Her Knight's Quest: A Warriors of the Mist Novel by Alexis Morgan Page B

cannot recall how he came to be there, much less his own name. He picked Sigil because I told him we’d recognized him as the duke’s man by the symbol he’d been wearing when he took the blow intended for me.”
    “And you believe him?”
    Murdoch stared past Gideon toward the trooper’s room. “He certainly has every reason to lie about it. He knows he will stand judgment for the crimes he has committed in the duke’s name.”
    The trembling in his knees worsened. It was time to get back to his room while he could still make it that far on his own. “However, I think Sigil is telling the truth as he knows it.”
    Gideon looked disgusted. They both knew he didn’t need any more complications, and the duke’s man was definitely that. “Whether or not he’s telling the truth, keep a close watch on him. The man didn’t become an officer without a willingness to kill in the duke’s name.”
    Murdoch slowed again, finally stopping to lean against the wall once more. “Yes, but it’s also true that he saved Alina from Fagan, and me as well. I hate that I owe him a debt of honor, but that doesn’t change the fact that I do.”
    Gideon shared his frustration. “What would you have me do? We cannot allow him to wander freely in the keep. One act of mercy cannot absolve him of everything that went before.”
    And if anyone understood that, it was the Damned. After Murdoch and the others had failed in their duty centuries ago, the gods had allowed them to redeem their honor by serving as their avatars. The price they’d paid for such a boon was the knowledge that someday they would face final judgment, either finding peace in the halls of their forefathers or eternal damnation. There was no middle ground. With that in mind, Murdoch considered their two options regarding Sigil: keep him or kill him.
    A tough choice. Killing a nameless enemy in battle was hard enough, but the more time they spent with Sigil, the harder it would be to order his death. Murdoch also suspected Alina, with her tender heart, would be devastated if it came to that. She saw the man as heroic for saving their lives. She wouldn’t appreciate nursing the man back to health just so the Damned could execute him soon thereafter.
    “For now, let’s give him a day or two more to see what happens. If his memories come back, we’ll deal with him the same way we would have any of Keirthan’s other men. If they don’t, we’ll keep an eye on him and see if we can put him to use against his former master.”
    Gideon didn’t look any happier about the situation than Murdoch was.
    “Let’s get you back to your bed.”
    Murdoch pushed himself off the wall and shuffled forward. He knew his friend would lend him support if he needed it, but a man had his pride. He’d make it back to his bed on his own if it killed him.
    And right now, it felt as if it just might.
    *  *  *
    Sigil shifted in his narrow bed, trying to find a more comfortable position. He’d been lying there too long, his body stiff and sore from inactivity. There was also the stress that came from trying to look calm while two warriors stood out in the hall and discussed whether or not to kill him.
    Perhaps they thought they were far enough away that he couldn’t hear them, but he doubted it. He might not know who he was, but he was certain about a few things. One was that he was used to trusting his instincts when it came to judging the nature of a man’s character.
    There was something different about Gideon and Murdoch, and even that younger one who was clearly part of their inner circle. It was more than the easy camaraderie of men who served together. He’d been too caught up in his own predicament at first to notice that all three of them had the same freakishly pale eyes.
    Given their very different physical appearances and builds, it was doubtful that it came from a shared bloodline, which left only one explanation. They’d been marked by magic, but what kind he