fall on my shoulder. It knotted in the cloth of my shirt and jerked me violently back and into the lines of one of the cavalry camps.
Panic flared up hot and razor-sharp in the back of my throat, but I fought it off and reached for the lie that had served me so well. As long as it was not Pollix or the other cavalry officer who had stopped us that day—
The same violent grip that had dragged me aside spun me around, and the lie died on my lips. My jaw dropped open. I almost laughed, but Caleb clapped his massive hand over my mouth.
"Haven's name," he growled. "What are you doing here?"
I raised my eyebrows at him, and after a moment he removed his hand. I couldn't suppress the smile. "What are you wearing?"
He wore the uniform of the Green Eagles. Only, as I looked closer, I saw subtle differences. The cut was not precisely the same, the pauldrons were lighter, the greaves sharper, and his collar rose higher and spread wider. And top to toe, it was far more battered and worn than anything I'd seen in the Tower's courtyard. Still, the design was remarkably similar, and it showed the same rich greens and blacks of the elite soldiers' uniform.
He watched my eyes as I assessed his armor. As soon as I was finished he turned on his heel, fist still locked on my shoulder, and propelled me south along a line between the tents within the cavalry camp.
"I asked what you are doing," he said. "Where are your knights?"
"Resting," I said, as condescendingly as I could make it. "The poor fellows had a long day."
"Cute," he said. "And you?"
I stopped, and he allowed me to. I raised my chin. "I am going to see Mother."
"As easy as that?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I made it this far. The carriages are only just over there! I could almost see them—"
He grunted and shook his head. "Just over there. Right past seven unbroken lines of vigilant Green Eagles."
I tried to meet his stare, but after three heartbeats my chin began to drag down of its own accord. Eventually my eyes did the same, until I was staring at the tips of my boots. "I didn't know," I said. "I would have come up with something."
"You would have spent the rest of the journey in manacles," Caleb said. "Hm. Perhaps I shouldn't have stopped you."
My eyes flashed to his. I licked my lips. "Cute."
"Hah!" The laugh escaped him as a bark, and he looked angry as he suppressed it. But then he shook his head. "Wind and rain. You've wrecked my night. Come on. Got to get you back to your place."
I dug in my heels, but it hardly slowed him. He dragged me three paces before I relented and turned with him, but I didn't give up. "Wait!" I whispered urgently. "Wait. You are here. You must have a reason. You've got your...your disguise." My gaze slipped along the lines of his armor again, and I couldn't suppress the flash of curiosity. "Where did you get that?"
"From a man I used to know," he said.
He said no more, and I let it go. "It doesn't matter," I said. "It's a good disguise. It got you as far as mine did. Together—"
"Together," he said, "we can both get caught. It's foolishness. Come. We must move quickly!"
"No!" I jerked my shoulder, trying to shake him off, and then more violently when he held on. "Let me go! I'm going to my mother!"
A cold voice cut through the night before Caleb could respond. "Well, well, well."
I went still as stone, then as one Caleb and I turned our heads up the lane, to the cavalry officer waiting for us at the next intersection. Three of his own soldiers stood behind him, and with them were two armed crossbowmen and a Green Eagle with his great two-handed blade already drawn. They watched us with serious eyes, alert and ready.
Lord Pollix gave a tight little smile. "I believe I've heard that from you before."
6. Moonlight
"Wait!" I shouted, raising both hands palms out. "I can explain!"
Caleb's grip tightened on my shoulder, and I shut up. Above me, he only stared at the soldiers facing us and raised his chin.
The Green Eagle among
Panic flared up hot and razor-sharp in the back of my throat, but I fought it off and reached for the lie that had served me so well. As long as it was not Pollix or the other cavalry officer who had stopped us that day—
The same violent grip that had dragged me aside spun me around, and the lie died on my lips. My jaw dropped open. I almost laughed, but Caleb clapped his massive hand over my mouth.
"Haven's name," he growled. "What are you doing here?"
I raised my eyebrows at him, and after a moment he removed his hand. I couldn't suppress the smile. "What are you wearing?"
He wore the uniform of the Green Eagles. Only, as I looked closer, I saw subtle differences. The cut was not precisely the same, the pauldrons were lighter, the greaves sharper, and his collar rose higher and spread wider. And top to toe, it was far more battered and worn than anything I'd seen in the Tower's courtyard. Still, the design was remarkably similar, and it showed the same rich greens and blacks of the elite soldiers' uniform.
He watched my eyes as I assessed his armor. As soon as I was finished he turned on his heel, fist still locked on my shoulder, and propelled me south along a line between the tents within the cavalry camp.
"I asked what you are doing," he said. "Where are your knights?"
"Resting," I said, as condescendingly as I could make it. "The poor fellows had a long day."
"Cute," he said. "And you?"
I stopped, and he allowed me to. I raised my chin. "I am going to see Mother."
"As easy as that?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I made it this far. The carriages are only just over there! I could almost see them—"
He grunted and shook his head. "Just over there. Right past seven unbroken lines of vigilant Green Eagles."
I tried to meet his stare, but after three heartbeats my chin began to drag down of its own accord. Eventually my eyes did the same, until I was staring at the tips of my boots. "I didn't know," I said. "I would have come up with something."
"You would have spent the rest of the journey in manacles," Caleb said. "Hm. Perhaps I shouldn't have stopped you."
My eyes flashed to his. I licked my lips. "Cute."
"Hah!" The laugh escaped him as a bark, and he looked angry as he suppressed it. But then he shook his head. "Wind and rain. You've wrecked my night. Come on. Got to get you back to your place."
I dug in my heels, but it hardly slowed him. He dragged me three paces before I relented and turned with him, but I didn't give up. "Wait!" I whispered urgently. "Wait. You are here. You must have a reason. You've got your...your disguise." My gaze slipped along the lines of his armor again, and I couldn't suppress the flash of curiosity. "Where did you get that?"
"From a man I used to know," he said.
He said no more, and I let it go. "It doesn't matter," I said. "It's a good disguise. It got you as far as mine did. Together—"
"Together," he said, "we can both get caught. It's foolishness. Come. We must move quickly!"
"No!" I jerked my shoulder, trying to shake him off, and then more violently when he held on. "Let me go! I'm going to my mother!"
A cold voice cut through the night before Caleb could respond. "Well, well, well."
I went still as stone, then as one Caleb and I turned our heads up the lane, to the cavalry officer waiting for us at the next intersection. Three of his own soldiers stood behind him, and with them were two armed crossbowmen and a Green Eagle with his great two-handed blade already drawn. They watched us with serious eyes, alert and ready.
Lord Pollix gave a tight little smile. "I believe I've heard that from you before."
6. Moonlight
"Wait!" I shouted, raising both hands palms out. "I can explain!"
Caleb's grip tightened on my shoulder, and I shut up. Above me, he only stared at the soldiers facing us and raised his chin.
The Green Eagle among
Similar Books
