by Devyn Jayse
As I realized where he was going, outrage flooded me. I leaned toward him, furious. "You think I am the one who set up the attack on her? Or that I am in collusion with people who did?"
His eyes burned into me. "Here is where we stand. You're a stranger in my territory. You may have been placed by others as a way to get close to me. You may not even know you're being used as a pawn. Either way, I still have to keep you close to keep an eye on you. You will be working for me until I say otherwise. If you choose to leave the work, then you're choosing to leave the Blights. Am I clear?"
Yes, he was clear. As long as I wanted to stay in the Blights, I would have to report to him. The day I chose not to, I would have nowhere to go.
If he only knew the full story, he would know he was wrong. Only chance had put me nearby when Penny was at risk, only chance that I had reacted to the prince and raised a blade against him, only chance that I refused to apologize and thereby got exiled from the castle. He didn't know any of that, and I couldn't tell him. I didn't trust him and couldn't risk having the prince find me. I was safe for the time being.
"Nobody knows I am here. It's the last place they would think I'd go," I muttered.
I was wrong, though. People would eventually find me. My conversation with Blaze should have alerted me to what I was blind to--my disguise wasn't particularly strong, and I stood out like a sore thumb in the Blights.
I really should have been more careful.
The next day, someone was sent to kill me.
18
The next morning, I was back again at The Fortune early enough that Oscar hadn't opened. He greeted me warmly when he saw me and gave me a couple of packages to deliver with the usual instructions.
I wondered why Oscar had his store there in the Blights instead of the castle. From what I had seen so far while working with him, Oscar had enough regular business that showed his clients were loyal and his goods very much in demand. The quality of the weapons sold in The Fortune rivaled those in the castle. However, I was wary of asking him questions that I myself did not want to answer.
As I stepped from the informal border between the Blights and town, the small strip of land clear of cobblestones, birds suddenly took flight from the neighboring trees. That was the only warning I had before four men burst out of the bushes behind the trees.
I dropped the packages and cleared my sword from its scabbard.
One man was quicker than his companions and ran straight at me, a short sword in his hand. I moved to the side, and he twisted, aiming for my heart. I raised my sword against his. The sound of steel rang loudly in my ears as I put my training to the test.
He was slow in returning his strikes. I found an opening and took it. My sword sank into his chest. Before I could be attacked by the others, I pulled my sword free, and the man collapsed to the floor in a crumpled heap. I didn't have time to think as I continued to fight off the two others.
My arm was tiring against them.
The men glanced behind me, and I looked back, ready to fend off another attacker if needed.
"Tobin!" I staggered back in shock.
He rushed past me and fought off the two men with ease, forcing them back away from me. They were no match against his training. He twisted left and right. He was Tobin but not the one I remembered. I had Tobin's fighting memorized from our countless bouts, but his movements were not familiar.
Staring at him, I was frozen, my sword hanging from my limp arm as he continued to fight my attackers.
He managed to injure one of them, cutting deep into his arm, and they dispersed, running from the fight.
When he turned around to face me, I realized my mistake.
The man wasn't Tobin. It was Garren, Tobin's older brother.
I hadn't seen him in years, since he'd first signed up to be a guard and was assigned to the outer territories. He was slightly taller than Tobin. Where Tobin's eyes had been the color of the sky on a sunny day, Garren's were the color of the sea on a cloudy day.
He rushed to my side. "Are you hurt?"
I shook my head and glanced at the man on the ground. The same couldn't be said for him. I started shaking. I had taken a life. Garren had saved mine. I wouldn't have been able to dispatch those men by myself.
"Thank you," I said.
"Come on, we've got to get out of here before someone sees us."
I went back to pick up the packages I had dropped and followed him. As we made our way into town, he moved smoothly through the alleys, avoiding people.
I followed him, my mind scrambling to understand what he was doing there. Soon, I reached a conclusion. "You've been following me."
Garren didn't acknowledge my comment.
"I thought I was seeing Tobin."
"I miss him too."
I stopped in my tracks, the wound gushing anew. Tobin was gone.
Once he realized I had stopped moving, Garren backtracked to me. His eyes traveled over my face as if trying to come to some decision. He reached out and tugged me by the arm. "We've got to keep moving."
I followed him obediently. He continued taking abandoned alleyways crisscrossing through the town. Any time he saw someone, he would pivot into a different alley, and I stayed close behind. Finally, he turned around a corner, took a small key from under his tunic, and used it to unlock a door, which he pushed open. He held it open for me, and I stepped inside. I turned to see him check whether anyone had followed us, then he made his way inside and locked the door behind us. The room was small, sparse of belongings. A small cot and a chair were in the corner. The room had no window, just a small unlit stove with its pipe.
Garren. I let my eyes roam over him. I couldn't stop searching for the similarities to and differences from Tobin's features stamped on his face. The nose was a little more upturned, the chin a little less pointed. His eyes were not as wide.
