The mule, 'Hemlock's Shadow,' carried me silently along the dirt path. It was an awkward ride, but faster and quieter than my own boots.
I reached the ruined chapel just as the last sliver of moon vanished.
He was waiting. The boy stood at the archway. He wore the same dark cloak, and the crimson in his eyes was cold and impatient.
'I knew it, he was The Broker.'
"You're late," he hissed, his voice slicing through the silence.
"I had to steal a mule," I retorted, dismounting. I pulled the heavy gate key from my waistband and tossed it into the dust. "The gate is unlocked. We proceed to the rendezvous."
He didn't acknowledge the key. He just stared at the mule, then at me, assessing my commitment. "You actually secured a transport. Foolish, but thorough. Lead the way, anomaly."
'He agreed to follow me willingly without any explanation?'
