She swallowed.
‘Are you going to tell me what in God’s name you’re doing here?’ He looked ready to drag her off to the tower before she had even given her response.
‘Just… paying Queen Fayre a visit.’
He looked up at the terrace above them. ‘And is the queen expecting you?’
He already knew the answer to that. ‘Actually, I was hoping to keep it a surprise. So if you could not spoil—’
He was upon her before she had even gotten the words out, taking a hold of her arm and dragging her back towards the wall. ‘Of all the foolish things you’ve done, this really beats all of them.’
‘You say that, yet you don’t even know half the things I’ve done.’
He gave her arm a tug, forcing her to walk faster. ‘You’re lucky those men you lied to came to find me or you’d be bleeding out in the fountain court by now.’
‘I’m unarmed. No defender is going to kill an unarmed woman.’
His thunderous eyes returned to her. ‘Clearly you’re not as smart as you think you are. They’ve killed people for less.’
She looked over her shoulder, wondering how long it would take her to reach the door. She had proven many times that she could outrun him over short distances.
It was worth a shot.
Swinging her arm, she circled free of his grip and took off at a sprint for the front entrance of the castle. He had taught her that move. The irony was not lost on her.
‘Suttone!’ Roul shouted, proving just how much trouble she was in.
Perhaps she should have stopped. Perhaps she should have made a new plan, a safer one. But would it have the same impact?
She kept running.
Roul’s feet pounded the earth behind her, but she did not let the noise trip her up. She glanced once over her shoulder. There was at least twelve feet between them. Unarmed, she had the advantage of less weight and better motion. His superior fitness and long legs could only carry him so far.
‘I swear to God, if you don’t stop this second, I’m going to start throwing knives at your back,’ he said through his teeth.
She knew he would do no such thing. ‘I just want to speak with her,’ she puffed out as she burst into the fountain court and headed for the staircase. She took the steps two at a time. When she reached the top, she spotted a defender patrolling the corridor. He stopped when he saw her.
‘Grab her!’ Roul called to him.
Years of playing barley break had led Eda to this moment. If there was ever a time she needed to make it to the other side, it was now.
‘She’ll roll,’ Roul warned the man, knowing her tactics well. He had gained on her. His long legs meant he could take the steps three at a time.
With Roul giving away her trade secrets, she was forced to pivot instead, turning just out of reach of the defender and gliding past his fingertips. Roul slowed to stop from colliding with the guard, but then she heard his boots find their rhythm once more.
‘I’m going to make sure you never leave the house again,’ Roul called to her. ‘I’m going to tie you to a chair.’
Eda rounded the corner, leaping sideways to avoid colliding with a maid carrying a tray of food. Roul was not so lucky. The maid yelped, and a loud clang rang out as the silver tray landed on the ground.
‘If you step one foot on that terrace—’ Roul said, scrambling after her.
He did not have a chance to finish his sentence, because she was already through the terrace door and dashing past the guards standing either side of it. Queen Fayre looked up from her game. Eda’s eyes were on the two guards behind her. That was twice as many as usual. The woman was queen regent now, and the kingdom could not afford to lose her.
The men drew their weapons and came for Eda.
‘Halt!’ they shouted, forming a wall of steel and muscle between her and the queen.
That was her time to stop, put her hands up, tell them she was unarmed. She already had Fayre’s full attention, but she had one more point to make. Eda continued towards the guards, dropping to the ground at the last minute and rolling through the narrow gap between them. She was through before they realised what had happened, then back on her feet, hands raised as she skidded to a stop in front of Queen Fayre.
