Page 42 of Destroyer

And then Simon was swinging through the open carriage window, somehow as elegant as an acrobat. He flopped into the seat across from Ru with a “hup,” all while the carriage continued to speed through the city.

“One minute!” called Sybeth.

“Absolute madman,” said the carriage driver, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Ru stared at her brother.

“Good morning,” he said, swiping the leather flask from her grasp and taking a long swig. “Oh, that’s hot.”

“That’s the point of coffee,” said Ru, handing him the cookie tin. “Since when do you swing into moving carriages like that? Why didn’t you just see me off at the palace?”

“I have a death wish.”

“Right. And where did you go last night? I was looking for you.”

He laughed, a forceful puff through the nose. “Didn’t look like you were, little sis. I saw you arm in arm with that ghoul Hugon, going toward your rooms.”

She knew what would come next. “He behaved like a perfect gentleman, Simon. I was tired and needed to sleep.”

“Lucky he was there, eh?” said Simon, managing to cover himself in cookie crumbs as he nibbled. “I trust you, dear sister, far more than I trust any lord at court, let alonethatone. And mind you, I’ve no real reason to distrust the fellow other than general dislike and a sort of slimy feeling in my stomach, but I will feel ever so validated when I do figure out what he's up to. Anyway, I do entreat you to take care when it comes to wandering hallways with strange men and so on.”

“There are no strange men for me to wander halls with at the Tower. There’s nowhere I’ll be safer.”

Simon’s eyes narrowed. “So you say.”

She pursed her lips. “I’ll befine. Is this the reason you leaped into my carriage like a mad acrobat? To remind me to keep myself intact? It’s a bit late for that.”

He made a disgusted face. “Ru, I hate it when you reference things of a…carnalnature. I only want to make sure you’re safe. At least promise not to explode again. I don’t know what Father would do.”

“I promise,” she said, leaning forward and wrapping her brother in a tight hug. He returned the hug briefly and then patted her back, indicating he was finished with this display of intimacy.

When she pulled away, though, he was smiling.

“Safe travels, sister,” he said, positioning himself halfway out of the carriage window. At her look of horror, he said, “Don’t worry! I’ve done this many times with ladies’ carriages, and almost always stick the landing.”

With that, he leaped onto the street as nimble as anything, and just managed to dodge Rosylla’s horse as she rode past. Lyr swore again, Simon laughed, and then he was gone, no longer visible through the small carriage window.

Ru leaned forward to peer after him, but he had already disappeared into the city’s morning crowds.

CHAPTER14

An hour or two past midday, Ru woke with a start. She didn’t remember falling asleep. She was crammed into an uncomfortable position in the carriage, one pillow under her head, and the rest had fallen onto the floor.

The carriage itself was no longer moving. The sudden stoppage must have woken her. Bleary-eyed, she sat up. Raised voices drifted in from outside, and she reached instinctively for the artifact. It was still there. Relief warmed her as she pulled it close, settling it in her lap.

She listened. The carriage windows were open, but she had pulled closed the curtains after they left the city, the rising sun blinding her. Sybeth’s voice was loudest, angry and forceful. There were other voices, men’s voices that she didn’t recognize. They must be the guards.

She was about to whip open the curtains to see what was going on when her instincts stopped her short. Something in the tenor of the voices was edged like steel; there was danger coming, or it had already arrived. Blood rushing in her ears, her heart shot through with sudden fear, she lifted the edge of the curtain just enough to peek out.

They had stopped in the middle of the road, the carriage angled slightly as if it had been about to pull off to one side before stopping abruptly. They were in a wooded copse, where the road cut through the forest. Everything was dappled in moving shadows, the sun glancing through trees.

An incomprehensible scene unfolded outside the carriage, at the edges of the wood.

Sybeth, Lyr, and three of the four King’s Guards had dismounted, their horses standing by and shaking their heads in agitation. The riders and guards were facing off against each other, swords inexplicably drawn, exchanging heated words. Sybeth's dark eyes flashed, and Lyr, usually taciturn, had become a honed weapon, ready to strike.

Ru couldn’t understand, couldn't hear the conversation clearly from inside the carriage. She only saw grim faces, the visible spit of angry words flying out from between gritted teeth. The scene was so nonsensical she almost thought she was seeing it wrong. Why would the riders and guards draw upon one another?

Only one of the King's Guards remained mounted, his sword still sheathed. And near him was Rosylla, looking both wary and stricken, also mounted. Her fingers, though, were curled firmly around the grip of her sword, arm tensed to draw. She said something to the others, but again, Ru could decipher no clear meaning.

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