Rynni leaned back in her chair, considering what to do.
“We can offer you gold for your silence,” Vale said. “I have some now, but I can get more. And we’ll glamour Neve before we leave here so that no one will connect her to you.”
“Gold is always needed,” Rynni said. “But I want something more valuable than gold bears lining my pockets.”
“And what’s that?” I asked.
“You must have connections with the House of Wisdom in Avaldenn, Prince Vale?”
“I do.”
“I want a spot there. To train in the White Tower. For that, I will be silent—more so, I will join you on your journey.” The healer’s gaze landed on me. “I have no personal relationship with the king, but I believe things could be better. Perhaps you, Isolde, might bring about that change?”
It was bold, what she said. Treasonous. But Rynni did not appear afraid. Maybe she could read me well enough toguess what I intended to do—and she wanted to be on my side.
“I can make that happen,” Vale said. “Though not right away. My wife and I still are not sure when we’ll return to Avaldenn.”
Rynni held up the poster. “Of course, you can’t traipse into the capital! Until then, it would be good to have a healer with you, no? As far as I can tell, I’ve already proven my worth.”
“Why do you want to attend lessons in the White Tower?” I asked. “You seem to own a nice business.”
Small, but it was clean and comfortable in the cottage. Many would have been content here. I would have.
Rynni snorted. “You’re the first person to walk through my door in three weeks. I’m the second-rate healer in the city, but only because of my father’s blood. Fae come to me when they have ailments they want to be sure no one would ever learn about. I have no friends here either. Never have, although I grew up in Vitvik.”
My heart clenched. She hid her isolation well, but as she spoke, pain filled her eyes.
“An education from the White Tower, though, no one could call me second-rate with that. And who knows? I might stay in Avaldenn where it’s more diverse.”
“There are no half dragons there,” Vale said. “But we are more welcoming in the capital.”
She sighed and waved a hand in the air. “My mother is dead, my father . . . Well, he’s likely still in the Court of Fire, where I would fit in worse than I do here. I have nothinghere and want to train with the best. That’s why I wish to go, and I’ll take a chance on you to do so.”
“You shall join us then,” I said, understanding wanting a better life, and seizing it when that possibility came.
For the first time, Rynni smiled, and a new, softer faced person appeared. “We can leave tomorrow night, under the cover of darkness. That will give you plenty of time to rest.”
“Excellent idea.” Vale held up a finger. “And actually, I’ve been wondering if Lord Riis owns an establishment in this village?”
“He does. A brothel,” Rynni looked at me as she answered, obviously wondering why my mate would be asking for such a thing, and right in front of me too. Offense was not on my mind in the slightest. Lord Riis owned many brothels and taverns. Those, as much as being a lord, were his coin makers.
“I need to get a message to him,” Vale said, “and I know Lord Riis’s ravens are trained to go between his establishments. Could you, once I write a note, send it from the brothel tonight?”
Rynni laughed dryly. “I’ll go, but I’m adding this errand to your tab, Prince Vale.”
Interlude
LORD LUCCAN RIIS, HOUSE OF THE ICE SPIDER
Luccan stood with his brothers on the edge of the overflowing throne room, waiting, hoping that whatever the king called them here for so bleeding early in the day had nothing to do with them.
As far as the spymaster’s son knew, King Magnus had asked no one other than Lord Leyv Riis questions about the disappearance of Vale and Neve. Luccan’s father, an expert at twisting and omitting truths, had assured the king that his spiders were on the task. That they’d soon find Vale.
The only thing Luccan knew for sure was that his friends had gone west, andsomethinghad happened. Something important enough for Lord Roar to return to court with a metal leg, and his face scarred. Something important enough for the king not to execute the Warden of the West after he’d made the king look like a fool. Something important enough for Luccan’s father to have been in endless meetings with King Magnus and his Royal Council.
Since they disappeared through his temporary gateway,Luccan had returned to Riis Tower many times. Often to see Clemencia, who remained safe at his family home, but also to see if his friends had returned. They had not. Luccan knew that they’d need to travel the long way to come back to the Tower, but even with the ridiculously heavy snows, it shouldn’t have taken themthis longto ride from Guldtown to Riis Tower.
Perhaps they had to walk? It was the only thing that made sense since Luccan was certain that his gateway had worked. He’d not deposited them somewhere random.
