Sorry. My orders are to kill you

Rumbold's pupils contracted. He couldn't sense the auras of Murktooth, Caleb, or Jarod—proof that Orion was far stronger than Rumbold had imagined, stronger even than Rumbold himself.

"Lord Orion," Rumbold said, "now I understand why my master regards you as a true friend."

Orion answered with only a faint smile, ignoring the flattery.

"Honestly, I'm kind of looking forward to this. Those three lords are each plotting their own angle. Something's bound to go down between them."

It was both an intuition and an oddly exciting expectation. Deep down, Orion now understood why strategists love weaving schemes—watching your opponents stumble into your plans is one heck of a confidence boost, and he was more than a little hooked on the feeling.