Page 150 of The King has Fallen

Turo glared. The others looked at me nervously. All of them hesitated before passing close to me. But they didn’t question her orders, and within a minute, they had Gault draped over their shoulders and they were walking him into the deepest of the shadows at the back of the tent.

I didn’t miss that Turo shot a look at Yilan before they entered the dimness. But he said nothing. And a moment later they all disappeared into that shadow as if it were fog.

I took a deep breath and turned to Yilan, who was watching that same place with a frown on her face.

“Are they gone?”

She nodded, but didn’t look away.

“Yilan,” I said firmly. She blinked and turned to look at me. “Are they out of earshot?”

“Yes.”

“You said they were earlier, also—yet here they are.”

“We have… ways to reach. It’s not as easy or as quick as just being close enough to hear, but I reached for them the moment Gault arrived in the tent. It just took time for them to arrive.”

My jaw dropped. “You said you couldn’t sing because they were too far away to hear!”

“They were—but I reached out in the ways I could. I just wasn’t sure they’d hear me. Besides, I wasn’t singing in front of that bastard. No way. That’s… that’s between us,” she said, her eyes dropping and her body squirming uncomfortably.

I clawed a hand through my hair and just stared at her, overwhelmed with both admiration at her grit, and genuine unease.

“Yilan… are you lying to me?”

“No,” she said emphatically, meeting my eyes without flinching.

“These men—you said Turo was the General of your people. Yet he’s following your orders? And the others as well?”

She raised her eyebrows. “I know in your society women are nothing but chattels. But in ours it is… different,” she said through her teeth.

I opened my mouth to reassure her, but she wasn’t finished.

“I am the best shadow walker of our people. I had the best chance of infiltrating. The others worried for my safety because obviously I’m not as strong in a fight. But I wouldn’t let someone else take a greater risk toattemptwhat I knew I couldachieve. Iam the best equipped, and so I am commander of this mission. You know how critical orders are in this kind of operation. When one Fetch is leader, all others follow, regardless of rank.”

I stared at her. “Even the King?”

“A King, a Queen, a General—anyone,”she said pointedly.

My head was spinning. “How many Fetch are here?” I asked.

Her expression went uneasy. “A dozen,” she said finally.

“What?!”

“They aren’t allhere,”she said waving her arms at the tent. “But in or around this camp. Watching and… studying. They take turns visiting the camp and listening. At any given moment there would be three or four within the tents, though not always close to yours. Your tent is well positioned, the rock behind keeps us from approaching on two sides—”

“I know,” I growled. “That’s why I chose the position. But Yilan… How long have you all been here?”

She squirmed. “Since you reached the swamplands,” she said. “But those details are unimportant now. We need to—”

“Yilan, I don’t wish to fight with you when we’ll soon be separated… but if this is what you call honesty, if this is honor in your people—”

“Don’t youdarejudge me,” she hissed. “I walked into this place ruled by men withnohonor, and even less self-restraint. I did as I said I would and I helped you. But I would not give up my own people for Gault’s trust. No. Never.”

I stared at her. “Very few things worth dying for…” I muttered.

She nodded. “But not none.”

---