Blood God Reborn as the Mudblood Heir

Maera lowered her flame. "Lord Garrick wanted the coffin recovered before the main family hears of it. He did not say we had to remain ignorant."

Another mage spoke carefully. "If the main family discovers we touched a relic without reporting it, Lady Mirena may use it against him."

Lucard’s gaze sharpened.

Mirena.

The name returned like a blade sliding from its sheath.

Maera’s voice became colder. "Lady Mirena uses everything against everyone. That is why Lord Garrick sent us quietly. The less she knows, the better."

Elowen looked confused, but Lucard understood enough.

Velkhur was not one clean wall. It had cracks inside. Garrick had people moving secretly. Mirena had influence. The main family had interests of its own. A blood coffin hidden in the Maw Range was valuable enough to be concealed even from relatives.

Family cracks were easier to widen than stone cracks.

The searchers above began coming back down the ridge. One of them passed near the hiding place again, but his attention remained on the coffin now. Even trained men liked treasures more than shadows after seeing blood crystals rise from a pit.

Maera looked up. "Anything?"

"Only dead lizards and loose stones, my lady."

Her visible eyes narrowed. "Something watched us."

The sword guard bowed his head. "We found no tracks."

"Tracks are for honest feet."

No one answered that.

Maera looked around the ridge for several more breaths. Lucard did not move. Elowen did not move either. She had become pale, but she held herself still.

Finally, Maera turned away.

"Prepare the carrier frame. We leave before sunset."

One mage looked shocked. "We are not opening it?"

"No. The seal answered the flame but did not accept it. If we force it, the pit may swallow us all. Lord Garrick will decide the next step."

The workers brought a heavy frame from the second wagon. It was made of black wood and iron, with six long poles for men to carry. The coffin was pulled out of the red liquid inch by inch and lowered onto the frame. Every place it touched smoked. Workers spread gray powder over the surface, and the smoke lessened.

Lucard studied the powder.

Anti-blood ash, or something similar. Crude, but effective. It slowed the coffin’s hunger. Whoever prepared this expedition knew more than common mages.

Elowen whispered, "Can we leave now?"

"No."

Her eyes widened.

Lucard looked at the coffin. "We follow."

She stared at him as if he had become more frightening than the pit. "Follow them? They have many guards. Mages. That woman. And the coffin eats blood."

"Yes."

"That was not a list of reasons to follow them."

"It was."

She pressed her forehead lightly against the stone and breathed through fear. "You are going to steal it."

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I do not know enough yet."

"You want to know more before stealing it?"

"Yes."

She looked like she regretted every choice that had brought her to him.

Lucard kept watching below.

Maera gave quick orders. The bodies of the drained prisoners were thrown near the pit. The wounded worker was placed in a wagon with no care. The remaining prisoners were kept alive. The mages broke their circles one at a time, careful not to let the red liquid climb after them. The pit settled slowly, but its surface still trembled as if angry that the coffin had been taken.

A horn sounded once from the lower road.

Maera turned toward it. "Scouts?"

A guard ran up from the southern slope and knelt. "My lady, riders from Stoneford moved earlier than expected. The city is spreading news that the baron’s daughter died in the Maw Range."

Elowen’s whole body stiffened beside Lucard.

Maera’s visible eye became thoughtful. "Died?"

"Yes, my lady. Taken by beasts, they say."

"Convenient timing."

The guard lowered his head. "There is more. Lord Garrick’s messenger reached Stoneford this morning. He demanded the girl be presented within three days for travel preparations."

Maera was silent for a moment.

Then she laughed softly.

"Poor old Garrick. First he loses his bride before touching her, and now he must pretend to mourn something he wanted to own."

Elowen’s hands shook.

Lucard’s eyes remained on Maera.

The masked woman continued, "Send a rider to confirm the death. Quietly. If the girl truly died, Lord Garrick will rage but survive. If Aldren Stoneford lied, find where he hid her."

The guard nodded. "Yes, my lady."

Elowen stopped breathing again.

Lucard touched her shoulder once. Not gently. It was a command to remain still.

Maera turned back to the coffin. "Move. We take the northern carrier path. Avoid Stoneford roads. If anything follows, kill it unless it wears Velkhur blood."

The expedition began to move.

Six strong men lifted the coffin frame. Even with six, they struggled. The coffin seemed to weigh more with every step. The mages walked around it with ash bags and sealing rods. Maera walked behind the coffin, not in front, which told Lucard she did not trust the thing she had recovered.

The group moved toward a narrow path on the north side of the basin.

Lucard waited.

He waited until the last wagon turned. He waited until the rear guards moved away. He waited until only the two drained bodies and dead beasts remained near the Blood Pit.

Then he released the concealment circle.

Elowen breathed like someone rising from water.

"You heard her," she whispered. "They will look for me."

"Yes."

"What do we do?"

Lucard looked at the northern path where the coffin had vanished.

"We let them search behind us while we walk behind them."

"That sounds dangerous."

"It is."

"And the coffin?"

Lucard’s gaze stayed on the path.

"The coffin is now the most useful thing in this mountain."

Elowen swallowed. "More useful than me?"

"Yes."

She should have looked offended, but she only looked tired. "At least you are honest."

Lucard stood and looked down at the Blood Pit one last time. The red liquid had become quiet again, but he could feel hunger under its surface. Whatever had been sealed here had left a wound in the land. That wound still wanted blood.