He spent too much time lifting heavy things and not enough time running.
“I don’t really see that happening,” Jarrod admitted. “Where are your buddies?”
“Listen to me,” the man said, still breathing hard. “We have your little friend, understand?”
Jarrod menaced him. “What’s that?”
“The little sorcerer,” he said. “Daelle.”
“Keep talking,” said Jarrod.
The man took a few deep breaths. “I don’t have to tell you a damned thing.”
“I beg to differ,” said Jarrod, nodding to his sword.
“You don’t know where she is,” the tattooed man said, “and they’re going to do some pretty nasty things to her until you get there. So you can kill me, or not. But if you kill me, you’ll never find her, and that’s bad for her.”
Jarrod let his guard down carefully. “If I go with you, you’ll let her go?”
“I
