"...What?" said Justin.
"I played a different role than the mercenaries who killed the king and queen that night, but I am no less to blame. I accepted the first half of Asher's payment and took Leah to the Gravelands. I fully intended to betray her as planned."
"No," said Justin. "No, when those men kidn*pped her, you went after them for-"
"For reneging on our deal. Those soldiers may not have known it, but they had been sent to strong-arm me so Asher could retain the second half of my payment and get the princess back to Cervice quietly and on his own terms. He was probably worried I would try to leverage our deal for a better one. Smart man. I killed the soldiers he sent because they were robbing me of my wages. As I said, Justin, the man I was, was a cutthroat."
Justin felt a look
