They watched him as he climbed the stairs. Cade cleared his throat. “I’d say taking him with you would not be the best idea. She’ll probably just offend him.”
Brendan’s smile was evil. “Yeah, then he might hurt her.”
Darius scratched his chin as he stared out the window. “He will be our issue. He is very protective of the girl.”
“Our issue is that they are both so foreign to us that we have no idea what will set them off.” Trey paced the length of the room, hands tangled in his hair. “I mean honestly, how many times has something we’ve done without thinking caused some insane reaction? Maybe we should put off taking either of them into the Tribunal until we get to know them a little better.”
Darius shook his head. “No, we need to keep the Tribunal’s interest. Otherwise they will not help us. They are waffling now. We have to prove to them that Eylsa and Gregor are of enough use to them to protect.”
Brendan raised his hand. “Uh, what about our dear friend the prince? Don’t we think he’ll be looking for his wayward bride? What if someone recognizes her? Someone like Arna maybe? I really don’t want to explain to her why I’m running around with reportedly kidnapped royalty.”
“She’ll have to go disguised, unless you think you can set your homing device directly to Keena’s office.”
Brendan cringed as he dropped into a chair. “I’d rather not let her know if I could. Who knows what she’ll want then.”
Darius glanced up at the ceiling. “Problems for the morning, my boys.”
“I say we stay together tonight, if you don’t mind losing your couch.” Cade eyed the offending furniture.
Darius nodded as he left the room. “Whatever makes you more comfortable.”
Trey laughed as he left. “Comfortable? Why would we be uncomfortable? We are only hiding missing royalty who also happens to be a killer and comes with a mentor! Why would we be uncomfortable?”
Brendan swept his hand and sent the furniture sliding across the floor. “Somehow I think we are fine with them. Is that strange?”
Trey and Cade stared at him in shock. “Are you asking for you, or in general?”
Brendan shook his head. “I hate you both.”
Trey pulled three small boxes from an end table setting them each on the floor. “How about you save your self-delusion for the morning.” He tapped each box with a finger and jumped out of the way as they unraveled into cots. “You can struggle with it while you’re fending off Keena.”
Brendan threw a blanket at Trey. “Still think I should sick Eylsa after her.”
Trey stretched out along his cot with a content sigh. “Save Eylsa for Arna. You’ll need the help there.”
Cade laughed. “That would just be cruel. You shouldn’t do something so mean to poor Eylsa.”
Brendan shook his head. “You are definitely right there.”
* * *
Eylsa’s eyes struggled open. She could make out Gregor silhouetted against the wall. She fought the fog that engulfed her mind and struggled her way toward focus. “Well?”
He dropped into an armchair at the edge of the bed. “I cannot say that I see what has drawn you to them.”
“I didn’t expect you would.”
“They are going to get you killed. You cannot believe the Tribunal will allow you your freedom.”
She sat up in the dark and wrapped her arms around her legs. “That is not the kind of freedom I am looking for. I want a freedom that allows me my own choices.”
His laugh was harsh as it cut through the night. “Choices? It is not choices they offer you.”
“And it is not me you really care about.”
The silence stretched out. “You are wrong there. I do care; I have put in too much time and investment into you not to care. Unlike them, I would not have you change.”
“They did not ask me to change.”
“How confident are you that this plan will work?”
She sank back into the pillows, her skin welcoming their soft caress as they puffed up around her. “I know they can take down the Trinity. Mavrin is no match for any one of them.”
“There we are in agreement.”
“You think me foolish?”
She heard the chair creak as Gregor shifted. “It is a little late for that, is it not? The course is set; we will have to see where it falls.”
* * *
Brendan folded the thick cloak over his arm. “You sure this will be enough?”
Darius nodded encouragement as he waved the younger man upstairs. “Of course. Just go get her up. Keena will be waiting.”
Brendan climbed to the second floor and knocked on the door at the top. “Eylsa, you awake?”
