been tying up someone’s loose ends… someone who likely knows a little magic. It would explain how he was talking with someone.”

  Titus nodded as he took a hefty bite. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until now, but he wouldn’t let his eyes stray too far from Snow’s face. He was still searching that brooding look for any hint of the emotions beneath.

  “How long have you been here?” Snow asked.

  Titus swallowed hard before replying, “I just arrived last night.” He discretely gestured back towards the saviors and lowered his voice. “There was a dozen of them in here crowding out the locals. I heard what they did too.”

  Snow nodded slowly. “The saviors seem to have a new focus on the old ways and religions.”

  “You think it has something to do with what Kern was doing?” Titus asked.

  “Maybe.”

  Steps started coming towards the bar and Titus looked up, prepared to stand the line this time. Even if a dozen armed men stood before him, Titus swore to himself that he would stand with Snow no matter what.

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  But when he saw Max, a new worry instantly cropped up. His mouth fell open as he wondered how Snow would take him being friendly with another savior.

  “Hey,” Max said.

  Titus was attempting a reply when Snow spoke up first.

  “Max, this is Titus.”

  Titus’s head spun so fast he was surprised he didn’t pull a muscle.

  “I know. We met before, and again last night,” Max replied as he took the seat next to Titus.

  “Wait, how do you two know each other?” Titus couldn’t stop himself from asking as he continued to look between the two of them in disbelief.

  “Friend of a friend,” Snow grumbled between bites.

  “Something like that,” Max agreed. Neither one looked particularly happy with those facts.

  Titus rubbed the back of his head as he looked to Snow, whose eyes were still focused on some distant thought. “How long have you been here?”

  “Long enough,” he replied.

  “Too long,” Max grumbled at the same time.

  Titus looked between the two of them once more. There was clearly some tension, but whatever it was, both seemed to be trying to sweep it under the rug.

  “I want you to know that half the men left this morning,” Max said.

  “Where to?” Snow turned to him and Titus could see the sobering concern in his eyes.

  “Vernin,” Max replied with the same look.

  Titus felt there was more being said in those few sentences than meets the eye, and he hoped for some kind of explanation. Snow had stopped eating his lunch and sat squarely focused on Max.

  “To do what, exactly? Vernin is outside Korinth’s borders.”

  “They’ve heard rumors that the elders find… concerning,” Max replied.

  Snow cursed under his breath.

  “Someone want to explain to me what’s going on?” Titus asked them both.

  Snow’s hands clenched on the counter and Titus noticed that he had been without his gloves this whole time. He wondered if they had been lost somewhere along the way or if this was some hint at Snow’s state of mind. Those gloves had always looked like a barrier, something that held back the magic in his hands since Snow had always discarded them before working a resurrection or facing a true fight. Titus knew they didn’t actually stop magic thanks to Snow’s displays in Erbin, but perhaps they stood in as a mental reminder to keep himself in check, to keep the displays of power to a minimum. Without them, it seemed as if Snow had a new philosophy… a world be damned one.

  Titus watched those bare hands a moment before Max began to explain.

  “Your friend here and I both know Sage, the high priestess to the Temple of Ilone. And it seems Sage also knows about the Lord of Vernin and his secret. When I told her about the troops moving, she told me about him.”

  Titus looked to Snow for the rest, but the magician’s apparent anger had yet to subside. He sat still with eyes across the bar as if weighing out some frustrating matter.

  “What’s the secret?” Titus asked Snow.

  Again, it was Max who answered, “He’s been hiding the fact that he’s a vampire.”

  Titus looked back at Max in disbelief. Vernin was a peaceful and prosperous place. He had heard a story about vampires attempting to take over the land, but the ruling family had revolted and defeated them. At their worst, the stories mentioned a few powerful magicians helping to defeat the monsters, but none said the ruling family lord was a vampire.

  Max nodded in response to Titus’s incredulous look.

  “That’s where I was taking Lia,” Snow spoke up.

  Titus looked back to Snow as the pieces started to come together. Snow knew the lord was secretly a vampire because Snow was one of those magicians.