“Leo,” Damien warned. “This is not happening.”
“Why not?”
“Are you kidding? It’s been one day since the last disaster!”
“It will befine,” Leo promised, his expression pleading.
Damien’s resolve faded. “I amnotcovering for you again if something goes wrong.”
“It wasn’t that bad last time.”
“You didn’t see the rage in her father’s eyes. King Tristan will skin me alive if he thinks I took her away from the palace again. He isyourproblem if anything happens.”
“He would probablyburnyou alive, not skin you,” Leo said. “But nothing is going to happen.”
“Stop saying that,” Damien groaned. “I swear the gods listen to you just so they can laugh later.”
“Are you ready to go?”
Damien glared at him. “I’ve been ready!Youare the one busy sneaking a princess out of the palace.”
“She needs a horse.”
Damien let out a stream of curses but turned around for another saddle.
I don’t think Damien has anything against me personally. He was really nice to me yesterday. But even I know this is a bad idea. What did the queen call us? A trio of chaos?
Leo stepped out briefly because another guard had a question. Evelyn watched Damien while he got a horse ready for her. He was muscular from so many decades in the army. His movements were both precise and effortless. She was certain he didn’t need to use magic to charm a woman into bed.
I wouldn’t complain if the officers in Carrowmore’s army looked more like him.
Damien caught Evelyn staring and winked at her. She turned bright red and pretended to be distracted by a horse until Leo returned.
They went to a tavern on the opposite end of the city from where they had found the dead soldiers. A fireplace warmed the seating area full of high-backed wooden booths. It was more rustic than Evelyn expected to find in Gryon.
“You two sit down. I’ll be right there,” Leo told them before walking off.
He stopped at a table by the window. A woman was sitting there with an older lady, possibly her mother, and a small child. She stood up to speak with Leo.
“Who is that?” Evelyn asked.
“Let’s go sit down.” Damien guided her to an empty booth with a warm hand on her back.
Evelyn sat across from Damien and looked at him expectantly. “Well?”
“That woman is the widow of the Auditory soldier,” he said.
The one missing his ears.
“Do you know her?”
“Kind of.” Damien grimaced. “I’m the one who told her that her husband had been found.”
“Youtold her? Did you tell all the families?”
“Yes.” Damien shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“Why you?” Evelyn’s heart broke at the thought of delivering that news, especially four separate times.
