Anais hesitated, her eyes darting from the balls on the ground to the one in his hand. And then, for the first time, to me. We caught gazes for the briefest moment, but it felt like I was struck by lightning. A deadly secret hid in that bolt.
“All right,” she agreed.
My hands curled into fists. Fuck this. Heat flooded through me followed by a wave of cold. What the hell was wrong with me? They were engaged. Ashamed, I walked away from them to do a pointless perimeter search of the rear gardens.
I heard the faint clank of Bastian’s ball hitting another, but that was all I knew as I walked among a row of evergreens. I didn’t know if Anais’ ball left the ring, if he kissed her cheek—or if she was meant to kiss his. And that was exactly how I wanted it.
✽✽✽
The crescent moon offered little light to navigate through the forest. Tomorrow there would be a new moon—perfect for Anais’ escape. I followed the road that led south from a few yards into the trees, carrying a bag with a change of clothes for her, preserved food, and a canteen. The money I would hand her personally on the off-chance bandits found the brown sack hiding in the branches.
Spotting the perfect tree, I wedged my foot into the forked trunk and climbed until I found a branch thick enough to hold the bag. I slid back down and committed the area to memory. Large fallen tree to the right, a slight incline in the road, minutes from the edge of Ora Et.
Once that was taken care of, I walked back into the capital with lighter steps. All that was left was to check on Cirna and the horses I had stabled for my employer. It was close enough to where the rich lived for it to be believable, and far enough to avoid gossipmongers. Valewood Inn would be busier than last time given the hour, but—
Faramond stood a block away, puffing on a thick cigar outside of the inn. I quickly slunk into the nearest alley and flipped up my hood. What the fuck is he doing out of his office? And here of all places.
The door swung open and another man stepped out followed by Cirna.
My heart stopped, my mind following suit. Thoughts flickered in and out between waves of utter panic. Faramond knew about Cirna. He found her. She knew who I was. Knew my plan. It wouldn’t take much for Faramond to put two and two together once Anais went missing. Alone. Because now Pevran’s niece was compromised.
Fuck fuck fuck!
The side of my fist slammed into the brick wall. I should’ve known better than to trust the girl. No one—no one—was trustworthy. Not even me. I planned to make Bastian’s fiancée disappear, worked with the Asters, was loyal to the prince. There wasn’t a single person who I could say I was completely honest with. Except Anais…
And now it was all going to blow up in my face.
No. Damn it, no. I was going to get Anais out of here now before it was too late. Not to the south, because Cirna would tell Faramond and they would find her. Pevran’s warning to run coursed through me with each beat of my heart.
So I did. I ran.
Back to the palace instead of away from it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Everything now hinged on what Faramond knew before he took Cirna from the inn. And how long it would take the youth to crack when he began questioning her.
My lungs burned as I finally made it back to my personal room. I shut the door quietly and paced the small space. If Faramond didn’t know I was planning anything, he might not stumble upon the information right away. His questioning would likely focus on Governor Pevran and the fact that her niece was a secret. It would start with questions about why she was kept hidden instead of enjoying the luxury her aunt could’ve offered and end when Cirna was excited to help Faramond. Because he offered money or status or whatever else she wanted most. The man had a way of squeezing desires from a person without them even knowing it.
The entire plan was compromised now. Even if Faramond let her return to the inn under the pretense of allowing her to leave Ora Et—if that was what she truly wanted—there would be people waiting to ambush Anais and me when I went to collect her. I could fight them off, but it would cause a scene. Too many people would see and they’d be more than happy to turn the information over to a guard for a few coins.
“Fuck,” I hissed. We had to leave. Tonight. Now. Anais’ bag was already waiting in the woods and I had the money that I intended to hand over the next day.
I flung my trunk open and strapped every weapon possible to my body. A sword on each hip, a bow and quiver over my shoulder, throwing knives tucked into my bracers, daggers in my boots. By the time I was finished, all that remained in the trunk was a chain and a battle axe. I hadn’t used either since training with them as both were too heavy for my taste.
After wrapping a second, warmer cloak around my shoulders, I pried up the loose floorboard and grabbed the large coin pouch. The contents clinked softly as I tied it securely onto my belt.
Run.
Pevran told me to do this. My reasons not to were the same as before, except now I couldn’t stay. Faramond would come for me. And, soon after, the crown. Bastian included. I stopped dead with my hand on the door knob. Bastian. He would defend me to his father and the governors only to be proved wrong. Humiliated. Betrayed. Alone.
Because I was, and always had been, the worst thing to ever happen to the prince. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment to reconcile myself to this final treachery. The truth was always going to come out. At least this way, some good could come from it when Anais escaped.
I tightened my grip on the knob. Perhaps there would be time later to explain things to Bastian, but not if I was dead. Though, I suppose, after this, he wouldn’t give me the chance to explain. Not that I deserved any less.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I shook the thoughts from my head. I had to run to save him from whatever Faramond planned with the countess. To save Anais from being their pawn. And, just maybe, myself. I let out a harsh breath and slipped outside.