He cracked the door open, starting at Gregor in a chair beside the bed, his head lolled in sleep, hand resting on the bed just next to Eylsa’s outstretched fingers. Brendan crossed the room and shook Eylsa’s shoulder.
“Eylsa, wake up. We need to get going.”
Her eyes flashed wide with a gasp, her hand snapping around his wrist. After a moment, her look softened and her muscles loosened. “Brendan.”
He smiled, hoping it was reassuring as she glanced over at Gregor. “I’m going to say he doesn’t trust us yet.”
She took his outstretched hand; he pulled her to her feet.
Passing her the heavy cloak, he said, “We’ll need you to wear this, help conceal your face.”
Her brow wrinkled. “No one knows me.”
“Not as an assassin, but as the lost fiancée of a prince, most will.”
She gave the cloak a skeptical glare. “I’ll see if I have any clothes that might blend in better.”
He fought a smile as he nodded, running his eyes along her sleek black jumper. “That probably would be a good idea. I’ll be downstairs whenever you’re ready.”
He caught Gregor’s glare as he pulled the door shut behind him. His head shook, trying to dispel the chill along his spine.
Cade rubbed his eyes as Brendan entered the kitchen. “All ready for your day?”
Brendan glowered as he dropped into a chair. “Shouldn’t you have left for the Tribunal already?”
“I have talked to the office and I am working out today. I’m doing research at the Pintary Library.”
“Lucky you.” His voice was tinged with jealousy.
“You’d get more interesting assignments if you didn’t antagonize your boss.”
“I don’t antagonize her, she hates me.”
“Well, luckily for our current situation, Keena does not. With any luck you’ll be able to convince her to endorse our petition for Tribunal aide.” He nodded over his shoulder. Brendan turned to see Eylsa at the bottom of the stairs, her body wrapped in the heavy cloak. “Good morning, Eylsa.”
She nodded. “Cade.”
“Are you hungry?”
She cringed. “I’d rather not eat.”
Brendan stood and held out his hand. “It will be okay; I’ll be right beside you.”
She followed him out to the front walk, her fingers curled around his. He gave them an encouraging squeeze before pulling his homing device from his pocket. “You’d better pull up the cowl; don’t know who will be around when we appear.”
Her free hand tugged the cowl up as she wrapped herself around his arm. He activated the device.
They flashed to a busy street lined with tall, ornate buildings. Several people glanced at them but none seemed too curious as Eylsa tucked herself into Brendan’s side. Her uncharacteristic nervousness pulled out his protective chivalry as he guided them into the throng, careful to keep a tight grip around her waist. She shook in his arms as they made their way toward a building flanked with tall statues of the Tribunal’s founders. She froze as he mounted the stairs.
“What is it?”
Her eyes were wide with anxiety. “What if they don’t believe me? What will happen to me?”
She moved to take a step back but he kept her tight to his side. “We will keep y
ou safe, no matter the Tribunal’s decision.” He smiled down at her. “You don’t have to worry, if we have to hide you, we’ll make sure you’re okay.”
“And Gregor.”
He rolled his eyes. “And Gregor. Bad manners, angry glares, and all.”
Her chest shook with laughter as she relaxed into his arm. “He really does like you.”
“He has a funny way of showing it.”
“And I don’t?” He stared down into her eyes, his mind suddenly empty of what he was supposed to be doing. She dropped her gaze and broke the spell, allowing him to continue up the stairs. “He just doesn’t understand is all. This world, your world, is foreign to us.”
She cringed into his side as a man passed.
“We don’t know what to do.”
Brendan shrugged. “It’s not that hard actually. You’ve faked it before. Surely they taught you how to blend in?”
“Blend in, yes, but exist…”
He winced as his laughter earned him an elbow in the ribs. “Just do what we do. If you’re ever unsure, just look to us.”
“What if you’re not there?”
He pulled a large glass door open and held it wide as she entered. “I forgot about you and your questions. Do you ever run out?”
“You never answer any!”
