I don’t take it back. I’m still glaring at the king.
He stares right back at me. “No,” he says. “You won’t.”
We’re frozen in place for a moment, and the tension between us is just like that moment in the hut when I said I’d cut his eyes out. He called my bluff, and I didn’t like it.
I don’t like it now. Every time he does this, it stirs me up, especially after the way he forced me to get up out of the snow. It makes me want to grab that dagger from Captain Zale’s thigh and stab it right into him. I can already feel the weight of the weapon, the minimal effort it would take.
But the king just shrugs and takes another spoonful of stew. “I can always chain you to whoever takes first watch.”
The others are absolutely silent, as if debating whether that’s a veiled threat or a warning or just an attempt to break the tension. I’m not even sure myself.
Garrett finally offers a dark smile. “Cal volunteers, don’t you?”
The note in his voice makes me flush immediately, especially because I didn’t expect it. It triggers something in my head, because there was a time in my life when I knew how to use any flicker of attraction to my advantage—but it’s been too long, and I hate that part of myself. I’ve spent years burying those instincts.
But Callum isn’t even looking at me; he’s gazing at the opposite side of the tavern, where a lone young woman is nursing a stein of ale in the corner.
“That was half an hour ago,” he says. “I’ve moved on.” He pauses as the solitary woman looks over, and a slow smile spreads over his face. “Someone else is taking first watch, right?”
At that, Garrett reaches across the table to punch him in the shoulder.
Callum doesn’t even wince. Without looking, he reaches out to pat Garrett on the cheek. “Don’t worry, Gar.You’restill pretty.” But then he’s up, moving away.
The captain looks after him. “If someone else takes first watch,” he calls, “that’s when you’re supposed to besleeping.”
“I’ll be in a bed. It counts.”
From farther down the table, one of the other soldiers speaks, and I think it’s Roman. “Here, Ky. I had plenty.” A moment later, a bowl goes sliding along the table. The king catches it, automatically pushing the other back to his captain.
I’m struck by how casual they are with each other. These soldiers must be high-ranking officers if they’re traveling with the king—or at least men of importance. I’ve been around Astranzan soldiers before, and I’ve never seen this kind of easy camaraderie.
Jory seems to have noticed, too, because she’s also studying them. Some of her ire has melted away, replaced with curiosity.
Garrett notices her focus, and he pushes a basket of bread in her direction. His voice is gentler. “We have plenty of bread, too, Lady Jory.”
She blinks in surprise, and I watch her eyes flick to the marks on his neck. I’m sure she’s thinking of what the king said about me. She gives him a nod. “Thank you.”
When she looks in my direction, I finally meet her eyes. I’m not sure what she sees in my expression, but her own turns troubled, and she mouths two words at me.
I’m sorry.
I shake my head, then look away. It’s not really an apology at all. It’s resignation. She can be as icy as she wants to Maddox Kyronan, but she’s still going to Incendar. He needs her for this alliance.
But he doesn’t needme.
A day ago, I was watching her bite a cookie right from my fingertips, wishing she could escape the palace with me, that we could disappear into the shadows together.
I frown. It was an empty wish. It always is. If I’m going to wish for anything, I should wish for escape.
But even that is probably fruitless. I doubt I can get her away from him—and I don’t even know that Ishould. If nothing else, the king really will keep her safe. So that leaves me. I clearly can’t go back to the Hunter’s Guild. And with these marks on my face, it would be nearly impossible to find work—if I didn’t get picked up the way I did in Morinstead.
I would offer you sanctuary, Asher.
I swallow. I wanted to believe those words so badly.
None of these thoughts are helpful.
“What happened to your shoulder?” says the king.
