Receive

by Sarah Addison-Fox

  Hadley chewed on her lip as they rode silently through the Retreat. Not even two months ago, she’d arrived here uncertain of what her future held.

  She’d been so desperate to find her brother, she’d played along with the ruse as Cester had instructed.

  A jolt of awareness struck through her as she remembered how she’d lied. She wasn’t innocent. She’d lied too. First to Cester, then to his family when he’d asked her to pretend to be the missing princess.

  Hadley’s cheeks flushed as she considered how forgiving Ma Hamlin had been when she’d found out. She’d not battered an eye, and now that made sense.

  She must have already known Hadley was a fraud. No wonder she’d not been too worried. None of them had been.

  Carl’s face grew hard as he passed by Ma Hamlin without so much as an acknowledgement. Hadley bristled at the treatment. Despite the lies, Cester’s family had been nothing but kind to her, and they’d shared their home with the Stormers, offering them respite from their professions.

  All the parties, the fine dresses they’d had on hand, all the things that didn’t seem to quite fit, slotted into place as she gave Ma Hamlin a tentative wave.

  Meg appeared from her cabin, blonde curls spilling over her shoulders, a weary expression on her face as she came closer.

  Her blue eyes moved over them, the worry evident when she spoke. “Where’s Kade?”

  Carl answered as they carried on towards the barn, Meg falling into step with them. “He’s in Renhold. He spotted Cester, and he had a few questions to ask him.”

  Meg’s brow furrowed as she tried not to trip over Luna, currently circling her legs and vying for her attention. “But he’s well? He’s not hurt?”

  Carl snorted. “No. But your precious captain might be.”

  Meg stopped walking, her eyes wide, fear etched on her face. “What do you mean?”

  Carl released a sigh, before he swung down, his eyes flicking around as if checking. “Come inside the barn; we’ll talk there.”

  Hadley dismounted quickly, her eyes locked on Meg’s anxious face. “I’m so sorry. He should have been the one to tell you.”

  Meg shuffled along with them, confusion mingling with her worried expression. “What has Kade done?”

  Carl shook his head and yanked open the barn door so they could drag their mounts inside. The second they were inside, Meg near launched herself at Carl. “What is going on?”

  Carl backed up a little. “Cester lied to us. To you.”

  Meg’s eyebrows rose then fell, her lips pursed then she exhaled slowly. “Oh. That.”

  Hadley gawked at her for a moment, before shaking herself. “You knew he was royalty?”

  Meg snorted as though the idea was preposterous. “He told me when you three left. I was angry to start with until he explained why he’d hidden it from me. From us all.”

  Carl shook his head angrily, his fingers tugging on the buckles of his saddle. “Oh, come on. What’d he do? Cry? Beg forgiveness? He’s no better than the fat git sitting on the throne. Liars, the bunch of them.”

  Meg’s face flared with anger, her fists balling at her sides. “Cester is nothing like those in power. He’s honourable and decent, and he’s done everything for our family. You don’t understand. He was just like we were. Trapped in an impossible situation. He had no choice. He couldn’t stay and watch the rest of his family be butchered.”

  Carl turned his back on them as he carried on untacking his mount, his voice muffled as he slid the saddle off. “The sooner we get out of here, the better.”

  Meg sucked in a breath, her face blanching. “You’re leaving?”

  Carl caught her eye, and a tug of guilt shot through Hadley at the despair on Meg’s face. Meg’s eyes filled as she looked at Hadley. “You can’t leave. I’m getting married in a few weeks.”

  Carl shook his head. “Not if Kade has anything to do with it.”

  Meg froze, her eyes widening, her mouth opening and closing as if she couldn’t find the words to speak. Hadley reached for her arm. “I’m so sorry.”

  Meg frowned, looking angrier than Hadley had ever imagined her to be capable of. She pointed a finger at Carl as he began untacking Hadley’s mount. “Are you forgetting who rescued us? We’d all be dead if Cester hadn’t agreed to take us all on.”

  Carl growled quietly, posture still hard and his movements stiff as he removed the bit from her mare’s mouth. Luna whined softly, ears flat against her head as if distressed by the argument.

