A Soul for Vengeance (23 page)

The soldier wasted no time ducking out of the room.

Bynn tried to crack a smile as he ran his finger along his collar. “Well done, Kell. For a moment there, I could’ve sworn I saw your father berating Fermo.”

“Are you planning on marrying Zara to Fermo?” He tried to count how many beats of his heart passed while he waited for the answer, but he couldn’t keep up with the rapid pulse.

“Possibly.”

“Are you mad?” Kell grabbed his chair and turned it around so it held him back from throttling his best friend. “She deserves better than him.”

“He’s a duke.” Bynn edged his chair back, adding some space between them. His jaw, however, retained its stubborn angle. “Besides, there are issues involved you know nothing about.”

“Such as?” If he was going to lose Zara to the likes of Fermo, there had better be a damn good reason for it.

Bynn opened his mouth, then shut it. “Out of respect for my sister, I will not reveal those reasons. But believe me when I say that I have the best intentions for everyone when I proposed this marriage between them.”

“And why do I find that so hard to believe?” Kell rose from the chair, his gut wrenching at the thought of Zara as the Duchess of Fermo. “It’s quite obvious they both despise each other.”

“Perhaps,” Bynn said with a shrug. “But Fermo wants a wife whose bloodlines will enhance his own, and I need someone I can trust to keep an eye on him.”

“So you’ll sacrifice your sister for that reason?”

“Why are you so concerned about Zara?”

Inside, he wanted to announce his claim on her. He wanted to tell Bynn about all the nights she’d spent in his arms, of the way her kisses made his heart yearn for more, of the way the empty place in his bed mocked him every morning when he awoke to find her gone. But he remembered his promise to keep their relationship a secret for now. “I just want what’s best for her.”

Bynn jumped to his feet, not at all intimidated by Kell’s title. He stopped inches away from his face. “Don’t pretend you know anything about what’s best for my sister. I’m her blood, not you.”

“And I’m her king.” He stepped back toward the door, his hand on his sword and his gaze never wavering from his friend’s. “If you are planning on marrying her to him simply to have her spy on him, then I will never approve that union.”

He slammed the door behind him, his confidence as rattled as the deck beneath his feet. If Zara knew she was about to become betrothed to Fermo, why did she come into his bed? Was that the reason why she seemed so secretive this afternoon? He stopped on the center of the bridge and curled his fingers around the hemp railings, letting the ropes press indentions deep into his palms.

If she came to him tonight, he’d demand answers one way or another.

****

At last, Kell finally blew out his candle. Zara rose from her bed and wrapped a robe around the simple linen shift she always wore.

Bianca sat up at the sound of a creaking floorboard and whispered, “You’re leaving?” She let out a small squeal of delight when Zara nodded. “Now we’ll both have fun tonight.”

Zara couldn’t help but laugh as the other woman went to the window and waved her handkerchief for the unseen Garroux below. She stepped out into the chilly night air, her bare feet tiptoeing over the frosty bridge to Kell’s hut. The cold didn’t bother her, not when she would be warm in his arms in a few moments.

But tonight, a pair of hands grabbed her when she snuck into his room. Her heart jumped into her throat. Fear and self-preservation took over, and she elbowed her assailant in the stomach.

A grunt filled the dark room, followed by, “It’s me, Zara.”

She broke free of Kell and brushed her hair out of her face. “Why did you grab me like that? You scared the wits out of me.”

“I was trying to keep you from distracting me until after I’d gotten some answers.” He limped to the bed, his arm wrapped around his stomach. “Anyone who thinks you’re a helpless woman needs to have his head examined.”

She was more than willing to console him. She wasn’t, however, going to find out what kind of answers he wanted. She sat next to him and pressed her lips against his cheek. “I’m sorry. Should I keep kissing you to make it better?”

He groaned as she turned his head and trailed her lips toward his own. “You are so hard to resist sometimes.”

“Likewise,” she murmured before giving him a proper kiss, one that stripped her of her robe and tumbled them both back into the bed. “Better?”

“Almost.” He rolled out of the bed and towered over her. “Did you know Bynn was planning on marrying you off to Fermo?”

