Page 29 of Heart of Defiance

My mind careens back through all our brief encounters over the past several years. It’s true that in most of them I remember someone else making the first jab or two, and him diverting them to some other topic. But the way he did it…

“You made it sound as if I wasn’t worth bothering with.”

Landric’s head droops. “If I was too obviously defending you, everyone would have looked at me differently too.”

My tone sharpens. “How horrible for you.”

He meets my hard gaze with obvious effort, his darkbrown eyes simmering with emotions I don’t understand. “I didn’t want to make myself a target. I had things I was trying to accomplish… It was selfish, and all of that seems pointless now anyway. I’m sorry. I should have spoken up for you more, clearer. You didn’t deserve any of it.”

His voice has gone raw, every word searing with honest regret. My arms fall to my sides. I don’t know what to do with his apology.

“What makes you so sure I didn’t deserve it?” I find myself asking.

His expression turns incredulous. “So you overstepped when you were twelve. Twelve-year-olds aren’t exactly the wisest human beings in the world. And you didn’t get along with your aunt and uncle—well, I didn’t find them to be the most agreeable people either. You took care of yourself without hurting anyone, even though the way we all acted must have hurt you. You even took the time to look after the memorial.”

Landric hesitates and then offers me a cautious smile. “Thank you for that. I liked knowing that someone other than me cared.”

His father’s name was among the last few additions to the limestone walls that have since fallen. I hadn’t realized he even noticed me going up there for the weekly cleanings.

I shift my weight. It feels as if the ground between us has tilted, and I’m no longer sure what to make of him.

He did speak up for me in front of everyone after we fled town. He’s pulled his weight on this dangerous mission he volunteered for, from packing horse shit to charging into battle. The bandage on his arm shows how much he risked.

But how can I weigh that against all the times he listened to others disparage me and simply dismissed me as not worth even that much attention?

I drag in a breath. “All right. I’m not saying I’m okaywith what happened before. But we can move forward from that. There are bigger things to focus on.”

Landric nods with a relieved air. His smile grows. “And you’re the one who was brave enough to see how much we could do. Let’s get back to our army and tell them it’s time to really fight.”

Chapter Eleven

Signy

Jostein squints through the darkness. “I think I see lantern light up there. That’s probably them.”

He nudges his horse from a walk to a trot, letting me nestle more closely against his chest. The feel of his body behind mine, his thighs braced against my hips, sets off even more warmth than it did before our little interlude with Iko.

We returned to the patch of forest where we left his captain and my neighbors in the wee hours of the night and found a message in some kind of military code. Apparently it meant that they’d moved to a spot east of the town. We don’t know why that is or what exactly will be waiting for us there.

As we approach the woodlands up ahead, the first glow of sunlight hazes the sky. I make out a few tents between the trees and then a couple of soldiers in the burgundy Veldunian uniforms standing guard in the shadows.

Iko must recognize them, because he lifts his hand in awave. One of the soldiers returns the gesture and ducks farther into the forest.

By the time we’ve reached the trees and dismounted, Captain Amalia is striding over to join us. She looks us up and down with a bemused smile, her eyes bright.

“You really pulled it off,” she says. “You’re late, though. Was that you all the way over at the fort by Idam too?”

I shrug. “I thought we’d better make our point as well as possible.”

“You did that.” She glances over her shoulder toward the camp. “We relocated most of your neighbors to a few nearby settlements, but several dozen of them insisted on staying with us at least until we found out how your mission went. We’ve been gathering proper weapons for them… and speaking to other squadrons. I have people here eager to ride back to their captains and let them know when we’re ready to mobilize.”

My pulse hiccups at the thought of how much progress we’ve already made—how many people we’ve brought over to our side.

Jostein dips his head, his expression even more serious than usual. “We had help at the fort. A few of the locals went on to rally people in Vadan and Childeric. I told them to wait until they had our military backing them up before launching any new assaults, but I don’t know how long they’ll keep that in mind.”

The captain nods. “We’ll see about sending at least a squad to both towns to summon whoever’s willing to join us—and continue spreading the word beyond there. We’ll want to keep the main thrust of our force together. Picking at the empire bit by bit is fine for a start. It won’t drive them out completely.”

My gut twists at her implications, but the twinge of queasiness can’t diminish my exhilaration. “Then the army’son board? You’re going to help us push the Darium forces right out of Velduny?”

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