Ellina glanced at Harmon. Though the woman had removed her gilded headpiece and changed out of her wooden-heeled shoes, she still wore her ballgown, which showed the small curve of each shoulder, the undefined plain of her back. The thought of Harmon fighting was absurd. Yet there was a stubborn set to her jaw.
“Well?” Venick asked. “What do you say?”
“I have been waiting for a chance like this,” Branton replied. “Count me in.”
“If Branton goes, so do I,” said Artis.
Venick turned to the ranger. “Lin?”
“It is risky,” she said slowly. “But your logic is sound.”
He cocked a brow. “It is?”
“A show of stealth and force at once. Striking in a way the enemy does not expect. Yes, Commander. You are thinking like an elf.”
Venick pressed a hand to his heart. “I’m touched.”
“Do not get used to it.”
At last, Venick brought his eyes to Ellina. He sounded almost nervous as he asked, “Ellina?”
It was the way he was looking at her. It was the curious quiet that fell over the room, and the dim light of the moon shining through the window, and Venick’s unaccountable nervousness that had Ellina remembering his words to her earlier that night.Do you trust me?
That phrase rattled around in her head. It became an echo of itself. Ellina felt disjointed, as if the words were overlapping, until she remembered that this was not the first time Venick had asked her that question.
Do you trust me?Yes. There had been another time, in the everpool. Then, his hands had held her waist. His touch was light at first, timid. Later: fingers digging into skin. The hot sear of his mouth. Ellina remembered that kiss, and how it, too, had been like a question. Or…so she thought. It occurred to Ellina that the kiss might have just been a kiss, and she was only imagining that it was like a question because she wanted to be its answer.
The silence went on. Everyone was looking at her. They were waiting, as Venick was, for some kind of reply, but Ellina suddenly could not remember the inquiry that had been posed, only the one still ringing in her mind.
“I want to talk to her,” Venick told the others. “Give us a minute.”
Ellina’s face flamed. She started to lift her hands—she was just thinking, that was all, there was no need for anyone to leave. But she caught the false cheeriness in their faces and realized that the mood in the room had shifted, and that she had been the one to shift it.
Harmon was the only one who looked unaffected. She tapped the side of her wine jug with a nail, making little pinging sounds. “I don’t see why weallmust go.”
Venick frowned. “That’s—”
“You and I share responsibility for this army,” Harmon barreled on. “We are equals. I might not be a trained fighter, but I’m a Stonehelm.” She was coming to her feet, pressing her palms to the table, gaining momentum. “I’ve taken a risk by acting against my father, leading the highlanders west. I’ve taken a risk by tying myself to you. Can’t you imagine how difficult that’s been? And what’s so important that it must be kept private, anyway? If you have something to say to Ellina, I should hear it, too.”
The room, already tense, became stifling. Everyone’s eyes jumped from Venick, to Harmon, to Ellina, back to Venick.
Erol was the first to break the silence. “I think we’re all just a little tired…”
“I’m wide awake,” Harmon snapped.
“Come, now. There’s no need for fighting.” Erol’s voice was like a balm. His words created a lather, which he smeared over the room, soothing. “We all appreciate everything you’re doing for the resistance, Harmon. No one doubts your position. But let’s give Venick and Ellina a moment. We should be checking in with the staff downstairs, anyway.”
Harmon’s demeanor changed. The shift was instant, as if whatever demon gripped her had suddenly been exorcised. She sighed. “You’re right. It’s just—it’s been a long day.” She moved to leave, pausing when she drew level with Ellina. “Sorry,” she clipped.
Harmon exited through the trapdoor. The others, sensing their moment, followed suit.
NINE
Venick waited until the others were gone. If they, like Harmon, didn’t appreciate being ordered away, they showed no signs of it. Then again, Venick showed no signs of his feelings, either. Yet his stomach was swimming.
Ellina had returned to her original spot by the attic’s window and was now pretending great interest in the nighttime sky. Though fat wax candles burned in clusters on the floor, the light did not quite reach the place she stood. Smudged in the dark like that, she could have been anyone. A nameless warrior. A wraith. A dream.
He went to her. She had one arm resting on the sill, her palm flat, fingers drumming lightly. He set his hand over hers to stop the movement.
