A Soul for Trouble (16 page)

“Shut up, Loku.”

Prince Kell stood over them all with a royal frown on his face. “This is disgraceful behavior for members of the royal guard, especially when we’ve experienced such gracious hospitality from our host. Is this how we return it? By engaging in a bar fight under his roof?”

“He started it, Your Highness,” one of the soldiers started to explain.

“He threatened my apprentice,” Dev countered.

“I did no such thing. I merely—”

“Enough.” One word ended the conversation, and his men stared at the floor. “Can’t you see you’ve frightened the young lady?”

A nearby cough told her not all of his men agreed that she was a young lady. Nor would she give him the satisfaction of letting him know the fight frightened her. She grew up in an inn, after all. Instead, she wiped the dirt off her palms and stood.

Kell held her gaze and waited for her to say something. When she didn’t, he asked, “Are you unharmed?”

“Aw, he’s such a gentleman. Next thing you know, he’ll be offering to cover mud puddles
in your path with his cloak.”

“I seriously doubt that.”
To give Kell some credit, he played the part of a gentleman well.

Of course, she scarcely believed his concern was genuine. “I was fine until two of your men grabbed me and insulted me.”

He turned to the two soldiers who’d accosted her and glared at them. “I’ll make sure that won’t happen again.”

A grunt from Dev reminded her he still had a blade on his face. “Could you be so kind as to order your men to release my protector, Your Highness? He was just performing his duty.” The corners of his mouth twitched. Kell must’ve gotten some kind of sick pleasure from seeing Dev eating dust. If she wasn’t fearful for her life, she might have joined him in his amusement. “Only if he agrees not to cause any more trouble tonight.”

“If your men behave, I trust he will.”

With a nod, Kell consented to her demands. The soldiers backed away from Dev, throwing a slight shove as they did so.

Her protector stood and moved between her and the prince. The rigid set of his shoulders matched the way his fingers curled into fists. “Where were they planning on taking her?”

“Since she’s the only lady in our company, I thought it only appropriate that she have a private room. I’d asked my men to escort her there.”

“Oh, a private room. You lucky girl.”
Loku’s sarcasm made the muscles in her neck twitch.
“Now, the next question should be if you’ll be alone there.”

“Escort?” Dev’s half laugh pierced the space between the three of them. “Is that what you Ranellians call it?”

“Perhaps my men were a little rougher than I intended, but in their defense, they are soldiers and unfortunately only know one way to handle prisoners.” Dev’s knuckles crackled, and his lips pressed into a thin line.

Before he could launch another string of insults at the prince, she intervened. “I appreciate your concern for my comfort and reputation, Your Highness, but I’ll be quite fine spending the night here.”

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that.”

“Then I’m coming with her.” Dev closed the gap between them so she smelled his scent of leather and spice.

She took a deep breath and savored his familiarity.
“Mmm, I wouldn’t mind that.”

“Of course you wouldn’t. You’d love to share your bed with Dev, you naughty girl. Maybe
I don’t need to visit you in your dreams tonight, eh?”
Blood gathered in her cheeks.
“I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant it would be nice
having him nearby so he’d, um, stay out of trouble.”

“Liar.”

“I’m afraid the space reserved for her isn’t very large. You should be quite comfortable down here, provided you don’t start any more fights with my men.”

“And what guarantee do I have that they won’t start anything with me?” Arden rolled her eyes. Would these two ever learn to let things rest? “I’ll agree to go peacefully under three conditions.”

“Which are?” The evident amusement on the prince’s face irked her. It felt like he was indulging some headstrong child.

“One: Dev will be alive and well in the morning when I come back.” One dark brow rose. “Fine. If he causes trouble, though, my men have every right to defend themselves short of killing him.”

Damn, she didn’t expect him to be good at negotiating.

“And you’re some kind of expert in this field?”

“Two: I get to take Cinder with me.”

“He’s a wild beast, more fit to spend the night outside the keep than inside a room.”

