“We have no right to ask her to bare everything to us,” Florian interceded. “It’s not as if she is joining the Blades. She’s told us where Keira is and agreed to help us get her back. What more does she owe us?”
“Think with your head for once, Florian!” Lilith snapped. “There’s only one way for her to know that Keira was taken, and that is that she was involved in the taking.”
“And if she was involved, she could be leading the rest of us into a cartel trap,” Rhea added.
Florian shook his head and looked back at Yvette. His eyes were begging her to defend herself, to prove them wrong. He believed in her, always had. Which is why it killed her to speak the truth.
“I was there the night Keira was taken,” Yvette said, summoning all the courage she could muster to force out the words. “She was asleep, and I made sure that she didn’t wake up. I made sure that Caspian wouldn’t follow her once she was gone. At the time, I didn’t know about the bounty. I didn’t know where she would end up…”
Florian’s expression was colored with dismay, that charming mouth slack and lifeless. Rhea’s narrowed eyes were analyzing her every word. Across the fire, Knox looked like he was ready to go in for the kill, but Yvette made herself go on.
“But I knew even then that it was wrong, and I haven’t been able to live with myself since. I came to find you all so I could put it right. I didn’t tell you everything because I thought it was the best way to help her, to fix this.”
Silence fell in the wake of her confession.
“You swear by the Fate you mean only to right this?” Rhea asked finally.
“I swear.”
She nodded slowly. “Today you will travel with us, and tonight you will tell us everything your magic can do, and we will form our plans. Can you ride?” Her gaze fell on her bandaged leg.
Yvette hesitated. Memories of yesterday’s hard ride came back to her. Already her muscles were trembling. She was hardly keeping herself upright now.
“You will ride with one of us then,” Rhea concluded, taking her silence as answer enough.
Everyone seemed to acknowledge this as the dismissal it was. They disbanded to their tasks. Where a moment ago she’d been the single focus of all their attention, as they turned, it seemed each was making a willful effort to ignore her entirely.
Yvette looked to Florian, who alone met her gaze. His ocean blue eyes, which were always so lively, now seemed muted and remote.
“You should know, Keira is one of my closest friends.” Florian’s voice was soft and pained. “She’s brave and honest, and she deserves better.”
“I’m sorry.” Yvette choked on the words. “I never wanted this.”
Florian only nodded, his gaze lingering on her long enough that she thought he might say something more. That only made it more painful when he turned away.
Caspian
Caspian ran the brush over the horse’s back, his roughness causing the animal to stamp in protest. He sighed and softened his touch, patting the horse apologetically on the neck. He had only just arrived at Northall from Pirch, a small settlement farther north. They’d requested aid in building a bridge for their logging enterprises some time ago, and he had ridden out to see the project started.
He had made it back before midday and hoped to leave well before dusk. If all went according to plan, he’d stay only long enough for a hot meal and a good wash. He’d told no one of his arrival, hence tending to his own horse. If the wrong persons found out he was here, it would no doubt mean staying for dinner, and the night, and likely the next day as well. Agitation came over him at the thought, and his movements became firm again.
Caspian was well aware that he was hiding from his betrothed. Ever since the night where it had been clear she had wanted him to kiss her, he had barely spent a night at the keep. It wasn’t out of cowardice, or even a desire to avoid being close to Priscilla. In fact, this was all for her. Every minute he spent in her company, he disappointed her. Every idle second spent at Northall only served to remind him of what he couldn’t have, made him doubt his choice, even though he knew it was the right one. So, the solution had been to keep himself occupied until thewedding. When the time came he would attend the ceremony, tie the knots, the oracle would bind their life paths, and the matter would be settled. There would be no one for him then, but her. He would be absent now so that he might one day be a doting husband. It was an imperfect solution, but not an untenable one.
“Sir,” Lionel announced his presence behind him.
Caspian’s shoulders sank. Setting foot on Northall’s grounds without the steward’s attention had clearly been a fool’s hope.
“I won’t be staying,” Caspian said, brushing the horse with renewed vigor even as it shook out its mane restlessly.
“My lord, his royal highness Prince Gilbert is here to see you.”
Caspian paused. He wouldn’t have expected Gilbert until the wedding, which was still several days away.
“I’ll meet with him before I go. He can wait in the-”
“He ishereto see you, sir,” Lionel stressed.
Caspian set the brush down at once, only to have it taken up by a young groom who appeared at his side. He rounded the horse to see Lionel standing beside the crown prince of the realm, in his stables. His black hair was combed back. A print of golden thorns and roses stretched over his jacket in an intricate pattern. As always, his presentation was clean, regal even, only making Caspian’s travel weary state more evident by comparison.
