Gleam (The Plated Prisoner Series Book 3)

by Raven Kennedy

  “You worked out the guards’ rotations?” I whisper, keeping my back pressed against the rough wall of the stable.

  “Yes. Now shh,” she snips.

  Pretending to button my lip, I let my eyes scan the castle grounds, noting the ice sculptures in the distance. They’re pretty during the day, but at night, they look like creepy spectators, their silhouettes menacing and eerie. I keep darting a look at them, and my heart nearly jumps into my throat when I notice movement. Realizing it’s two guards heading toward us, I stiffen, but Lu just shoots me a look to stay still and quiet.

  I’m barely breathing when they come nearer and nearer toward the front of the stable. Yet before they cross right in front of us, one of them mutters something too low for me to hear, and then they both start looking around behind them, momentarily distracted. I have no idea what caught their attention, but it couldn’t have come at a better time.

  Lu gives a sharp jerk of her head, and I follow her hurriedly as we dart in the opposite direction. I steal looks behind us, but the guards never glance our way.

  She stops us again when we reach the garden gazebo, her eyes intent on the face of the pocket watch like she’s memorized every guard route and is counting down the seconds.

  “That was close,” I whisper, my heart still beating fast from the residual adrenaline rush. “Good thing they got distracted.” I rub my hands together, the cold air seeping right through my gloves. “So what’s the plan? How are we going to sneak out?”

  “The guards open the castle gates in three minutes for the outer perimeter watch change. We’ll slip out then.”

  An incredulous look drops over my features. “What are you talking about? We can’t just...slip out through the front gates of the castle.”

  She doesn’t even look up from her watch. “Yes, we can.”

  I feel like I’m suddenly talking to a crazy person. “The front gate has to be swarming with guards.”

  “Usually has about thirty,” she replies with a shrug.

  My mouth drops open. “And yet, you expect us to just walk right out? Are you out of your mind?”

  “Gildy Locks, your voice is going a little high-pitched, there. I’m going to need you to loosen your ribbons and take a breath.”

  Okay, I might be panicking a bit, but she doesn’t have to sound so damn amused.

  “We’ll get caught if we try to go out that way,” I insist. “I thought you had found some secret way out or had bribed a guard or something.”

  “I don’t need to,” she tells me. “Ready to go?”

  “No!” I hiss.

  She rolls her eyes, looking entirely too calm about this. “Just don’t talk, and we’ll be fine. Now come on, or we’ll miss our chance.”

  Grumbling a curse, I follow her as she pushes off the gazebo and heads down the swept stone walkway. We pass the last of the ice sculptures, then go past the bailey, and then all too soon, we’re nearing the castle gate.

  Torches are braced high along the wall, like iron fingers jutting out from the stone with sharp fingernails of flames. I can see armored soldiers on the top parapet, their purple cloaks wagging in the cold wind.

  There are some unhitched wagons and empty carriages on the ground off to the left, and a stone statue of whatever past king sits smack dab in the middle so that the first thing you see when you enter the gates is some long dead monarch with a saber held in his hand.

  Lu stops us in the shadow of an alcove stacked with sandbags, probably to pour over the ground when they need to pack the snowfall down. Even in our current hiding spot, we’re way too out in the open for my liking.

  “Lu...” I breathe. I don’t care how stealthy she is. There is no way we are sneaking out of those gates when they open.

  She shoots me a sharp look, effectively silencing me. Slade trusted her implicitly to sneak me out, had absolutely zero doubt she could get me to the camp, and that, plus my own trust in her, makes me stay right where I am.

  When two guards walk over to the gate and begin to lift the heavy beam stretched across it, Lu whispers, “Get ready, Gildy.”

  Despite the cold temperature, I’m sweating with nervousness. The gate opens, and a line of guards come filing in, looking tired with slumped shoulders and dragged steps. Several of them head straight across the grounds, while some begin to talk with the other soldiers, not in any rush to put the beam back in place.

  When Lu starts walking toward the gate, I grit my teeth and hurry forward. I stick to her like a noon shadow, my eyes darting every which way as I note the dozens of guards around, just waiting for one of them to spot us and raise the alarm.

