Deny (The Blades of Acktar Book 2)

by Tricia Mingerink

  Of course it hurt when he couldn’t claim it.

  Leith opened his eyes. “Any information I can give you will be useful. At the very least, I can use my position as First Blade to keep the rest of the Blades away from Walden.”

  “So what are we going to do?” Shad rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.

  Leith shrugged. “Not sure.”

  Lord Alistair tapped his beard. “Respen hopes to lure Vane out of hiding?”

  “Yes.” He’d told Lord Alistair that information once already.

  “And he plans to attack Walden sooner or later.” Lord Alistair leaned his elbows on his desk. “Are the Blades back with the army?”

  “Yes, the Blades left when I did. Three to the northern division, and two to both the southern and western divisions like before. The other three are waiting in the Sheered Rock Hills northwest of Walden to cut off Vane if he should show up, or at least, that’s what I led them to believe.”

  Lord Alistair’s eyes gleamed as a smile crept across his face. “So, we fake Renna and Brandi’s deaths and make Harrison Vane reappear.”

  “Reappear?” What insane plan did Lord Alistair have growing this time?

  “The best way to fool Respen is to give him exactly what he expects. Respen gets what he wants: Renna and Brandi’s deaths and Vane’s reappearance. We get what we want: Renna and Brandi out of Walden before the army’s attack and the other Blades distracted.”

  Shad nodded and scratched his chin. “I see.” He glanced at Leith. “It might work.”

  “What will work? How do we make Vane reappear?” Leith wasn’t sure he’d like the answer. He’d be just fine with leaving the man dead and buried.

  “In about a week and a half, after we’ve given enough time for Vane to have supposedly heard of the deaths and returned to Walden, you’ll impersonate Vane and train our soldiers. Respen will hear the rumors and believe Renna and Brandi are dead and Vane has returned long before you ever report to him.” Lord Alistair’s smile bloomed into a grin.

  Shad eyed Leith. “We won’t tell our soldiers Leith’s name. Only that he’s a Blade. Maybe have him wear a hood or something. Give him an air of mystery. There’s nothing like a secret to get everyone talking.”

  Leith could see one major flaw with their plan. “The Blades waiting in the Hills to trap Vane will come here to try to help me catch him.”

  “You’ll have to be both Harrison Vane and Leith Torren.” Lord Alistair waved the objection away.

  Leith frowned. If they went with this plan, then at least two of the three names he wore were trying to kill each other. He wasn’t sure how many more people he could handle being. He was Leith Torren, First Blade of King Respen, and Daniel, the itinerant peasant farmer. Now he was also going to be Harrison Vane, former First Blade and spy for the Resistance.

  Except that Leith Torren was the spy, Vane was dead, and Daniel didn’t exist.

  Lord Alistair continued as if he hadn’t noticed his discomfort. “You’ll only train the men during the middle of the day when no one can sneak too close to the manor, and you’ll be surrounded by our men. After you’re done working with them, Vane will disappear until the next day.”

  Leith spun on his heels and paced across the room. If he pressed onward with this, he’d have to deny the disquiet in his heart. More cold. More masks. More lies.

  But if he refused to train Walden’s men, how many of them would die because they lacked proper training? How many would fall to a Blade’s knife because Leith had refused to give them his help? In a few weeks, an army would descend on Walden along with five Blades.

  He hung his head. The choice wasn’t much of a choice at all. When it came down to it, he’d rather have more lies than more deaths on his conscience. He turned back to Shad and Lord Alistair. “All right. So how do you propose we fake Renna and Brandi’s deaths?”

  Lord Alistair steepled his fingers. “If we want rumors to reach Respen, we won’t be able to tell our guards what is happening. We can’t have anyone slipping and accidentally telling the truth.”

  “That will make things tricky.” Leith paced away from the desk, running the positions of the guards and the available cover through his mind. “Thanks to your tightened security, I think I can slip from the manor to the line of trees outside the garden without being seen, but I won’t be able to get any farther, especially not with Renna and Brandi with me. And if you make any sudden changes to the guard rotation to provide me with a gap, someone will notice, and that’s just the sort of speculation we want to avoid.”

