The stars emerged in the twilight as I tied the dagger to my garter once again. I stashed my needle and thread in my pocket along with my comb—supplies in case my journey in the wilderness took longer than planned. I dug through my trunk and found the small silver amethyst pendant and onyx choker. I was not going to raise suspicions by asking any of the soldiers for access to Bloodstone’s money, so the few jewels I had could come in handy in case I needed to barter for supplies or bribe anyoneinto silence.
I took a deep breath and leaned into the safety of what Derrick had told me—Riyan had made enough enemies that no one would suspect I hadkilled him.
My heart grew heavy. Riyan had made enemies…but I had never heard him mention any friends. His grandparents were gone. His mother did not know who he was. His father did not even act like he wanted anything to do with him. Would anyone even care if the new Baron of Bloodstone just…never returned fromthe wilderness?
None of this was fair—Riyan deserved someone who wanted him tocome back.
I shut the thought away. I could not fall prey to foolish emotions with the fate of the entire North onmy shoulders.
I snuck down the tower stairs and out of the keep, being careful to stay within the shadows. Even though I was the Baroness, I was not sure the Bloodstone army was loyal to me. Besides, I could not imagine the Bloodstone army would stand aside if they found out I was going to assassinate theirnew Baron.
I pressed my back into the wall of the keep as the evening shadows made me all but invisible. The courtyard was mostly deserted. Nikkolas and Hilda had been taken away, hopefully to rest near their sons’ graves. The rest of the staff were either tending to the distraught Astrid or sheltering in the safety of the stone keep in case the monstrousBaron returned.
Most of the Bloodstone soldiers gathered at the gate, but only two soldiers stood at the destroyed section of the eastern wall. I just had to wait for the change of the guard to sneak out of the fortress and trackdown Riyan.
Making sure the soldiers all had their backs turned, I silently ran over to the closest spot of the intact wall and pressed into the stone. The cold stone on my back made the hair on my arms stand up and my muscles shiver. Going further up Nordingaard would be even colder and I had nothing to keepwarm with.
I looked over to the stream and noticed Riyan’s cape still hanging on the line. In the daylight, the crimson cape stood out like a large warning flag, but it was much darker in the evening twilight. I weighed the risk of being seen against the risk of freezing to death, and I decided to rush forthe cape.
I yanked the cape off the line and folded it in half to make it fit me. I wrapped the folded cape around my face and fastened it with the House of Ravenwood pin. The double layers of wool instantly warmed me and Riyan’s smellenveloped me.
I bit my tongue as the tip of my nose stung. It was the last time I would ever smell nectar andwheat again.
My hands traced the stone bricks as I creeped through the shadows toward the crumbled wall. The two young soldiers held bows with notched arrows as they guarded their post. I flattened my body against the wall and waited for themto move.
“Is he coming back?” one of them askedthe other.
“Dunno. Captain and a few others followed the trail of destruction up the mountain a ways. They didn’t find him, but left him a few gifts to try to get him back tothe fortress.”
Gifts? What could possibly bribe Riyan? My ears perked up as the first soldier spokeup again.
“What’s gonna happen if he never comes back? Are we out ofa job?”
“Nah, Duke Hyton is gonna come up here and take it all over. We’ll just be guarding whatever asshole he putsin charge.”
At least the soldiers were prepared for what was going to happen, even if they thought I wasan asshole.
The first soldier scoffed. “I give that asshole a month before Nordingaard takes him, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if the big guy does show up just toeat him.”
“He won’t come back after killing his own grandmother. I would bet a month’s wageson it!”
I held my breath and pressed harder into the stone. Even I saw how much Riyan loved Hilda. Listening to those moronic soldiers talk about him like he was a cold-blooded murderer made mystomach turn.
I swallowed the rising sickness but kept the rest of my body still. My fingertips tingled in anticipation against the rough stone and I pressed my weight into the balls ofmy feet.
“I don’t want Duke Hyton up here,” the first soldier grumbled. “I’m sick of the Hytons with all their money and power telling us all how to live. They wouldn’t survive a single day in Bloodstone and the Duke is deciding who is going to be in charge after he sent us all off to fight the giants?Fuck that.”
“What do you think a Duke does, you idiot? Of course Duke Hyton is going to tell us what to do. That’s what they’ve done for hundredsof years!”
“I’d like to see Fraleigh put him in his place. She could come down from her shiny castle and hit Duke Hyton with a boltof lightning!”
“Shut up, you’ve never even seen the Great Sorceress. You know she doesn’t get involved in ourbusiness, anyway.”
“Fine,I’llput him in his place. He makes one wrong move up here and I’ll shoot an arrow through hisfat neck!”
I pursed my lips. Duke Hyton was right. Not only did Bloodstone hate him, they hated anyone associated withthe Hytons.
My stomach turned upside-down. Even if I did become the leader of the Northern provinces, the peasants could still hate me because of my allegiance with the House of Hyton. Would I have to utilize the Bloodstone army to quell revolt? I had no idea how to manage an army! Would General Hyton help me? Would he hate me for killing his son? Would he…thank me for getting ridof him?
