Page 27 of To Sway a Bard
“Someone is here to see you,” one of the female guards called, interrupting Zula’s thoughts. Sheclimbed down the ladder, oranges in both hands. The grove was full of women working, most of them singing as they harvested the oranges.
A knot of dread sat in the pit of her belly. “Who is it?” she asked, thoughts drifting to one of the thieves, or perhaps the witch.
Another reason she hadn’t attempted escape was because she was concerned about who’d find her, and what that might mean for her life.
“You’ll have to come see,” the guard said, not unkindly.
Zula followed her back to the tower. On the round balcony that overlooked the orchards, a man leaned against the railing, watching the workers. Zula drew in a sharp breath when she saw that it was Neo. He wore dark blue, which highlighted the redness of his hair, all brushed back from his forehead, neatly trimmed. As usual, he stood casually, hands in pockets, his easy stance welcoming, belying the fact that he carried the power and authority of both sheriff and prince.
He turned when she entered and the guard beat a hasty retreat, leaving them alone. A smile pulled atthe corner of his wide mouth. “You’re still here. I thought you would have escaped by now.”
Zula self-consciously tucked a curl behind her ear. A leaf fell out of her hair and she noticed dirt on her palms. Nothing unusual, but in Neo’s presence, she wanted to look her best. “There’s nowhere to go. I figured here would be the safest place for me.”
She didn’t ask about her father, although she wanted to.
“I’m impressed,” Neo said. “I have a proposition for you.”
She shifted from foot to foot. “What if my answer is no?”
He paused, his gaze moving to the orchards. “Is your answer no? You might as well tell me and save me the time. I didn’t expect you to so easily trade the life of a thief to work in the orange orchards.”
A smile tugged at the corner of Zula’s mouth, and she relaxed. Out here, away from the palace, it was easier to think of him as just Neo. Not a prince. Not a sheriff. Just an oddly attractive man she found herself bemused by. “Working in an orchard has many perks—dirt under the fingernails,the constant inch from being tickled by leaves, the scent of orange that always lingers. Not to mention the peacocks that roam the islands. Did you know they get incredibly upset if anyone goes near their nests? For such a pretty bird, they are vicious.”
Neo laughed, and something in his gaze shifted. Taking his hands out of his pockets, he closed the distance between them and picked yet another leaf out of her hair. “I rather like the scent of orange that lingers, and I understand the peacocks. They are vicious when intruders cross into their territory. I’d be too.”
Zula took a shuddering breath and forced herself to hold his gaze. “I hoped you’d return, and so I stayed. I know it’s not much, but I hope you’ll give me another opportunity to earn your trust.”
“Words I thought I’d never hear from the legendary Blue-Feathered Bard. Do you still have your ukulele?”
“I do. They never took it from me. I’ve wondered why.”
Neo’s face turned red. “It was a test to see if you’dwalk out of this prison and set yourself free. You passed.”
“Is that why you came for me?” Zula quipped, suddenly aware of how close he stood and how much he towered over her.
“I thought you might want to see your father, and we have a witch to defeat.”
“Where? What happened?”
“Nothing yet, but I have a plan.”
He winked, green eyes creasing as his entire face lit up with a mischievous smile. Zula’s heart tumbled and suddenly the heat of the day got to her, her breath coming short.
Neo stepped back and scratched the back of his neck. Rather violently, he put his hands in his pockets again and glanced at the sky.
“We should be going.”
Zula nodded, unable to keep the delight from sizzling up her spine.
The guard escorted her to gather her belongings, which was really just the ukulele. There was no oneelse to say goodbye to, and when she stepped outside of the tower, Neo was waiting for her in a rowboat.
It rocked as she sat down across from him and placed the ukulele on her lap, suddenly tongue-tied.
Neo didn’t seem to mind as he rowed them back to shore, past the croaking frogs, the white-and-orange koi fish, and the cloud-white lilies floating in the water. Fish jumped out, snatching at their prey, the tiny bugs that hovered over the surface, and on the far bank a group of ducks dived for food.
It was peaceful. Lovely. Almost a sort of paradise, except for the tower on the island of oranges. Zula still couldn’t figure out if it was a women’s prison or a nunnery. She didn’t think she wanted to know.
When they reached the shore, a carriage was waiting for them, complete with four horses and a driver.
