Heirs of the Enemy by Richard S. Tuttle Read Free Book Online

guarded, and Zachary is not fit for the task. If he was being chased, he would never be able to escape.”
    Tanya and Arik exchanged knowing glances, but neither of them spoke.
    “What are you not telling us?” asked Alex.
    “Something that has never been spoken of in this city,” the king said as he placed his fork on the desk and pushed the plate away. “After the Battle of Tagaret, most of the heroes returned to their homes, but Zalaharic remained in the city for several months. He and Zachary became very good friends. When the elven healer learned of Zachary’s disability, and the pain it caused our spymaster to be confined to a desk, he attempted to heal Zack.”
    “Was he successful?” asked Alex.
    “He was,” nodded the king, “but we agreed to keep it a secret. Everyone knows that Zachary is our spymaster, but our enemies do not focus on him other than to see who he is meeting with if they can. By keeping his healing secret, Zack has been able to surprise many of our foes. They look upon him as an invalid, and that mistake has been fatal for quite a few Snakes.”
    “I understand,” Alex replied. “Neither Jenneva nor I will breathe a word of it. You have our promise.”
    “I would not have said anything today if I did not already know how you would respond,” smiled the king.
    “Why did you mention it?” asked Jenneva. “You could have continued to keep us in the dark.”
    “Because he wants Zachary to return to Zara with us,” stated Alex. “Am I wrong, Arik?”
    “You are perceptive as always, Alex,” replied the king. “He and I have already discussed this, and I think he is our only chance of getting the information we need. We agreed not to discuss it further until we heard from you, but your news from Zara did not answer the questions we need the most.”
    “What of his work here?” asked Jenneva. “He is invaluable as Alcea’s spymaster.”
    “Prince Oscar will assume the duties,” answered the king. “He will work closely with Larc to handle what needs to be done. We will miss Zachary, but we need that information from Zara. I would like Jenneva to agree to the mind probe, but I will not order her to do so. I understand that it is something that she does not enjoy, but it would be helpful for Zack when they walk through the portal.”
    “They?” questioned Alex. “Who else is going?”
    “Will Stanton and Terris Orba.”
    “Spiders? Why them?”
    “I do not even want the Rangers to know about Zack,” answered the king. “The secret must be kept for as long as possible.”
    “Terris is a redhead, and Will is black,” frowned Alex. “They are both exceptional men, but I would have thought that Zachary would want to keep a low profile. The three of them together will stand out quite a bit merely because they will be memorable.”
    “I agree,” sighed the king, “but they are the best suited for the task.”
    “Are all three to be mind-probed?” asked Jenneva. “I am not comfortable with this.”
    “Call for Zachary,” Alex said. “If we are discussing this, he should be involved.”
    The king nodded and rang a bell. The door opened and a Red Sword entered. Arik sent the man in search of Zachary Nolan and a few minutes later the spymaster joined them in the study. Alex looked at Jenneva before speaking, and she nodded slightly.
    “I can supply you with two men in Zara,” offered Alex. “They are both native Vinaforans, and they will be loyal to Alcea. Is that acceptable?”
    “Are they skilled?” asked Zachary.
    “They were caravan warriors when I met them last year,” answered Alex. “Their courage is spoken for. They helped me infiltrate the Royal Palace in Waxhaw, and I spent many a night sparring with them. They are good warriors, and they have the aptitude to play a role, but you might need to train them in that area. More importantly, they understand the culture of the Federation in ways that Jenneva will not be able to help you to know.”
    “I