THIRTY
Xylander passed the spot three times where the track ended before he'd thought to push at what appeared to be an impenetrable hedge. Lo and behold, it was in fact a thin screen of branches fastened to a sackcloth frame that swung open at a touch.
The cottage and the mine beyond were exactly as they had appeared in Guinevere's mirror, which meant the bruises he'd seen on Zurine's face had not been a lie.
How dare any man strike her – the heir to the throne, no less! As if stealing salt were not treason enough. When Zurine was safely home in her castle, he would lead a troop of guards back here to deal justice in its most brutal form.
He dismounted, leading his horse into a hidden dell on the other side of the screen, out of sight of both the cottage and the mine. He was a hunt
