Shadow's Voice
Page 32
Rose sniffed and tried not to reward him. “You are infuriating.”
He grinned at her. “Stay. The captain could use your help and you know it. She’s lost a lot of her people in these months.”
“I’m not promising anything.”
“Just promise not to slip away when no one is looking.”
Rose stared into his eyes and felt a tension that hadn’t been there before. The captain was right all that time ago. Things really do get complicated very fast. Staring at this king who was so trusting and kind and wanting too much to trust him in return. She wanted so badly to stay but this world of his was so different, unknown. Her life, her world had been unsettled and she hated that feeling. Rose thought, perhaps, she could take the risk and try to stay.
“I can promise that, at least.”
The bells tolled overhead, and Rose stiffly stood. Her shoulders burned still, the gash from the whip was deep and still healing.
“Excuse me, but I’ve a meeting with the captain.”
King Micah nodded, and Rose turned away, a flutter in her stomach for what was to come. Her walk across the courtyard to the castle was slow, as was her walk through the castle halls. The castle had been subdued since the attack. Many guards had been killed, injured. Servants. Not everyone was lucky enough to be locked in a room to wait out the coup.
As Rose walked through the Light Horse, it seemed even quieter. Erik was broken by what happened in the throne room. Sam had told her he had yet to come out of his room. She sighed as she passed his room on her way to the captain’s office.
She knocked softly and waited for the captain to call her inside. Rose ducked inside, her stomach fluttering and heart beating. Captain Sayla, the large brown ledger sitting on her desk, watched her wearily as Rose sat.
“Captain,” Rose said in greeting.
“Rose.” Captain Sayla pushed the ledger to the center of her desk. “Now, will you tell me what is going on?”
Rose took a deep breath, her eyes glued to the ledger. “Can you check for a name in your ledger of wanted persons?” Rose finally pulled her eyes away from the book and looked at the captain. “And not ask me where the name comes from or why?”
Captain Sayla watched her silently, her fingers gently drumming on the cover of the ledger. Rose wanted to stay here. There were answers for her questions and magic here. There was a chance for growth here Rose hadn’t felt before. But she couldn’t stay if her name was in that ledger.
Rose watched as the captain’s eyes widened and narrowed, the slightest amount, and she knew the captain had heard her thoughts, felt her fear. As long as she didn’t make Rose say it out loud, as long as the captain let her pretend to keep this secret . . . she could live with it.
“What name?” She asked softly.
“Little Flower.”
Captain Sayla turned silently to the ledger and began flipping through the pages. Rose watched her, sure she was going to throw up or pass out as she waited. This was the moment, this was when she learned if her past would forever follow her.
Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Captain Sayla looked up from the book and shook her head. “There is nothing.”
Rose let out a breath and slumped in her chair. She felt tears close off her throat and she had to breathe deeply to stop them from spilling over.
“You will be staying?”
Rose nodded and swallowed her tears. “I will try. See if I can find a place here. Find my answers, at least.”
Captain Sayla smiled gently at Rose. “Good.”
Rose took another deep breath and nodded.
“Now, get back to the Healing Wing before Rita comes here looking for you. I’ve seen that woman angry, if she finds you here I won’t protect you from that.”
Rose chuckled and turned away to wipe a lone tear from her cheek. “Yes, ma’am.” She stiffly stood and began her trek back to Rita who was, without a doubt by now, furious at her absence. As she walked back, Rose felt lighter and more at ease than she had in years.
Acknowledgement
A huge thank you to my editor for turning something good into something amazing.
About the Author
Natalie was born and raised in the valley of Salt Lake City, surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains. In high school she was on the editorial staff of the literary magazine Euphony and had several pieces published in it. After high school she attended Westminster College for a brief time, before leaving to pursue other careers. Natalie enlisted in the US Army reserves but broke several bones in training and was sent home. She gained an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice and eventually achieved her dream of getting hired by a local agency as a law enforcement officer.
Her free time is a rare commodity; but when she has it she’s camping in the Rocky Mountains, running the Dirty Dash, napping with her cats, or working on the next book.