Tristan’s blue eyes, on the other hand, were clear, bright. Twinkling, even. “Now, now. I don’t think the fair women of Goldenvale would appreciate you flinging blame at them. They cannot help being the beautiful distractions that they are.” He raked his gaze up and down Cedric, pursing his lips to one side. “Well, distractions for some of us, at any rate.”
Cedric rolled his eyes, scratching at the stubble growing over his jaw. “Forgive me for not finding the wiles of Miss Sabrina of The Walking Goat quite as enchanting as you.”
“You are forgiven. Far be it from me to dissuade you from this self-imposed celibacy act of yours. I was starting to get mighty sick of always coming in second to your handsome scarred face.”
“We both have scars, Tristan.”
“Yes, but yours is far sexier than mine. Lip beats cheek every time.” Tristan sighed melodramatically, touching a gloved hand to the line carved into the skin below his left eye.
“Sabrina seemed to like your scar just fine.”
Tristan grinned rakishly. “That she did.”
Cobblestones clattered beneath their horses’ hooves as the pair made their way deeper into the city, the busy central streets giving wayto crooked alleys and cracked stone walls. Crossing a small footbridge, Cedric tugged gently on the reins, slowing his horse and dismounting in one easy movement.
“You’re stopping? What?—”
“Just need to stretch my legs,” Cedric said, giving his horse a gentle pat on the nose before handing the reins to Tristan. “I’ll only be a moment.”
Tristan shook his head. “You and the Walk. You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
Cedric shrugged. “I’m a creature of habit.”
“You’re fucking soft is what you are,” Tristan called after him, but Cedric was already walking away.
“It’s him!”
A young boy of perhaps ten, his cheeks smudged with dirt, called out from the doorway of one of the Walk’s many ramshackle homes. He swept his shaggy blond hair out of his eyes as he ran onto the street, bare feet slapping against the stone. He waved his arms wildly, drawing the attention of a group of children playing together a few houses down.
Soon, the entire gang was bounding toward Cedric, whose mouth stretched into a broad grin as one particularly petite little girl skidded to a stop in front of him, tangled red ringlets bouncing.
Staring up at him with wide brown eyes, she lifted her hand in a tentative wave. “Hello, Sir Victor.”
“Hello yourself,” Cedric replied, drawing his hand to his waistband and unlatching his coin purse from where it was tied at his belt.
The little girl froze as Cedric pulled out a copper coin and placed it in her palm.
“What’s your name?” he asked her.
She didn’t answer him, just turned the coin over and over between her fingers.
“Her name is Leia, sir,” said the first boy, coming up next to her and putting his arms around her shoulder.
“And yours is...Jack, right?” Cedric plucked another coin fromthe purse and offered it to the boy.
Jack’s eyes went wide as he took it. “That’s right, sir. Good memory you have there.”
Cedric smiled. “Yes, well, I remember you, Jack. I’ve seen you out here, watching out for the little ones.” He ruffled the boy’s hair and inclined his chin at Leia.
Jack looked away, a shy smile of his own curving up his young face. “I try my best, sir.”
“You do a good job. And it’smyjob to know who all the protectors of the realm are.”
Jack straightened his spine as though he’d just been knighted on the spot. The other children fanned out around them, cautiousness and perhaps a bit of wonder on their faces as they held their hands aloft.
A soft laugh emerged from behind Cedric, and he turned his head to see a grinning Tristan waiting at the top of the street, holding both horses by the reins. “You’re going to bankrupt yourself one copper at a time, Ric.”
Cedric placed the last of his coins into the hands of a pair of green-eyed twins, then shooed the whole lot of them off. “We’re back now,” he said with a shrug. “What use have I for it?”
