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The weight of two incredulous stares made the skin between his shoulder blades itch.
“If you’re that aware of your mistake, then why did you do it in the first place?” Toren asked.
It was a good question. Aside from the excuses he’d already given, he could think of only one true answer. “Habit,” Ber said. “It is my habit to protect you both. I hope you’ll forgive the occasional error in that regard.”
The room warmed perceptibly, but his brother merely frowned at him. It was Tes who said, “If you’ll strive not to indulge the habit often.”
“I’ll give it my best effort,” Ber replied.
Toren shook his head, a frown still lingering in the line of his brows. “Fine. But tell me, was it worth the risk?”
Ber gestured toward Halueth and Araxa, who left their guarding stances to move up beside him. Araxa dropped her spell, and with the illusion broken, both sank to their knees in the Llyalian style. Toren wouldn’t have held it against them if they had gone by Centoi’s customs, but it seemed they intended to impress.
“I found allies rather than spies,” Ber said. “A royal bodyguard and a court mage who I’d already befriended. They’d already cleared the area of assassins before I’d arrived.”
His brother’s scowl returned in full force. “And you were certain enough of that to bring them here?”
“Yes,” Ber answered without hesitation, though he’d had cause for his own doubts. But if Tes had decided to trust them, it was enough for him. “We’ll see them quietly back to Centoi soonenough. There, they will gather information and await my and Tes’s return.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Toren muttered.
Tes snorted. “So do we. Trust me.”
“What is your plan?” Toren asked, crossing his arms.
“Halueth will return to his position in the Centoi royal guard.” Out of the corner of his eye, Ber saw the guard give a slight but determined nod. “He’ll gather information and, if possible, support amongst the military. If enough of the guard stands with us, we’ll have minimal bloodshed entering the palace.”
His brother’s stern demeanor didn’t waver. “And what of the mage?”
When Araxa flinched at the attention, Ber offered her a quick, reassuring smile. “She performs spells in the gardens during royal dinners. There is much she can overhear from the wandering nobles. Her illusions might also aid us in entering the palace, provided we get the timing right.”
“I will do my best, Your Highness,” she whispered.
The waver in her voice caught Ber’s attention, and he peered at her. Where was the woman who’d performed confidently in the garden while helping him drop light globes on Lord Orpem’s head? “Are you unwell?”
Araxa paled further, her gaze flicking briefly to Toren. “No, Your Highness. I am able to perform my duties, and I will cause no bother.”
She’s afraid of Toren,Ber realized.
His brother seemed to recognize it, too. Toren’s arms dropped to his sides, and his expression grew more relaxed. Even the lingering chill to the room faded. “I may be High King, but I do not abuse my subjects as Ryenil does,” his brother said. “Please, rise from the floor and find a seat. There is no needfor you to be uncomfortable while we plan your journey back to Centoi.”
Araxa and Halueth both stared at Toren for a moment before exchanging glances. Then with slow, hesitant movements, they stood. No doubt, they expected to be struck for obeying the command. Ryenil loved doing that during his darker moods. But when they received nothing but a smile and nod from the High King, they headed toward the nearest seats at a pace that would’ve been amusingly sluggish if it hadn’t been so infuriating.
Yes, Ryenil had a lot to answer for.
The reminder gave Ber a new urgency when it came to planning their route back to Centoi. Protecting the pair from scrutiny was paramount, both for safety and for their ability to act. Although the best option wouldn’t allow for their return to the palace more than a couple of days before Tes and Ber met Lady Selesta’s army for the invasion, it would have to do.
This rebellion couldn’t afford to fail.
Tes shouldn’t have beenangry. Ber had admitted his mistake, and she’d accepted his apology. Good had even come from it. They would soon have two allies in the palace, one of them closely placed to her father. But even so, aggravation had burned in her for the entire day. A simmering frustration she’d found no way to dispel.
She’d attempted to rock Speran to sleep, but he hadn’t settled in her arms. No doubt, he’d sensed the annoyance itching beneath her skin. She’d eventually given up and handed Ber their son. When she’d let herself from the room, the baby had blinked at her with heavy eyes as his father paced with him.
Stripping off her clothes, Tes padded into the bathing chamber and attempted to wash away her annoyance beneath the stream of water flowing from the wall in the cleansing stall. No luck. She moved to the soaking pool, but once again, a typically soothing experience did nothing to ease the frustrating burn in her belly.
By the time she dried off, she could admit that the sensation might not be anger at all. To be certain, she was annoyed that Ber had gone somewhere potentially dangerous without her, but the issue had been resolved. No, the feeling that lingered tasted more like fear—the desperate, edgy kind.
She wandered back into their empty bedroom, her steps heavy with exhaustion. After they’d seen Halueth and Araxa safely on their way, Tes and Ber had trained once more before facing the more grueling task of a court dinner. Then they had spent more time planning with Toren, Mehl, and Ria before Speran had needed attention. Through it all, she’d vibrated with a tension she couldn’t seem to fight.
