Oh, she was a good liar. Had I not seen her face, I might’ve believed her. The sympathy I'd felt for her a moment ago melted away.
Checking the street for more strange men, I crossed toward Ferris. The woman with him was trying to wrestle from his grip.
I paused, studying her face. She looked familiar.
Her hand tightened on her sheathed blade. “Another Solheart,” she hissed, staring at Bláth.
“Ferris,” Bláth purred. “Why are you stalking Solhearts?”
“Bláth’s not with them,” Ferris assured the woman, pushing down her sword arm. “Diar thinks they might be the ones who tried to kill my father.”
I blinked. “Wait—you think the assassin was a Solheart?”
“Not think,” the woman named Diar spat. “Know."
Ah. Now I remembered. A woman in Shatterblade robes had been with the king when we’d returned from Galasvar.
This was the warrior woman Ferris had fawned over during our ride south.
“I need to know what they’re doing here,” Diar insisted.
“Let me.” I dropped Bláth’s arm. “I know how not to be seen.”
She nodded and slipped into the shadows with the others. “Don’t get caught,” she sang after me.
Pulling my hood down, I crossed the road and passed the house, trying to get a look in its window. No good. The curtains were closed. Looking around, I checked for passersby. A couple hurried down the street and turned down a side alley. Then, I was alone.
Grabbing a loose brick, I scurried up the wall. Tsuyan’s three-tiered roofs weren’t easy to climb. It took more effort than I’d like to swing up on top of them. Leaning over the edge, I checked for witnesses, but all was quiet.
Crossing the roof, I dropped down on the other side into thin yards piled with fresh snow. Pressing myself to the wall, I shimmied back to the house the Solhearts entered—and found exactly what I sought.
A back window, with two Solhearts visible through the curtains.
Crouching, I pressed a hand to the wall and peered in. Lord Seradh stood with his back to me, while the other man hopped up on a dining table. He threw back his hood.
Silvery gold hair, short-cropped and golden-green eyes: This one was another half-blood. Solheart mixed with Stormborn, from the looks of him.
I could hear their voices faintly, only enough to make out a few words.
The short-haired Solheart’s easy smile vanished after Lord Seradh said something I couldn't make out.
His rebuttal carried through the wall, loud and clear. “What? Why?”
Lord Seradh raised his voice. “She’s going to?—”
“She’s going to die.” The other man scowled. He pressed fingers to his eyes, then exhaled. “Which is fine. Siotha will be ownerless, again.”
Silence came in response.
“What?” The half-blood Solheart demanded. “What else did you fuck up?”
“Reese is here.”
The half-blood’s golden-green eyes twitched. “Well. Maybe we can recover two Paragon weapons, then.”
“How can you say that?” Seradh’s jaw ticked.
“Easily.” The half-blood hopped off the table. “The world will be a better place when that bastard’s dead.”
