Saoirse pressed a finger to my lips. “Just incase.”
I flicked my eyes down the hallway. The sorcerer wouldn’t be able to hear us, but the fae might, if they were really keen to listen in, but they were part of the warriorteam.
“Wait a minute,” I hissed. “You really think...?” I jerked my head down the hall, to indicate the two warriors keeping watch in theclose.
A second later, Saoirse whisked her phone from her back pocket and typed a note. She flashed the screen myway.
Someone on the inside is working against us. We can’t be toocareful.
Frowning, I grabbed her phone and typed my ownresponse.
If you suspect one of them, why not take them off the warriorteam?
Sighing, she rolled her eyes and took back her phone. Anothermessage.
We have no proof either one is involved inanything.
“Everything okay back there?” Axel called down thehallway.
Saoirse tapped delete on her words and slid her phone out of view. Conversation over. At least I finally had one answer, though it didn’t really helpmymission much. At the end of the day, whatever Warin and Boudica wanted to do to Lugh didn’t matter when the King himself was plotting to tear downmyCourt.
Hell, maybe I’d been fighting on the wrong sidetonight.
When we stepped back into the living room, the sorcerer was packing up his things, his impressive tattoos shining against the glow from the lamp. Lugh was still out of it, his expression peaceful for once. “The wound is closed now, so he’s started to heal. Because of the magic involved, it might take him a little longer than usual to be back to his old self. Oh, and he’s half-awake, but probably not for long.” The sorcerer looked at me. “He was asking foryou.”
“Me?” Igargled.
Saoirse smirked. “I’ll show Axel out and discuss with the others how to transport Lugh back to the castle safely. Be back in amoment.”
She disappeared out the door before I could ask her to stay. Staring down at Lugh, I shifted on my feet. He didn’t look awake. His breathing was steady, exposed chest rising and falling. The deep gash in his stomach still looked bruised and raw, but it no longer spilled a river of blood on hisskin.
“You...aren’t good...at following orders,” he wheezed, his eyes still closed. “I asked for you. Why haven’t youcome?”
Wetting my lips, I crossed the room and sank to his side. My knees dug into the hardwood floor. “You looked asleep. I didn’t want to disturbyou.”
“You should not have helped me,” he whispered. “They could have killedyou.”
Yes, they could have. And they tried as hard as they could. Without my sword, I’d been pretty vulnerable. At the time, it had seemed like the only possible choice. Help Lugh fight his attackers. Don’t let him die by their hand. That strange desperation had churned through me, making me act without even thinking. But sitting on the other side of it now, I didn’t quite understand why I’d fought for hislife.
He was my enemy. I was here, in Edinburgh, to stop him from going up against myQueen.
Now that he was safe and alive—even if a little worse for wear—that aching desperation inside of me had vanished, like the attackers into thenight.
My heart felt as sore as my bruisedmuscles.
He cracked open his shadowy eyes and peered up at me. “You aren’t going to sayanything?”
“Sure. You’re welcome,” I snarked. “I accept rewards in the form of swords, training, and unlockeddoors.”
I didn’t know how else to answer but to joke. Something needed to break the tension in the room, and this was all I had. I didn’t like the way he was looking at me, like he was seeing me for the very first time, and he wasn’t sure what he thought of thetruth.
“Done.” His eyes slid shutagain.
“That’s it?” I blinked down at him, wondering if I’d heard him right. “You aren’t going to scold me for disobeyingorders?”
And I was actually going to get some freedom? It was too good to betrue.
“Oh, I will definitely dole out some punishment for your disobedience,” he growled, a slight smile twisting up the corners of his lips. “But I’m waiting until I’m back at full strength forthat.”
