As he sat across from his boss

Everyone believes the Thorn girl left them to die in the tunnels, Graven answered, smiling at the men, thanks to the confession she gave you before she died so tragically of her injuries. But Wilkes, where’d they really go? Cal asked. Those kids saw us, they saw our faces. It doesn’t matter, Graven said. Three little girls, out there, and he gestured to the windows, on their own? They’ve either run as far north as the Ringing Trees, or, if we’re lucky, they’re dead. His mouth twitched in a small smile. And if they do come crawling back, no one will believe a word they say. Not even the King, boss? I think he would believe his own kids. Not unless he can do it from the grave. And Wilkes? Yeah, boss? Leave the thinking to me. Graven reached for a rolled scroll on the table, and with a flick of his wrist dismissed the men. He unrolled the parchment and began reading, but as Wilkes and Cal were just through the door he said, Leave one. Cal hesitated, frightened. Was this the trap? Had the old man known they’d been lying about the girl the whole time and now one of them had to stay for punishment? It would be him, too. He just knew it. The old man would probably decide to keep him in a cage, like his creepy bird, or maybe he’d even feed him to the stupid bird. This was bad. Real bad, he thought, slithering behind Wilkes. If only he knew what the old man was talking about. But Wilkes knew what Graven wanted. He tipped his head in apology and handed the basket back to the old man. Sorry, sir. Graven’s mouth twisted in irritation. He removed one of the poisoned muffins from the basket and wrapped it in a separate cloth. When he handed the basket back to Wilkes, he was smiling. The young man relaxed as he headed outside with Cal. He assumed the smile was for him. It wasn’t. Graven sat behind the large table for sometime after the two imbeciles had gone, smiling into the darkness. His eyes gleamed with hope for the future. A future where he was King, crowned in the aftermath of the tragic death of their current sovereign. When the [ http://salesleadsplus.webstarts.com view website] people of Amryn saw what he had done for them, it would happen. No one, not even Ferront, would have a claim as strong as his own. When they realized he had avenged the Neulock boy by putting the villainous fairy to death, that he was the one who had finally put an end to their suffering by punishing the guilty, they would thank him.