  My pulse pounds in my ears, but Lu continues to stride confidently forward, not a single step faltering. Her birdlike steps are silent, like she’s able to flit from one place to another, her body lithe and graceful in every movement, making me feel lumbering and noisy beside her. Even when we finally lose the last of the wall’s shadows and can only head straight down the middle toward the gate, she doesn’t slow.

  The moment we’re out in the open, two guards on the wall turn their heads in our direction, and I brace myself. But as quickly as they looked down at us, they look away again.

  What in the world?

  I’m not sure how they didn’t see us, but I don’t have time to fully appreciate the close call, because we reach the gate just then. The group of guards several feet away begin to turn toward us too, and I tense up, ready to sprint through the gate.

  But once again, they get distracted, their attention jerking away a second before their eyes land on us. The men all grumble and start kicking at the snow with their boots, pointing at something I can’t see. A nudge from Lu has me whipping my head back around, and then we’re slipping out the gate together.

  I take a breath the moment we’re outside the castle walls, disbelief furrowing my brow.

  We got out.

  I can’t believe we actually just walked right out the front gate, right next to all those castle guards. I know Lu was critical of Ranhold’s security, and now, I can see why. And yet, something is off. No way we got that lucky.

  As we walk quickly away, I feel like there’s a giant target on my gold-clad back, but...nothing happens.

  Nothing at all.

  I steal a look behind us, squinting through the dark at the guard towers that I know must be manned, but not a single shout rings out. When Lu and I reach the crest of a hill and are far enough away from the castle walls, new perimeter guards come filing out, and then the gate doors are closed again.

  Lu nods in satisfaction. “We’re fine now,” she says briskly. “Good job not talking. That would’ve made things more difficult for me.”

  “How the hell did we just pull that off?” I pant, trying to keep up with her as we hurry through the snow.

  “We didn’t. I did,” Lu replies, brown eyes sweeping the landscape.

  I send one of my ribbons to grip her by the arm and pull her to a stop. “Tell me what just happened. What was that?”

  Lu frowns down at my ribbon and bats it away. “I have a little magic.”

  My brows shoot up. “You have magic? What kind?”

  “Nothing too extreme, I can’t rot people alive or turn a castle gold, but I can divert attention.”

  Surprise has me shaking my head. “How does it work?”

  She shrugs. “I can sense when people are paying attention to me, and then I just...make them pay attention elsewhere.”

  Well, that’s a handy trick.

  “And you can do it for the people with you?”

  “To an extent,” she replies. “One person with me is easy. But more than that, and it gets a bit more difficult.”

  “This would’ve been nice information before you snuck me out.”

  Lu grins, her white teeth flashing in the night. “But this was more fun. You should’ve seen your face back there. I thought you were going to pee yourself.”

  �
�Thanks a lot,” I say drily.

  “Come on, it’s colder than a pecker in the Barrens. I’ll take you to see the others.”

  A smile pulls my cheeks as I follow her, noting the orange glow of the campfires up ahead. When giddiness rises in my chest, I realize just how excited I am to see Slade again, as well as the other members of the Wrath. Even big brutish Osrik, who still scares me a little.

  It’s funny, but walking past the tents of Fourth’s army feels so much more comfortable than the luxuries of the castle behind me. In fact, it feels a little bit like coming home.

  Chapter 35

  AUREN

  The camp atmosphere is exactly how I remember it.

  Soldiers are gathered around the motley fires, leather tents dusted with snow while the scent of smoke and cooked meat chars the air.

  The deeper into camp we go, the more soldiers notice me as we pass by, and I quickly become self-conscious at the way their eyes follow me. It’s not quite as contentious as it was before when I was a prisoner in their eyes, but there’s something definitively wary in their expressions.

  Not that I can blame them—I can only imagine what they think of me, have no idea what they’ve been told or if there’s camp gossip. One group we pass goes completely silent, voices cutting off mid-sentence when they notice me. I try to send them a quick smile, but they look away.

