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street. He mentally repeated the instructions as he went and kept his eyes open for the first intersection where he needed to turn.
    The farther away Cole went from the river, the less fanciful the buildings appeared. Although he continued to spot bizarre people, the city itself began to look more normal.
    He came to Lorona Fountain without missing a turn. The fountain served as the centerpiece of a modest plaza bordered by narrow streets and the plastered walls of residential buildings. Four cherubic statues played in the basin. Three of the pudgy cherubs clutched a shell in each hand, while the central one held a single shell over his head. Unlike some of the other statues Cole had seen in East Carthage, these were stationary. Each shell sprayed water.
    The man had been correct. This fountain had seven spouts. Hopefully, that made it unique in East Carthage.
    Cole didn’t see any of his friends. He felt a jolt of worry. What if something had happened to them? Shouldn’t they have had time to get here first? He supposed he had hurried quite a bit with the Jumping Sword. What would he do if they didn’t show up? He became acutely aware of how little he wanted to explore the five kingdoms on his own. In a foreign place like Elloweer, he would feel totally adrift.
    Not wanting to look too conspicuous, he went and sat on a bench in the shade. Before long, his weariness began to catch up with him. The gentle splashing of the fountain didn’t help.
    What were the chances of Ansel or one of his men happening by? Cole surveyed the area carefully. He was on the other side of the city from where Ansel had spotted him. This plaza was relatively small and had little traffic. Joe must have chosen it for its anonymity. Ansel would be watching the main roads and bridges. And he would probably be more focused on West Carthage.
    The longer he sat, the more Cole felt his exhaustion. Should he get up and pace? It would be foolish to doze. How bad would it be to close his eyes for a minute? Nobody else had shown interest in his shady bench, so Cole curled up his legs and leaned against the armrest. The position was dangerously comfortable.
    Shaded from the high sun by a gnarled tree with sprawling branches, the temperature was nearly perfect. The fountain gurgled soothingly. As an experiment, Cole closed his eyes. He knew he should open them and take another peek. But it felt so nice to rest them, and he had just looked around a moment ago.
    â€œGet out of here, you vagrant,” a voice growled in Cole’s ear, jarring him awake.
    Cole leaped to his feet, blearily fumbling for an apology, until he recognized Jace grinning at him. Cole might have thrown a punch if he wasn’t so glad to see him. “You need a new joke.”
    â€œI’ll get one when this stops working,” Jace said. “You’re pretty casual for a wanted man. Pleasant dreams?”
    â€œJust trying to fit in,” Cole said. He looked around. “Where are the others?”
    â€œNot far,” Jace said. “I booked us a few rooms nearby. We can’t wander the town with people after you. We’ll stay near here until Joe shows up.”
    â€œAnsel saw me,” Cole reported. “The slaver—he came after me.”
    â€œI know,” Jace said. “Twitch kept an eye on you. He told us you escaped with the Jumping Sword.”
    â€œHe knew that?” Cole asked.
    â€œTwitch is pretty sneaky,” Jace said. “After watching your getaway, he caught up to me and Mira like it wasn’t much trouble.”
    â€œAnsel promised to hunt me down,” Cole said.
    â€œSounds like a great reason for a public nap,” Jace said. “Come on.”

C HAPTER
    Â 6 
    KASORI
    H alfway down a quiet side street, a few blocks from Lorona Fountain, the modest inn stood three stories tall. Light blue shutters covered the windows. Not flashy, not dumpy, it looked like dozens of other buildings Cole had