Page 23 of Stars May Burn

“There have been certain…insinuated threats.”

“Speak bluntly, man.”

“Duke James summons you and has stated he is not above executing Sir Cley and all the other men you sent if there is not a reasonable explanation for what he was doing.”

Hot rage built inside me, and I pushed it down as I had so many times before. Time and time again they goaded me, waiting for the day I would make a mistake in anger and give the king an excuse to execute me. Time and time again, until all my soft edges were knocked off and my heart was turned to cold stone.

I was sick of this. But I held fast.

I took a deep breath. “Lord Lyrason?”

“Doesn’t seem to be involved.”

I snorted in disbelief. Duke James was loyal to Lord Lyrason and allowed him direct influence on the city guard. If only that assassination had been successful.

If Robert was still being held by Lord Charles, I had a chance to save him and Sir Cley.

I looked at the gathering dusk outside. “Assemble an escort quietly. We’ll leave tonight. Make sure the news doesn’t spread. My hold on the peace here is already tenuous, and we need to stop this situation from getting any worse.” I straightened my belt and steeled myself for another sleepless night. “Oh, and tell Callum that just because I won’t be here for a few days, he has no excuse for slacking.”

On good horses, the roads were even enough that it was possible to travel from Kasomere to Adenburg in five hours. Riding hard, we reached the townhouse as the first light of dawn pinked the smoke-clogged horizon.

There was so little time. Every second my men spent as prisoners, meant a greater risk to all our safety. And the longer it would take to fix this mess. I had too many enemies all eager to find a weakness to present to the king.

Leaving most of my guard alert at the house in case we had repercussions, Sir Egbert and I continued on fresh horses, their hooves wrapped with cloth so they didn’t make a sound over the cobblestone roads. While we were still close to Highfair, weak kryalcomy lights lined the tidy streets in silver, but they were soon replaced with oil lamps, their glass so soot-stained, they were almost completely ineffective by the time we approached the river. The air became heavy with damp and decay, more unpleasant smells wafted from the sewage channels overflowing on the sides of the road, and rats scattered from the horse’s hooves into the misty darkness, before we turned to climb the hill and the lamps returned to kryalcomy again as we neared the Palace Quarter. Here—away from the river’s mist—dawn seemed to embrace the world more wholeheartedly. It wouldn’t be long before the servants headed out to collect bread from the bakers. Since I knew the location of Lord Charles’s estate, we wasted no time scouting or discussing tactics. Speed was everything today.

We approached from the back of the garden and dismounted. The wall was tall and sheer, easily twenty feet. I tossed the lead reins of my destrier to Sir Egbert. “Stay here and be prepared.”

The knight nodded. I pulled down my hood to shade my eyes and moved my silk scarf over my nose and mouth, thankful that it was still early enough for long shadows.

I scaled the wall without any effort and dropped into Lord Charles’s garden. My senses became alert as adrenaline coursed through me. The grass was slick with dew and the air heavy with the scent of roses. I kept one hand on a throwing knife as I walked soundlessly up the paving slabs to the shadowy veranda. Crouched by a bench, I listened for guards. There were two by the front door and two more by the gate. I could see their silhouettes shifting impatiently, one passing his spear from side to side as if anxious about something. None looked my way. Fools. I smirked and jumped up, catching the edge of the veranda with my fingertips and pulling myself up without a sound.

After a little exploration along the tiled roof, I took a thin sliver of metal and used it to open the largest window with richly embroidered curtains. As I hoped, it belonged to Lord Charles, confirmed by the sleeping form buried under silken sheets in a ridiculously wide bed. I closed the window behind me and stood at the footboard, bathed in shadow. What a fool. Almost anyone could have broken in.

I pulled a chair beside his bed and studied the sleeping, vulnerable older man. His dark hair was shot through with grey and the stubble on his mildly sagging jowls was white. I felt not an inch of pity for the terrible night he was about to have; the man deserved it. I threw the bedside jug of water over his tranquil face, and before he could cry out, I’d clamped my gloved hand over his mouth. He struggled, his hands raking ineffectually at my wrist.

“Stop moving and stay quiet,” I hissed. “Call your guards and I will slit your throat.”

The man stilled beneath me, and I lifted my hand. When he stayed frozen, I slouched back in the chair and put one leg across my knee. I waved my dagger in one hand and watched as his eyes followed it.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and eased himself to a sitting position. “I know who you are, boy,” he said at last.

I shrugged.

“When the king hears you’ve threatened me… When he hears what depths you have sunk to…” The man lifted a trembling hand.

I held up my palm and leaned forward. “Lord Charles, I am making all the threats tonight. Do I make myself clear?”

“But the king…” he started weakly.

I scoffed. “Do you think I care what the king thinks of me? Do you think I care about my reputation? I am not playing by the same rules as you. If you make trouble for me, I will come back. No matter how many guards you employ, I will be here, by your bed, and next time, I will strangle you slowly. Understand?”

The man paled, and his lips parted, but no sound escaped.

I cocked my head. “Now, you have a man in your keeping, I hear. A certain Robert. Tall, broad, red-haired.”

He nodded once.

“I will be taking him tonight. When questioned, you will say you released him because no charge was found against him. It was all a misunderstanding.” I dropped my voice to a more menacing tone. “If you say anything else, I will kill you. You will lie awake every night wondering when I will show up. You’ve heard the rumors. You know nothing will stop me. What you don’t know is just how cruel I can be when provoked. Kollenstar has given me a lot of inspiration.”

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