Sneaking into the Women’s Palace was as easy as it was the other times I’d done it, but my pulse raced, insistent that I would be caught. My mind snapped from frantic worry to the forced calm I’d honed over the years. Then back again. And again. It was a miracle I was able to slip into Anais’ bedroom without being seen. Thank fuck she was still awake when I passed into her bedroom.
She was curled into the chair near the fire, winding a frayed ribbon through her fingers. The same ribbon I’d seen tucked into the bottom of the ottoman the day I looked through the room. “What’s that?” I asked before I could stop myself.
Anais jumped at the sound of my voice and quickly tucked the ribbon into her palm. She was on her bare feet in a second and pushed me toward the door. “What are you doing here?” she whispered. “You have to leave. My ladies are bringing my tea.”
“We have to go. Tonight. Now.” I took her wrists to stop her from pushing at my chest as the undeniable clank of dishes came from the room on the other side of the door. “Drink it out there. Quickly. But act normal.”
“Act normal?” She looked up at me with wide, concerned eyes. “Why? What’s happening?”
“Lady Karina?” A knock came on the door and Anais startled. “Your tea is ready.”
Of-fucking-course it was. I nodded at the door and mouthed, go.
“I’ll take it in the sitting room tonight,” she called and turned to me. “Hide under the bed.”
She made a show of stomping across the room to cover my soft footfalls and whipped open her wardrobe door as I wedged myself beneath the bed. She glanced at me and wrapped a shawl over her thin nightdress, then pointed to my feet. I scooted up toward the head of the bed so my boots didn’t peek out of the end.
“Lady Karina?” the ladies maid called. “Do you need my assistance?”
“No.” She quickly slammed the wardrobe shut again and disappeared from my limited viewpoint. With the fireplace burning, I could make out everything from an ankle-high perspective, none of it important.
The door opened and shut. Female voices murmured
from the other room. My fingers wrapped around the wooden slats holding Anais’ mattress, squeezing, and I closed my eyes. This was an opportunity to compose myself. To think. It would only get us caught if I couldn’t manage to calm my own thoughts.
Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Focus. We would escape the palace the same way I had planned for us to leave tomorrow. Retrieve the bag I hid—that I should’ve grabbed on my return to the palace, if I’d been thinking—then backtrack north. Getting the horses was too risky. I hadn’t researched the northern routes like I had the southern, but I’d accompanied Bastian on them enough to know which towns we could safely hide in. The horses were a risk anyway. Too expensive for most commoners to own and too large to hide if we were ambushed in the woods.
The door opened again and I tensed.
“The fire is dying a bit,” Anais said. “If you wouldn’t mind placing a few more logs in now so I’m not disturbed tonight.”
“Of course, my lady.”
Two sets of steps crossed the room and I gripped the wood so hard I thought it would splinter. I knew Anais was buying us more time before she was detected as missing, but I hated every second the young woman stoked the fire. Her blue silk skirts swished across the floor, far too close for comfort.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to speak to the healer?” the girl asked. “Everyone says his sleeping draughts are wonderful and you’re such a light sleeper.”
“I’m sure, thank you,” she said in a strained voice.
The lady’s maid poked at the logs until the fire popped, then the clang of metal on metal told me she replaced the iron poker. “If you change your mind…”
“I will tell you,” Anais assured the woman. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” she echoed.
My gaze trailed the hem of her skirt as she crossed the room and I held my breath until Anais shut the door behind her. As soon as the bolt clicked into place, I rolled out from my hiding place. Focus. Calm. She needed warmer clothes.
Opening her wardrobe without a word, I pulled her warmest looking items out and tossed them onto the bed. None of them were made to survive a true winter’s night. Heavy brocades replaced light silk, but the cut of each gown was still meant to accommodate strands of gems. The cloak Bastian gifted her was the warmest thing in the wardrobe and, while it felt wrong to use it now, there was little choice.
“What are you doing?” Anais asked, suddenly at my side.
“Get dressed.” I shoved a pair of wool stockings at her before swiping a pair of fur-lined boots.
Anais stayed at my side, hopping on one foot as she pulled the stockings on. “Something happened. Did someone find out?” her low voice rose into a squeak.
“Not yet.” Satisfied, I closed the wardrobe silently and moved to the window. I pulled the heavy curtains aside to gauge where the guards were. “Pevran’s niece was taken by the leader of the Asters tonight. It’s only a matter of time before he gets enough information from her to piece things together. If we don’t leave now, it could mean the end of us both.”
The rustle of clothes stopped. “You’re coming with me?”
I glanced over my shoulder to find her holding the black and gold gown against her chest. The ties hung loose at her sides. I crossed the room and gathered the ribbons, pulling one row at a time until the bodice hugged her comfortably. Or, at least, I hoped it was comfortable. We had to run—which meant she needed to be able to breathe. Kneeling, I lifted each of her feet, placing them into the boots, and tied them.
“The Asters are going to kill me.” I left my hands on her calves and looked up. It was true—I was a dead man. Whether they caught up to me tonight or a year from now, there was only one way out for me now. There had always been only one way. Saving Anais from the same fate would be a final act of selflessness. Heavens knew, between all of my lies, I didn’t have many of those. I wouldn’t lie to Anais now, but I would tell her only the brighter side of my thoughts. “If I’m going to die, I figured, why not allow myself to be happy first?”
