Jakob hesitated just long enough for Mallory to realize something important. He knew more than he was telling her.
“Jakob,” she said, her voice trembling, “what is going on?”
And suddenly the cheerful market around them didn’t feel cheerful at all.
CHAPTER 21
Jakob
Jakob did not like the look on Mallory’s face. Not one bit.
The moment the words had left Viggo’s mouth, something in her had shifted. He had felt it, subtle, but unmistakable. Her color had faded. Her eyes had gone wide and guarded. And now she was staring at him in the middle of the bustling courtyard as if the cheerful music and laughter around them had suddenly turned foreign and threatening.
He should have known better than to let that conversation happen in front of her.
“Come with me,” Jakob said quietly.
“Where?” she asked.
“Somewhere private.”
Her chin lifted a fraction. “Are you finally going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Yes,” he replied. “All of it.”
That seemed to satisfy her for the moment.
He guided her out of the market with a protective hand at her back. He nodded at the vendors who greeted him but did not slow his pace. He had felt that the farmer’s market would be safe enough, but now the bright morning suddenly felt far too exposed and far too open.
He tried not to glance over his shoulder as he hurried her along. He felt like a total idiot who had made a rookie mistake. If the Ruecrags’ people were truly watching her, he did not want to make her such an easy target, especially while standing in the middle of a crowd.
The time had come that he needed her to truly understand exactly how serious this was.
They climbed the staircase and wound through quieter corridors until they reached the private wing of the castle reserved for his family. The guards at the doors straightened as he approached, but he waved them aside.
“My chambers,” Jakob said.
Mallory followed him inside without a word and glanced around with nervous curiosity as the heavy doors closed behind them.
The room was large but comfortable with the dark wood, deep chairs, and shelves filled with books and maps. A fire burned steadily in the hearth. Normally it was his refuge.
Today it felt like a war room.
“Sit,” he said gently.
She perched on the edge of a chair, with her back straight and her hands folded tightly in her lap.
“All right,” she said. “Talk.”
Jakob took a slow breath and paced in front of the fireplace while he tried to decide where to start.
“You heard what Viggo said,” he began. “About someone knowing you were back in town.”
“Yes,” Mallory replied carefully.
He studied her for a moment.
Her expression was attentive and calm, but also with a tinge of what looked like guilt. He started to ask her about that but decided to tell his story before questions.
