Agent Stone stepped forward. I willed my feet to remain planted behind the desk. I wouldn’t retreat.
“Where is Prince Brion?” Agent Stone trailed her fingers over the table against the right wall, moving closer at a tauntingly slow pace.
“Not here.” I didn’t have time to congratulate myself on sounding normal. Her cruel eyes snapped back and captured me in their dark, ominous depths.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know.”
Agent Stone watched me for a loaded second. Then she shrugged. “No matter. I’ll wait. I don’t want to miss the chance to tell the prince I’m the agent who found you in Caldiri. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be given a raise for finding such a useful recruit to serve the royal family.”
I didn’t know if agents were really given rewards for finding favored recruits, but I wasn’t about to ask. The fewer I spoke to the female who’d turned my world upside down, the better off I’d be.
Agent Stone picked up document adorned with a royal wax seal. It was one of the ledgers I’d seen earlier.
“What do you think you are doing?”
My legs threatened to buckle with relief when I heard Prince Brion’s question. I leaned on the table to remain upright.
Agent Stone dropped the piece of paper and spun around, already bent into a bow. “Y-your Highness. It is an honor.”
Prince Brion ignored her attempt at flattery and repeated, “What do you think you are doing? Who invited you into my office?” He held a bag in his hand, but he crossed his arms and glared in his characteristic frightening manner. Prince Brion looked like the draekon prince of my childhood nightmares, and I wasn’t the only one afraid of the formidable image he created.
Agent Stone gulped, looking meek and harmless. Both things she certainly was not. “I am here to deliver my squadron’s field report.”
“I thought you were a census agent,” a voice called over the prince’s shoulder. I watched as Agent Min stepped out from behind Prince Brion. His almond-shaped eyes were full of dislike as he looked at Agent Stone. “Since when did you join a combat squadron?”
Stone’s eyes flashed briefly before she resumed her act of subservience. “I joined Squadron Twelve after the rebels attacked the capital. I felt it was my duty to support my king by transferring to the army.”
She sounded so proud of herself, like she was the nobliest of draekon. I wanted to laugh in her face, but her presence still rattled me, preventing me from doing more than standing there to see how the prince would respond.
“I will hear Squadron Twelve’s field report tomorrow during my meeting with Colonel Stradden.” Prince Brion’s tone conveyed total lack of interest. He wasn’t impressed by her at all, and the realization pleased me. “You are dismissed.”
For a moment, Agent Stone stood there, dumbfounded. I bet she was rarely, if ever, treated so callously. With her stunning beauty, silver-tongue, and quick wit, I bet Prince Brion’s dismissal was the first she’d ever experienced.
Coming out of her stupor, Agent Stone bowed low one more time. She took care to avoid bumping into the prince as she rushed out of the office.
Several seconds passed before Prince Brion finally asked, “Are you all right?”
I realized he was talking to me and pushed myself away from his desk. “I’m fine.”
He crossed the room, and I stepped out from behind his desk, applauding my legs for not crumbling beneath me. “Are you sure? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“What did Agent Stone say to you?” Agent Min, also, entered the room, closing the door to give us privacy.
“Nothing,” I lied.
Prince Brion deposited his bag on the table and turned to his friend. “How does that agent know Amelissa?”
“Agent Stone is responsible for Lissa’s recruitment, as well as her sister’s.”
I gasped. I’d learned the truth from Agent Leith when I met him and my brother in the tavern, but hearing Agent Min confirm the fact solidified my hatred of the stunning female. I couldn’t understand why she’d been determined to ruin my life and recruit me.
A growl rumbled through the prince’s chest. “Did she threaten you?”
“What?” I blinked, unsure what to make of his anger. “No. She just taunted me.”
“About what?”
I dipped my chin. I didn’t want to reveal what she’d said about my brother. “Nothing. Can we change the subject, please?”
I thought Prince Brion was going to insist, but I was relieved when he clamped his jaw closed and gave a firm nod. “Very well. Do you mind if Agent Min joins us for lunch?”
The fact he bothered to ask my permission left me reeling but I composed myself. “Not at all.” Agent Min was an honorable and trustworthy draekon. I would enjoy the chance to speak with him. I hadn’t had the chance since the night of Lin’s rebel attack.
The prince reached into his bag and withdrew three sandwiches and some fruit. He held one of the wrapped items towards me, and my fingers trembled when I reached out to take the sandwich from him.
“Thank you,” I whispered, confused by his cordial behavior.
Prince Brion grunted in response. He handed a sandwich to Agent Min before sitting down and unwrapping his own.
Lunch was surprisingly casual. Neither draekon mentioned Agent Stone again, for which I was thankful. The conversation focused on the morning meetings. The prince shared the information with his friend, and both males even tried to pull me into their discussion by asking my opinions about different aspects of the conversations.
Unable to come up with anything meaningful to say, I simply repeated their own comments on the subject. Neither of them appeared bothered by my reserved behavior.
After eating, Agent Min left us to return to his duties, and I went back to taking notes for the prince’s afternoon meetings.
It was strange. As the hours passed, I began to feel more at ease. By the end of the day, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I’d learned a lot about the draekon military forces, and Prince Brion had praised my notes when he looked them over after the last meeting.
