“Naja, you’re dead to me right now,” Rowan huffed, stepping away.
“You weren’t there.” Will shook his head, annoyed. “She knew. And that makes me think that she really is connected to all this. Why else would she bother knowing who Marl was if it wasn’t to do with The Cutthroat Prince? I want to find out more; I want to know what she’s doing here.”
“Why do I feel like you’ve got a terrible idea planned?” Rowan asked, grinning. “Please say you do.”
Will hesitated, watching Colin clean Naja’s hoof but not really seeing it. “I want to find what she’s hiding, who she is, but I don’t think we can ask her.”
“So, we’d need to know what she’s hiding, if she’s got written messages from Kelkor or things like that?” Rowan asked eagerly.
“I don’t like this,” Colin mumbled, lowering Naja’s leg from his knee and straightening. “Rowan, I thought you were on my side. I thought we’d agreed we need to keep Will away from her and safe.”
“I said I agreed we needed to make sure Will didn’t do anything stupid that would let her know who he was,” Rowan explained. “Big difference. Now we’re talking about the fact she already knows, and I think Will’s right. We should make sure we know what we’re up against with her, and what better way to do that then to make sure we know as much as possible about her and about why she’s here?”
Will grinned hopefully at his scowling friend. “I mean, it’d get answers.”
“And it’d be fun,” Rowan added. “Come on, Colin, let’s do it. I’ve behaved for almost a solid week and I’m bored with it. Honestly, I don’t know how you do it.”
“And it would totally go against the fact that the Ranger told Will to avoid Serena and, if she is a spy, we’d be risking your neck because you can’t handle not knowing everything,” Colin snapped. “Absolutely not. That’s insanity.”
“I won’t risk my neck because I won’t get caught.” Will’s smile widened and, for the first time in days, he felt a rush of excitement awaken in his blood.
“Oh yeah? And how’s that?” Colin growled.
“Because Rowan is going to keep her distracted.”
***
Between sandy-haired Gabe and the chestnut-haired Jerram, the dinner table could not have been noisier. The distraction was welcome for Will, who found himself glancing at the knights’ table every few mouthfuls. Serena seemed deep in conversation with Bane and hadn’t looked their way. Maybe this was a mistake; maybe she didn’t know and him doing anything now would be a dead giveaway.
“We’d best get set to move,” Colin hissed, following Will’s gaze. “I’m not sure that we’ll get a chance when it starts.”
“And there isn’t a better way to keep the knights busy?” Will asked in a whisper.
“Don’t be a spoil sport, this is my time to influence new squires to do bad things, this is my time to shine,” Rowan snapped. “Anyway, get out of here.”
Will nodded and he and Colin rose. Will immediately felt Serena’s eyes shift toward him and stifled a huge fake yawn.
“Hey, Gabe, Jerram, you want to know the best way to prove you’re fearless?” Rowan was saying.
Colin grabbed Will’s arm and marched him toward the squire chamber. They had just shut the door behind them when they heard the unmistakable crash of a diversion starting. A second crash was followed by a yell.
Opening the door a crack, Will and Colin saw Rowan leaping away from the squire table, which had been flipped over, holding a serving spoon like a sword and pretending to battle away Gabe and Jerram–both armed with similar utensils.
“Away you fiends, you dogs, you hounds!” Rowan roared.
The knights were springing to their feet, Rockwood fighting to yell over his own laughter, Laster swearing, and other squires were launching themselves out of the way of Rowan, who started to throw great handfuls of mashed potatoes at anyone who tried to approach. Serena and Bane were the last two knights to their feet, sprinting to help the other as Jerram wriggled free from Robin and leapt back into the fray.
“This is it!” Colin grabbed Will’s arm, pulling his attention from the spectacle.
They ran, skirting the far wall, unnoticed in the chaos of a food fight in full rage. If it hadn’t been for his burning curiosity, Will might have wanted to stop and watch, maybe even join in with Rowan who had just thrown a boiled carrot with expert aim at Laster’s face.
