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Unable to stomach the sight of him a moment longer, I turned away and hitched my chin toward the two guards who’d been assigned to me. They marched forward to flank me on either side.
“Gather what we’ll need for the journey ahead,” I told them, my voice hollow and chest still compacted tight with an ugly mix of anger, fear, panic, and dazed shock.
This was really happening. Sable would die if I didn’t kidnap Princess Nicolette. “We’ll meet in the courtyard in half an hour to depart.”
The sooner we got there and back, the sooner I could free Sable.
If she didn’t expire before I returned.
Dammit all to hell, my affection for her was what had caused this. This was the second time my caring for another person had endangered her life. But never again. This time, I would save the one I loved.
As I raced to my stall in the stables so I could gather everything I’d need for the trip, I made another promise to myself.
I swore I’d never care for anyone that strongly again. It only doomed them.
No one else I treasured would suffer because of me, so I’d just never treasure anyone.
It was safer that way.
3
Farrow
Half an hour later, I sat atop the horse I’d borrowed from the royal guards’ stable with my fingers tapping impatiently against the saddle horn while I waited at the opening of the courtyard for the two knights who were being forced to accompany me.
Honestly, I didn’t want anyone else to tag along. They’d only slow me down, and I didn’t exactly trust my father’s servants. Aside from Sable, everyone in this damn castle seemed corrupt.
But only royal knights had enough authorization to access the stockroom and gather all t
he supplies we would need for our journey. So I’d have to devise a way to steal their provisions and lose them on the road. Hopefully this very night.
The courtyard was dark, and the torches slotted into their sconces on the walls cast more shadows than actual illumination. When a single figure meandered into the clearing on foot from a side passage as if lost, a feeling of distinct unease crawled up the back of my neck.
Who the hell was this? I very much doubted they had the same clearance I did right now to be out after curfew.
I frowned before calling, “Hey, halt. Who goes there?”
The figure jerked to a trembling stop and turned slowly in my direction before lowering his hood with quivering, frightened fingers. Torchlight flickered off a bald head where I noticed a purple birthmark covering nearly half of his bare scalp.
By God, I’d seen that birthmark before. It had been on Roloff, the very soothsayer Sable and I had been discussing earlier.
“What’re you doing out here?” I asked incredulously, dismounting and surging forward into his path. “Are you insane? Don’t you know the royal child’s been born and the king’s sent men out to capture you? Why haven’t you run yet?”
“I—I’m not sure, good sir,” he answered in a wavering voice, darting his gaze around fearfully as if not sure where to go now that I’d blocked his way. “I just know I’m m-meant to be here. In this place. At this moment. Even if it warrants my own demise. But p-p-please, if you could just ignore the fact that you see me right now and not turn me in…”
I sniffed out my amusement. Soothsayers were such odd ducks. Lying to save their own necks one moment, only to walk right into danger the next, all because of their ridiculous prophecies.
“But I can’t simply let an outlaw run free, now can I?” I taunted, casting him a dark smile. “It’s just not in my blood.”
“Your blood?” Roloff echoed in confusion, tipping his head to the side and squinting as if he were trying to figure out who I was. Nervous stutter gone, he said, “Just whose blood runs through your veins, boy?”
When his eyes milked over until they were nearly all white, I groaned. “Oh, for the love of God. Don’t try that rubbish on me.”
He was past hearing, though, as he reached out and barely touched my arm, flesh against flesh. As soon as he made contact, a tiny jolt of electricity sparked between us.
I jumped back, scowling. “What the hell?”
It was never good when a soothsayer touched you. They always started spouting crazy shit about your future. And rarely anyone ever liked knowing what would become of themselves. “I gave you no such permission to read me.”
