Witt shrugged. “It’s unlikely they’d agree.They’re not good at cooperating with outsiders.”
“We find their headquarters, and they’ll haveno choice.” Fallon’s voice was steely as he made thisobservation.
“That’s the sticking point, isn’t it? You’dhave to find it first.”
“Capture one of the villages and force themto tell us,” Caden said.
Shea begged silently for Witt to stoptalking. This was information they shouldn’t have.
“They won’t know it.”
Any hope Shea had that he’d be willing tohelp her escape disappeared. Just like that. Helping the Traterisurvive in the Lowlands and not sabotaging them every moment of theday was understandable. Neither one of them was a native and had noreal loyalty to the people below the cliffs. Revealing Highlandsecrets. Revealing guild secrets. There was no coming back fromthat.
Worse, he was betraying Shea. She’d countedhim as a sort of friend once. She even looked for him on the rareoccasions she was in camp in the hopes that she might be able tohelp him escape.
His fingers tapped idly against the table.After that last revelation, he very determinedly avoided looking inher direction.
“Who does?” Caden asked.
Witt didn’t answer. His finger tappedfaster.
Shea’s chest rose on a shaky breath as hergaze darted from one end of the tent to the other. If she thoughtshe was in trouble before, she’d been wrong. Very wrong
“The pathfinders,” Fallon said, his voice asloud as a shout to Shea’s ears.
Caden looked up at Shea. Her eyes were fixedon a point behind them, but sensing his gaze, she straightened hershoulders and stood taller. There would be threats. Probablypain.
“I do not envy you,” Caden told Fallon.
Shea didn’t hear Fallon’s response, butwhatever it was caused Caden to smile and rise. He clapped Witt onthe back.
“Let’s go. I have other tasks for youtoday.”
Witt rose, giving Fallon a sharp nod andfollowed Caden towards the exit.
Shea darted after them reaching out to grabWitt’s arm. She deserved an explanation. She didn’t understand.Why? Why had he gone to the other side?
“Shea.” Fallon’s voice rang loudly in thesmall space. Shea came to a stop while the other two gave her smalllooks, Witt’s slightly apologetic, Caden’s amused. The amount offorce Fallon put behind the unspoken command kept her in place evenas her mind urged her to follow Witt and demand answers.
She turned back to Fallon, forcing herself toask politely, “Is there something you needed, Warlord?”
His eyes burned coldly into hers. “I have notgiven you permission to leave.”
Shea took a deep breath. Composure cameslowly and was paper thin when she asked with as much deference asshe could muster, “May I be dismissed?”
He advanced on her until he was just inchesaway, invading her space. Shea kept her eyes on a stray thread onthe collar of his shirt. The anger and hurt that had been growingduring their conversation was written on her face.
“Look at me,” he said in a low deadlyvoice.
Inch by inch her eyes lifted until theytrained on his forehead. His face gave no quarter and held none ofthe lover she’d seen last night.
“Since this is a new position with newduties, I have tried to be lenient. That may have been a mistake,”he began. Shea barely managed to conceal her flinch at the ice inhis voice. “For future reference, my personal guards do not ask tobe dismissed. They leave when I tell them to. They also do notaccost my guests in my own chambers. If this happens again, I willhave you stripped to your skin, tied to a post and whipped bloody.You are not my Tolroi. You chose to throw that offer back in myface. You’ve chosen to be a guard, and you will act with all thedécor of one. If you fail, you will be disciplined just as I wouldany of my men. I am the Warlord, and you will treat me with all therespect that position deserves. Is that clear?”
“Very.” Shea’s hands were shaking with thestrength of her emotions.
“Now, you are dismissed. Inform the captainof the guards that I intend to ride out in an hour, and I want tenof my guard and one squad from Earth Clan’s army and another squadfrom Horse Clan’s to march with us.”
“Understood.”