Instead, he and Colin sprinted into the entry hall together. Colin led the way toward one of the doors that led out of the corridor, yanking it open. “Through here!”
They dove through, slamming the door behind them and running down a second hallway, this one lined with banners of different countries and courts. At the far end, a grand staircase led upwards, toward the second floor.
Taking the steps two at a time, they skidded into the guest wing of the castle and paused, Will gripping a stitch in his side, turning to look at the doors that lined this new passage. Between the doors were more banners. “Which one? How do we know which one?” Will hissed. How hadn’t he thought about this?
“Don’t be thick,” Colin pointed toward one of the doors ahead. “The Kelkor banner, that’s where we’re going. It’ll be one of those doors. Then we just have to find which one of those it is.”
“Right!”
They dashed toward the section of doors designated with the Kelkor banner–sea green with its rearing bronze Kelpie–and began trying to force doors. Will almost fell when the first one he touched sprang open. He stumbled into a dark square chamber. The only light was the grey of the darkening sky through the window, casting shadows over the bare bed, the dust covered desk, the sparse bookshelves. The room didn’t look like it had been touched in ages.
Springing back out of the room, Will rushed to the next. It opened just as easily. Again, empty. Across the hall he could hear Colin bursting into more rooms.
Really starting to panic now, Will launched himself at the third door and was knocked to the floor as it didn’t budge. Aching all over, he scrambled to his feet again, excitement racing through him. “Colin! This is it! It’s got to be!” He shook himself and tried the door again. It didn’t move.
Colin ran to his side, panting, hair falling over his face.
“It’s locked,” Will grunted, shoving his shoulder into the door again.
“Hold on.” Colin drew his dagger, sliding the blade between the door and the wall. “Stand back. I think I can get the latch to…lift…if I can just…”
The click made them both jump. Will slapped Colin on the back, laughing. “Brilliant! How the blazes did you learn that?”
“Thanks!” Colin grinned sheepishly. “Ross told me even nobles should know how to pick a lock.”
They ducked into the room, shutting the door at their back and turning to take in their surroundings. Will had no doubt at all now that this was Serena’s room. A fire crackled in the hearth, throwing warmth and light over the blue carpet and the sea-green cloak that hung on a hook from the door. Like the other rooms, there was a bed, desk, and shelf but this bed was made, the desk scattered with parchment, and the shelf held an assortment of books that Will recognized as having come from the Hall of Records.
“Where do we start?” Colin asked, face draining. “We don’t have a lot of time and-”
“Check if there’s anything in those books,” Will interjected, crossing to the desk and rummaging through the parchment. As he did so, he strained to hear any sound of approaching feet over the slamming of his heart in his ears. If Serena came back up here, if she walked in, they would be cornered, trapped.
Most of the papers appeared to be maps, covered in red and green circles, but he didn’t recognize them. The land they showed was mountains and oceanside, nothing like what he’d seen in Alamore. After a few panicked seconds, he found one that made him hesitate, turning his head. A large map of Kelkor, marked with more red and green. He squinted down at the map. One of the dark lines that he had thought wa
s part of the illustrated terrain was different. The ink wasn’t black but dark blue, snaking a path through the land. He glanced back at the others, understanding dawning on him. These were all maps of different parts of Kelkor then. But what were the red and green supposed to signify? And what about the blue line? He traced his finger over it, perplexed. It seemed to be weaving away from main roads, a trail that led directly to Alamore.
“Hey, Will, look at this.”
Will looked up from the map to see that Colin had stooped to pick up something that had fallen out of one of the books. A thin parchment, folded over like a letter. Will hurried to his side, peering over Colin’s shoulder as he unfolded it.
Lady Serena Delfane, Knight of Queen Paranella’s Guard–Permissions to cross line of war in order to reach Alamore as granted by King Azric of Kelkor, Lord of Vanrel.
