a couple. It only made everything harder. He burning knew that, but he kept letting it happen.
They were almost back to King’s Peak, almost back to where he was the king and she was his guard. The castle loomed out of the mist as if it were floating on a cloud. A hint of the Firegold adorning its walls glinted in the moonlight.
“Wait, what about Berg?” Siv said suddenly.
“I’ll send word to him in the morning letting him know I got out safely,” Dara said. “I think it would be better for both of us if he doesn’t know you were out and about tonight.”
“Agreed.”
“We’ll need his help sorting out this mess.” Dara’s tone was business-like and practical. She was approaching this problem as she would a training session, with no indication that she was particularly bothered by the news of Siv’s pending engagement. It was just as well. He had asked her to join the Guard because he knew he could trust her, not for any other reason. He wasn’t sure he could trust anyone else at this point. He should really be worrying about that, not about how she apparently liked his eyes. And his face. He could be practical too.
Siv cleared his throat. “Let’s sleep on it and figure something out in the morning.”
“I agree,” Dara said.
They climbed the streets of King’s Peak in silence. When they reached the entrance to the secret tunnel, Dara withdrew her arm from his.
“I’d better go back in the way I came out,” she said.
“Why don’t you stay with me tonight?” Siv knew it was a bad idea, but he said it anyway. “You shouldn’t be alone with a head injury.”
“That would be difficult to explain to Pool in the morning.”
“Let him wonder,” Siv said. “I want to make sure you’re all right.”
“I’ll have Telvin check on me,” Dara said—rather brusquely, he thought. “I’ll tell him I stumbled down some steps on my way home. Too much ale.”
Siv blinked. “Who’s Telvin?”
“One of the guardsmen. I had a drink with him earlier tonight.”
“You don’t even like drinking.”
“It was okay.” Dara shrugged. “He’s a decent man.”
“Is he,” Siv said flatly. Which one was Telvin? Not many of the guardsmen were young. He’d better not be one of the good-looking ones. Why was she having drinks with guardsmen anyway?
“Yes, I think so,” Dara said. “I’ll keep an eye on him in case he could be a potential ally. He used to be in the army. Maybe he could give us information on Pavorran.”
“Information,” Siv said. “Sure. Good idea. Just be careful.”
“Good night, Siv,” Dara said. “And thank you. I needed your help tonight.” Then as suddenly as if she were lunging toward a target, she stepped closer to him and kissed his cheek. Before he could move, she strode off through the darkness toward the castle gates.
Siv grinned all the way through the tunnel, the kitchens, and the secret stairwell to his chambers. He was still smiling by the time he fell asleep.
10.
Plans
DARA ’ Shead pounded as she descended through the bottom level of the castle to the cur-dragon cave. She hadn’t slept well. Telvin had dutifully woken her up throughout the night to make sure she wasn’t slipping into a coma. She had spent her waking hours mulling over what to do about the threat they had discovered yesterday.
In the bright light of day, the solution seemed clear. If General Pavorran and his cronies—whoever they were—had decided to make their own private dueling army, the king needed to do the same.
The Castle Guard had to recruit and train replacements anyway after being compromised during the assassination. It was more important than ever to make sure the new recruits could handle the threat brewing over on Square Peak. They might not have much time. What they really needed was a ready-made group of fit, trained swordsmen who weren’t in danger of being influenced by the general.
Fortunately, Dara happened to know some of
They were almost back to King’s Peak, almost back to where he was the king and she was his guard. The castle loomed out of the mist as if it were floating on a cloud. A hint of the Firegold adorning its walls glinted in the moonlight.
“Wait, what about Berg?” Siv said suddenly.
“I’ll send word to him in the morning letting him know I got out safely,” Dara said. “I think it would be better for both of us if he doesn’t know you were out and about tonight.”
“Agreed.”
“We’ll need his help sorting out this mess.” Dara’s tone was business-like and practical. She was approaching this problem as she would a training session, with no indication that she was particularly bothered by the news of Siv’s pending engagement. It was just as well. He had asked her to join the Guard because he knew he could trust her, not for any other reason. He wasn’t sure he could trust anyone else at this point. He should really be worrying about that, not about how she apparently liked his eyes. And his face. He could be practical too.
Siv cleared his throat. “Let’s sleep on it and figure something out in the morning.”
“I agree,” Dara said.
They climbed the streets of King’s Peak in silence. When they reached the entrance to the secret tunnel, Dara withdrew her arm from his.
“I’d better go back in the way I came out,” she said.
“Why don’t you stay with me tonight?” Siv knew it was a bad idea, but he said it anyway. “You shouldn’t be alone with a head injury.”
“That would be difficult to explain to Pool in the morning.”
“Let him wonder,” Siv said. “I want to make sure you’re all right.”
“I’ll have Telvin check on me,” Dara said—rather brusquely, he thought. “I’ll tell him I stumbled down some steps on my way home. Too much ale.”
Siv blinked. “Who’s Telvin?”
“One of the guardsmen. I had a drink with him earlier tonight.”
“You don’t even like drinking.”
“It was okay.” Dara shrugged. “He’s a decent man.”
“Is he,” Siv said flatly. Which one was Telvin? Not many of the guardsmen were young. He’d better not be one of the good-looking ones. Why was she having drinks with guardsmen anyway?
“Yes, I think so,” Dara said. “I’ll keep an eye on him in case he could be a potential ally. He used to be in the army. Maybe he could give us information on Pavorran.”
“Information,” Siv said. “Sure. Good idea. Just be careful.”
“Good night, Siv,” Dara said. “And thank you. I needed your help tonight.” Then as suddenly as if she were lunging toward a target, she stepped closer to him and kissed his cheek. Before he could move, she strode off through the darkness toward the castle gates.
Siv grinned all the way through the tunnel, the kitchens, and the secret stairwell to his chambers. He was still smiling by the time he fell asleep.
10.
Plans
DARA ’ Shead pounded as she descended through the bottom level of the castle to the cur-dragon cave. She hadn’t slept well. Telvin had dutifully woken her up throughout the night to make sure she wasn’t slipping into a coma. She had spent her waking hours mulling over what to do about the threat they had discovered yesterday.
In the bright light of day, the solution seemed clear. If General Pavorran and his cronies—whoever they were—had decided to make their own private dueling army, the king needed to do the same.
The Castle Guard had to recruit and train replacements anyway after being compromised during the assassination. It was more important than ever to make sure the new recruits could handle the threat brewing over on Square Peak. They might not have much time. What they really needed was a ready-made group of fit, trained swordsmen who weren’t in danger of being influenced by the general.
Fortunately, Dara happened to know some of
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