I realized I’d been craving purpose and doing something useful felt… nice. I hoped the prince would continue to let me work with him at the garrison, even if that meant I would be spending more time with him. Prince Brion might be intimidating, but I’d risk his unpredictable behavior for a chance to escape the smothering castle with the floating rumors and frightening King Roderick any day.
9
The following days progressed in the same manner. I’d wake up, Prince Brion would tell me we were going to the garrison, and I’d rush to get ready and follow him across the capital. Then I would sit silently and document every conversation, which was a lot.
Prince Brion was very busy. His days were packed with meeting after meeting, only allowing a few minutes of reprieve in between. I recently learned he was the general, but a part of me had expected the title to be nothing more than a formality. I hadn’t expected a prince to subject himself to the day-to-day operations of the draekon army but Prince Brion did.
Even more surprising, though, was the fact that not one of the soldiers who entered his office did so with fear. On the contrary, several acted like they were friends.
I wrestled with the notion that the brooding and stoic male from the past weeks was the same draekon smiling and joking in front of me. Prince Brion almost seemed… nice. And approachable. A far cry from the intimidating male I’d first seen in Cienna’s room.
The prince and I were in the middle of eating our midday meal when he asked me, “How does Agent Stone know your brother?”
The turkey sandwich fell from my hands. “What?”
Patiently, he repeated, “How does Agent Stone know Lin?”
“She doesn’t.” I licked my lips, picking up the sandwich. “Not really. She met him at the welcoming banquet for the Census.”
The prince watched me from the other side of his desk, forgetting about the fo
od in front of him. He rested his elbows on its surface and laced his fingers, resting his chin on his knuckles. I lowered my food. There was no way I’d be able to eat with him staring at me like that.
“Min tells me she showed interest in your brother when she was in Caldiri. I didn’t know if she might know of a way to contact him.”
I couldn’t hide my scowl. “Are you asking me if they were together? If they are still together?”
He lifted a shoulder. “It wouldn’t be unusual for an agent to find a potential companion while recruiting for the Census.”
The thought of Agent Stone romantically involved with my brother was nauseating. “Well, they aren’t together.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because I know Lin.” Realizing the prince could easily counter by saying I hadn’t known about Lin’s rebel ideals, I added, “Lin despises draekon. He went so far as to scar his face to avoid being chosen. He would never willingly be with a draekon.”
“Your brother scarred himself on purpose?” He lifted his chin from his knuckles.
That was what he decided to focus on?
I cleared my throat and tried to reign in my emotions. “Yes.”
“To avoid recruitment?”
“Yes.”
“He didn’t want to leave you behind?”
I felt familiar tears burning behind my eyelids. I held them back. “No. He didn’t.”
A knowing and respectful expression took over the prince’s features. “I can understand that.”
Prince Brion pulled his elbows off the desk and resumed eating his chicken sandwich. I was able to take two more bites of mine before I gave up. I’d lost my appetite. Since we were on the topic of census agents and recruitment, I decided to take my chances and ask the prince something that’d been bothering me for days.
“What did your father mean when he talked about a social experiment?” Days ago, I wouldn’t have dared ask Prince Brion about his father. He’d never said so, but I knew he and the king were not exactly close. I’d seen him grind his teeth anytime someone mentioned King Roderick.
But things had been different between us. We’d reached a truce, so to speak.
Not only was Prince Brion friendly with his soldiers, but he’d also started acting cordial towards me. When we were at the garrison, he lost his disapproving and grumpy persona. In his office, surrounded by his work, he was almost pleasant to be around.
All of those things were what gave me the strength to broach the unsavory topic of the prince’s father and his odd words on the first night I’d met him.
Prince Brion didn’t acknowledge my question at first. He finished his sandwich and took a sip of his water. “Regarding Caldiri?” he finally asked.
What else could I be talking about?
“Yes,” I answered. “Do you know about a ‘social experiment’?”
“Not entirely,” he answered on an exhale. My reflex was to accuse him of lying, but I noted the regretful glance he gave me before glancing back at his water and taking another sip.
I didn’t try to hide my disappointment. I leaned against my chair, staring at the grains of wood on the desk. “Oh.”
So much for figuring out why Lord Stanley was determined to make Caldirians fear draekon and the Census.
“But I can try to find out.”
My eyes snapped back to the prince. He looked and sounded sincere. “You would do that?”
He jerked his chin down and coughed before saying, “In the interest of being honest, you and your siblings are the first Caldirians I’ve met.”
Our region had many recruits sent to the capital each year. Surely, some would have cross paths with the prince, especially since he commanded the king’s army. Then again, except for the time he’d nearly torn Jasper’s head off during the tragic fire in the barracks, I’d never seen the prince converse with any human soldiers. Prince Brion had been upset to learn my fellow Caldirian recruit had taken me into the heart of the fire to try and rescue Warren.
Unaware of my thoughts, he continued, “I’d wondered why you are so afraid of draekon, but Min told me of the conditions in Caldiri. I, too, am curious to learn what Lord Stanley is doing down there in my father’s name.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
I took a leap. “And you will tell me what you learn?” I held my breath, scarcely daring to hope.
