“Lord and Lady Rodanthe will never agree to let you all leave with that slimy worm,” Eamon blustered. “Surely you can see he’s not trustworthy.”
“Let’s not dive into the issue of trust, Eamon,” said Lucy bitingly, looking around for Cody. She didn’t want to waste time arguing with the prince—she needed to think.
Eamon took a deep breath. “Lucy, if you accept an invitation to stay with him at his home, you may as well announce your engagement. That’s what everyone will assume.”
“I thought I shouldn’t care what people think,” said Lucy, tilting up her head in an effort to hide her flush at the remark.
The element of truth in Eamon’s words was what stung most. If she decided to go with Rasad, it would be because she wanted to see what she could discover, like Lady Yasmin had advised her to do. But that decision would come with a cost in terms of public opinion, there was no doubt.
“You laughed at the idea that you and Cody could be romantically involved,” Eamon said, changing tack. “You said it was disgusting because he’s your parents’ age. So why doesn’t it bother you for people to think the same thing about you and Rasad?”
“Rasad is younger than Cody,” evaded Lucy, refusing to acknowledge that it did bother her.
Eamon snorted. “By what, five years? If that?”
Lucy took a deep breath, forcing herself to keep her temper. “Rasad’s age is irrelevant, Eamon. The point is that it isn’t your business. Like Rasad said, I’m not part of your delegation. Even Lord and Lady Rodanthe’s authority over Matheus and me was only supposed to stretch until we reached our relations in Balenol.”
“But your relations aren’t here,” argued Eamon quickly. “You were never supposed to be in Thorania on your own.”
“I’m not on my own,” said Lucy, trying to speak patiently. “And I’m not going to run off by myself. You might be under the direction of Lord Rodanthe, but my instructions are not to go anywhere without Cody. If I go to the north with Rasad, it will be because Cody and Matheus and I have talked it over, and we’ve all agreed that it’s a good idea. Thank you for the bout, but I need to go get ready for the day.”
“Lucy—” Eamon protested, but Lucy ignored him, retrieving her weapons and striding for the door. She needed to think before she made any decisions, and Eamon was the last one to help her consider the matter objectively.
But as she crossed the room her eyes fell on Lady Yasmin and Cody, both watching her with identical expressions of concern, and she knew what her decision would be, provided Cody could be convinced.
She turned toward the door, leaving explanations for Cody until later. Lady Yasmin had an openness about her that Rasad lacked, but Lucy didn’t intend to blindly trust either of them. Whatever else happened, she was determined not to be used by anyone. To be sure of that, she needed more information.
And she had a feeling that when it came to Thorania, the place to find out what was really going on was wherever Rasad could be found.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“It’s pretty impressive.” Matheus spoke in the tone of one making a great concession, although his eyes were wide with amazement. “It almost makes it worth being dragged away from Thirl the moment we arrived.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Will you stop complaining?” She gestured at the sight before them. “You wouldn’t be seeing this if we’d stayed in Thirl.”
“It is pretty impressive,” Matheus admitted again.
Lucy ignored the understatement, returning her attention to the incredible phenomenon of the Jeweled Peaks. They were unlike anything she’d ever seen. The mountain range stretched as far as she could see to the south, and for some distance northward as well. But the mountains weren’t made of the gray stone of Kyona’s mountain range.
The terrain had become steadily more arid as they traveled east from Thirl, and now only the occasional small, stubby vegetation could be seen protruding from behind outcrops of sand-colored rock.
But the peaks in front of them weren’t just sand dunes. The slopes rose up as high as any mountain range, their shadows shortening as the sun climbed further in the sky.
The Jeweled Peaks hadn’t gotten their name from their height, though. The sediment truly did seem to sparkle like jewels in the morning sun, the slopes painted in stripes of red, purple, and yellow. Lucy had been pleased to learn that they would be riding alongside the range for the rest of the day. She felt as though she could look on the sight for a week without getting sick of it.
“Have you ever seen anything like it, Cody?” she asked.
