Like everyone in Antora, I feared Lord Endrick, but I'd be a fool not to respect his power. Lord Endrick could not be defeated. He could not be killed or even wounded, certainly not by the Coracks. At best, they were like fleas to him, a persistent irritation, but a pestilence he would eventually crush between his fingers. Sooner than later, I hoped. "Endrick is no ordinary man," I said. "Bring an army of a hundred thousand against him if you want. It will do you no good." "Not yet, my lady. That's where you come in." Almost unwittingly, I sat up straight, shaking my head as fiercely as possible. "What you want cannot be done." Tenger leaned in to me. "It will be done, and you will do it. The Coracks have not yet decided who will replace Endrick as ruler of the Scarlet Throne, but he will be replaced." "You will hang for this." I tilted my head toward Simon, to be sure the message was clear. "All of you." "So you've said." Tenger had probably heard that threat as often as the church bells chimed. "You'll attend our hanging, I assume." "I'll give the executioner his orders, gladly." My voice became ice. It frightened me to hear it, to realize I was capable of such words. Tenger smiled at my threat. "If you fail us, with similar enthusiasm we will execute your servant girl and driver. Only our methods are far more painful, I can promise you that. Now, what do you know about the Olden Blade?" My gut twisted, but I tried not to let my worry show. If the Coracks knew about that dagger, then they needed my help to complete their wicked plans. They intended to make a traitor of me too. If I was not careful, I would hang with them. Excerpted from The Traitor's Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.