I slip my Glock into my shoulder holster and turn my focus back to the square. “I thought I told you to go to bed early.”
“Yousuggestedit, if I recall. I’m not fond of taking orders.”
“Are you fond of nearly getting yourself killed?” I grumble. “I could have shot you.”
“I knew you wouldn’t.”
That makes one of us. I’m pretty sure I had started to doze off when he said my name, and I quickly rub the sleep from my eyes, wishing I had done more to prepare for this trip. The anxiety from the drive never fully dissipated, which means the car wasn’t the problem.I’mthe problem. That’s the worst thing I could be dealing with right now.
Well, maybe the second worst thing.
“Do you see him?” I ask, my voice low.
Hex keeps his eyes on me, his expression serious. “Why do you think I came down here?”
“Where’s Sander?”
“He’s asleep. I got up to use the loo and noticed the lurker, and I thought maybe you’d be out here keeping an eye on him.”
Someone has been standing in the shadows across the square for three hours now. I hoped he was a drunk waiting until the world stopped spinning before he walked home, but he’s been too still. He’s waiting forsomething. Or watching. I have never missed my tactical gear more than I do right now. Night vision would be especially helpful.
So would sleep.
“I would ask why you haven’t sent one of the palace guards over to check it out,” Hex says, shifting so he’s standing next to my hiding place, “but I’m pretty sure I know the answer.”
Swearing under my breath, I try to think of the best way to respond. “It’s not that I don’t trust the guards.”
“But they’re not you.”
I sigh. I was used to having full confidence in my brothers-in-arms and knowing they would do the same thing I would in any given situation. We were so in tune with each other that sometimes it felt like we could read each other’s minds. I don’t have the same luxury with the Candoran guards, and I’m not sure I ever will.
“My job is to protect the heir to the throne,” I say. “I won’t leave her safety up to chance.”
“Gregor trained them himself, just like he trained you.”
“Gregor only trained me in Candoran customs,” I mutter, narrowing my eyes as the man in the shadow shifts his position. There’s a chance he saw Hex, but it doesn’t seem to have bothered him. “I already knew everything else.”
Hex snorts a laugh. “You say that, but you refuse to talk about your Green Beret days. You could be telling knobbies.” When I glance back at him and raise an eyebrow in question, he laughs again. “Lying.”
“Ah.” It’s not that I don’t want to tell Hex and Sander about my Special Forces training, but the more I talk about it, the more they’ll ask about the missions I went on. I’ve told them about a few to keep them satisfied, but if they ever ask for more… In theory, I could hold this position for a long time. If Freya becomes queen and decides I’m not terrible at my job, I could be here for years. The twins welcomed me right from the beginning, and at some point, Ishouldtrust them with the darker sides of my life.
But how does someone go about explaining how he got his best friend killed in action during an op gone wrong? That doesn’t encourage continued friendship.
“Oi.” Hex nudges my arm, making me tense up again, but then he gestures across the square, where the lurker’s face is now illuminated by a phone screen.
He’s too far to get a good read on his expression, but at least I can note some of his features. Thin nose, thick eyebrows, round chin. Distinctenough that I would recognize him if I saw him again. The screen goes dark, and the man melts into the shadows and disappears. He might come back, but my gut tells me his vigil is done for the night.
Doesn’t mean mine will be.
As if reading my thoughts, Hex nudges me again. “You should get some sleep, El.”
Probably, but I want to revisit what information the RIA has on dangerous people in Candora. The intelligence network sent me pictures last week, and I want to compare them to our friend across the square while the image of him is still fresh in my mind. He didn’t seem dangerous, but I’m not willing to rule anything out until I know for sure. There was enough talk around town of support for Grimstad and reformation for me to be on alert. Electing Grimstad is one way to invoke change.
Removing his biggest obstacle is another.
“Yeah,” I say, if only to get Hex to go back up to his room. I need him to be alert tomorrow, though a part of me likes the idea of shifting one of the twins’ schedules to a night shift so there’s someone competent on watch at all times.
But no, utilizing the princes as guards would defeat the purpose of having them here as part of the campaign, and they need to make appearances during the day. I have to remember that their lives are as important as Freya’s. Protecting them is a lot less stressful than looking after the princess, but that doesn’t mean I can lower my guard.