Her chin wobbled. “Saer…”
“You’re going to be safe; I swear it.” I stood and lifted Bastian’s cloak from the bed, settling it on her shoulders. “We have to go now. Any other questions can wait until we’re out of Ora Et.”
“Okay.” She clung to the front of her skirts and lifted her chin like the brave woman she was. “Lead the way.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Quiet filled the woods, making my senses more acute. I had expected to hear the hoot of an owl or the rustle of animals in the brush. Something. But it was as if all the wildlife were collectively holding their breath, waiting for palace guards to give chase. The farther we ran, the surer I was that a lady’s maid had already discovered Anais missing.
My lungs burned with cold, my fingers numb where I clutched her freezing hand. Skeletal trees surrounded us with their leaves blanketing the ground. The moonlight was barely enough to see this deep in the forest, but I kept my eyes fixed straight ahead. I led Anais around fallen trunks and patches of mud to keep our boots dry. There was no time to talk, to slow. We had to put as much space between us and the palace as possible.
“Saer.” Anais tugged on my hand. “I need to stop.”
I ground to a halt and tugged her against one of the wider trees. “What’s wrong?”
She leaned into the trunk, breathing hard, forehead slick with sweat. “It’s been hours. I need to rest.”
“There isn’t time.” I scanned the woods, half expecting an Aster assassin to leap from the sky like the one who attacked Bastian and I in the temple. “The king will have men looking for us on horseback. We have to find somewhere safe before dawn.”
“They’ll think I ran off again,” she wheezed. “No one will tell the king I’m missing until they’re sure of it.”
Her ladies had searched frantically for her on numerous occasions. Some of them while she hid in the garden with me. I stared down at her and brushed the loose hair from her face. “I have no such excuse to hide behind. Bastian will raise the alarm the minute they say I’m not in my room.”
She winced. “I’m sorry. You’re doing all of this for me when—”
“Hush.” I gave her a small smile, though I felt the guilt twisting my stomach. The truth was, it hadn’t been for her at first. Helping her escape was to save Bastian. And it still was. A person can simultaneously have different reasons for what they do. This was saving Bastian, but it was also helping her. It was a big fuck you to Faramond and the crown too. They’d used me for too long. But Bastian… My smile slipped. “If I were a stronger man, I would’ve left a long time ago.”
Anais set her cold, stiff hand against my cheek. “You don’t have to be stronger. So many men think they do, but you’re already strong enough. You’re already something much better than that.”
I turned my face and kissed her palm. Part of me wanted to ask what she meant, but it didn’t matter. I did need to be stronger. Or we wouldn’t survive this. “Drink.” I slipped the bag I retrieved from the tree off my shoulder and handed her the water sack. “We have to be careful not to dehydrate before we stop for the night.”
She pushed off the trunk and swayed slightly.
Damn horses would’ve helped. But they were loud and conspicuous.
“We’re stopping?” she asked, lifting the water to her chapped lips.
I nodded. “If we keep going for another hour, there’s a city large enough to blend in.”
She wilted a little at that—not that I could blame her. Another hour with already sore feet and aching muscles was a lot to ask, but the alternative was far worse.
✽✽✽
The city of Avaalass was smaller than Ora Et but otherwise, the same. Crumbling buildings and gaunt residents. They were like another city too, though. Similar to Port Black, it was highly traveled and full of crime. Also, prostitutes.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Anais asked, teeth chattering.
We sto
od in the alley behind two inns—one that catered to the weary traveler and one that catered to those seeking companionship. “They’ll be more discreet.” I tugged the cloak tighter around her shoulders. “And it will keep anyone inside from thinking we came into town together.”
“But what if someone propositions me while you’re inside?” She leaned sideways and looked at the girls working across the street. They were hidden in their cloaks too, their hair just as disheveled as Anais’ and faces equally pink from the winter air.
“Say you’ve already been paid for.” I slipped the hood over her head. “Stay right here. It will only take a minute to secure a room.”
Anais shifted farther into the alley. “Hurry.”
I didn’t like leaving her there, but it truly wouldn’t take long to pay for a room. If she stayed hidden, men looking for a prostitute would be too dazzled by the women flaunting themselves. Hopefully.
Inside the less-reputable inn, I was instantly assaulted with the scent of sex mixed with a hint of cinnamon. I swung my gaze around the dim lobby. A single couch sat in the room with a middle-aged man, likely drunk, passed out on the worn cushions. Other than that, and a rather gaudy mirror, there was a half-door with a gangly teen on the other side. He couldn’t be more than eighteen which meant this was likely his parent’s business.
He grinned when I caught his eye. “Looking for a bit of pleasure, sir?”
“From you? Just a room.” I pulled a coin from my pocket, the pouch hidden safely beneath my cloak. No good would come of flaunting it. “Will this cover the whole night?”
The teen ran his tongue over yellowed teeth. “We aren’t exactly a whole night sort of establishment.”
Exactly. I smirked. “I’m in the mood to take my time. Nothing worse than being interrupted in the middle of fucking a woman.”
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