“No,” said Cody in his usual calm way. “It’s quite a spectacle.”
Lucy winced at his impassive expression. Cody hadn’t complained like Matheus, but she had a feeling that he regretted their hasty departure from Thirl more. And she was pretty sure she knew why.
She’d been feeling guilty about it all morning, even though it wasn’t really justified. She had been the one to receive the invitation, but it wasn’t as though the decision had been hers. If Cody had said no, she wouldn’t have been able to go. Even if Matheus had been adamantly against it, she suspected Cody would have refused the change in plan rather than force him to come just so they could stay together. In actual fact, they had talked it over, and all three of them had agreed they should take the opportunity to learn more about Rasad and what he might be up to.
Cody had even discussed the matter with Lord and Lady Rodanthe, despite Lucy’s bold words to Eamon about not being answerable to them. According to him, the Kyonan courtiers had been hesitant about the group splitting up, but had made no attempt to forbid it. Most likely they were remembering that the three of them weren’t strictly part of the delegation to Thorania.
But somehow it still felt like she was the one dragging Cody away from somewhere—or someone—he didn’t want to leave.
“What do you think?” Rasad pulled his horse alongside hers. “Did I oversell them?”
“Not at all,” said Lucy, smiling at him. “I’ve never seen anything like it. They’re amazing. What makes them so colorful? Is this really where you mine the jewels?”
Rasad chuckled. “The mines are on the other side of the mountains. The color you can see isn’t actually from jewels—the name is just poetic. It’s minerals in the sediment that create that effect. No one fully understands why, but it’s a phenomenon that doesn’t appear anywhere else. At least not in the South Lands.”
The pride was clear on Rasad’s face as Lucy nodded.
“Not in the North Lands, either.”
“The Jeweled Peaks are one of Thorania’s greatest treasures,” said Rasad. “In more ways than one.” He smiled at Lucy. “Some people are more interested in the value to be found in the mines, but I thought you would appreciate their beauty for its own sake.”
Lucy returned the smile. “You were right.”
“Come,” said Rasad, wheeling his horse around. “If we want to reach the end of the range by nightfall, we’d better get going.”
He pushed his mount toward the front of the group, but Lucy was prevented from following by a firm hand on her reins.
“Keep your head, Lucy.” Cody waited until Rasad was out of earshot before speaking, his voice serious. “Don’t forget why we’re here. He’s up to something, and we’re trying to find out what.”
“I think you mean we’re trying to find out if he’s up to something,” Lucy corrected with a slight frown. “Let’s not assume he’s guilty without any proof. And no one’s losing their head. Have some faith in me.”
“I do have faith in you, Lucy,” said Cody calmly. “But as much as I know you don’t like hearing it, you’re still very young. Rasad is an intelligent and experienced man, and he’s used to power. Don’t try to tell me that you aren’t a little fascinated by him.”
Lucy didn’t answer, troubled by the truth in his words. She had found Rasad magnetic from the start. But the fact that Cody was fully convinced of Lady Yasmin’s trustworthiness
wasn’t proof of anything. If Lucy could be misled by Rasad’s appeal, who was to say Cody wasn’t vulnerable to the same blindness? Either of them could be using the Kyonans for unknown ends.
When Lucy remained silent, Cody released her reins, urging his own horse forward. Lucy followed slowly, still deep in thought.
“You didn’t tell him, did you? You didn’t tell either of them.”
“What?” Lucy looked at her brother in confusion. “What are you talking about, Matheus?”
The fifteen-year-old looked unimpressed. “You didn’t tell Eamon and Joss that Lady Yasmin asked you to keep an eye on Rasad, or that you agreed to stay with him because you want to see if he’s up to something. You let them think it’s because you just can’t stay away from him.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “If either of them thinks that, they’re being incredibly stupid.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” said Matheus dryly.
Lucy shifted her hands on the reins. “Don’t lecture me, Matheus. I told them about the invitation, and that we’d all talked it over and decided to accept, to find out more about Rasad, and about Thorania. I don’t have to tell them everything I’m thinking. Lady Yasmin asked us not to say anything, remember?”