“Line of war?” Will asked, frowning slightly. “What line of war? I know that Bane mentioned that Shadow Dale had been pressuring their border with Kelkor, but she wouldn’t have to cross that border to get to Alamore.”
“No, she wouldn’t.” Colin stuffed the note back into the book, worry making him look older. “There isn’t anything between Alamore and Kelkor but miles. That means, if she was crossing war lines, they would have to be in Kelkor.”
“But against who?” Will shook his head. “Unless they’re fighting themselves, which would be stupid. Alright, never mind that for now, let’s keep looking. If we see anything that mentions Marl or looks like it might be connected to The Cutthroat Prince, we’ll be on the right track.”
Colin nodded and started shaking more of the books as Will returned to the desk. It was as he was reaching for the maps that something else caught his eye.
Words were bleeding through the top map. Flipping it over Will found himself looking over a list scrawled with the names of all the knights and squires. Lines had been drawn through most of the names, some blotted as if Serena had been annoyed when scraping a quill through them.
Of the knights, three names remained uncrossed–Ross, Robin, and Laster. Will’s eyes flitted to the next row of names, the squires. Almost all of these names were scratched through. Only one was left and Serena had circled it in the same red ink she had used to mark the maps.
William.
He stared at it, so focused on his own name, outlined in red, that it was a moment before he noticed the distant sound of feet. He looked up at the same moment that Colin was opening another book.
For a moment Will was uncertain if he’d imagined the noise, before crossing the room and peering through the crack in the door. His blood ran cold at the sight of a shadowy figure mounting the stairs at the far end of the corridor, a hood drawn low over the face.
“Colin, we have to go,” Will said, turning, heart slamming in his chest.
“Hold up, I think I found something,” Colin muttered, running his finger over the page he was reading.
“Not time for it now, Colin, we have to go! Someone’s coming! Just take the book!”
Colin snapped the book shut and hurried to Will’s slide. Glancing out the door, he swore under his breath. “What do we do?”
Will hesitated, watching the figure’s approach. If it wasn’t Serena, they might be fine hidden here but…
One of the torches reflected on a gleam of silver in the person’s hand and Will’s body went rigid. Whoever it was, they were moving too stealthily and holding a knife. He didn’t need another moment to consider their options.
Grabbing Colin’s arm, he wrenched him out of the room and started to run. To his relief, Colin didn’t hesitate, launching himself into a sprint. Behind them, Will heard the feet gathering speed.
Not bothering to glance over their shoulders, Will and Colin ran like their lives depended on it. Colin pulled Will through an off branch of the corridor, down another hallway. They both almost fell as it led onto a steep flight of stairs.
“Down!” Colin ordered, springing down the first steps. Will followed. Behind them, Will heard a clash and looked up just in time to see a knife strike the wall above them and fall to rest on the top step.
After that, Will didn’t bother with turning around. Instead, he ran faster, hardly keeping up with Colin, until they were bursting through another door that Colin slammed behind them, plunging them both into darkness. Neither one moved, holding their breath and listening.
The sound of running feet neared the door and Will reached for the dagger at his side, bracing himself, ready to fight. But the steps moved past their hiding spot, running past them.
The air rushed from his lungs in relief, and he took a tentative step backwards, feeling the wall press comfortingly against at his back. “She’s gone.”
“Shhh,” Colin hissed. “Might come back.”
They waited for what seemed an eternity. When the footsteps did return they were running again, back up the way they had come from, past the door. Neither Colin nor Will moved from their hiding spot for a long while, anxiously waiting to see if Serena would find them.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Will and Colin lost no time in recounting the chase to Rowan when they finally made it back to the dinner hall sometime later. They’d been surprised to find that Rowan was waiting for them there rather than asleep like the rest of the squires. The reason had become clear rather quickly though when they noticed the bucket of murky water that Rowan was using to clean gravy from the walls.
