“What is your meeting about?”
We took a corner on the cobblestone path, putting the wind behind us and allowing my hair to settle. Sebastian slowed his walk so that he was by my side.
“That's nothing for you to worry about.”
My eyebrows lowered. “I wasn't worried. But should I be?”
He let out a chuckle. “I just said that you don't need to be.”
“Well, it seems like there's always something for me to worry about nowadays.”
Everything went silent aside from the crashing of waves below the cliffside. I had been trying not to think about what the duke had said about the traitor, but a pit formed in my stomach when I realized that I hadn't heard anything about the situation in weeks.
“Do you know what it's like to constantly have a target on your back?” I asked out of nowhere.
Sebastian sighed. “I do.”
That was a stupid question. Of course he did. He was his father’s target.
“And I wish I could take that feeling away from you,” he said under his breath.
Me too.
“Have you heard any more about the traitor? Have theydiscovered who it is?” I asked the question that was really on my mind.
Sebastian audibly gulped, causing suspicion within me.
“Is that what your meeting is about?”
He glanced over at me. “Remember thirty seconds ago when I told you not to worry?”
“Oh gods.” Panic overtook my body.
He halted his movements and took hold of my shoulders, lowering his head so that his eyes were in line with mine. “My job is to protect you, and I swear to you that I am going to do that. You don't need to worry.” His eyes widened. “Do you understand?”
I bobbed my head in response.
“Good. Now, I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but I know if I don't that you'll spend the rest of your day agonizing over it.”
He was right.
“Duke Sinclair sent word that they uncovered the name of the traitor. They are in the process of trying to locate the individual now.”
I relaxed a bit, but not enough for him to release his hands from me. “Okay, so this is good news?”
His face told me that there was more before he even opened his mouth to speak. His lips sealed into a tight line, like he was trying to stop himself from telling me the rest of it.
“Tell me,” I demanded.
“There's been no mention of your name by any Draemornians that we’ve encountered, which is good. That means it's likely that word of your gift hasn't spread any further and that King Beaumont still doesn't know who you are,” he reassured me.
I let out a sigh of relief. That was also good news, but Sebastian's face still looked all too serious.
“What is it?”
He stared at me blankly and I stared back, not releasinghim from my gaze until he blew out a breath and responded. “Beaumont has sent a letter to my father with a proposal.”
“Okay?”
