“Leaving?” I watched Brion rush past me, heading for his private room. I followed him, too caught off guard by his behavior to realize what I was doing. “What are you talking about?”
“We’re leaving the capital.” Brion shoved his door, and the wood cracked against the wall. I lifted my hand, catching the door as it bounced back.
The prince pulled a trunk from under his tall bed. He flicked the latch and opened the lid. I watched him walk into his closet and come out with an armful of clothes.
“Why are we leaving?”
“My father has assigned me to search for rebel sympathizers among the nobles outside of the castle.” He threw the clothes into the trunk before moving to repeat the process. “And you’re coming with me.”
“Why?” I asked, still standing in the doorway.
“Because you are my secretary and I said so.” He disappeared into the closet.
“Shouldn’t a servant pack for you?” I eyed the disorganized trunk. The expensive fabric should be folded to avoid wrinkles.
“There’s no time.” He emerged with two pairs of boots. “We leave tonight.”
Tonight?
“Surely, the king will allow you to wait until tomorrow morning.” I didn’t understand the rush.
Brion stopped and finally looked at me. “Do you trust me?”
The question left me speechless.
What did trust have to do with anything?
What wasn’t he telling me?
Seeing my hesitation, the prince came and stood directly in front of me. He bent his knees, so his dark eyes were level with mine. “Do you trust me?”
I would have never believed it before I was recruited and forced to live in the capital, but I murmured, “Yes. I trust you.”
Tension seeped out of his shoulders. “Good. Please go pack what you need for a journey. I do not know how long we will be gone.”
I licked my lips and bobbed my head. “All right.”
With only two satchels in my possession, I emptied the healer contents and notes on the historical text. I was in the middle of trying to save space by rolling a pair pants when Prince Finn returned to the apartment.
Through my open door, I saw him close the distance between us in five long steps. His gaze landed on the clothes flung over my bed. “What are you doing?”
“Packing.” I snatched up a pair of undergarments and quickly stuffed them in the satchel.
“You’re leaving?”
Didn’t he know? I’d assumed he would’ve heard his father give the orders to Brion.
“Yes, with Prince Brion,” I told him, expecting him to put the rest of the pieces together as I continued to condense my clothing into the smallest possible size.
He looked shocked. “You’re leaving with my brother?”
I paused and returned his stare. Was he jealous? “Prince Brion said he’s been assigned to travel to the regions. As his secretary, I am to go with him.”
Nothing I said should’ve been news, but it seemed that was exactly what it was.
“You are our secretary,” he countered, taking a step closer to me. His eyes were wide and imploring as he said, “The kingdom has become more dangerous with the growth of the rebellion. You don’t have to go with my brother.”
I didn’t know what to say. My thoughts were jumbled as I realized this was the first time Finn and I had been so close since his unexpected kiss. Did he not want me to go because of the potential danger I’d be in, or was his motivation more selfish?
Brion called in the distance, “Ten minutes, Lissa.”
Finn’s jaw clenched. He spun around and walked towards the source of the sound. I dropped the shirt in my hands and raced after him.
Finn met his brother in the hall leading toward the main room. I skidded to a stop before running into his back.
“You aren’t taking her with you,” Finn snapped. “Amelissa will stay in the castle.”
Brion didn’t react to his brother’s hostility. “No, she won’t.”
“Gods, Brion. You don’t own her.”
“No, but she is our hostage against the rebellion. Lissa will come with me, so I can keep an eye on her.”
I crossed my arms. Brion failed to mention that when he asked if I trusted him. My first thought was to be hurt, but I considered Brion might be using the only argument his brother would find believable.
“I will watch over her to ensure she doesn’t escape.”
“When?” Brion asked. “While Father has you locked away with his council, pretending to negotiate with Lord Erwin?”
I tried to see around Finn’s back observe his brother, but he shifted and blocked my view.
“Be reasonable, Finn,” Brion continued. “Amelissa’s been assaulted at the castle. Father has an unnatural interest in her, as does that elven ambassador. She isn’t safe here.”
My lips parted with surprise. I hadn’t realized how much my safety meant to both princes.
Well… I wasn’t surprised by Finn’s concern. After all, he’d been nothing but kind since we’d first met. Add in our intimate dinner and his kiss, and I knew his concern came from something more than obligation.
As for Brion, I was torn between believing he actually cared about a lowly human recruit and thinking he was more interested in keeping his bargaining chip alive. But he’d been concerned with my safety during my early days at the castle.
I rubbed my temples. Brion’s motivations were hard to figure out.
Finn didn’t say anything.
After hearing the brothers’ argument, I knew which decision I wanted to make.
I touched Finn’s back. He glanced over his shoulder, and I saw the conflict swimming in his dark irises.
“I want to leave with your brother,” I told him. I didn’t feel safe in the castle, and my gut knew Brion was the best shot I had at staying safe.
Finn’s dark eyes searched mine, imploring me to reconsider. He looked conflicted. I bit my lip, realizing he was thinking about our kiss, but he wouldn’t say anything about it in front of his brother.