  Meg’s voice carried the slightest of wavers as she stepped towards her cousin. “What is Kade planning on doing?”

  Carl didn’t answer for the longest moment. Meg’s eyes locked on her with pleading Hadley couldn’t ignore. Though she wasn’t sure she believed it, Hadley infused her words with confidence for Meg’s sake. “He said he just wanted to talk to him.”

  Meg shook her head, her voice tight and her posture rigid as she turned on Carl. “He better just be talking, because if either of them gets hurt, I’m holding you responsible.”

  She huffed out a breath, her angry gaze locked on Hadley as she spoke. “I don’t know what Carl told you, but Cester and his family have done nothing wrong. They are kind and generous people who did what they had to do when their lives were in danger.”

  Hadley swallowed, her reply stolen as Kade’s outline hovered in the doorway. Meg sucked in a breath and took a hesitant step towards him as he entered the barn.

  He was cautious but seemingly uninjured from the way he carried himself and the set to his stance as he appraised his sister.

  Carl caught her eye and cocked his head in the direction of the door. “What’s say we take Luna back?”

  Kade’s eyes found hers and the faintest of smiles let her know he was alright. “I just need a minute with my sister. Cester is telling his mother everything. We’ll get a few hours’ sleep, then we’re having a meeting. There are plans to make. And I’m going to need all of your help to pull it off.”

  Hadley followed in Carl’s footsteps, Luna trailing in hers. With the confused expression Carl sent her as they passed Kade and Meg, he was as bewildered as she was.

  Kade forced his weary bones up the stairs, muscles aching and brain still fizzing with all the details that needed to be dealt with. He was in no mind to think anymore on the problems Meg’s engagement caused, but with the boys still at camp—and with Meg’s wedding only a few weeks away—he was left with little choice.

  As soon as this meeting was over, as soon as Cester spilled out the truth and the plans to all the Stormers, he’d go take a long soak in the hot springs and try to detangle the mess that had become his life.

  Ma Hamlin met him as he entered the sitting room, her eyes red-rimmed and face blotchy. Her smile was warm but uncertain as she rose to standing. “I wanted to apologise, Kade.”

  Kade closed the door behind him and shook his head. “You don’t need to. Cester explained. I’m sorry you lost your husband and your children.”

  Ma Hamlin’s eyes watered as she nodded. “You’re a kind soul, dear boy. There’s always been something gentle inside you. No wonder Hadley thinks so much of you.”

  Kade’s throat grew thick as she stepped forward, then back again as if unsure of her reception.

  He mustered the best smile he could for the woman who’d helped nurse him back to health. He wanted to give her something, something to say he understood and to say thank you for all she’d done. He kept his voice low. “Thank you for your kindness these last few years. Coming here each year was the closest thing to a home any of us had.”

  Ma Hamlin’s tears spilled down her cheeks as Kade embraced her then pulled away before his own eyes misted. He cleared his throat and nodded briefly before drawing away, following the sounds of the gathered Stormers waiting to hear the truth.

  His nerves cranked even higher as he opened the door, and all eyes immediately shot to him. Kade eased into his seat, Hadley and Meg already seated beside an uneasy Cester.<
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  The younger Stormers looked apprehensive. Brute and a now recovered Duke were eyeing Cester. Their eyes flicked then to Carl, who openly glared at Cester, his posture speaking volumes about his annoyance.

  Kade cleared his throat and took the final seat at the table, keeping his eyes from Hadley in case he lost his nerve. What he needed to say, needed to do, was going to be tough. “Sorry I’m late. I was speaking to Ben and Martha.”

  No one answered him directly, so he continued and didn’t tell them he was saying goodbye to the old healer who’d patched him up so many times over the years and to the woman who’d fed him for two years.

  “We found the missing boys, and we’ll be helping get them back to their homes. But we’re going to need your help to do so.”

  He paused as the Stormers shifted about in their seats, eyes darting around, seeking the answers from each other.

