Chasing Shadows (20 page)

She watched as Will hurried down the path. He glanced back just before he exited into the open, and his steps seemed to slow as he shot her one final, unreadable look. Lowering his head, he moved quickly, brushing past Damien just as the Spaniard rounded the corner and spotted her.

“There you are!” He looked relieved at the sight of her and hurried over. “I lost track of the time and wasn’t sure where you had gotten off to. Why are you back here?”

Sarah’s heart was still pounding from his and Will’s near encounter, though Damien didn’t appear to have even noticed his presence.

She swallowed. “I was enjoying the quiet.”

“Is my constant chatter grating on your nerves already?” he asked dryly.

She rolled her eyes, the tension in her body lessening with his easy manner. It was nice to have an uncomplicated relationship, one that she didn’t have to fight for—or against—constantly. “Has anyone ever told you you’re incorrigible?”

He grinned roguishly. “All the time.” She smiled, which only caused his grin to widen.

Eying his empty arms, she asked, “Didn’t you get anything?”

He shook his head. “Not today.” Rubbing his hands together conspiratorially, he said, “Now should we continue on our errands before some gossip spots us here and we elicit a
scandal
?” He shivered at the thought and lifted his elbow.

Sarah felt herself smiling, though her conversation with Will still weighed on her. Taking his arm, she forced cheer into her voice for Damien’s benefit; she didn’t want to be the reason this excursion ended on a poor note. “Oh, let’s!”

A wicked grin tipped his mouth and lit his eyes. “Are you saying that we should move along, or that we should give them something to gossip about?”

The quivering lip hinting at her grin undermined the reproachful look she shot him. Tugging him forward, she said, “I meant let’s
go
, Romeo. Focus.”

He didn’t resist, but she could feel him chuckling silently beside her as they left their little alcove. She resisted the urge to look back, imagining Will standing in the livery entrance, watching them stroll off together. She stiffened at the thought and gently disentangled her arm from Damien’s, pretending she needed her hand to rub an itch from her cold nose. He didn’t seem to notice that she didn’t take his arm again.  

“I have one more errand to run, outside of town.”

Sarah glanced up, surprised at the sudden declaration. “Okay.”

“Is there anywhere you would like to go while I finish up? A place where you need to be?”

She immediately envisioned a quaint little home with a girl reading on the porch, wildflowers decorating the landscape in the summer, and siblings playing soccer in the field behind the barn, where a good friend waited.

Suddenly, she knew exactly where she needed to be.    

—

Eyes focused straight ahead, Sarah tapped an impatient rhythm on the bottom of the wagon with her foot. She had convinced Damien to rent the cart from the butcher, instead of going back to the livery. Will hadn’t met the newest lord in Serimone yet, and she intended to keep it that way.

“That’s not going to get us there any faster.”

She gripped the edge of the seat to still her jittery movements and gave a breathy laugh. “Sorry. I’m just so excited. It seems like forever since I’ve seen my friends.”

Angling his head to the side, Damien shot her an amused look. “I was not criticizing your enthusiasm. Actually, I think it wonderful that you are looking forward to this visit so much. I was concerned you would have nothing to occupy you while I completed my last errand and that it might dampen our spirits.” His eyes flickered to the road for a brief moment before he returned his gaze to her, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “But it appears your anticipation is contagious, and I am giddy with delight.”

Sarah laughed at his theatrics but didn’t take offense. However silly he was being, she could tell he was enjoying their time together. And though her delight in Damien’s company was genuine, she also welcomed the distraction from her encounter with Will.

Smile widening at her laughter, Damien steered the horses around a bend in the road to keep them on the snow-covered path. “You have a beautiful laugh.”

She might have read into the words if they had come from anyone else, but his tone was direct and observational, not flirtatious. It was odd how natural his remark seemed, and she didn’t miss a beat. “Well, I happen to find you quite amusing, so you’ll get used to it.”

That self-satisfied grin returned. “It’s nice to be able to bring someone else joy for once.” They lapsed into an easy quiet, and Sarah smiled to herself, watching the snow-capped trees blur together, washing the landscape in white. Everything about this friendship was easy.

But is it fair to bring him into this and then leave?
The thought came out of nowhere and was quickly followed by hollow guilt. Sarah had already become connected to a few people in this place and knew it would be difficult to leave them soon. Was she being selfish by allowing this relationship to blossom, only to abandon Damien when she went home? The result of her abrupt departure last time had nearly undone one fragile relationship. Could she really risk another?

She watched him out of the corner of her eye. Damien was bent over the reins, elbows resting comfortably on his knees. His eyes were forward, but then his gaze began to wander over the trees, to the edge of the woods, the hazy sky. The scenery seemed to mesmerize him, drawing his attention every few moments. He looked happy and at ease, his lips were even tipped in a small, contented smile, and Sarah knew that however long this relationship lasted, it was what they both needed right now.

The thought of friendship reminded her of how much she wanted—
needed
—to talk with Karen. Her stomach fluttered in anticipation at seeing her friend, and she was suddenly aware of how Karen had become her steadfast companion throughout all the madness they had encountered together. She felt closer to that girl than she did most of the friends she had known all her life. Karen had turned into this ever-constant mark that made her feel safe and rooted to reality. When they were together, Sarah was reminded of home.

Damien glanced her way at that moment and caught her eye. She hadn’t realized she was still watching him, and her cheeks reddened at the amused look in his eyes when he saw her staring. Or maybe that was pleasure that set those fascinating gold flecks dancing. “What is on your mind?” 