“If you deprive me of one protector, I demand another.” Kell approached her. “You don’t trust me?”

Her heart skipped a beat. The way his dark eyes studied her face as they were searching for her secrets made her tongue feel thick and clumsy. “Not completely, Your Highness. The whole kingdom knows of your reputation, which brings me to my third condition. I refuse to stay the night in this private room if you’re in it.”

A snicker broke loose from the crowd behind Kell. The sly grin fell from his face. A little thrill rushed through her.
Take that, Your Highness
.

“I wonder if any woman has ever refused him before?”

“I don’t care. I’m not as easy as the women at court appear to be.”

“But aren’t you curious to see if he’s as talented as the rumors say he is?”
A flush spread through her whole body.
“Don’t be ridiculous. What interest would he
have in a common-born witch like me?”

“Your body betrays you. Admit it, my Soulbearer, you have a wanton woman buried deep
inside you wanting to break free, and you don’t seem to care if it’s Dev or Kell who satisfies
that need.”

Anger throbbed deep inside her. She lowered her eyes, afraid Kell would see the flashing of the halo while she told Loku exactly what he could do with his crude accusations.

A forced laugh broke the silence. “You don’t have to worry about that, Arden, and as long as your wolf doesn’t tear holes in the cushions, he’s welcome to stay there, too.” He crossed his arms. “Satisfied?”

“I suppose so.”

“I’m not.” Dev blocked her from following the prince. “I need to know where she is in case we’re attacked or the keep burns down. Her safety is my only priority.”

“As was getting her to Gravaria, if I remember correctly. I promise that I’ll personally see to her safety if those things occur.”

Dev’s eyes narrowed.

“The prince is smarter than we gave him credit for. It seems he knows exactly what Dev
was planning to do.”

“I don’t care at this moment. I just want to go to sleep. I’m still exhausted from healing
Dev this morning.”
“Dev, I’m not completely helpless.” She placed her hand on his shoulder and let the heat from her fire magic penetrate his skin.

His winced from the sting of it but nodded his head in agreement. “True, and you’ll have Cinder with you.”

“Exactly. Rest tonight. Tomorrow starts fresh.”

“Good.” The smile that reappeared on Kell’s face seemed less forced this time. “Now that we’ve resolved this situation, I agree that we could all benefit from a good night’s sleep.

Arden, please allow Lord Pryan’s steward to show you to your room.” She followed the dour-faced man out of the great hall, casting one more glance at Dev before she passed through the doorway.
Please don’t let this be some kind of mistake.

“There’s only one way to find out,”
Loku answered.

They climbed the wooden stairs to a narrow hallway. The sprigs of dried lavender hanging from the rafters did little to conceal the dank odor that clung to the stone walls. She doubted the noblemen would be sleeping in this part of the keep tonight.

“In here,” the steward ordered.

The room was hardly more than a closet, but the same silk cushions from the night before waited for her on the floor. A lit candle flickered on the small stand with a pitcher of water and basin. A sigh of delight escaped her when she spotted the cake of soap sitting near it. Now she could scrub away the mud that matted her hair and darkened her fingernails.

“I’ll fetch you in the morning.” The door slammed shut, followed by the click of the lock.

Panic rose into her throat from the thought of being trapped in this room, but she swallowed it down.
I’m still a prisoner, after all. And being treated very well for one, I
suppose.

“If you had agreed to warm the prince’s bed, I bet you’d be on your way to Boznac in the
morning.”

“I’m not going to stoop to that level.”
She poured the icy water into the basin and reached for the soap.

Chapter 18

Kell sat at the head table and surveyed the great hall. The soldiers’ plates rattled above the din of their voices, but his attention focused on one person in particular. The Gravarian knight sat alone in his corner, his gaze fixed on the main doors while he ate his breakfast of bread and cheese.

He’d taken a gamble last night by accusing Dev of plotting to escape, but the way the elf scouted the keep when they arrived roused his suspicions. Luckily, he’d been right.

