Page 22 of Heart of Defiance

My gaze slides to the drunk’s friends. Their sallow faces tighten with restrained anger as they track the soldier’s assured stride back to his own chair.

An idea starts to come together in my head. There are a lot of things broken here… and we might not be the only people interested in fixing them.

It was never supposed to be only about us, after all.

I glance around at my companions, speaking at barely a whisper. “I think I see an opportunity here.”

A small smile crosses Iko’s face.

Jostein hesitates, but maybe his gift tells him I know what I’m talking about. “Give it your best shot.”

At least one of us has faith in me. I’m not convinced yet that my conviction isn’t just willful stubbornness.

The soldiers don’t head out until after the next peal of the town bell. I wait another few minutes to be sure they aren’t going to barge back in, but then I see the drunk and his friends getting up from their table.

I beckon my companions to follow me and hurry after them.

We catch up in the square just outside the tavern. Even the drunken man is walking fairly steadily, the encounter with the darts having sobered him up.

I come up beside them and clear my throat. “That was a sick game they played in there.”

The four men slow, the main target of the soldier’s game touching his blood-dappled ear.

“It is what it is,” one of them says warily.

“But does it really have to be? There’s more of us than there are of them.”

Another of the bunch considers me with narrowed eyes. “What are you saying?”

I hold up my hands in a gesture of innocence. “Just speculating. It’s been hard not to, lately… I don’t know if you heard, but a group of Veldunian rebels burned down a Darium guard post just south of here last night. They took out all the soldiers who were in it.”

I’m prepared to drop the subject there, but interest immediately lights in all four pairs of eyes, as much as the skeptic tries to keep a poker face.

“Serves them right,” the third man mutters, and the skeptical one elbows him.

The drunk exhales roughly. “It does. I wouldn’t mind seeing something like that here.” Then his gaze darts around as if he’s afraid the soldiers might be listening in.

“We’re not doing anything with the fort right there,” the skeptic grumbles.

I offer them a crooked smile. “Maybe you can, though. Word’s being passed around between people who’d want to see some change. Anyone who’d like for the Darium army to get what they deserve should meet in the field west of town tomorrow at the tenth bell.”

If we make it sound like someone else is organizing the scheme, the locals won’t point us out as the instigators if they decide to tattle.

The men scan both me and the three men behind me. “You’re all going?”

Iko joins in with a casual shrug, playing along with my story. “Might as well find out what could happen, right? No commitment.”

The group exchanges glances. I step back as if I’m not all that invested. “I just thought you might want a part in that. Don’t pass on the word to anyone else unless you’re sure they’re more loyal to Velduny than the invaders.”

The men walk on, murmuring amongst themselves, and we draw back into the shadows next to the tavern. Thecorners of Jostein’s mouth have quirked upward. “What are you up to now, rebel maiden?”

I ignore the giddy quiver the nickname sends over my skin and rub my hands together. “I’ve got a wagon to fix, and then we’ll need to do some more grocery shopping.”

Chapter Nine

Iko

The pungent chemical smell of lantern oil wafts out of the bottle. Wrinkling my nose, I stuff the last rag partway down the neck and watch the liquid gradually saturate it.

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