Reality abruptly came crashing down on her head. Sarah realized that she had spent three days in the castle and was coming back to Karen empty-handed. She hadn’t tried very hard to find anything recently, but now she wished she had put in a little more effort. She was the mole in the castle, after all.

“Something troubles you,” Damien prodded softly when she failed to answer.

Sarah slanted him a look, watching as he observed the emotions on her face. “How do you know?”

He shrugged. “Call it intuition from a fellow troubled soul.” His expression was open, gentle. “Anything I may assist you with?”

She hesitated. Had Damien been at the castle when the king died? She wasn’t sure, but he’d been there for a few months and might know something more than what she’d discovered, which was a grand total of
nada
. Their relationship was still in the infant stage, but she felt that she could be candid with him. 

Folding her hands in her lap, Sarah hedged, “It’s just that—I mean, I know I’m new at the castle and all, but I just thought the king’s death seemed a bit strange.” She lowered her voice and leaned in, as though the sleeping trees might share their secret. “Don’t you?”

Damien’s brows knit together, and he shot her a speculative look before turning back to the road. “Not particularly, no.”

“But you were here when it happened?” she prodded, hoping her eagerness wasn’t too apparent.

“I was,” he said slowly, obviously wondering where she was head with this.

Where
am
I headed?
Sarah chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking. She asked the first thing that came to mind to get the conversation moving. “Doesn’t it seem a little strange that a healthy man would get ill so fast? And he held on for so long. . . .” Her voice drifted off, and she hoped he would fill in the blank. 

“Are you implying foul play?” 

Sarah knew it was reckless to come right out and say it, especially to stranger, but her instincts were telling her that she could trust Damien. Nodding, she said, “I have my suspicions that someone may have plotted against him.” It felt odd to say it aloud, but it was also a relief to finally have someone else to share it with.

“That’s absurd.” Damien shook his head, black hair tumbling in front of his eyes. But she had clearly hit a nerve of interest.

“Think back, Damien,” she urged softly. “Did the king seem off somehow, was anyone acting strange around the castle?”

He angled his head toward her, a look of apology in his espresso eyes. “I arrived after the king became ill, so I would not know the difference.”

“But you have to be a little suspicious. It’s obvious that foul play was involved.” Sarah wasn’t thinking logically and would have backed down any other time, but there was something about the way Damien’s back stiffened that set her mind into detective mode. “Think about who would have the most to gain from his death.”

Damien’s eyes widened in alarm, and he stammered, “You cannot possibly suspect the prince would have anything to do with this.”

“What? No.” She honestly hadn’t even considered him on the list of potential murderers.

His shoulders stooped a little in relief, though he was clearly uneasy. “Then who do you suspect?” His voice was guarded, a tone she’d never heard the blunt Spaniard use.

She squirmed in her seat, wondering if she should give up her last piece of information. What would Karen do? Sarah suspected her friend would do whatever it took to avenge the king’s death and find his killer. If Damien knew something, she had to find out what it was.

“Cadius seems a likely candidate,” she said nonchalantly. “He takes care of the king, the prince, and then takes the throne for himself. Just a thought.”

Damien’s laugh came out sounding choked. “You can’t possible believe that. And the prince is still alive.”

Sarah dismissed that with a wave of her hand. “A minor detail I’m sure he’ll take care of easy enough.”

“You cannot possibly believe something so . . . irrational.” It was obvious he was grasping at straws, and that only sparked Sarah’s curiosity further.

“Do you know something?”

He looked away. “Have you discussed this with anyone else?” His attempt to sound casual was mediocre, at best.

She watched him, her suspicion rising. “Not yet. But I’m going to figure this out. The king’s killer deserves to be brought to justice.”  

Damien’s face changed then, and his eyes snapped to hers. He looked all at once concerned and frightened. Pulling the horses to a stop in the middle of the path, he took hold of her hand, face earnest. “I must ask you to leave this alone. Can you do that for me?”

“So you think something is amiss, too?” A surge of excitement coursed through her, and she didn’t even think to pull her hand from his.

Damien shook his head and straightened, dropping his hold as he turned his gaze away. His body looked stiff. “Of course not.”

“Then why can’t I pursue this?”

“Are you always this obstinate?”

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. 

Shoulders rising and falling in a sigh of resignation, he smiled grimly at her. “Then I must ask you to take care who you bring your assumptions to. This is a serious accusation, whether founded on truth or falsehoods, and it will not be dealt with lightly. You may find yourself in a greater mess than you intended if you discuss this with the wrong people.”

“Even if it’s true?” she asked quietly.

“Yes,” he conceded, but he didn’t look convinced of there being truth to her theory. “But where is your
proof
? You must understand the gravity of what you’re implying. You only have suspicions as a foundation for this accusation, and that is not reason enough to destroy a man’s life. Or yours.” Their eyes met, and his were full of concern. For her welfare, she realized.

“Why are you so worried about me?”

Damien rubbed the back of his neck and then steered the horses down a narrow lane, the thick blanket of snow stretching out before them left undisturbed on the deserted path.

“It is dangerous to make such a serious charge against someone with so much power”—he shot her a conciliatory look—“even if it does have merit. But a rumor such as this would spark suspicion in the people, and a man who wishes to keep his power will do anything to preserve it.” Golden-brown eyes locked on hers, entreating. “If you put your hand in the fire, you
will
get burned. Can’t you understand that?”

A chill that had nothing to do with the frigid air snaked down Sarah’s spine. Had she really expected to simply waltz around town with immunity, making accusations against the prince’s advisor that would get him imprisoned? And Cadius and the men who worked for him were just supposed to roll over, while she walked away unscathed?