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

“What is the point of searching, we should be running away?” Rayna asked. “If we cannot find Iver’s body, we are finished. How do we find a dead man?”

The question fell on Kai like a ton of bricks. His life, and now possibly Rayna’s, depended on him proving his innocence. “There is only one place to find the dead—a cemetery. If you want to hide a body, do it in plain sight. Stash it where everybody goes, but blinded in their own grief they +-do not see. Iver would just be one more dead man. There are two graveyards in Port Anahita and three in Diu. Sabastian and Kendra are searching Diu and Thade Mountain. We will check Port Anahita and the forest below Diu, but I must go back to Diu alone if we cannot find my father. I will not risk your life for my choices. You must travel to Katori to tell them what happened and to prepare for whatever comes next.”

His words were final, and he made sure his tone implied there was no room for discussion. Rayna stayed silent, and he regretted his tone. A small part of him wished she had challenged him; however, they both knew the likelihood of finding the person who was there the night Iver died and took his body was slim to none. And running was no life either.

Chapter 18

Graveyards

Above the dreary weather, Kai flew. The clear blue skies above the clouds felt serine, but he could not fly forever. Feeling rejuvenated, he was surprised when they reached Port Anahita within less than an hour.

Below him, the thick clouds dumped a mix of snow and rain on Port Anahita. Small breaks revealed a dark, sad city hiding from the weather, much like hiding from his troubles. Lost in the melancholy moment, Kai almost did not notice Rayna shivering; she was cold. The fire built within his body and filled the well in his throat. Resisting the urge to belch, he let the heat wash back down his throat. He felt Rayna squeeze his warm neck.

The view of Port Anahita from the sky must have been exhilarating, but Kai could not find pleasure in his descent. Outside of town, he drifted through the clouds toward a large cluster of snow-covered pine trees. Not wanting to leave giant dragon prints in the snow, he transformed mid-fall before he landed. Rayna clutched his neck tighter than he expected.

Rayna secured her thick coat around her neck. “Well, at least it stopped raining.”

The lining in his coat, borrowed from Robert, left him wishing he’d taken something different. “We need to make this quick. We have little time left.”

They walked hand-in-hand through the trees and down the small hill. The wet snow clung to his boots, soaking the leather. The cold never bothered him until today—now it seemed like everything added to the guilt he carried.

When they reached the road, he looked both ways; no riders approached. Every moment they could go without seeing anyone felt like a gift, much like the persistent storm clouds. If he did not know better, he would swear they were the handiwork of a Weathervane, an advantage to conceal his movements. But could I be so lucky?

“There are two cemeteries,” Kai pointed as they veered right at the fork in the road. “This older cemetery is rather large since the Battle of Port Anahita and the many casualties buried after the fight.” At least, he hoped that would be the case.

She nodded. “Agreed. We should go there first, because it is the most likely candidate.”

Over the next crest, the rolling cemetery hillside came into view. At the gates, they saw Diu soldiers stopping mourners, lifting cowls and hats. Others ordered cemetery workers to dig up and open freshly interred caskets while they poked around at the remains. The macabre scene of disturbing the dead made Kai’s skin crawl.

What are they searching for?

No sooner did he think it than it hit him. These men were searching for the same thing he was—Iver.

Rayna pulled him down another path away from the cemetery. “What do we do now?”

“We cannot risk these men being able to identify me.” He answered her question, and then asked his own. “Do they really think I stashed my father here? They must. Why else would they search the dead?”

Rayna’s stomach grumbled. Kai turned and motioned toward the left. “You need food, and we should get disguises. Maybe we can get some information from the locals.”

“Disguises?” Rayna squeezed his arm. “Do you believe anyone would recognize me? You certainly, but I am nobody.”

At first, Kai thought Rayna might be right; maybe he was over exaggerating their notoriety. Around the next bend in the path, they neared an outlying building. There was a large poster with their faces sketched in vivid detail pinned to the whitewashed wood next to the image of the King. It was labeled—murdered and missing. There was no denying they were wanted criminals and Nola was searching for them both.

Given the extensive distribution of wanted posters, he began to wonder if their trip was a fool’s errand. And yet, it made him wonder if Nola had soldiers searching for Iver; there was still a chance Kai could find his father first.

Like any good spy, Kai had to acquire the necessary items to disguise their identities. The idea of stealing left a hollow pit in his stomach, but then Riome would say it was the life of a spy. In service to the King, she saw it as a small price to pay by the citizens. He found ground coffee and black tea from one establishment, and from another, he borrowed—to use her term—white flour.

“We need