His smile vanished as he caught sight of a poster near the door. He nodded at it. “Perhaps now is not the time for questions.”
She stared at her picture.
“Let’s find Keena and get you out of here. Last thing we need is some Good Samaritan trying to ‘rescue’ you.”
She ducked her face as he led the way, weaving in and out of people. The Tribunal was always crowded, even at night. Several acquaintances nodded in passing but luckily most were too busy to chat. His nerves eased as he caught sight of Keena’s door, a large-eyed cat carved meticulously in the wood. He gave Eylsa’s hand an encouraging squeeze and stepped up his pace.
“Well, Brendan. I didn’t think you were gracing us with your presence today.”
His spine spasmed as he released Eylsa’s hand and felt a fleeting relief as she ghosted away from him without missing a beat.
“Arna,” he gasped, “I was just on my way to Keena’s office—a meeting. I’m sure you understand.”
“And a morning tryst? Don’t think I didn’t see that young thing you had tucked to your side! And why was I not informed of this meeting?” Her thick arms crossed over her chest as she glared down her nose.
His head tilted to the left. “Tryst, Arna? That was an old acquaintance; I was just giving directions! And the meeting was last minute; I didn’t have time to make the proper arrangements.”
“That is no excuse! This is just one more example of your insolence. I will not stand for it, I will not. You will learn manners if I have to beat them into your thick skull!” Her increased volume drew attention from the milling crowd and eyes started to turn toward them.
“I assume I am not interrupting.”
Brendan sighed as Keena stepped up to his side. “You are late for our meeting,” she said. “I was beginning to worry.”
He glanced at Arna. “I was just informing Arna—and she was informing me, quite correctly—that it would have been better to have told her sooner.” He held out his hands in desperate placation.
Arna gave a haughty sniff as Keena patted his arm. “Arna, this arrangement happened very late at night. I told Brendan that it could wait for morning. Surely disturbing your sleep for something so menial would have been silly, yes?”
Arna deflated as Keena slipped her hand into Brendan’s elbow, pulling him toward her door.
His eyes darted around the crowd. “Where is Eylsa?”
Keena’s face retained her pleasant expression but her voice dripped venom. “There is a very impolite young woman in my office as we speak. Spoke to me as if I were a dog she had trained.” She jerked her office door open and brushed inside.
The tension in his neck eased as his eyes fell on Eylsa draping the heavy cloak across a chair. Keena rolled her eyes as she made her way around the desk. “Well then, isn’t this cozy.”
Eylsa glanced at Brendan, her eyes sparkling with nervous questions. He smiled at her. “Thank you Keena, for fending off Arna.”
Keena’s face retained its pleasant expression but her eyes raged out at him. “Yes, let’s try not to forget it either. Now, girl, you will give me the names of all of the members of the Trinity you know.” She pulled a pad out of her desk, tapping it expectantly with a pen. Eylsa blinked. “Well?”
“I am not an encyclopedia.”
Keena steepled her fingers over the notebook. “If you expect any kind of protection or consideration at all from the Tribunal, you will have to supply the information that we want.”
Brendan grabbed Eylsa’s arm as he saw her tense. “Keena, randomly spouting names might be ineffective. Perhaps we can start somewhere a little more specific?” He turned toward Eylsa beside him. “Eylsa, when we first met there were a series of bodies found. Do you remember?”
Her eyes remained focused on Keena. “Yes.”
“Do you know their names?”
“I do.”
He indicated Keena with a sweep of his hand. “Would you mind?”
Her eyes rolled toward the ceiling. “The first was a dark-haired man, six-one, brown eyes. His name was Eevan. He was grand general in Kintar’s bodyguard. He had the ability to change his appearance and could sometimes make himself invisible. Second body, redhead, five-ten, hazel eyes. Guardia, he was Undarian’s second. He could will. Third body—”
Keena stopped her. “Okay, so you can prove helpful. How do you know all this? How do you know the men killed?”
“Because I killed them.”
