Page 76 of Revels on an Angel’s Grave

“I know.” Myrella giggled, glancing at Des.

“What are you guys doing here?” Emmeline asked. “Desmond, your letters didn’t say you were on the continent.”

“I didn’t want to write it.” Desmond took a seat on the roof, leaning back against the wall, and the rest followed suit. Roremar stayed close to the ledge he’d have to go back over in case someone entered the barracks. To his annoyance, Emmeline sat far enough away that he couldn’t reach her. “You never know how accurate Mystique ink is, and I didn’t know exactly what you were dealing with. If someone else had read it.”

“Letters?” Roremar asked, looking between his best friend and Emmeline. Last he’d known they’d barely tolerated one another. Though, they’d worked together to clear his name, so he supposed a truce had been called.

“I wrote to find out if he knew your whereabouts,” Emmeline admitted, spinning her opal ring around her finger. “Before the tournament.”

“She wrote every day,” Myrella blurted. Emmeline shot her a wide-eyed stare that said she’d been trying not to reveal that part.

Roremar couldn’t help the adoration that shot through him. That was proof Emmeline had been worried for him. And if she was worried, she cared, even if she claimed they weren’t good for one another.

“We need to talk about this tournament,” Desmond said, and Emmeline fidgeted. “You did good yesterday, Rore.”

Roremar’s attention shot to his friend. “You were there?”

“We were in Valyn. When we met a couple drunkards a few nights ago who told us what the winner of the trials will receive, we figured we should attend.”

Anger burned through Roremar at Desmond’s words. “She’s not a fucking object.”

“I know, Rore,” Des said, stare as harsh as Roremar’s own.

“You were already coming here?” Emmeline asked with that uncertainty that broke something in Roremar every time he heard it. It killed him that she didn’t understand people cared for her when she’d become so precious to him.

Desmond directed his answer to them both. “Promised him I’d look out for you. I wasn’t going to let you be alone. That was before I knew you’d have company, though.” His gaze flicked to Lola, who was unusually quiet. Desmond brushed his honey-blond hair back from his face, quickly redirecting. “About the tournament. What’s next?”

“We don’t know what the second trial is, but I’m working on finding out,” Emmeline said. “For now, we need to make sure Roremar makes it to the trial.”

Roremar’s spine straightened at that, and he squinted at her. “What do you mean?”

Emmeline didn’t look at him. “A lot of people believe he really is a murderer. We need to ensure no one decides he needs punishment between now and the next event.”

“When is it?” Myrella asked.

“Five days,” Lola said.

“I’ll hang around the barracks as much as possible,” Desmond assured them, absently drawing shapes in the dust on the ground as he thought.

“The guard who led you to Emmeline and me last night is a friend,” Lola added to Roremar. “His brother is working the barracks. He’ll keep an eye out. Desmond, I’ll introduce you two.”

Desmond grunted in agreement, his gaze on the pattern his fingers traced.

“What else has been going on here?” Roremar asked both Emmeline and his sister. His restlessness from earlier tonight was settling now that he was finally gathering information.

Emmeline toyed with the end of her braid, strands slipping out to frame her face. Roremar had to fight the urge to tuck them back and listen to her words. “I’m researching the original tournament so we can prepare you for the next task. I received a scroll, but it’s written in Endasi, so it’ll take time to decode.”

Roremar pursed his lips. “Received?”

Emmeline sighed. “Someone left it in my suite.”

“They were in your room?” Roremar seethed.

He was in Fatesdamned chains while someone snuck into Emmeline’s bedchamber. Fuck, he was useless in these damn barracks. He’d have to continue to try to read, to find out anything he could about what awaited them no matter how evasive Dryvius was.

“She has guards,” Lola assured him. Her gaze flicked between him and Desmond. “We both do.”

“Where are they now?” Des asked with narrowed eyes.