Free Secret of the Giants' Staircase by Amy Lynn Green Page A

“I’ve never seen any assassin, and we’ve been in these parts for weeks now.”
    â€œYou know what I think,” Talia said, green eyes squinting at Jesse in hatred. “Rae and Silas aren’t here at all. They sent him here. To follow us.”
    â€œThat’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Jesse blurted.
    Wrong thing to say. Talia stiffened. “They should have at least come up with a better story. The king determined to kill us! Why, even telling such a lie is treason.”
    Jesse gritted his teeth and tried to remember that he had thought much the same when he’d first heard the truth about the Youth Guard. But at least I was willing to listen to reason .
    â€œGo back to those who sent you,” Nero said, and his voice sounded like a final judgment. He glanced down at Jesse’s crippled leg. “You don’t belong here.”
    Jesse felt his face grow hot under the layers of tar. In Nero’s voice, he heard the taunts of every schoolyard bully, every leering beggar who had reminded him of his crippled leg.
    He did belong here. He had survived a sandstorm, assassins, a cave-in and a fall into a rushing river. He had kept going when others would have turned back, risked his life for his squad members when others would have let them go. I am a Youth Guard member as much as any of them, and probably a better one too.
    Jesse opened his mouth to tell Nero all this, but nothing came out. Anger had taken his voice away.
    â€œCome on, Owen,” Nero commanded.
    â€œActually, no,” Owen said, stepping away from them. “I side with the crazy tar-covered boy.”
    â€œReally?” Jesse blurted.
    Owen gave him a withering look. “You’re not exactly helping my case.”
    â€œFine,” Nero said, quickly recovering from a look of shock. “Talia and I will continue without you.”
    â€œAnd the reward for a completed mission will be ours without you,” Talia added.
    â€œHappy for you,” Owen said, waving. “Let me know where that Giants’ Staircase led to, eh?”
    Talia shot him one last dirty look before she and Nero disappeared into the thickets of the deep swamp.
    â€œThat was your squad,” Jesse said, staring at the redhead in disbelief. “You can’t just leave them.”
    â€œWhat do you mean? I’ve been looking for an excuse to get rid of them for weeks now,” Owen said, waving him away. He held up the arrow. It was empty. “Slipped the tar-strider into Talia’s pack when she wasn’t looking,” he confessed, grinning. “Too bad I won’t be there to see her reaction.”
    Jesse didn’t think it was too bad. In fact, he hoped Nero and Talia would be far, far away by the time that happened. But I doubt they will be . The sun was already setting. In another quarter of an hour, it would be too dark to travel far. Unless Nero and Talia want to chance the Swamps of the Vanished at night .
    He looked back at the tar pit, a distance away and hoped, for their sake, they wouldn’t be so foolish.
    â€œThat was some story you were telling,” Owen said cheerfully, sticking the arrow into a colorfully woven bag on his back. The tip poked out dangerously. “How did you come up with it?”
    â€œEasy,” Jesse said flatly. “It’s true. The king is trying to kill the Youth Guard.”
    Owen stopped and stared at him. “You don’t have to keep it up, you know. As long as you’re headed out of here, I won’t leave you by yourself.”
    â€œThere’s nothing to keep up,” Jesse said, feeling like he was endlessly repeating himself. “It’s true.”
    â€œBut you’re not in the Guard,” Owen said. “At least, I don’t recognize you from the training camp.”
    He seemed to be waiting for a response. “That’s part of the long story I told you about,” Jesse said, not