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“Of course.”
“And we must make it happen tonight. No delays.”
“Done.” Tess doesn’t even hesitate.
The captain closes his eyes, running a hand slowly through his dark hair. “What aren’t you telling us, Tess? This is absurd, and you know it.” His voice is calm, quieted from his previous tone.
“Can’t a girl just want her ring back?” She does her best to play at sincerity, but her simulated innocence is hard to miss. Do men really fall for this?
The captain rubs at his temples, shaking his head. He doesn’t like that I agreed to this. But he must see like I do that it is the path of least resistance.
Liam stands, a smile on his face that finally reaches his eyes. “We better get started.”
24
Captain Montgomery
“Getwhatyouneed,then meet me in my room,” I say, cornering Ari as we walk out of the Great Hall and away from Tess and Liam.
“What just happened in there?” Aiden catches up to us.
“Tess being Tess,” I say, returning my focus to the thief in front of me. “You aren’t doing this. We will gather our things and walk out, immediately. We are four of the most skilled soldiers of Turin, trained in the militant capital of Felshan. We will fight our way out if necessary.”
“And risk being hurt? Unable to continue looking for Princess Adalena? Or thrown in their dungeons? No thanks. I’ve spent enough time nursing wounds and escorting people to a dark cell to know I’ll take an alternative when presented with one,” Otto chimes in, coming up behind us. Ari winces at his words.
“Ari was right when she spoke in there,” Aiden begins. “We can’t leave now anyway. If she can pull this off in a single night, we can leave at first light and be on our way. We lost a day, but we can make it up, asfree, unharmedmen... and woman,” Aiden finishes, stumbling as he almost forgets his female counterpart.
“I can do this, Montgomery,” Ari says. “We have her word that we can go if I do this. So let me do it. And let’s get the Four Kingdoms out of here.”
“And if the whole thing is a trap?” I respond.
“If I don’t come back, go on without me,” she replies as if she’s simply telling me the weather outside.
“I don’t like this. She doesn’t care about some stupid ring from almost a decade ago,” I say.
“So, let this play out. We know the pieces don’t fit. Let’s find the ones that do and turn this in our favor.” Ari gestures toward our small group.
I am so close to her that our arms brush, our hushed voices calling for a close proximity to keep the Santanas out of our plan. My heart beats loudly, the rush of it drumming through my ears.
“I agree with Ari. I say we see it through. Nothing else to do right now anyway but wait until morning,” Otto says.
I’m reluctant. Untrusting of the motives of Tess and Liam. But my resistance releases into acceptance, mostly so I can finish this meeting and compose myself once again.
I hate the idea of Ari going into that house alone, not knowing what lies inside. But I can’t see another way. I nod, the last of our group to give my approval before we break away from our hallway exchange.
I continue to wrestle with it as I walk the remaining distance to my room. Ari can’t risk herself like this— for some stupid trinket and some ridiculous revenge plot. I need her. I need her help to find Lena.
Lena. Lena. Lena.
Rustling around with Sir Crane is going to make some noise— a spotlight I’ve been trying to stay clear of since we left Turin.
When my breathing steadies once again, I make my decision. Fear will not run my actions. I will stay by Ari and keep her safe, and we will move once again to find Lena, our whole group intact. The best move at this point is to let it play out.
A pawn can still trap the queen.
The sun has fully set, the only light coming from a waning moon with its accompanying cacophony of stars dotting through the darkened sky.
Sir Crane’s home is only a short jog away from where me, Ari, and Tess crouch in the grass. Stubby, bush-like trees in varying sizes line the rise and fall of the land, stretching as far as the eye can see. The large hills and their appending valleys color the landscape for miles, marking the distinct land around Fort Lowsan, making it easy to stay hidden and out of sight as we move closer to Crane’s house.
