Page 4 of Staff of Nightfall

“What? Why—”

“Nolan might be waiting there. I can’t...” She rested her head against his shoulder. “We need a plan before we face him. And even if he’s not there, Lord and Lady Drummond believe we’re engaged.” And Lady Drummond didn’t like Regulus, but she wasn’t about to say that.

“Oh. So, Arrano, then?”

“Also no good.” She sighed, a headache forming in the middle of her forehead. “If Nolan found out I was there, he would accuse you of kidnapping me or something. I was thinking...” She chewed on her lip. The idea had occurred to her as she fell asleep last night, but she wasn’t sure what Regulus would think. “We need help. I think we need to talk to my father.”

“Your...oh.” She could practically hear his mind churning as he spoke. “And tell him...?”

“Everything.”

He pulled away and looked into her face, holding her shoulders. “Everything... Everything?”

Adelaide knew it wouldn’t be easy for him. He’d barely been able to tell her the truth. She didn’t relish telling her parents what had happened to her or what she had done, either. But she was out of ideas. Maybe it was childish, but she trusted Father to protect them from Nolan.

“My father is wise. And has powerful connections. He’ll know what to do. But...he’s astute. He won’t trust you if he suspects any dishonesty or omission.” She sighed. “We’ll have to tell him the full truth. Is that...all right?”

After a moment, Regulus nodded. “If that’s what you want to do, that’s what I’ll do. You won’t let him kill me, right?”

She smiled. “That’s what we’re trying to avoid, remember?”

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AFTER A BRIEF DETOURto catch and cook a rabbit, they set out. They kept up a trot as long as possible, giving their horses walking breaks before hurrying onward. The sun dipped low and Adelaide’s stomach rumbled, but still they rode on. They followed the roads, but cut across fields for speed’s sake. Their ragged, bloodied appearance drew plenty of stares. She was beyond caring. They made do with a meager meal of berries and a very chewy squirrel for supper, then spent the night hidden in a copse of trees and bushes, curled against each other.

The next morning, they crossed a stream and caught a couple fish. Cooking them on a stick wasn’t ideal, but it tasted infinitely better than squirrel. Shortly after noon they spied a group approaching, so they moved into the tall grass alongside the rough dirt road. Sunlight glinted on helms and chainmail. There looked to be ten mounted knights and several servants on palfreys weighed down with baggage. She watched the unusual group move at a surprising pace.

“What do you make of that?”

“Nothing good results in a group like that.” Regulus furrowed his brow, looking over his shoulder at the knights. “Certainly trouble somewhere.”

“Hm.” She halted Zephyr and raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. It was a curious sight. She squinted at the lead knight. The bright blue of the caparison on that lead horse... Decorated with something white...

“It can’t be.” She wheeled Zephyr around and took off toward the road.

She heard Regulus calling her name and following her, but the heraldry on the leader’s horse consumed her focus. A rearing white unicorn was embroidered on the blue caparison over the horse’s flank—the Belanger crest. The knight wore a helm, and the raised visor cast his face in shadow, but the horse she recognized. A large dappled gray destrier with a dark mane and tail.

“Father?” She urged Zephyr into a gallop, her heart leaping. “Father!”

The man slowed his horse and turned toward her. She grinned as his features came into focus. The shadow of a beard. The deep laugh lines around his mouth. His defined nose. His wide, deep-set green eyes.

“Father!”

Father reined in his horse and held up his hand, halting his knights behind him. “Adelaide?”

She jumped off Zephyr’s back at the edge of the road and regretted it as her ankle smarted, but she ignored the pain and ran toward her father as fast as her throbbing foot allowed. Father dismounted and tossed his helm down as he ran to her. She registered that he was crying moments before he enveloped her in a crushing embrace.

“You’re here,” Father said into her hair. “How are you here? Are you all right?” He held her at arm’s length, looking her over. Tears rolled down his smiling face. He grabbed her hand to look at her wrapped forearm. “What happened? How bad is it?” Without waiting for an answer, he hugged her again, his hand clutching the back of her head.

She relaxed against him, all her stress and worry melting away as she rested her forehead on his shoulder.Everything’s all right now.She didn’t even mind the chainmail under his tunic pushing into her skin.

“I was afraid I’d lost you,” Father whispered.

“What?” She leaned back to look up into his eyes.

“How did you escape?” Worry lined Father’s usually joyful face. He pushed her tangled hair over her shoulder. “No, no, actually, we have to get you home. Your mother is worried sick. You can tell us everything after you’ve gotten cleaned up and rested.”

“I don’t understand.” She smiled despite her confusion. “Where are you going? How did you know I was in trouble? Did Minerva send word?”

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