A curse flew from her lips before she could stop it.

“I take that as a yes.” He braced his arms on either side of her, those tempting lips inches from her own. “If you knew you’re betrothed to him, why did you come to me?”

“Last I heard, Bynn and Fermo haven’t finalized the betrothal. Besides, I loathe Fermo. I’d rather die than marry him.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question. If you knew you were bound to marry another man, why seduce me?”

“Because I’ve learned that happiness is fleeting and that I should grab onto it whenever I get the chance.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. “You’re the one I want to be with tonight and every night I possibly can be.”

“You make it sound like you’re going to leave me.”

Her throat tightened. “Not by choice, Kell. But I know I will have to leave you eventually.”

“Why?”

She closed her eyes, but nothing stopped the pain that tore along her scars, reminding her of the wounds that destroyed any chance of a future with Kell. “You deserve someone better than me.”

Now it was his turn to curse. He backed away, the moonlight outlining the profile of his tense jaw and bottom lip that jutted out ever so slightly. “Why is it whenever I fall for a woman, she tells me I deserve better?”

A pang of jealousy only added to her torture. “Is that what she told you?”

His head slumped down. “Yes, but in her case, it was because she was still in love with someone else.” He paused before adding, “Is that the same reason you’re pushing me away? Because your heart belongs to another?”

The ache in his voice tore at her conscience. She’d kept so many secrets from him to protect him, to protect herself. Night after night, she’d managed to keep her scars hidden from him, to steer his roaming hands away from her injuries and keep his mind swimming in lust that he’d never notice her calculated actions. But there was one secret she could share with him without ruining their fragile relationship. “No, Kell, there’s only you. You and no one else.”

“The why are you trying to sabotage everything we have?”

“For the same reason I come to you in darkness, the same reason I never remove my shift when we’re together. I’m scared.” Her voice choked as she added, “And ashamed.”

“Ashamed to be caught with me?”

She shook her head, lodging loose a hot tear that streaked down her face. The gnarled flesh across her stomach throbbed, causing her to double over from memories of that day when the Thallians took away the one thing she wished she could give to Kell. She’d laid there bleeding along the castle ramparts, left for dead while the Thallians sacked her father’s home. She’d prayed to the Lady Moon for mercy while she held back her insides and watched the enemy rape and torture their servants. In some ways, the Lady Moon had shown her mercy that day, for she was spared their fate. But when she’d finally healed, her courses never returned, and she knew her injuries had left her barren.

“No, Kell, ashamed that you’d be caught with me.”

She expected him to scoff at her, to launch even more questions at her, to demand a reason why she’d bring him shame. But he did none of that. Instead, he sat next to her and pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to her forehead. “I’d never be ashamed to be seen with a remarkable woman like you.”

“But you don’t understand what I—”

He shushed her, tapping his finger on her lips. “I only care about the woman I have before me. You, Zara, and no one else.”

Then he tilted her face toward his, and gave her one of those toe-curling kisses that Bianca had described earlier today. Zara didn’t fight him. For now, she’d surrender to his touch. For now, she’d revel in the way he brought her back from her grief and made her feel like a woman with every caress. For now, she’d escape to the dreamlike world where she was free to love him without consequence.

When dawn came, she’d have to leave him. But this was one moment of happiness she would grab ahold of with every ounce of her being.

Chapter 19

Zara lifted the hollowed log and peered out across the dark harbor. The icy water had turned her fingers numb within minutes of diving in, and she’d stopped shivering soon after that. A jolt behind her informed her that Parros’s feet had touched the bottom. A few more kicks later and her boots scraped against the soft silt.

Not the way she wanted to enter Boznac, but it would have to do.

Once she assured herself the coast was clear, she threw the log aside and scrambled up onto the thin strip of beach just inside the city walls. Parros helped her drag the log onto the shore. Hopefully, it would still be there when they needed to leave. Otherwise, she’d have to come up with another way to get through the heavily guarded gates.

A blast of wind blew in from the sea, sending its damp chill even deeper into her bones. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. What she wouldn’t give to have Kell to curl up next to tonight. Instead, she’d have to trudge through the city, dodging Thallian soldiers along the way to Thao’s house. Then, once she reached there, she’d have to dry out in his dank cellar until the shops opened the next morning.

