Page 52 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

“I can’t keep pretending, dear friend.” The queen’s whispered words reach me and my eyes widen as I raise my hand to my mouth to keep in any sound. Whatever the queen and Tor are discussing, they do not want to be overheard, otherwise they wouldn’t be out here.

A sense of urgency runs through me, but it’s not my own. The Mother is trying to tell me something. A tug in my chest makes me take a step toward the still open door to the castle corridor and I see a group of four guards marching our way. Panic floods my veins, something bad is about to happen.

“We can’t risk—” I cut off whatever Tor was going to say by hurrying over to the fountain they are hiding behind.

“Guards are coming!”

The queen’s eyes widen and I see the panic flash through her gaze before she nods and gives a pointed look at Tor. “Thank you, child.” Turning, she hurries to a dark corner of the courtyard and seems to disappear. There must be some sort of secret entrance there and I vow that when I have time, I’ll explore it further.

The sound of booted feet now fills the courtyard and I see the guards spreading out before thoroughly searching the area. I feelTor’s eyes boring into me, as if he can peel away my skin and see my thoughts and feelings.

“Freeze!” one of the guards shouts as he comes across us, with more guards swarming around us, hands on their weapons as if they mean to use them at any moment. “Captain, one ofthemis out here.”

One of them? What is happening?My thoughts spin, I don’t think they mean me, so they must be talking about Tor. Turning my confused expression to him, I see him frowning as he realises the seriousness of the situation. His hands drop to his sides, hovering near the decorated axe that hangs in a sheath at his waist.

“What is the meaning of this? I’m here on a diplomatic mission.” His voice is authoritative, but given the tension of the moment, his tone is much calmer than I had expected. He eyes the guards as he moves forward and casually slides in front of me. The Captain of the Guard, in his smart green and gold uniform, steps forward, frowning as he scans the area around us, as if he was expecting to see someone else here. His attention returns to Tor, his scowl deepening as he glances over his shoulder and sees me.

“What are you doing out here? And why is Lady Clarissa with you?”

I’m surprised the Captain of the Guard knows who I am, but I guess he’s seen me with the prince, so he’s made it his business to know my name. I’ve always liked the current Captain of the Guard, he’s never been overly cruel to any of the slaves unlike his predecessor. Once or twice when I was starving and I didn’t think I’d make it through the night, I would find scraps of bread left next to where I was laying, and when I had the energy to lift my head I could just see his back as he walked away. So it’s strange to see him now, and I have to hope he doesn’t recognise me from before.

“The prince and I just returned from the city. He had to leave on important business, so I just came to clear my head before I returned to my rooms,” I explain in a pretty voice, like I’m a young lady who’s been thoroughly wooed by the prince. His gaze turns to me, his bright eyes examining me. His face is much more lined than the last time I saw him.

The guards continue to search the courtyard around us while the captain continues to flick his eyes between Tor and I.

“I was looking at the stars. I miss sleeping underneath them and I saw it would be a clear night, so I came out to view them,” Tor reasons, and I can’t fight the surprised noise that escapes me. He glances once over his shoulder before turning back to the captain. I know he was meeting the queen, but something about what he said rings true.

“Clear!” one of the unseen guards shouts, and there’s a long pause before the captain nods.

“Go back to your rooms. When you get there, lock the door and don’t come out until morning.” He looks at me as he says this, so I know he’s warning me, and it makes my stomach sink. If the Captain of the Guard is speaking something like this, then it’s serious and not a caution I’m going to ignore. As I nod, he turns away and the guards begin to file out.

Tor and I stay silent as they go, and for even longer after that, until we are both sure we’re completely alone. He turns to me, studying me, and even in the moonlight I can see his troubled expression.

“How much did you hear?”

“I only caught the end of your conversation,” I reply honestly, and he nods as he spins to go, but he stops as something occurs to him.

“You saved us. Why?”

“It was the right thing to do.” There’s more to it than that, and he knows it, but now’s not the time for that conversation.

“Do what the captain said, don’t stray. The stars are telling me something bad is coming.” And with that cryptic answer, he leaves faster than a man his size should be able to.

I don’t dally, heading straight to Grayson’s lodgings, Tor’s words ringing in my ears. I don’t understand anything he said. What do the stars have to do with anything? But his warning is eerily similar to that of the captain’s and Jacob’s.

Grayson isn’t back when I reach his rooms and I end up having a quiet supper with Jayne. I keep glancing towards the door, waiting for him to appear at any moment, but he doesn’t. Eventually, with lots of reassurance from Jayne, I get ready for bed, but the concern in her eyes as she tries to convince me he’s okay bothers me. What is this “something” that everyone keeps saying is coming? Nightmares plague me. I dream of grabbing hands and eyes in the dark, waking up numerous times to pace the length of my room so I can try and settle myself. I eventually fall back into a fitful sleep in the early hours of the morning as the sun begins to rise.

Grayson doesn’t return that night.

Abanging noise wakes me from my sleep. Sitting up, I look around my room groggily, trying to work out what’s going on. The sun is shining through the curtains, but Jayne hasn’t yet come into my rooms, so I know it must still be fairly early. A shout echoes in the hallway that has me jumping from the bed and running to the door. Just as I’m about to reach out to open it, it flies open and a large, snarling guard stands in the doorway.

Heart in my throat, I stumble back, dread filling me as he takes a step forward. Except he never does, his body seemingly frozen as he growls, struggling against the invisible barrier, and the sense of magic reaching me reminds me of something Grayson told me—no one can enter my rooms unless I say they can. Feeling more secure, I try to push away my fear as I straighten to my full height and stare down the guard.

“Why are you here?”

“Come out here, filth,” he spits, his anger at not being able to reach me clear. “You’re to attend a…ceremony.” The way he says it makes me shudder, his sick grin telling me enough. Whateverthe prince and the others have been warning me against is happening. Glancing around him, I try to see into the corridor. Why isn’t Grayson stopping them?

“Where’s Grayson? I won’t go anywhere without him,” I state with more bite and confidence than I actually have. I want to curl up in a ball and hide, but I can’t do that anymore. Iwon’t.

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