He heard temper that was chained—but not for long. Not if he said the wrong thing. Talon outranked all of them, had centuries of fighting experience, and had locked them all in a room with the strongest predator in Dena Nehele.
Had lockedhim in a room with the strongest predator.
“I took Cassidy to Eyota, to the boardinghouse,” Ranon said.
Gray snarled and took a step toward him.
Powell raised his head and stared at him.
He didn’t want to turn his back on Talon, but Gray was the more volatile threat, so he faced the Warlord Prince who had been a friend—and might now be an enemy.
“She was going to leave us, Gray,” he said quickly, wanting them to hear him, to know why he made this choice before someone’s temper snapped the leash. “She was going to leave all of us. When I went up to her suite to check on her, her trunks were packed. She was going back to Dharo.”
“She wouldn’t leave without telling me,” Gray said too softly as he took another step toward Ranon. “She wouldn’t leave without me.”
“I had to get her out of here, get her hidden so she would feel safe. I promised to come back and tell you, and I have, Gray. As soon as I got her settled at the boardinghouse, I came back. To talk to you. All of you.”
“You should have talked to us first,” Talon growled.
“Maybe I should have.” Ranon turned enough to address Talon and still keep track of Gray. “But she was focused on getting out of this house. I did what the Queen needed, rather than what the court required.”Sweet Darkness, please let Talon understand the difference.
“She’s sick,” Shira said, her voice oddly hollow. “She tried to hide it, but there’s so much pain in her it’s like a poison. She knew I could feel it. That’s why she stopped coming to me for help. She didn’t want anyone sensing that pain.”
“As Steward, I must censure Prince Ranon for not informing the Master of the Guard that he was taking the Queen away from the protection of her escorts,” Powell said quietly. “However, I also applaud the speed in which he acted on the Queen’s behalf—and on the court’s behalf. And I’m wondering if, despite the reason it came about, this might not be a good thing.”
They all turned toward Powell.
“How so?” Talon asked.
Powell pulled on one earlobe. “From the day she formed her court, Cassidy has been hobbled by Theran’s resistance to every attempt she has made to be a Queen to our people. He brought her here, so we have deferred to him, letting him dictate what she could and could not do. But I, for one, would like to see what Cassidy can do as our Queen without those hobbles.”
I’d like to see that too,Ranon thought.
“So,” Powell said. “Are we moving the Queen’s residence to the boardinghouse? If that’s the case, some work will need to be done to some of the rooms.”
“Is that what we’re talking about?” Archerr looked at Ranon. “A permanent move to a Shalador reserve?”
“I don’t know,” Ranon replied, feeling the need to tread carefully. “I just wanted to get her away from Kermilla and those Dharo bastards so Cassidy could rest without having that bitch in her face every time she turned around.”
“Why haven’t we booted Lady Kermilla out of Dena Nehele?” Shaddo asked.
“Or buried her,” Spere said.
“Because she’s a Queen from Kaeleer and a guest in this house,” Talon said. “And despite the pain her presence causes Cassidy, Kermilla hasn’t done anything to justify execution.”
“However, Kermillawas involved in something that harmed Cassidy back in Dharo,” Powell said. “Something that made her feel she was less of a Queen.”
“The whip that drives Cassie,” Gray said softly.
“Gray?” Ranon said just as softly. The blankness faded from Gray’s eyes, replaced by a steely anger.
“When I went up to the Keep to talk to the High Lord, he said the whip that drives Cassie was shaped before she arrived in Dena Nehele—and left scars. That’s why she drained herself too much and got hurt. She was trying to prove she could be a good Queen.”
“I think we all have a good idea now whose hand held that whip,” Talon said, his voice rumbling like icy gravel.
“All the more reason to keep Lady Cassidy away from this house while Theran’s guest is in residence,” Shira said.
Talon looked at Powell, who nodded.
“All right,” Talon said. “We’ll go to Eyota, and we’ll go with the assumption we won’t be coming back to Grayhaven, whether we stay in that village or not. And we have to move fast.”
“Yes,” Powell said. “It would be best if we depart before Theran realizes Cassidy is gone. And it would be best not to leave any of the court’s records behind.”
A long beat of silence.
“What are you saying?” Ranon asked.