  “Do they hate me?” I ask, unable to staunch the question from leaking out.

  “For the most part, they don’t trust you,” Lu answers as we walk side-by-side. “They never will, so long as they see you as Midas’s pet.”

  Nodding, I repress the urge to pull up my hood and cover my face. I don’t want to look like I’m concealing anything or that I have anything to be ashamed of. It wouldn’t do me any good with this crowd.

  Instead, I keep my chin up, my shoulders back, let my ribbons trail after me in the snow, their golden ends playing and jumping over the glittering ground. If I’m going to try and fit in here, to earn the trust or at least tolerance of these soldiers, I can’t do it by hiding.

  Beside me, Lu gives a nod, like I’ve made the right move, which fuels my determination. As we continue picking our way past tightly packed-in tents, a woman comes up who I recognize. Inga, the soldier who ran into Judd and me when we stole the wine barrel back from Lu’s right flank. I still can’t get over the embarrassment I felt when Judd told her I had women’s troubles. The prick.

  Just like then, Inga has a flop of brown spirals on her head and a wooden pipe stuck behind her ear. She comes up on Lu’s other side, falling into step with us.

  “How did the training go?” Lu asks her by way of greeting.

  “It went well. Got some of the new routines down before I let them go off into the city for the night.”

  “Good,” Lu replies. “Why don’t you go into the city yourself? You’ve earned it.”

  “Thanks, but I’d rather stay here. Ranhold doesn’t appeal to me. Too bloody cold. And have you seen the corsets the women wear here?” Inga asks, lip curling up in distaste.

  “Right?” I exclaim, leaning around Lu to see her. “They’re terrible. I’m not sure how anyone breathes in this kingdom.”

  “The clothing in Fourth is much better,” Inga tells me.

  Lu casts her a droll look. “You don’t wear civilian clothing. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you out of your uniform.”

  The woman looks down at her black leathers, fingers patting the brown straps that crisscross at the front. “They’re comfortable. Got them broken in just the way I like.”

  Lu snorts.

  Inga plucks up the pipe from her ear. “Need anything else, Lu?”

  “No, go relax. Thanks, Inga.”

  She nods and then looks at me. “See you around, Gildy.” With a wave, she walks off, joining a rowdy group of soldiers playing cards.

  “Your nickname for me really caught on,” I grumble. Lu’s grin widens.

  Soon, she and I get past all of the close-knit clusters of tents. The privacy is instantly more prominent, the breathing room of empty space given to a larger tent that I recognize immediately. There’s a fire burning several feet in front of it, and a familiar group is gathered around. They’re sitting on stumps of wood and talking quietly, and a smile instantly appears on my lips.

  The moment I step forward, a pair of black eyes dart up to meet mine, and just that look steals the breath from my chest. He’s in his Rip form, and my stomach does a little flip at the sight. His pale face glows orange from the flickering flames in front of him, but the charge between us burns hotter.

  Lu notices my steps falter, and she looks over at me with a frown. “Feet broken?”

  “What? No.”

  She glances from me to Slade and back again and then rolls her eyes and mutters something that I don’t catch. I can’t, because I’m still staring at Slade. I can’t help it. Not when he’s looking at me like that.

  The slow drag of his attention is like the stroke of his fingertip against my bare skin. Which, after last night, I know very, very well. The look in his eye somehow reflects every single erotic thing we did together, making a blush rise to my cheeks. Slade quirks up one side of his mouth.

  That smirk.

  Oh Divine, that smirk.

  “Gildy! Get the hell over here!”

  My attention wrenches away to Judd, who’s waving me over. With a little embarrassment, I realize Lu has already walked off without me even noticing. Tucking some loose hair behind my ear, I head over to their fire, avoiding the puddles of melted snow on the ground.

  “Thought I was going to have to drag you over,” Judd says with a grin as he leans over a barrel and pours out some wine. “Here.”

  I take the tin cup gratefully and give it an indulgent sniff before I breathe out in a smile. “You’re good to me, Mustard.”

