Page 43 of Shadows of Winter

“If he does come, you will give him nothing.”

“Don’t you think people would be more likely to comply with your dictums if you were nicer about them? Maybe throwing in a please?”

“It is for your sake that I make this dictum. As I pointed out, you may be in danger if people realize you’re working, however loosely, with the rangers.”

“I guess that’s a no, huh?” Kaylina kept herself from pointing out that he was as obviously rangerish as his taybarri, and he remained in her courtyard. At least he wasn’t fondling the hilt of his sword anymore. “Don’t people already know that a lord owns this place? Won’t they assume there’s a link?”

“The aristocracy owns most of the buildings in town. Few will think anything of it, if they even know the Saybrook family claims the castle. It’s been abandoned for many generations.”

A woman following the river trail walked past the gate. Though she wasn’t close—the pedestrians using the street and trail all made a wide berth of the cursed castle—and didn’t glance in their direction, Vlerion put his hood up.

He extended a hand toward the kitchen door. “We’ll go inside. You’ll give me a report of the time you’ve spent here.”

“Oh, goodie. Shall I call you lord after each sentence?”

His jaw tightened again. “At the end will do, when you respectfully express your gratitude that Captain Targon arranged equipment to facilitate this ruse.”

“It’s our dream, not a ruse.”

“A dream you came ill-prepared to pursue in a land much harsher than your sun-soaked south.”

Kaylina scowled, not wanting to admit that she had been naive and hadn’t brought nearly enough money and supplies. If not for her brother, they wouldn’t have been able to lease a chair, much less a building.

Vlerion’s expression was irritatingly knowing, as if he could follow her every thought.

“We do appreciate the equipment,” she made herself say. Grudgingly, she added, “my lord.”

There wasn’t any triumph in his eyes at the honorific. Maybe he simply thought it was his duty to educate her on how to act up here where nobles proliferated like fleas.

He extended his hand toward the doorway again.

“What do you want in my report?” Kaylina led him inside.

“Anything of note.” Vlerion looked around, his brows rising in surprise at who knew what. That they’d cleaned up the place? Maybe he would tell Saybrook’s granddaughter that they were good tenants.

“Such as that the castle moans all the time, weird noises come from under the floor, we see horrible visions, and the stairs leading to the red-light room are gone, and it’s boarded up?”

“Anything of note that I’m not already aware of.” His tone suggested he thought talking to her was a waste of time. His captain, she remembered, was the reason he was involved here.

“How am I supposed to know what you’re aware of?” Kaylina turned, putting her back to a counter as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Have you spent the night here?”

“No. For me, that would be unwise.”

“Because you’re a ranger?”

Did he know about the visions of the murders? Or maybe he knew the history and that those murders had actually happened and were reported in books somewhere.

“Yes.” Vlerion looked her up and down.

It wasn’t a look of sexual perusal—it was more like he sought the answer to some question. Even so, for some reason, she remembered being in his arms in the jail cell, squirming and unable to escape after the ranger captain had drugged her.

“I’m surprised you’ve stayed this long,” he added, his gaze settling on her face.

“Your expression is hard to read. I can’t tell if you’re implying that I’m courageous and admirable for sticking this out or an idiot.”

“No?” A touch of amusement found his eyes. “Good.”

“You’re an ass.”

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