Page 5 of The Rebel's Prize

She spent the first day worrying that she'd been foolish to trust him and that he would decide to turn her over to the authorities in return for whatever reward might have been placed on her head. But no Imperial guards had arrived at the inn to pound on her door in the middle of the night, and she reluctantly decided her fears were unfounded. After all, a smuggler who turned people over to the authorities wouldn't stay in business very long. Samuel might be partly a legitimate trader now, but she doubted he had fully embraced respectability. If he still did anything connected with the shadier side of life in the empire, he probably wouldn't betray her. His reputation would matter.

The second day, she began to worry it was taking too long and that something had happened to make him leave town before he could find someone to help her. She'd sent Octarus down to the docks to check that theSalt Spritewas still in the harbor. He'd reported back that it was and that everything seemed normal. No Imperial guards in sight—there was no garrison in Jinkara—nor any sign of the town guards in their distinctive bright green jackets paying any particular attention to the ship.

She stuck close to the Copper Fish, venturing out occasionally to see the few sights the town offered and make sure the innkeeper didn't start to think there was a nefarious reason for her lurking in her room, but not wanting to miss Samuel should he call or send a message.

Jinkara wasn't large, and its opportunities to entertain herself in ways that wouldn't deplete her funds were limited. She didn't want to visit the temple or anywhere else where news from Lumia—such as descriptions of people the Imperial Guard might be seeking—might be posted. There had been nothing on any of the public noticeboards anywhere she'd stopped on the journey from Lumia, and nothing had caught her attention here. If the emperor was hunting for her, he was doing so with discretion, perhaps not wanting to tip her off.

In the end, she'd resorted to buying a small stack of novels from a secondhand store a few streets back from the town square and carrying them back to the Copper Fish. She'd missed ten years of Illvyan literature, so it hadn't been hard to find stories she hadn't read.

She was finishing her dinner in the small dining area of her inn late on her fourth day in Jinkara when Samuel slid into the empty chair opposite her.

"Evening, love," he said easily. "Enjoying your meal?"

She slurped up the last forkful of noodles. She'd grown used to the spiciness of the sauce over the last few days, but her mouth still felt somewhat like she breathed fire. "Yes. The food here is surprisingly good, considering."

"Considering what?" Samuel asked with a smile. "The fact that the Miseneians have never met a pepper or spice they dislike?"

She laughed. "Something like that. But I don't mind. It's part of the fun of traveling, isn't it? Trying new things."

"Indeed it is, love, though not everyone shares that view." His smile widened. "But it seems you do, and I'm glad for it. If only because your travels to Partha are going to take you to many new places."

She put down the fork, then sipped the last of her honey beer—the inn's specialty—to cool her tongue. The beer was a far safer choice than the wine she'd tried her first night. At least, they'd called it wine. It tasted more like vinegar that a rat had died in. The beer, however, was unobjectionable and not strong enough to steal her senses. She'd need her wits about her to sweet-talk a caravan master.

She wiped her mouth with her napkin, trying not to appear too eager. "Does this mean you've found someone who can help me?"

He wiggled his fingers back and forth. "A potential partner for your journey, yes. But they would like to meet you first. They did seem enthusiastic when I told them of your magic, but still, they're trying to make the right choice."

A way to get safely back on the road. She tamped down a smile of satisfaction. "And you trust this person?"

Samuel nodded. "I know them by reputation. I've never heard that they take advantage of people. Quite the opposite, rather. Though the price may be a little higher than you were wanting to pay."

She shrugged. She could figure the money part out if she had to. "I'd rather pay for someone trustworthy than spend a month wondering if someone's going to put a knife to my throat in the dead of night."

His mouth quirked. "Glad to hear it. Well, if you've finished with your dinner, I suggested a meeting at the Emperor's Pride at the eighth hour."

She nodded. It had to be getting close to that now. She'd fallen asleep earlier, dreaming away half the afternoon. Too many restless nights catching up with her. And then she'd been later down to dinner than she'd wanted to be. She tried to dine early, before the rowdier customers started to filter into the inn. "Very well. I'll go upstairs and fetch my cloak."

"And your purse," Samuel suggested. "I imagine some sort of payment will be wanted to secure your passage."

She nodded. "And my purse." She hesitated, wishing she still had access to Lucien's power, but she'd given that up when she'd broken the bond. There was no way of knowing whether Samuel was telling her the truth. Only her instincts, honed by her years in Anglion. So far, there was nothing in his manner that suggested she was in any danger.

She could ask him to bring the caravan master to her, of course. But she didn't necessarily want strangers knowing where she was staying. Samuel might be wily enough to hunt her down, but she didn't need to advertise her whereabouts. "I'll meet you out front. I won't be long."

The stairs creaked as she hurried up to her room, the sound familiar now. "Octarus?" she whispered as she scooped her cloak off the bed. She hadn't bothered to light the candle. The window let in enough light from the street for her to see.

The sanctii appeared, blending well with the shadows. "Go out?"

"Yes. Has anyone been in the room?" So far she'd had no trouble at the inn, but it didn't pay to relax. She was under no illusion that the place was entirely safe. If she'd wanted security, she would have paid for one of the respectable inns around the square. But she couldn't risk being recognized. Nor, quite frankly, did she want to waste her money.

"No." Octarus had been watching over her and the inn, except for the times she sent him down to the docks. He didn't seem overly interested in the goings-on of Jinkara. And he hadn't mentioned encountering any other sanctii. Just as well. Word of her whereabouts would travel quickly back to the palace if they encountered the wrong person.

"We're going back to the Emperor's Pride," she said. "Samuel may have found us a caravan."

He nodded, seemingly unperturbed by this news. "I will be close," he said, then vanished again without giving her any chance for further instructions or plans.

Not that she really needed it. She could call for him at any time, and he would hear.

And they'd already agreed that he would intervene if she was at risk.

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