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I should have known my brother had accounted for everything, even my apparent freedom to find him Pain’s crown.
Sonya and I emerged from the cells and found Danyal waiting in the main entrance hall, joined by two guards. He wasn’t restrained, but his glare suggested he’d had a rough night.
“What is this?” I strode over with Sonya in tow.
“This man claims to be your advisor,” the guard on the left said.
I frowned. Danyal clearly wore the colors of Pain. “Why has he been detained?”
“He was caught lurking in the private residences.”
“I wasn’t lurking,” Danyal groused. “I was walking. Last I checked, walking wasn’t a crime.”
Walking, indeed, was not a crime. “Is he under arrest?”
“No, he was kept overnight for observation.”
“‘Observation’?” I arched an eyebrow at Sonya, but her stoic expression made it clear everything about Danyal’s detainment was apparently normal. He’d been kept overnight forwalking. It was more likely they suspected us of scheming or wrongdoing and had kept him to hamper such efforts. If they didn’t want us here, why invite us in?
“I apologize for my advisor’s gross misconduct in walking the wrong way. I’m sure he’ll refrain from doing so again, won’t you, Danyal?”
“Surely.”
“Good. Now that’s settled, we’ll be in our chambers.” I nodded for Danyal to follow and marched from the hall. “Did you find Draven’s room?” I asked under my breath.
“Yes.”
“We’ll make it appear as though we’re behaving, and then I want you to take me. Once there, stand watch at the door, and do not enter, regardless of what you hear. Are you comfortable with this?”
Danyal glanced side-on. “What did he do to you?”
“Betrayed Arin and I in the worst way.”
He nodded. “Then I’m comfortable with whatever you decide to do.”
I’d already asked much of him. He didn’t want to be here, but he’d come all the same. Such loyalty was rare, and I’d never expected to experience it for myself. “Thank you, Danyal. For everything.”
“Are we likely to leave Justice as free men?” he asked.
I thought of Arin in one cell and Razak in another, and somewhere, Pain’s crown waited for one of us to find it. Arin would be free, I’d make sure of it. But as for the rest of us? I didn’t have an answer. “Are any of Pain’s people free?”
“No, but you could change that.”
“Me?” I laughed. “I look like a prince but don’t mistake me for one. Nobody follows a gutter whore.” He gave that gnarled, snarly expression which meant he was about to argue or impart some grim wisdom. “All right, here we are,” I said brightly, for the benefit of anyone who may have followed us. We entered my room, closed the door, and waited several beats. Boots thumped outside, then faded away.
I nodded once at Danyal. “Take me to Draven’s room.”
* * *
“Are you sure about this?”Danyal whispered. “The warlord ain’t small.”
“Size isn’t everything, Danyal. A man like you should know that.” I grinned and knocked on Draven’s door.
“Who’s there?” came Draven’s deep grumble.
“Aides, sire, come to freshen your room,”I crooned in a soft, accented voice.
“Come.”
