Page 9 of Sword of Desire
While he hoped Harley killed Lyle and saved them a lot of trouble, he couldn’t depend on it. He had to have a backup plan—and this was it.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Gytha said as they continued along, “I’m glad I’m not going to have to sit around camp for a couple of weeks. Traveling—even with you—is preferable to that.”
Ackley chuckled. He always enjoyed spending time with Gytha. She amused him with her lack of filter and blunt way of speaking.
“I hate traveling over open land,” Gytha mumbled. “I feel so exposed.”
“Don’t worry, there’s a forest up ahead.” Which was why he chose this route.
As they crested the last hill before the forest, a lone rider sat atop a horse, a sword in hand. Gytha withdrew her sword and cursed. Ackley squinted, trying to see the person better. There was nothing remarkable about him—his shoulders were slightly hunched forward, his hair hung loose around his face, and his horse was on the smaller side. To Ackley, the man appeared to be a commoner. If it weren’t for the sword in hand, he wouldn’t be concerned. But one thing Ackley had learned through the years, anyone trying to look normal had to be anything but.
He slid his dagger from his sleeve. “Let me do the talking.”
“There’s going to be talking? I’d rather not waste our time with pleasantries.”
Ackley chuckled. That was when he noticed another man out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly, he realized they were surrounded.
Harley
Harley sat across from Lyle at the dining table. The last time she’d sat there, her uncle had been in that seat. No, not her uncle, her father. She still couldn’t get used to the idea that the father she’d grown up with wasn’t hers biologically. Rubbing her temples, she shoved the thought aside. She’d deal with that later. One of the benefits of being here in the castle was that she could investigate to see if it was true. Clearly, Lyle believed it. Deep in her heart, she knew it as well. But her brain still screamed that it was impossible. Perhaps it was wishful thinking on her part.
A servant entered, set plates in front of Lyle and Harley, and then left.
Harley glanced at her chicken and potatoes, her stomach growling. She didn’t think Lyle would poison the food since he needed her alive, so she took a bite.
Lyle sat there, staring at her, not touching his plate.
She set her fork down, the food feeling like bark in her throat as she swallowed it. “Is something the matter, dear?” she asked, trying to sound pleasant.
His eyes narrowed. “Nothing is the matter.” His right pointer finger tapped on the table as he stared at her. “I’m just trying to figure you out.”
“How so?” The words slipped from her mouth before she could think better of it. She prayed he didn’t suspect her of treachery.
A slow smile spread across his face. “I’m going to ask you a series of questions. You will answer them.”
She nodded, suddenly unable to speak. She feared he’d ask her if she was working for Ackley. If so, he’d kill her right there. Sliding her hands back on the table, she clutched her fork and knife, forcing herself to eat. At least the utensils would serve as weapons if Lyle came at her. Her hands started shaking. She was ill-prepared to deal with a man like him.
“Who did you travel with these past few weeks before joining me here?” He picked up his utensils and started eating, as if this were normal conversation.
“Owen and his soldiers.” She felt him staring at her. Peering up at him, his eyes had narrowed into slits. “But his soldiers left him and came to you.” It sounded more like a question than an answer. She didn’t want to say anything about Ackley, Idina, or the Marsden soldiers unless she had to.
Lyle took a bite of his chicken, his jaw moving as he chewed, staring at her. He swallowed. “Did you overhear anything about my father?”
She dropped her fork. Quickly picking it back up, she stabbed a potato, shoving it in her mouth. She kept her gaze on her plate. Lyle couldn’t know that Ackley killed his father. “I…uh…did hear something.” Ackley had once told her when lying, the best lie stemmed from truth.
“What, exactly, did you hear?” He set his fork down, reaching for his goblet.
“Owen mentioned Commander Beck died in Marsden.” She chose her words carefully, not divulging that Beck tried killing Owen, and Ackley had killed him as a result, branding the commander a traitor to Melenia. She was curious to hear what, if anything, Lyle knew about the situation. Ledger had asked about Beck’s death, demanding to know who murdered him. Just before Lyle killed Ledger, Ledger had been about to reveal that Ackley ran him through with a sword.
He set his goblet down. “Not everything went according to plan.” He looked across the long table at her. “My father wasn’t supposed to die. Neither was your brother.”
It felt as if he’d punched her. Her hands moved to her lap, her fingers curling inward, making two fists. Her eyes filled with tears. “So only my uncle, aunt, and cousins were supposed to die?” she ground out. As if sparing Hollis would have made everything better.
“Coden wasn’t your uncle, he was your father.”
She closed her eyes. Hearing it from Lyle caused an unsettling feeling to wash over her. She still didn’t understand the circumstances surrounding her conception. Not when the king was married to her mother’s sister. Harley’s last encounter with her mother came to mind. Her mother had said there were things she didn’t know. She’d been trying to tell Harley something. She rubbed her forehead, a headache forming.
Lyle stood, pulling his sleeves down. “I have duties to attend to.”