  Cester pulled himself to standing, the chair legs scraping across the floor. “I have much to share with you, and I wish I had more time to explain. All I can ask is that you will try to understand why I have kept this from you all, and I hope you can see that what needs to happen will benefit not just myself and those I love, but the country too.”

  Cester’s voice lost the formality Kade had come to expect, his posture changed, and he shook his head. “My name is Cester Romano of the Romano line. Eighteen years ago, my father and my brother and sister were murdered when King Charles took power. He was bent on destroying anyone who might lay claim to the throne.”

  Brute’s eyebrows rose, Duke swore under his breath, and the rest of the Stormers seemed alarmed if not curious.

  Cester swallowed hard, his eyes on the table top. “I needed you to know this. I needed to set my conscience clear before you all and admit I can no longer maintain this disguise. For my family’s safety and for your safety, there are steps that must be taken. As Stormer Kade said, there are innocent boys trapped in the south, and we need to help them get home.”

  No one moved as Cester took his seat again and looked to Kade to continue speaking. Kade scanned the faces peering at him “I know you’re shocked, and I know this is going to take time to process, but you’re going to have to suck it up because ten k’s outside the Southern Stormer camp, two hundred and eighty boys are waiting to live or die on the whim of a couple opium peddlers. We need to work together to get them all home, to at least give them some chance at a life.”

  He waited a beat, then turned his attention to the two most experienced Stormers. “Brute, Duke, I need you on the ground for this. I can’t come, but I know you can pull it off if we coordinate with Cester’s contacts in the south.”

  Brute eyed Cester for a long moment before sniffing and nodding slowly, accepting as he always did, giving Kade an opening into for the next thing on his agenda.

  Duke would follow Brute’s lead, and he wasn’t a troublemaker. He held no love for royalty, but he would cool off. When push came to shove, they all would. Even Carl wouldn’t hold his anger against Ma Hamlin for long, when he knew what was coming for the family.

  Kade made sure he met every eye as he announced his intentions. “I’m not going to be your captain. I have a different lifestyle in mind, and Brute Kincaid is more than capable of leading you all.”

  Brute folded his arms across his bulky chest, simultaneously chuckling and shaking his head. “Full of surprises you are.”

  Duke nudged Brute and muttered. “Not ever calling you sir.”

  Kade’s lips twitched as he turned his gaze on the one person he’d been actively avoiding the entire meeting. Hadley met his eye, the slightest of smiles on her lips. “What do you need from me?”

  Kade’s cheeks flushed in time with Hadley’s, her eyes widening as she groaned at her mistake.

  Carl snorted a laugh, seeming to break his rotten mood for a fraction of a second. Carl’s smirk grew as he looked sidelong at a red-faced Hadley. “He needs the same thing you need from him.”

  Joel, one of the boys who’d been recruited along with Hadley chortled, his grin contagious, spreading to the rest of those seated around the table.

  Even Cester seemed a little more relaxed as he laughed, his hand in Meg’s as he met Kade’s eye and gave him a slight nod.

  Kade didn’t hide his smile as he listened in to Brute’s solid ideas. He just needed Brute to see to one thing for him and a large part of his plan would be taken care of.

  Chapter Thirteen

  With the majority of the Stormers now absent, gone to assist in the biggest retrieval in history, the Retreat was strangely empty.

  The wedding had gone ahead. The Padre from Renhold had already arrived and departed, ready to carry messages to other followers of the Ancient.

  It had been a simple affair, pleasant despite the rush. With only Cester’s family, Carl and Kade, Ben, Martha and Cole in attendance.

  Meg’s dress had been plainer and more practical to allow for the immediate travel they’d undertake, but there were still well wishes and toasts to a long life despite the undercurrent of tension clouding the occasion.

  Lost in her thoughts, Hadley watched the newlyweds as they said their goodbyes to a mopey Cole.

  Kade settled in alongside her on the bench, still dressed in his usual attire with little time to do anything but give his sister away before they left again.

  His posture was tense as he followed her gaze. “Not much of a wedding. And the honeymoon will be tough. But they’ll be safe enough until I sort things.”