  Shad rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and joined Leith in pacing. “What if we sneaked you out in disguise during the daylight? Dressed as workers getting more wood from the Hills or something? We could splash blood around their rooms to make it look like they’d been killed, but you’d already be past the guards.”

  Leith shook his head. “That’s an option, but I’m not sure it’d work. A little blood scattered around isn’t going to convince everyone, and a party of workers mysteriously disappearing into the Hills might be noticed. And, while I gave orders for the Blades to stay well to the west and away from Walden, I can’t guarantee that all of them followed my orders. If a Blade decided to circle south and check on Walden, he’d be expecting to see me with dead bodies.”

  “So what do you suggest?” Lord Alistair tapped his chin with the tips of his steepled fingers.

  Leith planted his feet and faced Lord Alistair. “We don’t sneak them out at all. We sling their dead bodies across my saddle, and I ride boldly out of here.”

  Both Shad and Lord Alistair shook their heads. Shad crossed his arms. “It’ll never work. Our guards would attack you.”

  “I don’t think they will.” Leith hurried on as Shad’s jaw tightened. “Shooting at a First Blade at a distance is one thing. Facing him on equal ground is another. Especially with the shock of seeing Renna and Brandi dead.”

  Shad’s arms remained crossed, a scowl darkening his face. Of course Shad stood by his men. A commander’s loyalty demanded nothing less.

  But Lord Alistair’s frown had relaxed into a line between his eyes. “It’s possible they’ll hesitate. They hesitated a few weeks ago when facing Vane. But, what if Shad is right and they attack?”

  Leith shrugged. “If I’m right and they hesitate, this plan’ll work. Any watching Blades will see exactly what they expect to see, and it’ll give an excuse for why you suddenly decide to have Vane train your guards, who will be more inclined to listen if they know they’ve failed once. But, if Shad is right and they do attack me, I’ll simply surrender. They’ll take me to you, and we’ll come up with another plan.”

  The silence stretched. Finally, Lord Alistair nodded. “All right.”

  As they gathered around the desk to hash out the details, Leith couldn’t banish the weight in his stomach. For all his confidence, he couldn’t be sure Walden’s guards would react as he expected. Nothing prevented one of them from putting an arrow in his back. For the past weeks, Lord Alistair and Shad had trained their guards to fight Blades with information he’d provided.

  But if this plan worked, then it’d prove that training hadn’t been enough. And if Walden’s guards couldn’t fight Blades, then none of the towns stood a chance.

  17

  Renna shoved her shovel into the mound of dirt and straightened. Every bone in her back cracked with pain.

  Beside her, Brandi stabbed her shovel into the ground and levered another clod of dirt onto the mound. Why had she ever let Brandi convince her to take a break from inside work to join the digging crew?

  All along a wide circle around Walden Manor, other people, both men and women, also wielded shovels and picks. The deeper the ditch, the higher the mound and the better protection the defenders of Walden would have.

  Axes thunked as men hacked sharp points onto the ends of logs. Others dug holes and dropped the logs into them with the points set at an angle facing outward from Walden Manor. On Walden
’s front step, a group of archers, including Jolene and Lady Lorraine, crafted arrow after arrow.

  Lydia dropped into the ditch next to them. Her hands sported red blisters. “Father asked that you join him in his study.”

  “All right.” Renna dropped her shovel and scrabbled over the mound of dirt. Brandi scowled at her and heaved another shovelful from the ground.

  Renna stopped at the pump outside the kitchen to wash her hands and scrape some of the dirt from her boots before she tromped into the manor. Not that it mattered. All the rugs had been rolled up and stored away. She followed the path of dirty bootprints down the hallway and into Lord Alistair’s study.

  Lord Alistair perched behind his desk while Shadrach leaned against the book cases next to him. But Renna’s gaze snagged on the third person leaning against the bookcases a few feet away from Shadrach. “Leith.”

  His mouth quirked, but he didn’t say anything. Something in his gaze tightened her stomach. What was wrong?

  “Have a seat, Renna.” Lord Alistair pointed at the seats in front of his desk.