"It took some time for word to reach me about Tobin. I requested to be transferred to the castle immediately. I've been there a few weeks now."
"I'm sorry," I said. It came out choked through the lump in my throat.
"It was his day," he replied in a simple voice that didn't help the all-consuming guilt I felt.
"Why are you here?" I asked. "Why have you been following me?"
"I was called back and given a new assignment."
I frowned. "To follow me?"
"To keep you safe."
"From what?"
"The prince has encouraged people to end your life."
I gaped at him. "What?"
"Your exile is not enough for him."
"How did those men know who I was?" True, my disguise was not the best in the world, but the men should not have known me on sight.
"They've been told to monitor anyone entering town from the Blights. Those men are merciless killers, out for any blood. Any stranger with a sword would have been attacked. They don't know you by face or name. Not many people know that Dare is the disgraced Lady Darelynn, who was sent out in exile. The short hair suits you."
I grimaced. "I thought it would be easier to maintain."
"It provides a good cover, especially since Lady Darelynn was famed for her hair. I didn't know you would switch to men's clothing. I thought you only did that when you left the castle with Tobin."
"You knew about that?"
"Yes. I gave him a talking to. But I also let him know which guards to trust when creeping in and out of the castle so that the two of you wouldn't get into more trouble."
Tobin had never told me. No wonder he hated it when I would ask to sneak out of the castle on a whim. That's why he would make me change the day we would go.
"All in all, you've done well to reinvent yourself with the short hair and men's clothing. But you've got to remain wary. Enough people know you to be a stranger and potentially the one they seek. Lives cost nothing to bounty hunters, so they don't err on the side of caution. I've made arrangements for you to travel to an outlying estate. We think you should be safe there."
"I'm not going anywhere! Prince Jasper can try, but he'll find it difficult to get rid of me." I stopped, stumbling on something he had said. "We? Who's we? Who assigned you to guard me?"
Garren gave me a wary look. "People who don't believe the prince is right."
"You mean there are those who are openly opposed to his rule?" I drew the conclusion quickly.
"Not openly." He admitted begrudgingly.
"But opposed enough to try to ruin his plans."
"Yes."
"And this probably isn't the first time they've stood in his way, which means that there are plans to revolt against him." My mind sorted it out. "They're awaiting Gwen's child?"
Garren kept silent, but that was okay. I didn't need his confirmation. I understood the game, maybe even better than he did. I was the daughter of a master schemer. I knew all the pieces on the board and the repercussions of winning and losing better than anyone.
"You do know her child isn't safe? He has begun to beat her openly, in defiance of the king and queen."
Garren watched me, still silent.
"I'm staying where I am. I thank you for your concern, but I believe I can take care of myself."
"Against four men?"
"Okay, clearly I was outmatched there. I was taken by surprise. I didn't know there was a price on my head. Now, thanks to you, I will know to be more careful when I am out."
"You're living in the Blights."
"It would be more dangerous for me to be living in the castle," I pointed out.
Garren didn't say anything to that. In the short time I had come to live in the Blights, I'd learned that they had their own code. It might be a rough area full of unsavory characters, but they lived by their own rules, and no prince could mess with that. I wouldn't have been able to say the same of the castle. Everyone would have jumped at the chance to hurt me if they could curry favor with the heir.
"Are you going to keep following me?"
"Not all the time. I've been trying to find them before they locate you."
"You mean these aren't the first men you've attacked?"
"No, I've managed to sideline two other parties. You need to keep your guard up and make sure you don't put yourself in a situation that invites sudden attacks. Keep track of every exit, and when it comes down to it, don't fight until you have to. If you have a chance, run."
"You think the prince will continue sending them after me?"
"Yes. It would be wiser to remove you from his reach."
"I won't go into hiding."
"It would be easier if you would consider it. You don't have to go to an estate if you don't want to. I could find a way to get you back into the castle."
"The castle? It would be my death sentence." I gaped at him.
"Not if nobody knows you're there. We have the ability to keep you safe. Consider it. I have to go now. I have to see about the men who escaped. We can meet later to discuss after you've had some time to think about it. Where will you dine tonight?"
"I have dinner at the Honest Tavern."
"I'll meet you then. For now, I must go. Just remember if you need any help, you can pass along a message through Alice at The Honeycomb Inn in town. She will know how to get it to the right people. Also, the man you're working for, Oscar..."
"What about him?"
"You can trust him if you're in danger." His gray eyes watched me.
I nodded and looked around. "Why are we here? What is this place?"
"It's one of my hideaways, and the reason we're here is because I wasn't sure how you would react."
"React to what? Seeing you?"
"Killing your first man. Most people don't realize they're in shock until after a while. I wanted you to be away from people so that it wouldn't draw any attention."
Oh. I didn't really feel anything. I was numb. That could have been shock. Perhaps seeing Garren had distracted me.
Or perhaps it was the other thing.
That man wasn't the first I had ever killed.