“But there wasn’t anything that might help us know why she’s here?” Rowan asked, not able to quite hide his disappointment.
“Nothing much.” Will shook his head. “Something about war lines in Kelkor, a list of the knights and squires names–mine was circled so I would bet anything we’re right and she knows who Marl is–and then Colin found a book.”
“A book?” Rowan asked, bewildered and turning to Colin. “That’s your evidence? A book?”
“It’s not just a book,” Colin said, indignant. He pulled the small leather-bound book from his pocket, holding it up for them to see. “It’s a book she’s been writing in. Most of it’s about the royal lines, old history about Alamore, but she’s got a lot of notes in here. Only issue is–she’s written it all in Kelkorian. I know a bit from my mum, but I haven’t tried to read anything in years.”
“For the love of Alamore,” Rowan complained, crossing his arms and scowling at them. “I pull off the distraction of a lifetime and all you two get is the chance that there’s issues in Kelkor and a knight’s diary that you can’t even read? Seriously?” He pointed an accusing finger at Will and Colin. “Next time, you two distract and I-” He stabbed himself in the chest with a finger. “Will be the useful one.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Colin said, stashing the book back in his pocket. “I shouldn’t have to remind you that this book isn’t just about Alamore royals.”
“It’s Thornten too,” Will muttered and Colin nodded.
“Well, Kelkor, Thornten, Alamore, or a group of one-legged mules, I seriously don’t care. You two can help me get this place cleaned up since it was your idea.”
“What?” Colin stared at Will. “You told him to do this?”
“I said cause a distraction, not wreck the dinner hall,” Will said, laughing at the horrified expression on Colin’s face. “Rowan, pass me a rag then. Colin, you see if you can’t make any headway on what she’s written there while we clean up.”
***
Will held out hope that what Colin had found would be of use. However, by the end of the first week, some of that hope had started to wane. By the end of the second week, he couldn’t help but agree with Rowan–their heist had been a complete waste of time. Most of what Colin had translated seemed mundane, just notes about King Revlan’s father and his brother, the same story that Don had already told Will when they went to the city.
“It’s got to be relevant!” Colin insisted whenever Rowan and Will showed a lack of interest. “They keep talking about Right of Blood. That’s how Tem
rod tried to take Paradon’s throne.”
“Yeah, well unless Marl is challenging Tollien for the Thornten throne, I don’t think that’s it,” Will used this protest for what seemed the thousandth time.
“And,” Rowan pointed out, smirking. “If he is challenging Tollien, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Let them rip each other apart.”
The feeling that their raid had been a complete waste of time, however, wasn’t Will’s largest concern now. He had noticed that Serena had taken to watching him, Rowan, and Colin during their training almost every day. At first he had thought it might be coincidence but, after the fourth day, he knew that wasn’t the case. There was no way she didn’t know.
“If she tries to kill us, my vote is we run straight to Ross and hide behind him,” Rowan had announced when Will pointed this out. “He’s the only one who stands a chance against her.”
“You think she could take down all the knights in Alamore? In a sling?” Will asked, grinning in spite of himself.
“Have you seen girls when they’re royally ticked off? Because I have a sister and I can tell you–I’d rather fight Tollien with a dead fish than defend myself from her.”
“She doesn’t have proof it was us anyway,” Colin had assured him. “She can suspect but Rowan was in the dinner hall–clearly–and the others saw us go to bed.”
There wasn’t much they could do anyway; Colin and Rowan were right. Without proof, Serena could only watch them with a glower and Will knew that their best chance of answers was either in the book Colin was still translating or else in Serena’s own mind.
No. Overall Will’s suspicions that Serena knew were only a discomfort until the second week after their break in and his and Colin’s escape. It was the sight of Haru striding into the barn with Serena the morning of the eleventh day while Will carried Admere’s saddle toward the horse, sent a thrill of panic through him.
The Cutthroat Prince (William of Alamore Series Book 2) Page 16