Chapter 23 · Ash Ledger - Chapter 23: Signals for Traitors

"She dies now." Cullen had his knife out before I made it to the courtyard. "Or you explain why there's border scout marks all over that map."

Mara stood three feet from the map table. Her hands were empty, but her weight was already shifting. She'd put a blade through his eye before he closed the distance.

"Stand down," I said.

Cullen didn't move. "That's an enemy scout, sir. She put those marks there."

"She read them." I stepped between them. "There's a difference."

"Yeah?" He didn't lower the knife. "What difference is that?"

"The one that keeps you alive when they hit the north wall at dawn."

Bram pushed through the crowd forming behind us. "Ilan's calling muster in the main hall. Says anyone not there in five minutes is refusing orders."

"Perfect timing," Mara muttered.

I looked at Cullen. "You want to stand here and bleed, or you want to know where they're putting the siege engines?"

He finally lowered the knife. "This goes wrong, it's on you."

"Everything's already on me." I turned to the map.