“In the forest,” he says. “Beyond the guard barracks. Well out of the range of my magic. She made it into the mountains. I still don’t know how, whether someone lured her or she made it on her own. We found her asleep under a tree. Lia Mara is terrified to allow her out of sight. She doesn’t even trust the guards. I’m shocked she fell asleep.”
I study him. “When is the last timeyouslept?”
“I catch an hour here and there.” His jaw tightens. “No one knows about the baby yet, Tycho. No one but Noah and the midwife. There was so much panic about Sinna, and with as sick as the queen has been … we don’t want to spread further rumors yet.”
I nod. “No one will hear from me.”
His mouth twists. “She’s been so ill for so long. Noah says it may have happened anyway, that there’s no way to know. But I can’t help but think that I—” He breaks off and takes a long breath and rubs at his eyes again.
I think of everything going on in Briarlock, but right now, none ofit matters. Right now, he’s not a king, and she’s not a queen. He’s a grieving father and she’s a heartbroken mother.
“Youshould sleep,” I say to him. “You need it as badly as she does.”
He gives a humorless laugh. “Well, right now, I don’t trust the guards either.”
“Sleep,” I say quietly. “I’ll sit sentry.”
He goes still, studying me, and for a flicker of time, I see everything that’s unspoken between us. He draws a long breath, and I can’t tell if he’s going to refuse or acquiesce, so I say, “Go. Rest with your family. I’ll stand guard. Sinna won’t get past me.” I hold his gaze. “Neither will anyone else.”
He hesitates, but then he stands, slipping his cards back onto the pile. He puts a hand on my shoulder and gives it a squeeze.
Then he’s through the door, and I keep my word.
CHAPTER 33
CALLYN
I’m up before the sun, packing a basket with sugar-glazed muffins, apple tarts, and meat pies for Jax. I don’t think my cheeks have cooled since last night. The smell of the sugar and cinnamon in the bakery nearly makes me swoon.
I need to get a hold of myself.
But every time I think about the feel of Alek’s hands on my waist or his mouth against mine, my entire body seems to go weak.
If I follow you out to the barn, we won’t be sparring with pitchforks.
I brace my back against the wall beside the ovens and inhale deeply.
All I smell is sugar and cinnamon. I need to get outside.
The cool morning air is sharp against my cheeks, and it helps. I stroll down the dimly lit lane, expecting to hear clanging steel at any moment, but when I reach the workshop, the forge is cold and dark, the tools still hung in their places. I rap lightly at the door to the house, but there’s no answer, and when I ease the door open and call out his name, my voice only echoes.
I frown and exit the house, pulling the door closed behind me.I take my basket with me, because I don’t want rodents to get into the food if no one is here. Worry forms a pit in my belly. I should’ve come last night to see if he was back.
As I walk back down the lane, I become aware of an unusual sound out in the woods. The sun hasn’t risen far enough for me to see much in the shadows, but the sound isn’t an animal. It’s not loud enough for an ax either. It’s like … like a branch breaking? Not quite repetitive.
Thwick. Thwick.A long pause.Thwick. Thwick.
A hunter? Or maybe a fur trader? I grab hold of my skirts and stride through the underbrush. We don’t often have hunters near the bakery, and when we do, I send them on their way. The last thing I need is Nora catching a wayward arrow.
I spot the man between the trees long before I get to him. He’s deeper into the woods than I expected, a good hundred yards, but the shape of a bow is unmistakable. He draws back the string with practiced efficiency, and a second later, I hear the arrow strike a tree somewhere in the distance. He’s barely more than a shadow in the early light, but I’m not being very quiet, and he turns, lowering the bow to his side.
“Callyn,” he says in surprise.
I stop short. “Jax?”
“What are you doing?” we both say at the same time.
I answer first. “I … I was bringing you food.” I pause, striding forward again to face him. “I heard about your father.”