  She slipped into the nearest one. “You wanted to speak with me?”

  Lord Alistair’s gaze softened. He rested his elbows on the desktop. “I know you were determined to stay here as long as possible, but circumstances have changed. I’m afraid you and Brandi are going to have to leave.”

  “We’re leaving?” Renna stared across the desk at Lord Alistair. She’d finally gotten up the courage to take on her duty as Lady Faythe. Now she’d have to leave anyway. “Why?”

  Leith’s dark hair swished across his forehead. “Respen has given me orders to kill you and Brandi. We have to make you disappear once and for all, otherwise he’ll keep sending Blades after you until one of them succeeds.”

  Clasping her hands tighter, Renna nodded. Each failure to kill them only increased Respen’s determination to see them eliminated. “When do we leave?”

  Lord Alistair sighed. “Tomorrow morning at dawn.”

  She sagged in the chair. Was it wrong to be relieved that she wouldn’t have to keep being courageous? She glanced at Leith but found she couldn’t meet his gaze. “You won’t be coming with us, will you?”

  He shook his head. “No. After we stage your deaths, Shad and I will take you partway into the Hills. Someone from the Resistance will take you and Brandi the rest of the way.”

  “And you’ll be returning to Nalgar Castle to make sure he believes we’re dead.” Renna’s heart clenched. Each time he returned, it increased his chances of being discovered.

  His mouth tightened into a line. “I’ve been ordered to stick around here after I kill you. But I’ll be returning to the castle after a month.”

  She swallowed hard. “I’m sorry I caused all this hassle. If I’d gone with the refugees like I was supposed to, I wouldn’t have caused all this trouble.”

  Lord Alistair waved his hand. “We’ve come up with a workable solution that fits with our plans.”

  Shadrach straightened. “I’ll see to the horses you’ll be taking. If you and Brandi can pack your things, I’ll be taking them to a spot in the foothills tonight.”

  Renna nodded. As Shadrach left, she pushed herself onto shaky legs. “I should go tell Brandi.” She stumbled from the room.

  Once outside the door, she pressed her back against the stone to stay on her feet. She’d tried to do the right thing. And it had gone wrong. She should’ve listened to Lord Alistair and left. But no, she had to go and try to be Lady Faythe.

  What a poor excuse for a lady she turned out to be.

  The door to the study opened and closed. “Are you going to be all right?” Leith’s voice eased around her as gently as falling snow.

  “No.” The word croaked out of her throat.

  He took a step closer, his eyebrows tilted. The sight took the rest of the starch out of her knees. As she wobbled, he put an arm around her, so solid and strong she leaned her head against his shoulder. “I tried to do my duty, to be Lady Faythe, but all I did was cause a mess. I even tried to pray about it, and I thought it was the right thing, but I must’ve thought wrong.”

  Leith held still as the cliffs above Walden Manor. “Respen used to tell me that duty was obeying his orders. But my true duty is to obey God, to deny myself to help others the best I can in the position God has placed me.”

  She’d done that, right? “Then why is it so tangled up?”

  “When we’re so tangled, it’s hard to see God’s direction. Perhaps we can’t see it or He doesn’t give it. I don’t know.”

  She should know. She’d grown up with a minister for an uncle. She should have all the answers.

  But she was so tired. If she could have a month or even a day without being hunted, perhaps she’d have the time to get it all straight in her head.

  18

  “Renna, wake up.” Brandi’s voice pierced into Renna’s brain.

  She forced her eyes open, wincing as her eyelids scratched her eyes. Shafts of light blurred through her eyelashes. “Is it time to get up already?”

  “Yep.” Brandi bounced back, her white nightdress swirling around her bare ankles and feet. The light from the lamp in her hand jittered across the wall.

  Groaning, Renna threw back the covers. She already wore her shift and underthings underneath her nightdress. She resisted the urge to tuck in the strands of hair that had frizzed out of her braid while she’d slept. She had to look like she’d been dragged out of bed. Correction. Her dead body had to look like it had been killed in bed.