  Hadley released a long sigh as she leant forward to rest her chin on her hands. “How do you know this will work?”

  Kade cocked his head, his eyebrows raising. “It’s the best I could come up with. They’ll never be safe if they stay here. If Jax or Taggart told anyone the location of the Retreat, it’s too much of a risk for Meg to stay here.”

  He smiled at her and shifted closer till they were shoulder to shoulder, her heart thudding in her ears as she spoke. “That was the arrangement you made with Cester?”

  Kade nodded. “His family are mostly too old to relocate now, and they chose to stay here. Once the word about Cester renouncing his claim to the throne is spread, they should be safe. But Brute and Duke will keep an eye on them when they’re nearby, and Todd knows what he’s doing. He’s planning on training Cole, and they’ll keep the dogs loose at night.”

  Hadley swallowed, still uncertain why Kade wasn’t telling her everything to do with his plans. He was holding onto something, she knew it instinctively.

  He blew out a breath and pushed upwards, his daggers glinting in the fading sun. “We should get this over with.”

  Hadley nodded and joined him as he walked silently towards where Meg and Cester were standing at the entrance to the Retreat.

  Horses packed and ready, Ma Hamlin and his aunts all gathered around with hankies in hands as teary goodbyes were said.

  Carl stepped into Hadley’s line of sight, and his brow furrowed. “I’m not hugging anyone goodbye.”

  Kade growled as they came closer to Meg. “Button it, Carl, or I’ll do it for you. That’s our family now. Or didn’t you consider that?”

  Carl’s face blanched, and he wilted visibly as Todd gave him a clipped nod. “Terrific. I’m tainted by association.”

  Kade made a strangled sound as he looked sidelong. “Now you know how I feel, cuz.”

  Ma Hamlin was the first to meet them as they approached, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears as she embraced Kade and moved on to a stiff Carl. He gawked at her for a moment before a slow grin covered his face, and his posture relaxed, his voice thick as he spoke. “Thanks for putting up with me.”

  Ma Hamlin pulled him into a hug which Carl returned with an awkward pat to her bony back. When the old woman pulled back, a cheeky smile twitched at her lips. “Go find Rose. She’s a lovely girl, and you’ll do no better.”

  Carl shrugged before a wistful expression played on his face. “This is true.”

  Ma Hamlin’s chin wa
vered slightly, but she held herself together as she turned to a stoic Cester. “My son. Send word when you can. If I don’t see you in this life, may the Ancient join us in the heavenlies. I’ll be praying. Safe journey to you all.”

  Cester swallowed thickly before he nodded and, without any more goodbyes, he guided a teary Meg to her mount.

  With one last look, Hadley mounted her mare. A solid lump lodging in her throat, Hadley followed Kade as he led them out of the Retreat and towards a new future.

  Arrowford was much the same as when he and Hadley had left it. Derelict and depressing. Buildings near collapsing, wood rotting, windows cracked, and a general air of abandonment. All of which did little to wash away his growing unease.

  He almost wished Carl hadn’t decided to go find Rose and try to make amends. He could use a backup man, but by the same token it was too important to mess up.

  Despite his reassurances to Hadley, it was a risk to be here again. One stray arrow from over the river would be all it took to end him and the chance he hoped to gain for his sister.

  Kade stood under the apple tree he and Hadley had sat under, his eyes on the barren dirt across the flowing Azetary River separating him from a country he was barred from ever setting foot on again.

  He waited until the faintest flicker of movement gave him hope he was being watched. He stepped out from under the protection of the tree and slowly eased his bow from his shoulder and with halting movements, laid his weapon on the grassy bank.

  His veins flooding with heat, skin prickling from the feel of eyes locked on him, he slowly brought his hands to his mouth and shouted. “I have a message of peace for Prince Rahid. Tell him the Stormer he saved has returned with a message from the king.”

  He drew his hands away and waited, sweat trickling down his back as the sun beat down on his neck. His hands trembled as every nerve fired up, waiting for the sound of whizzing that would mean the Numachi keeping watch considered him hostile.