That sobered her about as quickly as anything could.
May as well throw another humiliating truth out there into the world..
“None. One, if you count Cordelia, but that’s something of a grey area. I may once have said Caius and Thaddeus.” She looked away, towards the window where golden light was streaming in, oblivious to the sudden darkness shrouding her. “Let’s stick with none. Nought by choice feels better than three I’m unsure of.”
Lyriat scrubbed at his forehead. “I assure you, blackmail never once crossed my mind. I’m observant, and curious, and inclined to know for sure whether the instinct to beg your services is well-placed.”
“What are you specifically asking me to do?” Her voice barely carried, but he heard it nonetheless.
“I’m about to blindly send four of the people dearest to me into Sisters-know-what. I want you to use your skills and ensure they remain safe and well.”
“Just get them home in one piece, and we have a deal?”
Deals were too important to Nachthellians. Specificity mattered.
“Whatever trials come up, whatever ailments or surprises—you stay by their side and see them finished. My hope is that I’m being overly paranoid, and that you spend however long basking in the Westrealm’s sunshine while Brand works his magic,and Hedda and Faldir stand as irritable sentinels nearby. Who knows what Magnus will be doing.”
That pulled a huff out of her. “Sounds easy enough. And let me guess—you’ll give me a sizable bag of gold in return?”
Useless shite.
“Lunara the Moonweaver, I will give you whatever absurd thing your mind can conjure up if you do this for me.”
She sat up a little straighter. “Anything?”
“I swear to the Sisters.”
Stars and arses. Whatever you want.
After a lifetime spent worrying, she knew instantly what to ask for.
“I would have sanctuary, without question, should I ever ask or have need of it. Not in the court or castle—somewhere remote and quiet, where no one would ever be able to stumble upon me. As well as your assurance that you will never reveal my location to anyone who comes looking. And…” She wasn’t sure why she hesitated. Maybe because it felt like one more thing she was revealing about herself. “I want a clear, unobstructed view of the night sky. I want to be able to watch the twin moons move from one horizon to the other, with stars as their backdrop. Give me that, and I will do it.”
Lyriat held out his hand, and she took it. “Done,” he said, giving a single, firm shake.
The promise of freedom, just like that.
She grinned as Lyriat moved to leave, new hope flooding her veins.
He stopped short of opening the door. “And Lunara?”
“Yes?”
“I’m glad to have caught you before you were able to run away,” he said with a pointed look at her overflowing bag. “It would have been awkward to have to send Thaddeus after you again.”
Blessed moons. For the reward he offered? She was far more than glad.
This was stupid.Hewas stupid.
Apparently, all confidence had fled along with Lunara after the meeting, when she’d whisked herself out of the great hall. As far as he knew, she’d come up here and never left, which meant she had to be in there.
Just behind that door.
The one he’d been standing at for the last ten minutes.
Right.
He sucked in air, and let it out in a harsh puff. Again. And again. Finally, his hand obeyed and hovered there, inches away from seeing her again. Steeling himself, he tensed to rap against the wood.