19
"I can get you back into the castle," Garren said amid the loud voices around us.
We were at the tavern. I had gone on to deliver my packages without further incident. When I returned to the Blights, I didn't see any trace of the dead body or our encounter.
"What do you mean you can get me back into the castle?"
"Through the castle gates and within the walls. I know the guards who man the entryway. I know those who will turn a blind eye. Once you're inside, I have a place where you can stay without anyone being any the wiser."
"And I'm supposed to live there? Under the prince's own nose?"
"Yes, we can manage it. I can bring your sister to you. You'll be able to see her. You could live comfortably. It wouldn't be what you're used to but better than what you have right now."
The thought of seeing my sister tempted me. I was used to not seeing my father on a regular basis. Not seeing my sister was a different story. I missed her company and our conversations and the sound of her laughter. I even craved her gentle recriminations. Also, I regretted not seeing her through her pregnancy, but that would be putting her in danger.
"I can't go back and live in the castle. I would be at risk every day. I'm exiled, remember?"
"For now. You're the prince's sister-in-law. You will be aunt to the future heir. You won't be exiled forever."
"That's no guarantee. I can't put myself in a cage and wait for them to set me free again." I had lodging. I had food. I had a job. No, it wasn't luxurious living, but I had direction to my days. I had jobs to do and packages to deliver. I was a guard to Penny. There was a purpose for me in the Blights. I had nothing to do back at the castle.
Garren looked at me dubiously. "You're really all right with living in the Blights?"
I shrugged. "I miss fresh fruit and my feather bedding, but other than that, yes, I am okay. I feel lighter. I didn't realize it was something I wanted until I got it. Is that a strange thing to say?"
"No, not really. You've got no expectations to live up to--nothing holding you from going wherever you please. Your old life had a mold you had to stick to, but you became a loose thread that broke out of the pattern. Now, you're free to weave your own tapestry."
"Exactly."
He understood. He had put into words exactly how I felt. I wondered if that was something he dreamed of too.
We both went silent, and I watched the men at the bar. Days before, I wouldn't have been able to walk into a place like that. For certain, Horace would have come up to me and escorted me out. He had done so with my short hair and new look, and he wouldn't have been able to handle Lady Darelynn walking into the tavern. Being there felt normal. I wouldn't say I felt as though I belonged, but I didn't feel I stood out as much.
"Don't dismiss the idea out of hand," he said. "Meet me tomorrow morning at The Honeycomb Inn and see what I have to offer you. It could be a new safety."
I had no reason to dismiss the offer completely. "I will."
"Now, can you tell me if you know the fellow staring at you, or do I have to challenge him just to prove a point?"
I turned, glancing around to see who was looking at me. My eyes locked with Blaze's. His gaze burned into mine.
"I know him."
"Is he trouble to you?"
"You could say that," I replied distractedly, still staring back at Blaze.
Garren bristled and got halfway out of his seat.
"No, it's okay. He's not trouble to me in that way," I reassured him, reaching out to tug his arm, pulling him back down. "I take care of his sister. He probably wants to tell me off about something."
Garren frowned, looking away from Blaze. "Seems like the friendly sort."
Blaze's eye rested on where my hand still lay on Garren's arm. I pulled my hand away from Garren's arm, but the frown on Blaze's face remained.
"You could say that."
"Who assigned you to guard me?" I asked changing the subject.
; "I'm not at liberty to say."
I hesitated. "It doesn't bother you?"
"What?" His brows knit together.
"That they're asking you to guard the person responsible for your brother's death?"
"Dare, you're not the reason Tobin died."
I winced at him putting it so baldly.
"You're not."
If only I could believe that. "How are your parents doing?"
"She's doing better than I expected." He hesitated before continuing. "Of the two of them, the death hit my father harder. My mother seems to have been waiting for it since Tobin told her he was becoming a guard."
"Yes, she didn't like either of you being guards."
His lips twisted in a wry smile, then a solemn look replaced it. "Micah told me he had words with you."
"Yes." I didn't want to relive that conversation.
"None of my family holds you any ill will. Tobin did as he saw best. He shouldn't have died at the prince's hands, but when we go into service, none of us know how our deaths will be. We serve the crown and trust that they will treat us honorably. If it's any consolation, the guards know he was right to step in. It wouldn't have been right for the prince to injure you or kill you outright. It would have torn the kingdom apart."
"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.
"Your father acts as King's Voice. What would have happened to the kingdom had the prince maimed or killed his daughter?"
"My father doesn't care." Even to me, my voice sounded bitter.
"I think he cares more than you know. He was placed in a bad position."
"So you'd allow your daughter to be beaten and not say a word about it?"
"He didn't say a word publicly, but do you know what's been happening in private?"
"No."
"Don't dismiss your father as callous if you don't have the full picture."
"So you know that he has spoken up against it?"
"I cannot say. I'm just asking you to think of the greater game and see that not everything is played out in front of people."
