Page 62 of Winter's Fate

If her lighthearted response affected him, he didn’t show it. “But whyyou? She is surrounded by councilors and courtiers and regents?—”

“One regent,” Laena corrected, but Callum kept going as if he hadn’t heard.

“—and yet she insisted it be you. That you abandon the life you’ve made for yourself, that you leave your village and face insult and disdain at every turn.”

“Not every turn,” she murmured. But he just shook his head.

And what kind of a life had it been, truly? Her only friend was a lizard, for goodness’ sake. She’d gone so long without admitting how much that hurt that she certainly couldn’t do it now. And there had been reasons for Katrina’s request. Reasons she’d at first rejected, true, but reasons nonetheless.

Perhaps he was embarrassed by yesterday’s forwardness. Only… only, he’d stayed with her. He’d brought breakfast. And he did not seem the kind of man to be embarrassed by a kiss. Especially one he’d returned, if briefly.

“Are you sure,” he said, “that Katrina does not know of your magic?”

The magic. That was what this was about? She thought he had accepted it, that he trusted her. Laena glanced behind her, hoping the nearest riders were yet too distant to hear their conversation. “She couldn’t possibly know. I’m here to help Etra.”

“I know why you want to be here, my lady. What I cannot discern is why your sister would send you, specifically.”

Laena straightened. If he kept repeating that, she was going to find a way to kick him in the shins. As soon as she wasn’t seated on the back of a horse. “I’m a skilled negotiator, Captain Farrow. I still hold a title equal to meeting with a king, and I have spent much of my life studying the intricacies of court life.”

If nothing else, it was odd that Katrina would admit this. Declan might have convinced her of it.

“No doubt,” he replied. “But the queen has other well-trained negotiators at her disposal, does she not?”

Laena shook her head. “Katrina believes Silerith is stirring. For all her faults, my sister does care about Etra. Perhaps she merely sent the person she knew would care as much as she does. I trust her to do what’s right.”

“Hawk claims Silerith isn’t stirring at all,” he said. “Hawk claims that the Ruthless King keeps to himself, as he ever has.”

“Perhaps Hawk is wrong.” Or perhaps he had reason to keep them from seeing what was happening in Silerith. She thought of the strange resonance she’d felt when the king touched her hand.

“Callum, when King Hawk shook my hand, I felt…” He looked at her expectantly, and she swallowed. “It felt as if he might have been using magic. Like…” She lowered her voice, glancing around. No one was riding close enough to hear, or so she hoped. “… like mine recognized his somehow. The way it did the crystal.”

Callum snapped his head toward her, eyes glittering. “You think Hawk is working a heart-tithe?”

She hesitated. “It didn’t have the signature?—”

“Exactly. Magic is forbidden in Aglye.” He said it like a warning, and she sucked in a breath, suddenly frightened. He would not use his knowledge of her power against her. Surely he would not.

What had the king said to him, to put him in such a humor? What did he know that he was keeping from her?

Before she could say anything more, he dipped his head. “Excuse me, my lady. I need to check in with my men.”

And with that, he rode off and left her alone.

Laena couldn’t helpbut be impressed by the efficiency of the King’s Guard as they erected their camp for the night. In traveling with the bandits, they’d had no shelter to assemble; now they had a field full of tents. Some had peaked roofs that she suspected would provide ample space for the king’s bed, while others looked as if they would barely fit two men.

Callum was nowhere in sight. And it was just as well—she had no wish to renew their earlier conversation.

It was Edmun who came forward to help her from her horse. She might have managed it herself, though she wasn’t certain she could trust her legs to hold her after the long ride. Another day ahead, and another after that. She would sleep well tonight.

Or she would lay awake replaying the conversation with Callum and wondering what she had done to offend him so.

“Never mind the captain, Princess,” he said. “He’s out of sorts more often than not.”

Not with me, she thought.

“He’ll apologize before the morning,” Edmun added. “Take my word on that.”

“If he tries, I may slap him for his trouble.”

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