I should’ve taken the time to discuss the matter with him. I should’ve told Finn that while I was flattered by his attention, I had no interest in delving into a romantic relationship with him. My life was crazy enough without adding a royal beau to the mix.
But instead of being honest, I’d avoided him. And now I’d run out of time.
Gradually, I watched the fight leave Finn. His shoulders rolled forward, and his chin fell to his chest. He released a sigh before straightening. Sad, disappointed eyes met mine. “Then you should go.”
I swallowed, my throat thick, and nodded. I told myself that, gods willing, I’d have the chance to explain everything to him in the future. I would have the chance to make everything right.
I turned away and met Brion’s gaze over Finn’s shoulder.
“Are you ready?” Brion asked. He didn’t want to waste any more time.
I nodded, confident in my choice, surprised at the lack of remorse leaving Finn caused inside of me. “Yes, I’m ready.”
II
Allies
17
Under the cover of darkness, Prince Brion and I slipped into the royal stables. Two horses were saddled and ready for use, and there was another horse hitched to a covered wagon. Two soldiers stood by, waiting for our arrival.
“Your Highness.” I recognized Colonel Trek. The timid draekon looked all business as he addressed Brion.
“Is the team ready?” the prince asked, lugging the trunk he’d carried into the wagon. He grabbed my two satchels next, throwing them inside the concealed vehicle. It was nothing short of a miracle that we hadn’t been noticed on our way to the stables, but the logical side of me suspected Prince Brion had something to do with the emptiness of the courtyard on the way to the stables.
“They are assembled just outside the city’s borders,” Colonel Trek answered. “Just as you ordered.”
I had no idea when the prince
managed to organize the details of our departure.
“Good.” Brion turned to me and placed his hands on my hips. Before I could protest, he lifted me high and took two steps before depositing me on the saddle. I gripped the saddle horn when the creature moved beneath me, adjusting to my weight.
“Commander Niles will wait until you are out of the castle gates before following with the wagon. He will rendezvous with you and the rest of the team outside of the city.” Colonel Trek gestured to his companion. I hadn’t recognized the commander. Commander Niles wore a dark brown cloak and his hood was pulled up. I thought of the mysterious meeting between Brion and the commander, believing I figured out when this plan had been arranged.
How long had Brion known he would need to make a swift exit from the capital?
“Agreed.” Brion’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Thank you, Colonel.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
The prince surprised all of us when he wrapped a strong arm around the draekon and gave him a firm hug. “I appreciate your help and discretion, Trek.”
Colonel Trek pounded his back in return. “I hope the consequences won’t be too great, Brion.” His eyes swung to me. “I hope it’s worth it.”
Uncomfortable, I glanced away.
Prince Brion leapt onto his horse, grabbing the reigns while allowing plenty of slack to keep from pulling the horse’s head. I copied his movements and wrapped my hands around the leather straps.
“See you soon, my friend,” Brion said goodbye then clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. The stallion started to trot out of the stable.
“Um.” I looked down at the mare. “Let’s go, girl.” I gently snapped the reigns the way I’d seen Lord Stanley’s soldiers do when they rode around Caldiri. The horse didn’t budge.
Prince Brion glanced over his shoulder. “Kailini,” he addressed the horse, “shooyl roish”.
I stiffened and tightened my hold on the reigns as she began to move. She trailed after the prince and his stallion with no direction from me. I’d never sat on a horse before, much less tried to ride one. It would’ve been a long journey if I didn’t have a well-trained horse.
The horses walked along the edge of the castle’s courtyard. The evening breeze swirled around me. I shivered and used one hand to pull my cloak tighter before quickly grabbing the reigns again. My horse, Kailini, tugged against my grip and neighed.
“Loosen your hold,” Brion commanded without turning around. I listened, not bothering to wonder how he knew what I’d done wrong. For all I knew, all experienced horsemen were that in-tune with the creatures.
We arrived at the castle entrance, and I was stunned to see the gate stood open. A lone figure had positioned himself in the opening. Brion lifted a hand above his head, and the man returned the gesture before stepping out of the way.
We rode through the gate. Our horses reached the middle of the long street leading up to the castle when I heard the gate closed. The wooden beam creaked as it fell into place to secure the door.
The streets of Draek were more crowded than the empty castle grounds, but no one reacted to seeing their prince riding among them. I considered they might not recognize Brion but the idea surprised me. Even with his plain cloak and the hood pulled forward, I could sense his authority and strength. It was like his royalty seeped off him to fill the air around us.
We passed multiple checkpoints where I knew soldiers were supposed to be, but no one stepped out to speak with us. We left the city limits and joined the path leading to the farmland surrounding Draek. It took a little over an hour to travel from the stables to our desired destination, the abandoned silo in a dark valley.
Prince Brion kept a steady pace as we approached the silo. The moon was bright in the sky, revealing several shadows stretched across the ground.
A whistle pierced the air. I watched three shadowy figures jog over to us. I guessed they were members of the team Colonel Trek mentioned.