“That for a Queen who rules a small village in another Realm and is supposed to be a guest, Lady Kermilla is asking inappropriate questions about the tithes a Queen here could expect.” Powell looked at Talon, whose mouth thinned to a grim line.
Watching the two men, Ranon wondered what else the Steward might be telling the Master of the Guard.
“We work the same way as if we needed to make a fast move from one camp to another,” Talon said. “Grab your personal gear first. Make sure you take what you don’t want to lose. That goes for all of you. Bardric, Cayle, and Radley, you’re in charge of getting our horses and tack. Get them saddled and down to the gate. Use aural shields around their feet to keep the hooves silent.”
“Done,” Cayle said, looking at Bardric and Radley, who both nodded.
“Archerr. Spere. You’ll give Shira a hand packing up the Healer’s supplies.” Talon looked at the Healer. “We can’t take anything that belongs to this house, only what you’ve acquired on behalf of the court.”
“Understood,” Shira said, getting to her feet.
“Shaddo—”
“The honey pears,” Gray said, breaking whatever Talon was about to say. “We aren’t leaving the honey pears withher. ”
“We can’t take them all, Gray,” Ranon said.
A slashing look was Gray’s only response.
“Shaddo, you give Gray a hand,” Talon said. “The honey pear that was planted in the wish pot stays here. Gray, if you’d feel easier taking the other twelve, then bring them. Ranon, once you pack your gear, you’ll give Powell a hand with the court papers.”
“Yes, sir,” Ranon said.
“Burne. Haele. You back up anyone who needs help. And keep watch. No reason to think the guests will be up this early, but I want the rest of you on your way before I inform Theran.”
“You’re going to tell him?” Powell asked.
“He’s Cassidy’s First Escort,” Talon replied. “He needs to know where his Queen is residing. And there are a few other things Prince Grayhaven needs to know.”
They all heard the threat under the words.
“Move,” Talon said.
“A moment of your time, Talon,” Powell said, rising.
“We’ll talk while you start packing.”
The men rose and slipped out of the room, warriors breaking camp.
Ranon waited, wanting a moment to talk to Shira, but she looked at Gray, who was lingering, and shook her head.
*Pack up my things along with yours,* she said.
*Is there anything private I shouldn’t touch?* Ranon asked.
*Like personal supplies?*
She found it amusing that a warrior who didn’t flinch when looking at the carnage of a battlefield got skittish around clean moontime supplies. He didn’t find it amusing at all.
He winced. *I meant hourglass supplies.*
*No,* she replied, all amusement gone. *What is private I carry with me.*
He nodded as she left the room. Which left him alone with Gray.
“She was really leaving?” Gray asked, his eyes full of hurt bewilderment. “Without me?”
“She’s confused, Gray.” He couldn’t think of any other way to say it, so he said it straight out. “She thought you were going to fall in love with Kermilla.”
Gray’s eyes widened. “Why would she think that? Did I do something?”
Ranon shook his head. “Theran’s been making such an ass of himself, I guess Cassidy figured the rest of us were attracted to Kermilla too.”
Gray shuddered. Ranon shared the feeling.
“Come on,” Ranon said. “We’ve got to pack up and get out.”
“Ranon?” Gray did a nervous shuffle from one foot to the other.
“What?”
“You didn’t invite her to this meeting, so which one of us is going to tell Vae?”
“What’s on your mind, Powell?” Talon asked as soon as they were alone in the Steward’s office.
“Were you aware that Theran has been driving Kermilla all around town, introducing her to the aristo families here and . . .” Powell cleared his throat and suddenly got busy stacking account ledgers into neat piles before vanishing them.
“And . . . ?” Talon prodded. When Powell didn’t answer, anger began to simmer under a reluctance to understand. “He’s introducedher as the Queen?”
“Not directly,” Powell said. “I believe he’s introduced her as a Queen from Dharo and has not corrected people who made the wrong assumption.”
“What kind of game is he playing?”What kind of game did I allow him to play? Cassidy’s pain—and the fact that it ran so deep she’d been ready to run—was as much his fault as Theran’s.
Powell sighed. Calling in some small slips of paper, he handed them to Talon. “Kermilla wanted to do some shopping. Theran ordered the merchants to open accounts for her since she hadn’t brought sufficient marks with her to pay for extra expenses. So she said.”
