“The soldats at the gate told me he left with you in the night.” Safire’s black hair was pulled into a simple bun at the nape of her neck, keeping it off her face. Those blue eyes watched Roa closely, as if measuring her reaction. “Where did you go?”
Roa forced herself to remain composed.
There were three other guards who—she was sure—had already told Safire the truth. That Roa had left with Sirin as her escort, and neither of them returned to her rooms.
“I went for a walk,” she said. “I needed some air.”
Safire pulled one of the throwing knives from her belt andstarted examining its very sharp edge. “You needed air... at midnight?” Her gaze returned to Roa.
“It was only moonrise when I left.”
“And Sirin escorted you out?”
Roa nodded.
“But didn’t escort you back in?”
“Is this an interrogation?” On her shoulder, Essie flexed her wings in agitation.
Safire smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “If this were an interrogation, you would be in the dungeons right now.”
Roa lifted her chin in defiance.
“Sirin didn’t escort you back in,” Safire repeated, waiting for Roa to confirm or deny it.
Roa shook her head. “He said”—she shivered at the memory—“something aboutridding the king of his problem.”
Roa’s eyes held Safire’s, daring her to press harder. To ask Roa what the king’s problem was, exactly.
But Safire didn’t. Instead, she turned and walked to one of three arched windows against the south wall of Lirabel’s small room.
“Until a replacement can be found,” said Safire, her back to Roa as she glanced out the window, the sunlight washing over her, “I’m the new captain of your guard.”
Roa frowned.“What?”
The personmostloyal to Dax, his own flesh and blood, watching her every move? It was the last thing she needed.
“And these”—Safire nodded toward the young women near the door—“are my three most trusted soldats.”
Roa glanced at the armed guards, all of them staring attentively at their commandant. From the looks on their faces, Roa knew without a doubt their loyalty couldn’t be bought. From the looks on their faces, they would cut down anyone who so much astriedto turn them against Safire.
“Their orders are to defend you with their lives,” said Safire, walking back toward Roa. “So that’s what they’ll do.”
“Perfect,” Roa said through gritted teeth. “I hope they do a better job than Sirin.”
“You can count on it,” said Safire. Her throwing knife flashed as she tossed it in the air, then sheathed it next to the others in her belt.
But as inconvenient as it was, Roa found herself relaxing. In the presence of these new guards, she felt truly safe.
“Now.” Safire smiled, and this time, it was a cheerful one. “Shall we escort you to your rooms? I’m sure you’d like a bath and a fresh change of clothes before Baron Silva’s dinner party tonight.”
The dinner party.
How was she going to find and steal the Skyweaver’s knife with Safire’s too-keen eyes trailing her wherever she went?
Roa followed Tati and Saba through the door. Celeste and Safire fell into step behind her.
I’ll have to lose her somehow.