Brion pulled on the reins to stop his horse and hop down. He reached a calming hand towards Kailini and grabbed a hold of the reins near her mouth to get her to stop, too.
Brion stepped to the side and lifted his arms. I placed my hands on his shoulders and let him help me down, sliding to my grip to his forearms for balance when I touched the ground.
The soldiers finished their approach, and I dropped my hands and stepped away, trying to ignore the tingling traveling through my fingers.
“Brion. Lissa.” Agent Min came into view. I was pleased to see his familiar face. “Did anyone question your departure?”
“No,” the prince answered. “We were lucky. The moment the wagon gets here, we should leave. The more time we have, the better.”
I opened my mouth to finally ask why we needed to leave the capital in such haste, but I was interrupted when one of the soldiers appeared at my side. “Hey, Lissa.”
I smiled and threw my arms around his neck. “Jasper! Is it really you?”
He laughed and hugged me back. “It’s me.”
“Are you coming with us?” I asked, barely daring to hope. My eyes flicked between him and Brion. I pulled away when I saw the prince’s intense stare.
Min answered, “Yes. I expected you’d want to have Jasper and Qwell with us for company.”
My smile grew when Qwell waved from the agent’s other side.
“The Caldirians?” I realized Brion was speaking to me.
“Yes. You met them in the mess hall.” I worried mentioning the mess hall would make the prince remember his negative reaction that day but Brion only nodded.
“We should go back to the silo,” Min said. “Just in case there are scouts in the air.”
Brion agreed and took Kailini by the reigns to guide her forward. Min grabbed the prince’s horse, leaving me and my friends to trail behind them.
“So, any idea why we’re leaving Draek in the middle of the night?” Qwell whispered, but I knew the draekon were still close enough to hear.
“The prince didn’t want to alert anyone to his departure in case there are rebel spies at Court.” It was the most believable excuse I could come up.
My words were probably untrue, but I’d rather Jasper and Qwell believe a lie than dig around and discover some other reason for the prince’s unusual behavior. I suspected Brion had acted on my behalf, but I had yet to figure out how… or why.
“I doubt there are spies in the castle. Or if there are, no one would be stupid enough to remain now that King Roderick is back. He’s ruthless. He’ll decapitate anyone he suspects of treason.” Qwell almost sounded like he admired the king’s cruel reputation.
I saw the prince’s back tense.
“Maybe,” I allowed, “but Prince Brion is smart. I’m sure he has a reason for his suspicions.”
The prince and Min tied up the horses under the remnants of a tin shed while we entered the silo.
The circular building was empty aside from the four additional soldiers huddled inside. The stone floor was clear of grain and clean, considering there were several holes in the structure’s roof, exposing it to the elements.
Jasper led me to a blanket, gesturing for me to sit.
I complied, leaning against the wall. I’d been too tense when riding through the city. My back was stiff.
Jasper and Qwell started to sit next to me when a chorus of “Your Highness” filled the silo. The prince murmured hellos to the soldiers, scanning the space until his eyes landed on me.
My friends quickly scurried away when the prince moved towards me. Brion threw himself onto the blanket and let his back fall against the silo with a thump.
I cleared my throat. “Are you all right?”
“I will be once we are back on the road.”
I wanted to ask about the real reason we were here, but my curiosity would have to wait until we were alone. “Where are we going?”
“Villam,” he named the region that rested against the Western Sea.
A map of
the kingdom appeared in my mind. “We will need to journey through Sipal,” I said.
“Just along the border,” he confirmed. That meant we’d be venturing close to the Royal Forest. The thought of encountering rebels made me shiver.
“You are cold.”
“No. I’m fine,” I tried to reassure him, but Brion had already untied the strings around his neck. He shook out his cloak and placed it over me then resumed leaning against the silo.
Across the space, two soldiers marked the prince’s act. One raised his eyebrows while the other smirked knowingly.
I tugged the cloak higher, fighting the desire to hide beneath it. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He closed his eyes.
I found myself admiring the long lashes framing his eyes. Tracing the curve of his brow, I noticed a thin, faint scar running along the line of his beard’s stubble. My fingers lifted from the cloak, inching forward to run their pads over the length of the mark.
A strangled cough reached my ears.
Horrified by what I’d almost done, I clamped my arm to my side and curled the traitorous limb against my stomach.
You’re just tired, I tried to convince myself, and stressed.
I’d suffered a violent beating just that morning. Even though Erwin had taken away my pain, my body and mind needed to recover from the trauma. My thoughtless desire to caress Brion’s face was the result of an overexerted mind. It definitely wasn’t because I found him fascinating and breathlessly handsome.
No, definitely not.
The wagon took another hour to arrive. It had to move slower through the city’s streets. Commander Niles had immediately spewed an apology for the delay, but the prince waved the words away. He’d expected the delay.
The team of seven soldiers swiftly exited the silo. I walked outside to see they had already retrieved their horses from the shed. I was filled with envy when I saw Jasper and Qwell mount their steeds with ease. They must’ve trained with horses at the garrison.
Agent Min appeared at my side with Kailini in tow. “Give me your foot.”
Possession Page 13