The captain glances between us again, and he sighs. He puts out a hand. “Fine. Give me the dagger.”
My fingers tighten on the hilt. I don’t want to. It’s stupid and petulant, but much like when I glared at the king in the snow, I don’t care.
“Asher,” says Ky.
Fuck.Fine.I flip the weapon in my hand, wipe the blade on my bloodstained trousers, and hold it out—to the king.
“Nice weight,” I say.
“Thank you.” He crushes the flame out of his palm and takes the dagger.
Captain Zale lowers his hand, but he lets a breath out through his teeth. He’s looking at the king like he wishes they could exchange more than military commands through silent signals.
Eventually, he turns away, saying, “I’ll wake the others.”
But he doesn’t have to. Garrett and Nikko appear in the doorway next. Their expressions are cold. Hard. I wonder if the other soldiers woke them when they left. I watch as they glance from the princess, to their king, and finally, to me.
It’s clear that the captain isn’t the only suspicious party.
Jory speaks through the tense silence. “We should search them,” she says. “They might have orders similar to Asher’s.”
“They won’t,” I say.
“We’ll search them anyway,” says Ky. “And when Roman and Callum return, we’ll see what they’ve been able to discover, if anything.”
“And then?” she presses.
The king sighs, looking from her to me. “Well, Princess, your brother said Asher’s orders were fake. So did your Hunter’s Guild. These men seem to prove otherwise. It’s clear thatsomeonewants me dead—and you as well. I can’t see any reason why Prince Dane would be the aggressor here, but our sudden departure was unplanned. Few peopleoutside the palace would have known. Prince Dane and King Theodore may be committed to this alliance, but someone in their circle isn’t.”
Jory swallows, but she straightens, looking him dead in the face. She’s so brave. “Has this changed your course?” she demands. “Is your intent to return me to the palace?”
I can’t tell if she wants that—or if she fears it. But the thought of being taken back to the palace makes my heart want to curl up and hide.
The king hesitates, running a hand across his jaw. After a moment, he shakes his head. “No. I don’t know who’s behind this, but I won’t spend one more moment in this country without a regiment behind me.” He glances down at the dead men on the floor, then looks to me. “They failed. Will more Hunters be sent?”
“Probably.”
“We’re only a few hours outside Perriden,” the captain says. “If they were due to check back, it won’t take long for someone to know.”
“They could also have someone waiting ahead,” Roman says, by the door.
The king and his captain exchange a glance.
“Can we ride straight through to the border?” says Jory. “How far are we from Incendar?”
“Twelve hours,” says Roman. “Possibly more, if this weather continues.”
There’s a heavy weight in his voice, as if the weather is a clue—or a threat. Could King Theodore be hindering our journey so Hunters have an opportunity to catch up? Did the weather force us to stop last night? But why? I hate Dane, but he reallydidseem to want this alliance.
I watch as the king and his captain exchange another glance, and it’s clear I’m not the only one with questions.
Ky sighs, then nods. “We’ll leave at first light.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Princess
We set off before dawn, and this time, everyone is on horseback. Ky gave his footmen a supply of silver, along with orders to leave the carriages and make their way back to Incendar separately. At first I don’t understand, but he explains that he won’t put civilians at risk. Not when it’s clear that someone has been sent after us.