Arden entered the great hall behind Pryan’s steward. The morning sunlight fell on her hair as she passed under a window, making it flash like polished gold. Porcelain skin that had been hidden under layers of dirt now glowed from a fresh washing. She stood out like a rare bloom.

One he would’ve wanted to possess if he didn’t know how dangerous she could be.

“See something you like?” Bynn teased.

“Possibly.”

“You’re playing with fire, Kell. She made it quite clear last night she’s on to your games.” The sting of her refusal resurfaced. Years had passed since a woman had denied him, and no one had ever done it like that in front of a crowd. Despite that, she still intrigued him.

“What if I want to play a new game?”

“What are you suggesting?”

“First, I need to earn her trust.”

“Then what?”

“Then we’ll see what happens.” He nibbled on a piece of bacon and grinned. The order of his plans varied with his moods, but they all involved convincing her to stay in Ranello long enough to help him defeat Sulaino.

The steward led her to the head table. She stood in front of him with a mixture of curiosity and resentment in her face. “Good morning, Your Highness.”

“Good morning, Arden. Please join us.”

Her deep blue eyes flickered to her protector. “If you please—”

“That was an order, not a request.”

For a second, he wondered if his imagination played a trick on him. The pale green halo in her eyes flashed, and her upper lip curled slightly. By the time he blinked, however, a smooth mask of composure had settled over her features. She sank into a chair, her gaze never leaving him.

Sweat prickled his skin. He’d never had a woman’s unwavering attention fixed on him like that; or at least, not with his knowledge. What was worse, he wasn’t sure if his attraction toward her or his fear of her power added to his unease. The weight of Dev’s glare only added to it. He was a prince, damn it. He should be used to being the center of attention.

He pushed the discomfort to the back of his mind and flashed his most charming grin.

“What would you like to eat?”

She surveyed the offerings on the table, then looked behind her. “I’ll have what Dev’s having.”

“You wouldn’t like a bit of bacon or perhaps a bit of preserved fruit to put on your toast?” He imagined licking the remnants of the sweet berry preserves off her lips, and his hunger grew. But not necessarily for breakfast.

The pink color in her cheeks deepened. “I’m not on the menu, Your Highness, so you can quit looking at me like that.”

Bynn almost choked on his food from laughter, and embarrassment killed any desire Kell felt for her at that moment. “I could have your head for speaking to me like that.” She shrugged, reaching for a piece of bread. “Beheading is more merciful than being burnt at the stake.”

“And you think by antagonizing me, I’ll be more merciful?”

“I’m not purposely trying to antagonize you, Your Highness. I’m just treating you like I would anyone else. We aren’t exactly schooled in how to address members of the royal family where I come from.”

He leaned forward. “And where is that?”

“Wallus.” She folded her bread around a slice of cheese. He had to wait until she finished chewing her bite before she continued. “It’s a small village in the southwest corner of the kingdom. You’ve probably never heard of it.”

“And who’s your blood there?”

The bread and cheese slipped from her fingers.

Bynn exchanged a knowing look with him. No wonder she clung to Dev like she did. He was the only one who would claim her. “Why were you cast aside?” The rosy flush deepened into red anger. “Who says I was cast aside? Did it ever occur to you that I left home because my blood mistreated me?”

“Your father mistreated you?”

She threw the remains of her meal on the table and rose from her chair. “I don’t like the way this conversation is heading.”

Although she kept her voice low, her actions attracted attention from those around him. He gestured for her to sit. “If I promise not to ask any more about your father, will that convince you to finish your meal without making a spectacle of yourself?” She slumped down into her seat and reached for a piece of bacon.

He waited a few seconds for her to calm down before asking, “How did you meet Dev?”

“He came into the inn where I worked and saved my life when the necromancer attacked it.”

Two pearls of information from her response. First, that Sulaino had spread the reach of his attacks further south that he’d realized. Second, that Dev found her in Ranello. It almost made his story of being her protector a bit unbelievable now. “How did he go from saving your life to becoming your protector?”