Page 31 of Shadowborne: Reckoning

Well, shit. That was the question, wasn’t it? But for the first time in weeks my mind felt clear and I understood what to aim for, even if I wasn’t entirely sure how to reach it.

“First, I make certain the king has forgiven us for our absence tonight,” I said quietly. “Then we look for Ruin—determine what he’s really doing, and who’s helping him, whether they know what he truly is, or not. And when we have proof of either his loyalty, or betrayal of the crown of Vosgaarde, then we move against him, or with him.”

I felt her tense and shook my head. “No matter which it is, Bren, once this mission is complete, he will be brought to justice. I’ll make certain of it. What he did—what he continues to do—is unforgiveable. He’s here for a reason. Just as we are. But no matter the purpose he plays here in Fyrehold, his end will be the same.”

She nodded slowly, her eyes locked on mine. I reached for her through the bond, relieved to find that while she remained shaky, she’d lost that singing edge that teetered on self-destruction. She’d stepped back from the cliff.

“I’ll pursue Hanson,” she said a moment later, and it took me a blink to remember we’d been discussing the plan to move forward. “I’ll find out what he knows—and whether he’s aware of Ruin’s true role and nature.”

“We have to be very careful. Even if Ruin has fooled him, Ruin is still within his sphere. We can’t put you in a position to be caught between the two of them. We’ll have to take very careful steps forward. You don’t leave the castle with him again—at least, not until we’re a lot clearer on his links with Ruin. You test, you explore, you hint… you figure him out first.”

She nodded. “Hanson wants my help—and sees you as a rival. I’ll play it wary—like I don’t trust him anymore, but I want to. Let him persuade me.”

I didn’t like it, but she was right. “Bring everything to me that you learn—and watch your back. Hanson has had a disruption to whatever plan he had. He’ll be cautious. It’s the right time to take a step back—even if he still believes you’re an asset to him, it would be natural that you’d be careful after a revelation of that nature. If we can determine he’s not a threat to you—to all of us—then… then we’ll find a way to give you time with him here at the castle.”

She nodded slowly and I felt some of the tension go out of her. We stared at each other for a moment, then she leaned forward and kissed me. “Together,” she whispered.

I nodded. “Together.”

11. Just Breathe

SOUNDTRACK: Coma by Taylor Acorn and Cassadee Pope

~ BREN ~

I woke shaky, but centered—and discovered that in the bond, Donavyn had steadied as well. I hadn’t realized how unstable he’d been feeling until it was gone, and suddenly my mate was a rock once more.

A humble, self-recriminating rock, who still ground his teeth any time Ruin or Hanson were mentioned. But he’d stopped feeling like a bull on the edge of a charge. He’d returned to that place he held when we first met. The anchor. The leader ready to battle, but rightly unwilling to throw himself headlong into risk without thought.

I dressed for breakfast that morning as if preparing for war—after all, if Donavyn were truly an ally of Fyrehold, visiting for the purpose of the dragon herd, and unaware of my duplicity, then I had to maintain my usual schedule. And if Hanson was a willing participant—or a target—for Ruin who now suspected me, it was important that he see me unafraid.

But, of course, just as before, there was no Hanson at breakfast the next morning. And not at lunch either. I was wary when Faye appeared, but whatever the queen had told her about my absence from the ball the night before, she believed it was a reason to sympathize.

She asked a few sly questions about Hanson, obviously suspecting that I’d disappeared with him—because he hadn’t attended, either. But when I didn’t bite, she gave in to her hangover and didn’t pursue it.

I was still uneasy with her after her trickery the previous afternoon. But without her, we would never have gotten this far. I needed her to remain on my side. So, while I was cool with her at the beginning of the conversation, letting her know I was less than impressed with her deceit, I pretended to give in to my curiosity when she began recounting gossip from the ball.

By the end of the meal, I was reminded that she was ambitious, thoughtless, and probably harmless. I would still watch her, and not trust her to lead me anywhere alone again. But I could use her fascination with the dragons, and with gossip. So, I let myself thaw over the course of the meal.

Yet, that evening at dinner, when I’d finally stopped feeling ill because my body was certain Ruin would emerge suddenly from any unseen corner, Donavyn was once again blustering with the king, and being invited to cards and whiskey, as there was no formal event.

And when he returned to the room late that evening, he’d sensed no ill from the king, no suspicion at all.

“…Either the man is a far more adept deceiver than I, or he truly has had no news of the events of last night. He did ask me if I was with Hanson, who also didn’t attend—but I could honestly tell him I hadn’t seen the man. That it had been Vosgaarde business that kept me and you away. He wasn’t pleased—he’d wanted to introduce us to some of the wealthier dignitaries that were there last night. But he commended me on my mystery, and said the men were all salivating to come to the Festival Ball now that they’d had their appetites whetted to meet us.”

“Lady Faye mentioned Hanson was gone as well. But she didn’t know why.”

“He did as we did and sent a note late, telling the king he’d been called to his estate for an emergency. My guess is either that Ruin returned for him and took him home, or he had to walk. Either way… he didn’t make it in time to attend, even late in the night.”

I was uneasy that we were still so unclear on Hanson’s role in all this, but that only made me more determined to engage him when he returned.

Which, of course, meant that the intense man decided not to appear at all.

Three days of attending every meal alone, of listening to Lady Faye’s gossip to glean any tidbit I could, of enduring the queen’s pompous comments about Donavyn’s unreliability, and we were no further ahead in our quest.

I grew stronger and more steady with every passing hour—and yet, I’d take an occasional jolt of adrenaline when something moved, or I caught sight of a tawny, male head in my peripheral vision. My body still waited for Ruin to show himself, even when my mind was consumed with other things.

And while Donavyn had retained that old steadiness, and no longer felt like a string pulled too tight, his tension also crept higher and higher as it seemed we did little but wait in suffocating silence.