Page 101 of Prisoner of Darkness and Dreams
My already unsettled stomach lurches, because I have a strong sense that the Grand Bearer isn’t just talking about ingredients. Worse than that, he named the northwilds—a place where I have been not too long ago. The very area where I’ve hidden my sister and her solari son.
Chapter 32
Leon
“But I don’t understand—what does Harman want with me?” I ask Alastor as he escorts me down to the Hand’s hidden caves at the edge of Tread.
“He’s being annoyingly elusive about it,” Alastor says. “It’s infuriating how he plays everything so close to the chest. It took a solid week of me flirting before I could really tell if he liked me or not.”
I sense Alastor glancing sideways at me, clearly looking to gauge my reaction to his comment.
“And how long ago was that, exactly?” I ask, keeping my voice even.
“Your trip to Hallowbane,” he says, staring straight ahead. “It’s your fault. You’re the one who said I should stick to him and find out everything I could, and you know I have a weakness for mysterious brunettes.”
You and me both, I think to myself, then shake my head.
“All that time I had you watching him, and you could’ve just seduced his secrets out of him. Pretty lazy sleuthing on your part, Alastor.”
Alastor claps his hand to his chest in mock shock. “Is that a joke I hear? So you’re not going to reprimand me for fraternizing with the enemy?”
“Is that why you didn’t mention this to me before?” I ask. I thought my friend was just being unusually coy, but now I realize he was worried about my reaction.
“Come on, captain,” Alastor gives me a reproachful look. “You and Harm haven’t exactly been friends this whole time. Or do I need to remind you of the black eye you gave him?”
“That was under extenuating circumstances,” I grumble. “And I respect Harman for accepting his part in Ana’s capture. He’s a good leader and…”
“And?” Alastor asks. “There must be a third nice thing you can think to say about him.”
“Don’t push it,” I growl. “But alright…I suppose I can see why you like him.”
It feels like pulling teeth, admitting it, but the smile on Alastor’s face is worth it.
I won’t give him any lectures about being careful with his heart or ask him to think about where this could possibly go. I didn’t listen when people tried to say the same about Ana and me, and now we’re bound for life, and I could not care less what everyone’s concerns might be about our future. I don’t need to know what the future holds, not now I’m certain Ana is in it.
Harman is accepting a pile of papers from a rebel messenger when we enter the cave, and he beckons us over.
“What’s all this?” Alastor asks, making no attempt to hide his curiosity.
“Reports from our network,” Harman explains.
“Exactly how many spies do youhave?” I say, gesturing at the impressive pile.
“That would be telling,” Harman says with a smile. “But we have people sympathetic to the cause from all walks of life, in all sorts of places.”
“See what I mean?” Alastor says to me. “Aggravatingly vague.”
Harman only laughs and pushes the papers to one side, gesturing for us to sit down.
“I brought you here because there’s something I want to ask you, Leonidas.” He mostly stopped calling me Your Highness after I punched him. I prefer it this way anyway.
“Alright,” I say.
“You see, ever since you first came to Tread, I’ve been thinking about the murder of your parents.”
Now this, I wasn’t expecting.
“I know it’s been quite a barrier for you,” he continues, “making it difficult to trust the Hand. By now, I hope you no longer believe that anyone currently in leadership had any part to play in their deaths.”
