But she was out of earshot, her clopping heels echoing down the corridor.
GOSSIP
Hazel’s feet ached. She just wanted to get back to her room, but her swollen toes made it more of a challenge than it should have been. Was she even going the right way? Fed up, she popped both shoes off, deciding instead to carry them. A passing servant eyed her, but said nothing. Hazel wondered if it was a crime to be without shoes in the castle corridors. She decided she didn’t care.
As she padded around a corner, a door opened, and voices floated out from within. She slunk back around the safety of the wall, not entirely wanting to be seen in her current state. She decided to wait them out, but hadn’t expected the ensuing conversation.
“And I just don’t know if His Majesty is taking this as seriously as he should. The attacks are coming more and more frequently,” came the first voice.
“Aye. And did you hear about the rumors coming from the Borderlands? Folks on the Outskirts have been reporting strange happenings. Some man came into one of the Outskirts villages looking for help, claiming his homestead had been ransacked by monsters.” This man’s voice was deeper, richerthan the first, accented as though he were from another part of the continent.
“And what of that lass who used magic and tried to take down one of the kingsguard? Word has it she’s here, right under our noses, and not even scheduled for execution!”
That’d be me, Hazel thought.
“But surely he has his reasons,” uttered the second man.
“Hmph. If you say so. Between you and me, I think she has them all in her thrall. She’s controlling them. Manipulating them with her mind, as witch-kind do.”
This earned a laugh from the second man, who clapped his comrade on the back. “You’ve been reading too many children’s tales, you ass.”
She risked a peek around the corner. The men had their back to her for now. She suspected they were noblemen by their attire, the bold-colored fabrics trimmed in gold. She had no way of discerning which houses they were from, but it could prove useful as long as they couldn’t hear her heart thumping against her ribs.
“Yeah, well, I also heard she’s from the same town where a man was murdered. The butcher of all people, cut down in the street by some old man. Some say the old man was justified, that the butcher was possessed by some creature and attacking villagers and livestock. Seems far-fetched, but then again, very little seems out of the question these days.”
The other man grunted his agreement.
Her blood ran cold. It couldn’t be, could it? They were talking about Pa and Jonas. Butpossession? Was the Striga capable of such a thing? Maybe she’d returned to finish what she’d started.
Hazel backed away from the corner, hand covering her mouth to hide her shock. Her mind was racing laps, and her heart sank as both hands clasped the pendant. It was warm. Therumors were evolving, and they’d reached the capitol. Gods, if anyone harmed him…
She thumped into something solid, and a hand clasped her shoulder. Hazel shrieked, but another hand slapped over her mouth, cutting off the sound. She was whirled around by her shoulders and came face to face with Slaide.
For fuck’s sake. “Oh, it’s just you,” she said.
“Lucky for you, yes. It’s just me.”
“I will consider myself lucky once I am out from under your thumb.” She brushed him off.
“I’ve thought about youundera number of things. But I’ll admit, my thumb wasn’t on that list. However, I’m not picky.”
She grumbled with disgust.
“Where were you going, anyway?” He was frowning. He was always frowning about something, if he wasn’t laughing at his own stupid jokes.
“Back to my rooms. Where else?”
“Right. Well, I’d leave you to it, but you’re in the wrong wing of the castle. Your rooms—myrooms—are in the east wing. You took a left when you should have gone right. So unless you were planning on eavesdropping some more, you might want to follow me.”
“First, I wasn’t eavesdropping. I was trying to avoid them, actually.” She crossed her arms. “Second, I knew where I was going. I was going the long way.” She most definitely did not know where she was going.
“Suit yourself. Just so you know, if you keep going that way, you’ll end up somewhere you don’t want to be. But hey, if you want to take yourself to the dungeons, I’m sure Magnus will be pleased. Saves everyone else the effort when he decides that’s where he wants you after all. And… are those your shoes?”
Dungeons? Helfire…“Yes. They are. And they’re absolutely dreadful. The real crime should be making ladies wear these around pretending they’re happy about it. Men could never.”
A small laugh escaped him, a smile just reaching his face before he shook it off. “No, you’re probably right. The men around here could never. Speaking of which, whowereyou spying on?” He pushed past her, nosing just past the corner. “Ah, I see. Holden Marsh and Killian Giles. Two of the biggest gossips in His Majesty’s retinue. Hear anything interesting?”
As a matter of fact… “What? No. I told you I wasn’t eavesdropping. I’m going back to my rooms now.” She turned, shouldering past him nearly making it out of arm’s reach when Slaide snatched her by the wrist.
