“You were dressed up—in an outfit you obviously loathe—and thus clearly ready to do the thing that was asked of you.Seems logical that you wouldn’t have gone that far if you already knew the thing that made you bolt.You don’t strike me as the kind of guy who takes a while to make up his mind.”
The prince regarded her thoughtfully.“You’re not quite what I thought.”
“Never am,” Cha agreed cheerfully.“Though usually people begin with high expectations that quickly plummet into a miserable abyss of disappointment.”
He actually snort-laughed.“I seem to be ahead of the game by starting low.”
“Enough stalling.Answer the question.”
“It’s difficult for me to answer honestly as there is a geas involved, which is why I didn’t discover the appalling truth about…well, my situation, until it was almost too late.”He was quiet a moment, then shifted restlessly in his seat.“It’s not my intent to dodge answering.I hope it will suffice to say that once I discovered…something—information her family not incidentally hoped to conceal from me until the blood-vows were made and unbreakable—I knew that I must sacrifice anything to escape.”
Cha whistled.“Anything?That’s not really a question,” she added hastily.“I’m simply pointing out that a broad statement, or wish, like that is bound to get a fellow in trouble.”She glanced at him and saw his jaw resolutely set in a hard line.“Thesomethingmust have been serious.”
“It was.”He turned his head to look at her, blue eyes blazing.“Which is why I need to know—which border are you crossing and why?”
“That’s two questions,” she complained, mainly to give herself a moment to think.Though she’d yet to think up a convincing lie.
“One question mark and who’s stalling now?”
Nothing for it.“Swear to secrecy.”
“I so swear,” he replied promptly.
She flicked a look at the path-box, making sure it was off.“Gypsum to Obsidian.”
He snorted indelicately.“Even I know that crossing into Obsidian isn’t worth any secrecy.Tell me your ultimate destination or I’ll assume you can’t be trusted.”
Ah, well—it had been worth a try.“Moonstone,” she replied shortly, and mostly under her breath.“And I don’t think I should have to warn you not to repeat that word aloud.We have a code name for a reason.”
“No,” he replied absently, gaze focused on the far distance, “you don’t have to warn me.Finish answering the question.”
“Why does anyone want to go there?”she replied philosophically.“To get the goods and bring them back.”
“Then youarea thief.”
“You think because you phrased that as a statement you’re tricking me into thinking that’s not a question.”
“Your handle is a synonym for thief,” he pointed out in an irritatingly reasonable tone.
“Yes, well, yours is ‘Prince Charming’ and we knowthatdoesn’t reflect reality.”
“You chose that, not I.”
“What would you choose then?”
He slid Cha a quick, canny look.“Is that your next question?”
“Withdrawn.”
He chuckled.“As I thought.”
“It’s a moot point anyway,” Cha declared, steering the jag to the slower margins and ratcheting down the drive, releasing the last dregs of the higher state white pixie dust, alas.“We’re here.”
~15~
Giant Jo’s Pit Stop
The prince liftedhis long nose and gave Giant Jo’s ambrosia station and eatery a scathing assessment down the elegant length of it.“I’ll give youtwoplatinum coins if you’ll carry me away from this… place.What did you call it?Ah yes: a pit.”
