The bard had beeneasy to break.
Olwen had trusted Flyka to do her work, and she had pulled every scrap of information from thevallostrash.
The sod was not a spy.
He was a bigot who had been paid handsomely to make trouble.
While it was not optimal that the bard had been traveling along the border cities singing about the Loriian king, it was not against the law. The only problem was the information he possessed. No one knew about the poison ring except Neve’s inner circle.
And Dahlia.
Olwen leaned against a nearby building just outside the tavern. He had a hunch. One that could change everything.
The tavern had closed one hour prior.
Several giants loitered about, talking or inhaling sweet smoke.
The tavern door opened, and Lady Diaz ushered out the two halflings, Jaiix and Holly. “Straight home, both of you,” the giantess commanded. “It’s not safe being out.”
“Of course,” Jaiix called, batting her long lashes. Olwen grinned at her antics. This one liked to stir the pot, it seemed, much like himself. It was also why he had chosen her to test Neve’s attachment to Lia. The halfling held enough of a human charm to entice his friend, but in the end, it had not worked.
Which told him what frame of mind the king was in. The idiot had bonded himself to his wife. A wife that had betrayed him and Loriia.
His lips thinned. It was a bloody disaster.
Olwen watched the shorter one nod, tugging on her hood, her face shadowed. He cursed underneath his breath. All he wanted was a better glimpse of her face. Tonight, when he had glanced up at the bar, he had caught her reflection staring at him from the copper wall.
For a moment, all he could see was Dahlia, but then he blinked, and a halfling was standing in her place. It had bothered him all night, even as he watched the interrogation. Perhaps it had been wishful thinking, but his berserker would not calm down. It seemed to roll beneath his skin so much that Olwen took a walk to expel his excess energy.
He ended up outside the tavern, lurking in an alleyway.
The two halflings descended the porch and wandered onto the road, their boots crunching in the newly fallen snow. Sturdy stone buildings lined the street, utterly utilitarian in their design. The people along the border had suffered many attacks and their homes reflected that. While it wasn’t a beautiful town by any means, the people were vibrant and he liked it.
A group of giants turned to face the women. The tallest waved a hand at them, and Jaiix quickly looped her arm withHolly’s and directed them toward the giants. Holly dragged her feet, obviously reluctant.
Why was that? Did she want to seek her bed? Or escape discovery?
He caught snippets of their discussion.
“Not safe . . . escort home . . . please.”
Holly and the largest giant broke off from the group and headed west down the lane. Olwen crept after them, making sure to stick to the shadows.
“How are you?” thevallosasked.
“Fine,” Holly replied.
“Your scent changed after the bard was removed.”
“Any acts of violence are unnerving, no?” Holly answered.
Olwen narrowed his eyes on their backs. Could it be Dahlia? Her voice was not the same. Darker, more frigid. Hollow.
“Yes, they are,” the giant said gently, pausing in the middle of the road. He cupped her cheek, and Olwen froze in place as the male leaned down to press a kiss to her opposite cheek. Rage flickered in his chest at the audacity of thevallos.
That better not be the queen. He could not imagine what Neve would be like if the king found out another male had his lips on his bonded.
Holly stepped away, and the male’s hand dropped, flexing at his side. “Did I do something wrong? I thought because you kissed me at the tavern...”