“And you’re going to do what a stranger asked instead of trusting our friends, who we’ve known all our lives?” Matheus challenged. “Don’t think I missed how heartbroken Eamon was last night. He thinks you’re in love with Rasad, doesn’t he?”
“How should I know what he thinks?” Lucy answered uncomfortably.
She didn’t want to have this conversation with her little brother of all people. She took no pleasure from the reminder of the gala they had all attended the evening before. Even the widespread admiration she had received from the local men no longer held much appeal for her. She was all too familiar with it by now—the compliments were as predictable as they were shallow.
She had barely spoken with Eamon, not trusting herself after the tension of their bout that morning. But in spite of having been in meetings all day, he had somehow heard about her decision to accompany Rasad. His agitation was written on his face for everyone to see, and it just made her more irritated with him. She hadn’t felt that she owed him a personal explanation for her decision, and she had made no attempt to give one.
Of course, his discomfort might have been as much from her attire as from her impending departure. Jocelyn was in Thorania as a representative of Valoria, and she had to wear a traditional Valorian dress, even though it didn’t match the climate. But Lucy had no official role. When she retired to her room to prepare for the gala and found an unexpected gift awaiting her, she had decided to be bold.
If the present had been from Rasad, she wouldn’t have accepted it. But it was from Lady Yasmin, and Lucy saw no reason to deny the curiosity she’d been feeling since arriving in Thorania. The sheer fabric felt as incredible as it looked. It fell softly around her, as light as feathers on her skin. She liked the mobility of the pants, but the way they billowed made them as elegant as a ballgown. She never wanted to wear anything else.
At least, until she arrived at the gala. The garment was quite covering, but she hadn’t fully realized until she entered the brightly lit room just how transparent the fabric could be. It wasn’t as though she was making a stir—the rest of the women in the room were dressed similarly. But she felt exposed all the same. And she wasn’t sure what made her more uncomfortable—Rasad’s obvious delight at seeing her in the traditional garb of Thorania, or Eamon’s distress at how fully she was embracing their host kingdom.
Lucy pulled her thoughts back to the present, cutting off any reply Matheus might want to make by urging her horse into a trot. The Jeweled Peaks were still there on her right, as magnificent as they’d been when she first saw them. But somehow their splendor was dulled. She tried to tell herself that Eamon was nothing to her, and therefore she shouldn’t care if Matheus was right that the prince thought she was in love with Rasad.
But somehow she didn’t quite believe it.
They made steady progress all that day. As Rasad had promised, they camped in the evening at the northern end of the Jeweled Peaks. The next day was much the same, the horses moving at a constant rate, clearly well accustomed to the dry, hot terrain.
And it was dry. Gone was the moist air of the jungle. They had reached the northern part of the kingdom that Rasad had spoken of so often, and the landscape was more arid than any Lucy had seen before.
When they passed around the northern end of the mountain range they had an excellent view of the desert stretching to the east of the peaks. They couldn’t see the coast from where they were, but Rasad told them that the sand stretched all the way to the ocean.
Lucy had never seen so much empty space, but somehow there was a beauty to the blank vista. The landscape felt wild and free, the opposite of the heavy clinging air and the overgrown foliage that made the Balenan terrain feel so suffocating. Perhaps that was why the culture of Thorania seemed to be more relaxed and open.
The most interesting thing they saw that day was a herd of wild horses in the distance. Lucy couldn’t help but exclaim with delight at the beautiful sight. The magnificent animals seemed like an embodiment of the spirit of freedom that characterized this kingdom. Rasad told her that there were many herds of wild horses in the eastern part of the country.
“You’ve only seen us in the city,” he said. “So you haven’t had a chance to see us show off our horsemanship. But we are at our best when working with our equine brethren. Do you know how to ride without a saddle?”
“No,” said Lucy. “But I would love to learn.”
