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Authors: Rachelle McCalla
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gone?
They were still a good ways from Sardis. If the soldiers had headed west again, they’d quickly find themselves back at home among the Illyrian mountains, a perfectly innocent place for them to be. Luke supposed, given the difficulty of travel through the dense woods, it was entirely possible they’d used their old road to access their own lands—a relatively benign breachof the peace treaty, one he would not begrudge them.
But if they’d left the road to turn east, they’d be deep in Lydian territory and could sneak up on the city of Sardis itself if they traveled far enough.
Luke panted, tired from his long run through the night. It was too dark for him to try to track the boot prints through the woods, and it would be foolish for him to attempt to huntdown a dozen or more Illyrian soldiers without any men on his side. He needed to alert his brother to King Garren’s activities.
The Illyrian boot prints might be innocent enough—and Luke hoped for the sake of peace that they were. But at the same time, he wasn’t about to forget he’d seen them. He’d dispatch men to scout out the area, though he wouldn’t personally accompany them.
No,he’d given his word to Bertie that he’d help the boy and his sister escape. So whether Evelyn wanted to leave King Garren’s household or not, Luke would do what he could to fulfill his promise.
* * *
Evelyn’s thoughts raced as Omar guided her up the stairs to King Garren’s chambers. She thought about trying to escape his grasp, but with her brother still bound in the dungeon, she didn’tdare do anything rash. They’d only take out their anger on Bertie if she did.
Bertie. Her heart ached at the thought of him. That he’d been caught trying to visit the tower only made matters a thousand times worse. She shouldn’t have mentioned to her brother that she wanted to visit the tower. No doubt that’s why Bertie had returned there—either looking for her or concerned for the princeon her behalf.
Too soon Omar pounded on the wooden door to King Garren’s chambers. As she’d anticipated, her grandfather was furious about being awakened. He threw open the door and blinked at them in the sudden light from the torch Omar still carried.
“What are you doing with my granddaughter?” The king, to Evelyn’s relief, directed his initial anger at Omar.
“The prisoner hasescaped.”
“Escaped! Did you sound the alarm?”
“I caught these two helping him escape.”
“These two?” King Garren, an experienced liar himself, quickly spotted the obvious hole in Omar’s story.
“The girl and her brother.”
“What about the prisoner?”
“He escaped.”
“What’s wrong with you?” King Garren pulled Omar’s hand off Evelyn’s shoulder and thrust it back athim. “You caught them helping him escape, but instead of recapturing the prisoner or sounding an alarm, you brought me my granddaughter?”
Omar looked sincerely surprised at the king’s reaction. “The last time she disobeyed, you told the girl she’d have to marry me if she defied you again.”
King Garren narrowed his eyes. “I’m not going to reward you for letting the prisoner escape!” Helooked back and forth from Evelyn to Omar, the ugliness of his thoughts reflected on his face. “Don’t you recall the terms of the peace treaty? We’re not supposed to engage in any acts of aggression. That means not locking up a prince on a diplomatic visit. If that stupid prince goes running back to his brother and tells him what we’ve done, he could bring both of the empires down on our heads.We don’t need to draw any attention to what we’re up to or they’ll find out about the mines and we’ll never get that land back.”
While her grandfather spoke, he shuffled back into the room and lowered his voice, drawing Omar and Evelyn inside the chamber after him. Evelyn listened to his words, but her eyes roved the room in the flickering firelight from Omar’s torch. She wasn’t allowed
They were still a good ways from Sardis. If the soldiers had headed west again, they’d quickly find themselves back at home among the Illyrian mountains, a perfectly innocent place for them to be. Luke supposed, given the difficulty of travel through the dense woods, it was entirely possible they’d used their old road to access their own lands—a relatively benign breachof the peace treaty, one he would not begrudge them.
But if they’d left the road to turn east, they’d be deep in Lydian territory and could sneak up on the city of Sardis itself if they traveled far enough.
Luke panted, tired from his long run through the night. It was too dark for him to try to track the boot prints through the woods, and it would be foolish for him to attempt to huntdown a dozen or more Illyrian soldiers without any men on his side. He needed to alert his brother to King Garren’s activities.
The Illyrian boot prints might be innocent enough—and Luke hoped for the sake of peace that they were. But at the same time, he wasn’t about to forget he’d seen them. He’d dispatch men to scout out the area, though he wouldn’t personally accompany them.
No,he’d given his word to Bertie that he’d help the boy and his sister escape. So whether Evelyn wanted to leave King Garren’s household or not, Luke would do what he could to fulfill his promise.
* * *
Evelyn’s thoughts raced as Omar guided her up the stairs to King Garren’s chambers. She thought about trying to escape his grasp, but with her brother still bound in the dungeon, she didn’tdare do anything rash. They’d only take out their anger on Bertie if she did.
Bertie. Her heart ached at the thought of him. That he’d been caught trying to visit the tower only made matters a thousand times worse. She shouldn’t have mentioned to her brother that she wanted to visit the tower. No doubt that’s why Bertie had returned there—either looking for her or concerned for the princeon her behalf.
Too soon Omar pounded on the wooden door to King Garren’s chambers. As she’d anticipated, her grandfather was furious about being awakened. He threw open the door and blinked at them in the sudden light from the torch Omar still carried.
“What are you doing with my granddaughter?” The king, to Evelyn’s relief, directed his initial anger at Omar.
“The prisoner hasescaped.”
“Escaped! Did you sound the alarm?”
“I caught these two helping him escape.”
“These two?” King Garren, an experienced liar himself, quickly spotted the obvious hole in Omar’s story.
“The girl and her brother.”
“What about the prisoner?”
“He escaped.”
“What’s wrong with you?” King Garren pulled Omar’s hand off Evelyn’s shoulder and thrust it back athim. “You caught them helping him escape, but instead of recapturing the prisoner or sounding an alarm, you brought me my granddaughter?”
Omar looked sincerely surprised at the king’s reaction. “The last time she disobeyed, you told the girl she’d have to marry me if she defied you again.”
King Garren narrowed his eyes. “I’m not going to reward you for letting the prisoner escape!” Helooked back and forth from Evelyn to Omar, the ugliness of his thoughts reflected on his face. “Don’t you recall the terms of the peace treaty? We’re not supposed to engage in any acts of aggression. That means not locking up a prince on a diplomatic visit. If that stupid prince goes running back to his brother and tells him what we’ve done, he could bring both of the empires down on our heads.We don’t need to draw any attention to what we’re up to or they’ll find out about the mines and we’ll never get that land back.”
While her grandfather spoke, he shuffled back into the room and lowered his voice, drawing Omar and Evelyn inside the chamber after him. Evelyn listened to his words, but her eyes roved the room in the flickering firelight from Omar’s torch. She wasn’t allowed
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