“Yes.”
My lips parted into a genuine smile. I couldn’t control my happiness. The idea I might finally learn the secrets behind my region’s unusual upbringing excited me. “Thank you, Prince Brion.”
Once I found out what was going on, I might actually be able to help end it by revealing the truth to my neighbors and loved ones. With Prince Brion’s help, of course.
I might actually be able to contact my best friend, Jem!
“You’re welcome.” The prince gazed at me strangely. No doubt, he was weirded out by my enthusiastic reaction. “And call me Brion.”
My smile fell. I gaped at him. “Excuse me?”
“Call me Brion,” he said again. This time, the corner of his mouth lifted. “Or is that type of familiarity reserved for my brother?”
“Of course not.” What an odd thing to say.
“Good.” He stood. “Most of my colleagues drop my title unless we are in a formal setting.”
“Oh.” I gazed up at his tall, broad form, deciding not to read into the fact he called me a colleague and not a servant. “Okay, then. Brion it is.”
Now, it was his turn to don a breathtaking grin. My stomach tightened as his onyx eyes peered into mine, as if he dove into their blue depths and searched for an unknown answer to an unknown question.
A knock sounded.
Still holding my gaze, the prince said, “Enter.”
Too embarrassed to be seen gawking at the handsome prince, I tore my attention from his stunning eyes. I turned around just as an unfamiliar soldier poked his head through the door.
“Your Highness. Might I have a word?”
“Commander Niles,” the prince greeted, abandoning his easy-going demeanor. “Yes. Come in. Amelissa, will you return our rubbish and dishes to the mess hall?”
I hesitated, caught off guard by the abrupt dismissal. I’d expected to document the spontaneous meeting.
Pushing from the chair, I gathered the lunch items, stacking the plates and trash. I dipped into a short curtsy, leaving through the door the commander held open.
Musing over what the commander had wanted to talk about, I made my way to the mess hall. It must be something of great significance for the prince to dismiss me from the room. After all, I’d listened to important facts such as the army’s movements and supply of weapons. What could they be talking about that I couldn’t hear?
Raucous laughter and clanging silverware floated out of the mess hall. The wide room was located on the first floor of the garrison, attached to the barracks where lower-ranking soldiers lived. Officers and others with the financial means resided in personal homes located throughout the capital.
I tilted my head forward, using my loose hair to conceal my face. I deposited the dirty dishes in the appropriate bucket and disposed of the trash in the bagged receptacles. Unsure if I would be welcomed back to the prince’s office so soon, I decided to pass time walking through the first level’s halls.
Before I could exit the mess hall, I heard someone call my name. “Lissa!”
I turned and saw Jasper’s familiar brown hair and friendly smile. I grinned back as he and another soldier jogged towards me.
I gasped when Jasper bent down and picked me up in a tight embrace. “Gods, Lissa. I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ve been worried sick.”
I held onto his muscular biceps as he swung me from side to side. I didn’t understand his worry. “What are you talking about?”
Jasper released me and stepped back. “The attack on the castle. I heard you were at the party when the rebels attacked.”
&nb
sp; “How?” I asked. Who was talking about me? And who knew I was at the party?
“People talk, Lissa,” Jasper told me. “And you don’t exactly blend in.” He looked at my blonde hair.
Jasper’s companion stepped forward. “Hi, Lissa. Remember me?”
I looked away from Jasper to the soldier. Squinting, I tried to place the semi-familiar features. “Qwell? Mistress Molly’s grandson?”
The young man nodded. “It’s been a long time.”
“It has,” I agreed.
Four years to be exact. I’d only been training with his grandmother for one year when Qwell was recruited in the Census. Qwell left Caldiri as a scrawny, underfed, but decently attractive teenager. Now, he was a fit, healthy, twenty-three-year-old. I admired his close-cut auburn hair and hazel eyes.
I glanced at my fellow recruit. Jasper smirked, amused by my blatant perusal of Qwell.
Blushing, I turned back to Qwell. “You’re a soldier, too?”
“An officer, actually,” Jasper answered for his friend. “Your grandmother would’ve been proud.”
A horrible thought crossed my mind. I cleared my throat. “Has Jasper told you about Mistress Molly?” I knew Qwell wouldn’t have learned about her death from family still in Caldiri. We weren’t given the ability to communicate with any of our recruited citizens.
“No,” Qwell said. “But a different Caldirian recruit told me about her death a little less than two years ago. I understand you were with her in the end?”
I choked back my sadness. “I was.”
Gratitude seeped into his gaze. “Thank you for that. I know you gave her peace by being at her side.”
“It was the least I could do.” Mistress Molly had taken me under her wing and gave me a means to help support my family. If I hadn’t become her healing apprentice, I would have struggled to find work in my poor home region. “She was like a mother to me.”
A group of soldiers approached, intending to leave the mess hall. Our trio shifted to the side of the entrance to clear the way for them to pass. From the corner of my eye, I saw several of the men gaze at me as they walked. One was so distracted he accidently collided with the back of his fellow soldier. I made a point to keep my eyes on Jasper.
Possession Page 8