Brendan bared his teeth as Keena’s face paled.
“Yes, but you are no longer that person,” Brendan pressed.
Eylsa eyed him in confusion. “I am that person. How can one change who they are?”
Brendan rubbed his temples. “I don’t mean that you are a different person, Eylsa, I mean that you are no longer an assassin.”
Her brow furrowed. “But I am an assassin.”
Frustration boiled up inside him as he stared hard at Eylsa. “But you can’t kill anyone anymore. You don’t want to kill people.”
“Because I can no longer kill, you say I am a different person?”
Brendan sighed as he turned back to Keena, who was watching their exchange with a mixture of confusion and anxiety. “We have a lot of issues with definitions, but she really is a good person.”
Keena pulled her hands back from her desk, shrinking from the woman before her. “I’m sure she’s just…lovely.”
He coughed a laugh. “Yes well, considering the slight language barrier and Gregor’s warm and glowing personality, I think it better if we keep the questioning to those already involved. Any information you would like to know, you can give to Trey, Cade, or myself and we will be sure to get back to you with whatever they tell us.”
Keena blinked at him incredulously. “You do not truly expect us to leave something this important in the hands of…well, it is a Tribunal matter. It must be handled internally.”
“You are forgetting that all three of us are employed with the Tribunal.”
The smile that crept across her face sent a chill down his spine. “Now Brendan, surely you must understand the delicacy of this situation. I can hardly get approval for it to be handled…by inexperienced agents.”
He felt Eylsa tense at his side as he leaned forward. “Keena, I really have to insist on this. Surely there must be something that you could do to convince the heads? I would really appreciate it.”
Eylsa glanced at him but held her tongue and he thanked her silently for it.
Keena’s smile slid. “Perhaps I could think of something if I didn’t have to worry so much about Saturday. It weighs on my mind so heavily; I would hate to face so many judging eyes by myself.”
&nbs
p; Brendan took a deep breath, pressing his eyes closed at this obvious blackmail. “Keena, you know I can’t.”
“No, I know you won’t. Surely something so small is not too much to ask? Something like this could set one up for quite a promotion if it is handled properly.” Her smile dripped honey as she eyed Eylsa but her flat stare remained unchanged.
“I’m not looking for promotion.”
“Then why insist?” Her voice was so reasonable, like he was a child arguing over eating his vegetables.
He jumped to the front of his seat, raising his hands in supplication. “You don’t understand. Keena, Eylsa and Gregor, they know us. To bring in a stranger would only complicate things, possibly destroy what we’ve been able to accomplish so far. Surely you have to see that?”
Keena’s smile didn’t change. “Perhaps you should think about it.”
Brendan grabbed Eylsa’s hand, pulling her to her feet behind him. She was barely able to wrap herself in the cloak before he dragged her out into the hallway. He slammed a fist onto the call button for the elevator, pulling her close to his side.
She glanced up at him from under the deep hood. “I do not understand, why are you upset?”
He chewed his lip as he jerked her into the elevator behind him, glad that it was otherwise empty. He paced the small space as the floors changed. “That woman is ridiculous! How could she think I would do that?”
Her brow furrowed in confusion. “Do what?”
“Eylsa, she’ll only help you if I go on a date with her!”
“I heard. What is the problem?”
His jaw dropped. “What? What is the problem? Eylsa, that’s wrong, it’s sick, it’s…extortion!”
Her brow rose. “That is not normal? How do you get what you want if not by doing things for others?”
He rubbed his head soothingly. “Are all women insane?”
“Should I know that answer?”
He whimpered pitifully, sighing in relief as the doors opened to the fifth floor. His hand sought hers again as he rushed down the nearly empty hall toward a door at the end. Not even bothering to knock, he threw the door wide and pushed Eylsa into the office ahead of him. He pulled the door shut and slammed his forehead into it.
Darius cleared his throat as he set his pen aside. “Good morning Brendan, Eylsa. I take it your meeting did not go well.”
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