The Traitor A. Lombardo (best thriller novels to read TXT) 📖

out the first set of guards. At the bottom of the stairwell, more guards cornered me—too many. Nola ordered my imprisonment.”

“You had to be working with someone, or someone followed you or . . .” He shook his head, visibly sorting the different possibilities. “This does not make sense. Well, I find this all impossible. You may not know who took Iver, but you were not alone. Someone else was there, helping you.” Dresnor’s brow furrowed. “There had to be.”

It was difficult to recall every second of that moment, but the sound of a voice whispering—run boy, fly away, came to mind. “Keegan,” Kai suggested with a bit of uncertainty. “He stands the most to gain. He wants this war. He broke me out of my cell, put me on a ship. He is on his way here as we speak; he plans to assassinate Roark and make it look like it was the work of Katori. He is intent on starting another great world war.”

The confused look on Dresnor’s face coincided with Kai’s feelings. Keegan was a crazy man, and it was up to Kai to put an end to this war before it started. “Look, Dresnor, before I turn myself in, I want to see Rayna one last time.”

“Turn yourself in?” Dresnor cocked his head. “I thought you were innocent?”

“I am,” Kai reassured him, “but somehow between now and everyone reaching Diu, I must find proof. Maybe I can find my father’s body and the person who took him. I must stop this war before it starts, before minds are too clouded with hate and power nobody remembers or cares about the truth.” Kai thought about his time on the vessel. He had searched every part of the warship. If Iver had been there, Keegan’s ego would have been keen to gloat. “His body was not on Keegan’s ship, not that I saw, which means Iver could still be here on the mainland.”

“You obviously have a plan . . . So, let’s hear it.”

The look between them darkened, giving Kai an eerie feeling. Did his Kempery-man dare share his thoughts? Not that he had much of a plan, only the makings of one. “I must go to Henley. I need Drew by my side. He needs to know the truth, and maybe he can help me search. Find Iver’s body and proving Nola’s guilt is the only way to stop Diu and Katori from tearing each other apart.” He knew this could be the biggest mistake of my life, but he had little to lose. “Then I hope to go to Chenowith before reuniting with Rayna. She is with my grandfather.”

“So,” Dresnor chuckled, “this grandfather character, he does exist? I was sure he was another lie?”

“Of course, he is real. What did you think I made him up to trick you?” Kai realized what he said, and Dresnor’s eye roll confirmed it. He had lied a lot. “I am sorry, Dresnor, my stories were for a good reason. I wanted to travel to Katori and get to know my mother’s people, and they would never let an outsider enter. I had no choice but to leave you behind.”

The wheels spun behind Dresnor’s curious eyes. “What would you have me do? There is no way you can go to all those places before Roark or Nola catch you. It’s well over two hundred miles from here to Diu city. Four days in the saddle, and you have no horse. Two-and-a-half days by ship, and you have no vessel.”

There had been little time to develop a strategy—Kai wished Tolan were here. He was the strategist, the man who could see events unfold without visions from Alenga. This felt like a chess game, and he was out of practice. The crashing waves beat the beach, and the making of a plan came together.

“I need you to convince Admiral Roark to meet me outside of Diu city on the bridge over Stone River, below the dam. Tell him I mean to surrender, but only with everyone present. Say in four days. If he is already planning to hunt me down, he need not look anywhere but on that bridge. It is good he is already planning to bring his army; we will need an army if we mean to take back Diu. Milnos men have overrun the city, and I plan to stop them. But neither Milnos nor Katori is the real threat; Keegan and his Caroco men are.”

Dresnor’s eyes narrowed, pondering the request. “How am I to convince Admiral Roark not to kill you on sight? If I am honest, I nearly killed you myself when I found you. Our history is the only reason you are not dead or in chains. I needed to know why you killed your father. I hoped you would confide in me and tell me where you hid Iver. Now you tell me this foolishness, that you are not Iver’s son. Your new truth makes me trust you even less.”

The realization that everyone wanted to see him dead made it clear how unlikely anyone would trust him again. “I did not kill my father, I told you, Nola made me hold the knife . . . she was the one who drove the blade into Iver.” The words twisted in his mouth. “Please, Dresnor, you must trust me. Tell Admiral Roark that Landon Panier means to become the next king of Milnos. Remind him that Tolan, his son, was meant to wear the crown in my stead. I pray his son is well. Also, if there are a legion of Milnos men in Diu, doing her bidding, maybe he should question Nola before he seizes me.”

“No, I don’t owe you anything.” Dresnor moved away from Kai. “You lied to me more than once. How do I know you are not lying now?” his distrustful expression only intensified as he raised his sword and aimed at Kai’s chest.