  Someone knocked on the door. Brandi waltzed over and flung it open. Leith stuck his head in. “Are you ready?”

  Renna nodded, staring down at herself. Her face heated as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. Her thick nightgown and all her underthings beneath provided more than enough modesty. Still, Leith was seeing her in her nightgown. A downright embarrassing situation. But for this to work, every detail had to be taken into consideration.

  Leith stepped into the room, holding an animal skin bag. Undoing the cap, he poured a puddle of thick, red liquid onto the mattress. He flung a few drops onto the wall and dribbled some onto the floor.

  The musty scent of blood filled the room. Renna grimaced. The appearance of a murder was necessary, but they were leaving a mess for the servants to clean.

  Leith stepped back and eyed his handiwork. She tightened her grip around her stomach and turned away. He knew how a murder should look. How the blood should spray and pool if he’d slit her throat. Was he bothered now as he used that knowledge to fake the blood pattern across her bed? She couldn’t tell. His face set in a cold, hard expression.

  The face of a Blade. A First Blade.

  Recapping the animal skin, Leith turned to them. His gaze met hers. Bowing his head, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Renna clenched her fists. Her face must be contorted in a horrified expression.

  She shouldn’t picture him as a killer. Saved by Christ, Leith wasn’t that man anymore. This was a mask.

  A mask he wore too easily.

  “Take these.” Leith handed her and Brandi dark blankets. “I’ll tell you when to put them on.”

  Renna hugged hers. This night couldn’t end fast enough.

  Leith led the way from her room. Occasionally he’d flick drops of blood on the floor. Renna winced. Blood soaked into wood, nearly impossible to scrub out.

  How many hours had it taken Aunt Mara to clean the blood left behind after her parents’ murders? By the time Uncle Abel had deemed it safe for the girls to return from their hideout in the Spires Canyon, Stetterly Manor had been spotless. No sign of the events of that night remained. Only the loss.

  Tiptoeing down the stairs, Leith held the door to Lord Alistair’s study open for them. Brandi skipped inside. Renna followed closely behind. If only she had even an ounce of Brandi’s enthusiasm.

  A crowd waited for them in the study. Lady Alistair, Lady Lorraine, and Jolene sat in the three chairs while Lord Alistair leane
d his hands on the back of Lady Alistair’s seat. Lydia perched on a corner of Lord Alistair’s desk, her skirts draped neatly.

  Leith stood to the side in the shadows, his face tilted down. Lydia, Jolene, and Lady Alistair glanced at him, but their gazes quickly switched back to Renna and Brandi.

  Renna swallowed. They’d said their goodbyes after dinner, but apparently everyone needed another round. If only Uncle Abel and Aunt Mara were there to give her a hug. Better yet, come with them to Eagle Heights.

  She shook her head. Stetterly needed her aunt and uncle. The people of that town couldn’t afford to lose their minister and healer too. After tonight, they might believe she and Brandi were dead. Lord Alistair would try to send a message to reassure Uncle Abel and Aunt Mara, but two divisions of Respen’s army stood between them and Stetterly.

  Lady Alistair stood and turned to Renna. “I’ll be praying for you.”

  Renna gave Lady Alistair a smile, unable to speak past the clump of tears in her throat. She swallowed. She wasn’t going to cry tonight. Surely God had a plan in this sudden departure as well.

  Lydia hugged Renna. “It won’t be long before we’ll join you.”

  Jolene stepped in for a hug as soon as Lydia backed away. The arrows in her quiver rustled. “We’ll miss you until then.”

  Lord Alistair spoke quietly with Leith, most likely going over a few last minute details. Leith nodded, and Lord Alistair clapped him on the shoulder.

  Renna tiptoed closer and glanced at Lord Alistair. “Thank you for taking us in for the past few months. And all the trouble you’re going through to keep us safe.”

  Lord Alistair smiled, though lines remained trenched around his eyes and mouth. “It’s been my pleasure to protect you as much as I’m able.”

  After a last round of goodbyes, Leith led them to the alcove at the back of the room. He closed the curtains behind them. “Wrap the blankets around your shoulders. It’ll hide your white nightdresses.”