Page 123 of Fate's Wicked Oath

He knew it was an act—the cold indifference she donned like a mask—but it still surprised him how quickly her fear for Bard had transformed; no trace of terror remained, only an inconvenienced sort of vexation.

“I’m under orders from the Lord, remember?” Mariana continued. “I have no choice.”

“I was not under the impression your orders extended to whoring,” Heris countered, and Faren had to clench his fists to keep himself from breaking the fucker’s nose. “Nor meandering all over the territory.”

“You’re the one who sent me to Waldron,” Mariana bit out. “Open my saddle bags. See what an obedient knight I’ve been.”

The knight holding Simon rifled through Mariana’s bags, finding the one that held the potions. They pulled out a bottle and held it up to the weak autumn sunlight, the opalescent purple liquid shimmering.

Heris sauntered forward until he loomed over Mariana. “Weknow why you were in Waldron, but doeshe?” Heris swung his gruel gaze up to Faren, still standing a pace behind Mariana. “You understand the lengths I’ve gone to keep outsiders from knowing too much.”

“You mean the lengthsI’vegone.”

“You have not gone far enough, seeing as the gold brute is still here.”

With a quick glance around the clearing, Faren wondered if the two of them could take six Valiant Knights on their own. The odds weren’t great—and, worse, to make a move of aggression would likely place Bard in the crosshairs. Difficult as it was,Faren decided it was better to hold his ground, keep quiet, and allow Mariana to continue her act.

“He knows about the Lord,” Mariana said. “The truth. His loyalty has changed.”

“His Oath tattoo remains intact,” Heris countered. “Please, Mariana. You were supposed to be getting leverage. Don’t tell me you fell in love with him.”

The possibility flew through Faren like a comet, a flash of hope in this dark standoff.Couldshe love him?

After a brief pause, Mariana laughed. “Isn’t it obvious? I seduced him, the poor sap. What better leverage is that?”

Faren couldn’t see Mariana’s face, but the lie was there in her posture. She stood with her feet wide, shoulders down, arms at her sides—but she was not at ease. He’d seen her relaxed, and this was not it.

Even so, her words cut, and his face fell.

“You might prefer to resort to force,” she went on blithely, “but I have other tricks up my sleeve. Feminine wiles and all that.”

Castor and Brom snickered.

“Men are easily manipulated,” she added, and the two Valiant cronies broke off with matching scowls.

“If seduction was all this is,” Heris said, “then you won’t mind if we kill him.”

On cue, the two knights flanking Heris raised their crossbows.

Adrenaline pumped through Faren’s veins in a dizzying rush. He hefted his swords, inhaling through his nose to keep his body grounded and ready. The crossbows groaned as their levers were pulled back, the knights readying the bolts with harsh clicks; they took aim at Faren’s neck from barely fifteen feet away.

Uncertainty swelled in Faren’s throat as the knights waited for their cues to fire. He’d trained for situations like this, and he would attempt to deflect the bolts if he had to, but how far would Mariana let this go?

It’s just an act, he told himself.

One crossbowman’s leather glove creaked as his hand tightened on the trigger.

“What of the consequences?” Mariana asked.

Heris raised his hand, bidding the crossbowmen hold.

Faren released a shaky breath but kept his swords aloft and his body alert.

“He knows too much,” Heris replied simply. “The consequences of his death are paltry compared to those if he lives.”

Mariana casually shifted her stance, angling her body directly in front of Faren. “I’m not sure I agree,” she said, cocking a hip. “You see, you tasked me with finding leverage, and I have delivered.”

Her voice—it was so smug. So devoid of warmth.It’s just an act, Faren reminded himself, but she was convincing enough that doubt was beginning to creep in.