Parros tossed her pack to her. “Clever idea, m’lady. Forgot all about the beach here.”

“So have the Thallians.” She strapped the pack to her shoulders, wishing it was her crossbow instead. Bringing obvious weapons like that into the city was too risky, especially considering the number of Thallian soldiers they’d seen patrolling the walls this afternoon. “I’ll feel better when we’re inside Thao’s house.”

“That makes two of us, m’lady.” He shook with a full-body shiver. “I don’t remember when I’ve been so cold.”

“I would suggest we change into dry clothes now, but the risk is too high.”

She started her hike into the city, the brisk pace reviving her sluggish blood. Once they entered the streets, the steady walk turned into scrambles from one building to the next after peering around corners to make sure they wouldn’t be seen. Her heart pounded in her chest by the time she knocked on Thao’s door, and not all of it was due to exercise.

Thao’s eyes widened when he opened the door to find them. “Get in here quick, m’lady.” Once he shut the door behind them, he followed with closing all the shutters in the front room. “What are you doing here?”

“Prince Kell sent us on a mission.” The less Thao knew, the better. That way, the Thallians couldn’t press him for information he didn’t have. “May we hide here tonight?”

“Of course, m’lady. May I show you to a room upstairs?”

She shook her head. “Parros and I will be safer down in the cellar.”

Thao nodded, his face more drawn than the last time she’d seen him. Even his normally flamboyant moustache now drooped. “How did you get into the city? They’re not letting anyone out unless they’re a Thallian.”

“Lady Zara is extremely resourceful.” Parros didn’t bother to pour Thao’s sherry into a glass. He took a long swig from the decanter. “We can try to sneak you out when we leave, if you want to join us.”

“And leave behind my elegant home?” Thao swept his hand across the room, which had long been stripped of its riches. “Besides, if I leave Boznac, I wouldn’t be able to keep you abreast of the latest happenings.”

Zara accepted the glass of whiskey their host offered her. The bitter liquor burned down her throat, but it drove away the chill. “Why the sudden increase of troops?”

“I keep hearing about them invading Gravaria one minute, followed by them saying they are preparing for a Gravarian invasion the next. Either way, it doesn’t bode well for my business.” He led them into the kitchen and opened the cellar door. “One day, I’ll be a respectable gentleman again.”

“Right now, I’m honored to call you a friend and ally. Thank you for all you’ve done for us.” Zara laid her hand on his shoulder as a gesture of appreciation before descending to the blackness below.

****

“Who taught you how to pick a lock?” Parros grumbled over her shoulder, pressing up against her to get out of the rain that streamed down the overhang.

“Bynn.” Zara jiggled the pin into the keyhole, catching the locking mechanism after a couple of seconds. Then, ever so carefully, she tilted the pin up until she heard the click she’d been waiting for. “Done.”

Parros opened the door and bowed. “After you, m’lady.”

Zara crept into the empty shop, trying to remember the layout from this morning so she wouldn’t trip over anything and alert its sleeping owner upstairs. She’d been here just a few hours before under the premise of trying to find a necklace to impress her Thallian lover. The owner wasted no time pulling out trays of his wares from his glass case. She’d spotted Kell’s pendant immediately based on the description he’d given her. The jolt of magic that raced up her arm when she touched it only confirmed her suspicions.

The case was locked, so Parros stood guard by the stairs while she picked it open. Thankfully, the Ranellian merchant hadn’t hired a Thallian mage to cast a protective spell over his shop, or they would’ve been caught the moment she stuck her pin into the lock outside. As it was, the lock on the case proved harder to unlatch with its tiny, complex mechanisms. After several sweat-inducing minutes, she succeeded.

She reached her hand inside. The entire shop was shrouded in darkness, but she didn’t need light to find Kell’s pendant. The same teeth-gritting shock she’d felt earlier let her know the moment she grabbed it. She closed her hand around the cold metal and pulled it out. Yes, it was stealing from one of her people, but guilt didn’t hinder her movements. The sooner she got this back to its rightful owner, the sooner they could drive out the Thallians.