But when I look back after the soldiers, they’re already gone.
A quiet falls over the stables, only interrupted by the soft sounds of horses moving about their stalls, rustling hay and straw. Jax has laid a crutch against the stall wall, and he’s leaning against Teddy now, still stroking a hand under the horse’s mane. In the shadows, he’s beautiful. Striking, really, especially with his hair unbound.
He’s studying me carefully, and I wish I could read his thoughts.
Jax reaches for his crutch. “I’m discovering you have a temper.”
“No, I don’t.”
He gives a little laugh, but not like anything is funny. “Well, those soldiers won’t be the last, and it’s not worth risking yourself.” He shifts to move past me.
I put a hand on his arm, and he goes still, waiting.
“You’re worth the risk,” I say, my voice low.
He looks up, his eyes finding mine. We’re closer than we were on the path, trapped together by the narrowness of the doorway. I think of the way we scuffled in his room this morning, how it was the first time we were alone. I wanted to confess all my thoughts and fears to him right there. His arm is a heavy weight under my hand, and he’s so still that I want to do itnow.
But he’s right; those soldiers won’t be the last. He has his own challenges. It’s unfair to burden him with anything more than that.
“If they hassle you,” I say, “tell Master Garson. Or tell Prince Rhen himself.”
Jax says nothing to that. His eyes drop to where my hand rests on his arm, but now there’s a tightness in his jaw.
“He would put a stop to it,” I add. “The prince said you’re welcome to call at court.”
Still nothing.
I move very close, and keep my voice low. “Jax,” I say softly, and he doesn’t look up.
Do you really hate him?I want to ask.
But I can’t. I’m afraid of the answer. I’m afraid to leave him here with soldiers who resent him and a prince he won’t ask for help.
Jax finally lifts his eyes to find mine, and for a moment, I can see the answer in his gaze, as clearly as if I’ve asked the question.
Yes, I hate him. I hate what he did to you. I will always hate him for doing that to you.
It’s an intense look. A burning look, both protective and vengeful. No one has ever looked at me like that, and it steals my breath.
He told me not to pick a fight, but that look in his eyes could start a war.
But then he blinks it away, and he pulls free of my arm to give Teddy a final pat. “Come on,” he says hollowly. “Surely you have more to show me.”
CHAPTER 9
TYCHO
We saddle Teddy and fetch Mercy, and then I take him everywhere I can think of, from the archery fields to the armory to the cobbler to the tannery. We spend so long exploring that we miss dinner at the Shield House, so I show him where he can request meals from the kitchen that opens to the back side of the castle. That’s where we get sweet cornbread and a bowl of stew before riding across the fields to see the granary and the carpenters’ workshops.
Emberfall has been allied with Syhl Shallow long enough that some people speak a bit of Syssalah, enough to offer greetings and maybe a little more, but the king and queen don’t spend enough time here for it to be very widespread. Rumors about the scraver attack have already been whispered, and I hear a few murmurs about whether dangerous magic has returned to Ironrose—and whether the new blacksmith has lured it here. Jax doesn’t understand everything they say, but I see the tense worry in his eyes, exacerbated when people give him a cool glance or mutter under their breath when they don’t think I’ll notice.
Though I do.
As the hours pass, the distance between us shifts into something different, unspoken words put away for later. Or maybe we’re both just tired and sad, and holding on to tension feels like too much effort. Either way, his presence at my side has become more comfortable. Our conversation flows, skipping away from difficult topics, drifting along the here and now.
Eventually, the sun drifts below the trees to leave the moon hanging alone overhead, but I try to ignore the fact that time keeps marching forward. As darkness spreads through the sky, we ride back toward the forge and the Shield House and the stables where we first fetched Teddy. The sentry stands surrounding Ironrose are all lit with torches, blazing against the night. I stare at the stars, thinking of the attack, wondering if it’s a mistake to be out after dark. But the air is temperate, barely any breeze this time.
No sign of scravers.
