Page 89 of Royal Rebel

Imara’s pulse thrummed in reaction to that casual smile. “In the meantime, will you be pursuing the olcain mystery from here?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure what new answers could be found. I already investigated things once.”

“Tell me what you learned before—it might help to say things out loud.”

“All right. If you’re sure you don’t mind.” When she nodded, Desfan straightened, his arms dropping as he resettled in his chair. “The olcain was being stored in warehouses belonging to Fang, a criminal who operates purely in Duvan. He hasn’t been seen in the city since he tried to ransom me and Karim.”

A laugh caught in her throat. “That sounds like a story.”

Desfan grinned. “Oh, it is. Captain Zadir rescued us, actually—it’s how we met.”

“I want to hear this whole story sometime, but we should probably stick to the olcain for now.”

He nodded his agreement. “Let’s see . . . the olcain was brought in on ships owned by Rahim Nassar.”

That name snagged Imara’s attention. “The merchant?”

Surprise sparked in Desfan’s eyes. “You know him?”

“I knowofhim. He created quite a stir whenever he visited Zennor. Some claim he’s the most handsome man in Eyrinthia—definitely the most handsome Mortisian.”

Desfan arched a dark brow. “That’s new information, though I’m not sure how it’s relevant.”

All right, she was teasing Desfan. But only a little. Those rumors were quite detailed. “Rahim Nassar made quite a few strong connections among the nobility, and he was a favorite to have at parties. He rarely ventured closer to the capital than the midlands, so I never met him, but he was a successful, well-known merchant.”

“He was in Zennor a lot, then?”

“Frequently.” She suddenly brightened. “If you arrest him, can I be part of his interrogation? I’d love to see if the rumors are true.”

Desfan rolled his eyes. “I don’t know how I’ll arrest him. I can’t even gain a meeting with him. The men at his warehouse tell me Nassar has been in Zennor.”

“A shame.”

Desfan seemed lost in thought. “If Rahim Nassar frequented Zennor, that’s how he could have met Sahvi. They may have created a partnership, and Nassar extended his smuggling business to include transporting olcain.”

“He’s a smuggler, too? Fates, he’s getting more dashing all the time.”

Desfan snorted, but made no actual comment. “I’ll continue to pursue this. Thank you for talking me through things.”

“Of course. What else am I going to do?” She paused. “Oh. I should mention, you’re hosting a party.”

His head cocked. “I am?”

“Yes. A very important one. But don’t worry, I’ll plan everything. I just need your permission to use the royal beach and make use of some of your servants.”

“My staff is yours, as is the beach.” He glanced at her covered leg. “Are you able to—?”

“Oh, the party isn’t for me, so there are no worries on that front.” She would miss seeing the children’s fun, but the party wasn’t for her sake.

“I’m intrigued,” Desfan said. “Who is this party for?”

Imara smiled. “Your smallest subjects.”

Imara was just drifting to sleep when the bedroom door brushed open. The sound was slight, but she still caught it. Frowning, she blinked into the darkness. The curtains were drawn, muffling the moonlight, but she managed to pick out the dark shadow at the foot of her bed.

“Hanna?” she asked, her voice heavy with sleep.

The shadow rounded the bed, and Imara’s heart beat faster when she realized it wasn’t Hanna. The shadow was far too large. It belonged to a man.

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