Page 43 of Sword of Rage
A ghost of a smile slid across his face and then disappeared.
“Why is my cousin really sending you?” she asked. “And why does he want me to go?” There had to be another reason. Maybe there was someone in Penlar Owen wanted assassinated, assuming Penlar was still standing. However, that didn’t account for her part in this.
“If your parents are dead, Owen wants to make sure they’re buried properly. He figured you wouldn’t want an audience as you said your goodbyes, and he trusts me to keep you safe.”
Safe with an assassin? She almost laughed out loud. Folding her arms across her chest, she started pacing, trying to decide if she was strong enough to return to Penlar. “Would we only be going to my parents’ manor?” She didn’t look at Ackley as she asked the question.
“Where else would we go?” His voice turned lower, softer, making her shiver. “To the house you shared with Lyle?”
Her body tensed just hearing Lyle’s name. She glanced at Ackley, carefully watching her. He took a step closer, his penetrating eyes seeing more than she wanted him to. She froze, caught in his gaze. “Would we go there?” she whispered, not knowing if she could step foot in that house again. It had never been her home even though she’d lived there for a few months.
“It’ll just be the two of us.”
The air turned hot. The two of them. Alone. She rubbed her forehead. How would she travel with a prince and assassin she did not like or care for? And why did her stomach flip when he came near her? Why did her heart speed up? Her palms become sweaty? It had to be because he was an assassin; no other reason made sense.
Whenever Lyle had entered the room, dread and hatred coursed through her. She would have to calm her shaking body, pretending it was fright or desire and not anger.
“Well?” Ackley asked, raising a single eyebrow.
“If Owen wishes me to go, then I’ll go.”
“But do you wish to go?”
“No, I do not. But what choice do I have?”
“You always have a choice.”
She knew that. But all choices came with consequences. Early on in her marriage, she’d learned to pick her battles. Considering the conversation she’d just had with Idina about Russek, she decided to go along with Owen in this matter. If he wanted her to go to Penlar, she would. But when it came to seeking revenge against those responsible for killing her brother, she would stop at nothing to see that through. Maybe traveling with an assassin, alone, would be useful. He’d sided with her, not Idina, regarding Russek. If Owen believed as Idina did, Harley would have to take matters in her own hands. A lethal assassin could come in handy. She just wished he wasn’t so handsome; it would make being around him easier.
Peering up into his eyes, she said, “I’ll accompany you to my parents’ manor. But I will not step foot in Lyle’s house. Are we clear?”
“You should be this decisive all the time. It suits you.” With that, he turned and strode away, melting into the shadows of the forest.
* * *
Harley trekked along, bored from another day of walking. She hadn’t realized how much longer it would take to reach the castle traveling with so many soldiers.
Owen and Idina were up ahead of Harley, Owen explaining how the kingdom was divided into provinces and which family controlled each one. Not in the mood for a history lesson, Harley had fallen back. Glancing around, she didn’t see Ackley or Gytha nearby.
“Harley,” Ledger said as he came to walk beside her. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine.” It was good to have a kind, friendly face around.
“I want to offer my services to you.”
She had no idea what he was referring to.
“We’ll be passing Penlar soon.”
She was well aware of it and had been reliving her conversation with Ackley over and over again. There was more to it than Ackley was letting on, she was sure of it.
“I’ve heard from the scouts that not all cities are burned. If you want, I can escort you to Penlar to see? Perhaps your parents are alive?”
“Thank you for thinking of me. However, you don’t need to escort me there.”
“Don’t you want to know?”
“I do.”
