Page 37 of Sword of Desire
“Too long to count,” he replied before taking the bread and lumbering away.
“At least this is better than being on a ship for a couple weeks,” she said.
“I’ve never been on a ship before,” another soldier replied.
On and on the questions went. Not once did anyone answer in a way indicative of being with Owen.
After an hour of questions, it became abundantly clear these were not those men. So now she needed to discover where those soldiers had gone and what Lyle had done with their loved ones.
Frustrated, Harley went back inside. She wanted to head up to her room and light the candle telling Rikter she had a message for him. He needed to know about the information she’d discovered in Lyle’s room the other day. In all the chaos of having to warn Ackley of the men coming after him and the man who’d died in his place, she’d forgotten to relay the information.
She strolled along the corridor, about to pass the library, when she remembered the books on poisons. Tonight would be the perfect night to spend reading. She entered the library and went over to the section where she’d located the books. Fourth section, fifth row. She stood there staring at an empty shelf. The books were gone. Glancing around the room, she looked to see if they were on one of the tables. She didn’t see them anywhere. Not able to fathom why Lyle would need books about poisons, she perused the library, thinking of possibilities.
Stopping before the romance section, she remembered she’d hidden one of the books there so Lyle wouldn’t see what she’d been holding. She rushed to that shelf and quickly located the bookPlants, Leaves, and Trees: Various Uses.Excitement coursed through her as she pulled the book off the shelf. This might be her only chance to discover what those roots and leaves were that Ledger had in his bag. She just had to make it up to her room without running into Lyle.
Ackley
Rema’s eyes bore into Ackley. “Hostiles are approaching. I suggest you leave. Audek, Brodek, you will remain with me.”
Ackley withdrew his sword. A collectivewhooshresounded in the room as every person sucked in their breath and leaned closer, about to subdue him. “Let me remain at your side,” he said to the empress, ignoring everyone else. “I’m not one to run away, and I don’t want to just leave you here.”
A smile slid over her face. “I’m hardly alone; and my men are more than capable of handling this situation.” She pulled her shawl tightly around her body before exiting the room, Savenek right behind her.
Ackley ran after them. “While I’m sure your men are capable, I’m still not leaving.”
“You’re not needed,” Savenek asserted.
Ackley kept pace with the empress and Savenek, their soldiers following behind them. “Where I come from, we protect and help our friends.” Ackley tilted his head to the side, stretching his neck. As they headed down the staircase, he pulled his mental armor on, preparing for battle.
On the first level, they entered the great room and headed to the front of the castle toward the open windows located there. Rema’s men moved around her, taking up position next to each of the windows and peering outside. The empress and her son remained safely behind the stone wall where doors would have been had this been a normal castle and not one surrounded by water.
“What’s the situation?” the empress demanded.
“I see about a dozen men hidden on shore,” someone answered. “No one is attempting to cross the lake yet.”
Gytha remained off to the side with Audek and Brodek.
“We’re deep in Emperion,” Ackley said, thinking out loud. “I can understand a raid near the border, or some sort of attack in the northern kingdoms you’d recently aligned with.” Something about this felt off. “But here? Being hidden so well, I’m having trouble figuring out who would attack you. Unless your kingdom is unstable, which I don’t think it is.”
Rema chuckled. “This isn’t a raiding party or an attack.”
“Then what is it?”
“A game,” Savenek answered.
Ackley glanced at Gytha who shrugged, apparently just as confused as he was.
“We’re running a training exercise of sorts,” Rema explained. “The men out there are trying to capture me. The men in here are trying to keep me safe. At sundown, whoever has me wins.”
“See, there’s your problem,” Gytha muttered. “All men. If you had women, it would be better.”
Rema raised a single eyebrow, somehow managing to look both beautiful and intimidating at the same time. With her striking presence, Ackley understood why she managed to command such a large kingdom despite being a female.
“Possibly,” Rema replied. “However, right now, these are some of my most skilled men. We’re practicing because I had a unit of elite soldiers mutilated and butchered by those Russek barbarians. My daughter was kidnapped by them as well. Neither of those events is acceptable. We are going to rectify these issues and ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
“So, you see, we don’t need some prince with a sword trying to help us,” Savenek said. “Be on your way and let us get to work.”
Ackley chuckled. “Are you speaking about me or you?” The two men stood there staring at one another. Something flashed in Savenek’s eyes, something dark. “Are you a prince or soldier?” Ackley asked. Maybe he’d misinterpreted and Savenek wasn’t Rema’s son.
