He stopped, turning to face me fully.
“Do you know why Remy was recalled so suddenly?” he asked, studying my face like he could read the truth in the lines there.
I met his gaze without flinching. “I have no idea.”
The lie tasted bitter, but I forced it down. I wasn’t sure it had to do with Remy’s fatal interrogation, but I had the feeling my ex hadn’t shared the information when I asked.
Zander searched my eyes for a moment longer, like he didn’t quite believe me but didn’t want to push.
The silence between us stretched thin and aching.
Finally, I spoke, my voice quiet but cutting.
“Did Inderia have anything to do with me being invited to the banquet?”
His mouth opened, then closed.
The hesitation was all the answer I needed.
And it hit harder than any blow.
I turned my head, staring out at the distant line of hills beyond the courtyard walls, willing myself to breathe through the tight, brittle ache wrapping around my ribs.
Kaelith’s presence brushed against my mind. A secure anchor.
But it didn’t ease the hollow cavern growing between Zander and me, silent and widening with every beat of the morning sun.
He moved closer to me. “Ashe, it’s complicated.”
Chapter
Five
“Let’s focus on the missing supplies,” I said, forcing my voice steady even though everything inside me still felt cracked open and raw.
Zander hesitated for half a breath, then nodded once.
He led me back to where the others waited, their gear already slung across their backs, weapons glinting under the mid-morning sun.
“We split into groups,” Zander announced. “Two-man teams. Spread out. Talk to whoever will listen.”
I ended up paired with Riven and was thankful.
We headed into town, boots crunching over the narrow, cobbled streets. The air smelled of baking bread, smoke, and something more distinct… wariness.
The village was small, pressed tight against the outer walls of the Kruisaan castle. Stone buildings leaned into each other like old men whispering secrets. The market square was mostly empty, a few vendors packing up their wares the second they caught sight of us.
Unfortunately, they knew who I was.
I saw it in their eyes, the recognition and the whispered names passing between them.The lowborn rider. The Order daughter.
No one would meet my gaze.
Every question we asked was met with tight-lipped silence or awkward half-bows, followed by a quick retreat.
Riven didn’t bother smiling or softening her stance—she knew it wouldn’t help.
We tried all afternoon, going from tavern to bakery to the stables tucked behind the main square.