Rasad smiled. “And I would love to teach you. Perhaps we’ll find time while we’re in the north.”
“Perhaps,” said Lucy, her eyes still on the horses galloping into the desert. Even from a distance, she could see the great sprays of sand being thrown in every direction by their hooves.
They weren’t traveling at an uncomfortable speed, but the pace was steady. By the end of the second day, they had reached the edge of an enormous ravine that ran from west to east across the northern part of the kingdom. Rasad told them that they had made good time. They would reach his home on the other side of the ravine the next morning.
The final day of their journey dawned clear and mild, although Lucy had spent long enough in the South Lands now to know that it would be unbearably hot within a few short hours. Lucy was up early, but as usual not as early as Cody. She emerged from her tent to see the older Kyonan standing at the edge of the ravine.
“Good morning,” she said, joining him. She peered down into the gully. “Wow, it’s a long way down, isn’t it? I didn’t get a good look last night.”
“It is,” Cody agreed. “I could hear the water when I was trying to sleep, but the river is bigger than I expected.”
Lucy glanced westward, toward the end of the ravine. “Water must flow down from the jungle to form that river,” she guessed. “It is quite a torrent, isn’t it?” She followed the waterway at the bottom of the ravine with her eyes, trying to picture where it must empty into the ocean, away to the east.
“So what’s your plan, Lucy?” Cody asked suddenly. “When we get to Rasad’s home?”
Lucy shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t know. I’ll just look around, I guess. Try to get a feel for the place, and what Rasad’s life is like.” She raised an eyebrow. “What about you? Do you have some grand plan?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” said Cody calmly. “But you can be sure I’ll do more than just look around vaguely.”
“Be careful, Cody,” said Lucy, suddenly anxious. She glanced around, keeping her voice low. “If Lady Yasmin is right, and Rasad is up to something he shouldn’t be, he won’t react well to finding you poking around his business.”
Cody smiled. “I’m good at being inconspicuous, Lucy. Don’t worry about me.” He glanced over at her, perhaps seeing that she was still concerned. “I’ve a
lways been good at avoiding notice, you know. Did I ever tell you that I was never liberated by the resistance?”
Lucy frowned. “What do you mean? I thought you said they recruited you soon after you arrived in Balenol.”
“They recruited me, yes,” Cody acknowledged. “But they didn’t liberate me. I escaped on my own, within a week of arriving in Nohl. I got a good feel for the intake camp, then I found an opportunity to slip away.” His eyes took on a distant gleam, caught in the memory. “I’d been used to living on the street, in Alezae. I figured I could survive on the streets in Nohl without too much trouble.” He shook his head. “I learned pretty quickly that Nohl wasn’t like Alezae, at least not for a Kyonan kid. I wouldn’t have lasted long if Raldo hadn’t found me.”
He looked back at Lucy, pulling his thoughts from the distant past. “Anyway, it was very rare for anyone to escape without outside help. It’s easy to assume that I learned all my skills in stealth from the resistance. But while they helped me improve, especially in jungle tracking, I was actually already good at that stuff.” He smiled. “So don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself. If Rasad thinks you’re sniffing around, and realizes you’re suspicious, who knows how he’ll respond?”
Lucy nodded vaguely. “I’m not planning to do anything dangerous, Cody.”
He sighed. “You never are, but if it’s not a balcony collapsing, it’s a knife attack, or an abduction attempt. I didn’t realize what I was signing up for when I agreed to come on this trip.”
Lucy grinned, not fooled by his long-suffering tone. “You were spoiling for an adventure, don’t deny it.”
Cody just grunted, but there was no time for more anyway. The rest of the camp was rising, and it wasn’t long before the group was underway again.
They crossed the ravine by way of a long wooden bridge suspended across the fissure by ropes. The crossing took a long time, as they needed to move in single file. The whole structure was sturdy and well-maintained, but it still made Lucy nervous to be so high above the ravine for so long. She couldn’t help glancing down often at the river far below, and the rocky sides of the slopes.
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