"He's bluffing," Mira said, though her voice lacked full conviction. "He can't possibly know we're here."
"He doesn't need to know," Gad said, watching the distant camp for any sign of movement toward their position. "He's shouting into the open air, hoping the boy's guilt does his work for him."
Corwin's face had gone pale, hands trembling. "What if he actually has my sister down there. What if that's real."
"It's probably real," Bellan said grimly. "Vesk doesn't strike me as someone who bluffs without purpose. If he's captured travelers matching descriptions, he's likely holding at least a few of them exactly as he claims."
Gad forced himself to think clearly despite the pull of Vesk's voice still echoing faintly across the valley. "We're not walking into that camp. Not directly, not