  Judd grimaces and rubs at his mustard-seed hair. “It’s not that yellow.”

  I cock a brow. “Listen, I’m gold, okay? Don’t whine to me.”

  He laughs, and his tan complexion makes his teeth stand out white and bright. “Fair enough.”

  When he starts filling up more cups of wine, I turn around, all too aware of Slade’s attention on me. Instead of letting myself get caught up in his gaze again, I watch Osrik yank off the roasted meat that’s cooking over the fire and start to peel chunks off of it.

  The big brute is wearing a leather vest, with straps wound around his massive biceps, and his brown hair is hanging down loose around his shoulders. His scowl is as fierce as ever, but at least he gives me a nod in greeting instead of threatening my life. It’s a big improvement since the time we first met.

  Judd passes my line of sight and gives wine to the others, and my gaze zeroes in on Slade again. He’s still watching me, his aura smoky, reaching toward me with tendril fingers of a dark want. In answer, my ribbons begin to inch closer, slithering on the ground, tugging me forward until I stand right in front of him.

  “Hi,” I blurt out.

  Hi? That’s what I say?

  This male bent my body in all sorts of ways last night, brought me more pleasure than I’ve ever experienced, and I just stand here awkwardly and say hi?

  His lips twitch in amusement. “Hello, Goldfinch.”

  He doesn’t say it. He practically purrs it. So instead of hearing a simple greeting, I’m hearing him whisper filthy things into my ear. I’m feeling his hot breath against my neck, seeing the lines of his abs hidden beneath his leathers.

  I’m staring again. I know I am, and yet, I just can’t stop, because there’s this energy rippling from him that’s filled with lust and affection, and I wouldn’t be able to break away from it even if I wanted to.

  He was in his kingly form last night...but what would it be like to be with him while he’s in this Rip form? What would it be like to feel the tips of his spikes above his brow, or press my lips to the murky streak of gray scales along the tops of hi
s cheeks? Would he tease me with that hint of fang by dragging it along my—

  “Leg or breast?”

  My head snaps in the direction of Osrik’s voice, and my cheeks flame. “What?”

  His brown eyes blink impatiently beneath bushy brows. “Leg or breast?” he grunts, pointing to the meat he’s tearing apart.

  “Oh. Uh...leg?”

  He nods before ripping off the biggest damn leg from some poor animal he probably hunted down himself with his bare hands.

  I stuff my gloves in my pocket and then grab the hunk he passes over. I have to grip the end of the leg bone in both hands just to hold it up. I’m no food snob, but this is a little ridiculous.

  Taking pity on me, Slade relieves me of the giant leg and tears a strip of meat off, before he hands over the much more manageable slice. “Thanks.” I sit down on the empty stump of wood just beside him and then bite into the meat, which practically melts in my mouth.

  “Os, stop tearing into it like that. You’re massacring it,” Lu gripes. The three of them sit a few feet away from us, the firelight making their uniforms brighten.

  He glowers. “What’s wrong with it?”

  “Looks a bit like something a pack of rabid wolves have been at,” Judd says helpfully. Before Osrik can so much as shoot a glare his way, the mustard-haired Wrath smoothly shoves a cup of wine in his direction.

  Osrik swipes up the cup before shoving a hunk of meat in Judd’s direction in return, making fat go dripping all over the ground. “You’re lucky I’m thirsty.”

  Judd grins and sits next to Lu, making her shove over on her stump. “Did I say you could sit here?” she asks with an arched brow.

  “Well, if I try to share a stump with Os, he’ll probably tear my legs off and roast them over the spit.”

  Lu tilts her head contemplatively. “True.”

  Osrik grunts, teeth gnashing onto a bite of smoked skin that crackles as he chews. But he doesn’t disagree.

  I watch in amusement as I finish my food and drink my fill, all while relishing their easy interactions. It makes me relax bit by bit until I find that I’m just...enjoying myself. I’m not on edge. Not having to watch what I do or say. I don’t have to play a part. I can simply be myself and not look over my shoulder. We might be on Ranhold’s front doorstep, but in this moment, I feel an ocean away.