Page 16 of The Turncoat King

She thought she heard Luc sigh in response.

His friend was obviously worried about him. Nervous about the woman who had captured his attention.

She couldn't blame him. Not completely.

She was deep in the long shadows now, and she wound the scarf around her neck. When she reached the general's tent, she called a soft greeting.

“Enter.” The general's sharp answer had her guards turning, suddenly realizing Ava was right beside them as she pulled the scarf away.

She stepped into the tent before they could do much more than gape, but she saw the instant of recognition in their eyes, and they settled back into place.

They would assume she had come to pass on information she'd gleaned from the Skäddar warrior.

That suited Ava just fine.

The general started at the sight of her and stood. “Who are you?” She frowned, and then snapped her fingers. “The translator! Come here to tell me . . . what?”

“Nothing to do with the Skäddar, I'm afraid.” Ava bowed her head.

“What else could you tell me?” The general sat back down on a cushion and waved at one for Ava to do the same.

Ava lowered herself down, and drew her cloak even closer around her. “It's a bit complicated, I'm afraid.”

Chapter 6

Ava took a long time in the general's tent.

So long, Luc began to move toward it, worried for her.

Dak swore, then got into step with him.

“I don't recognize you,” he said.

Luc tilted his head. “Is that so?”

“Could she have enspelled you? She's from Grimwalt, and they're more likely to have magic than most.”

Luc quirked his lips. He had wondered that himself, a time or two. And found he didn't care. “Have you ever heard of a spell that lasted two months?”

Dak didn't respond.

The guards from the general's tent were far more alert to their approach than he'd seen them be for Ava's, but then she had been traveling with the Venyatux for weeks now, and they knew her.

“Let them through.” The general's voice floated from inside the tent, and the guards reluctantly parted.

Ava sat on the cushion Luc had been on earlier that evening, as comfortable and relaxed as the general.

“So. This is your friend you were worried about.” The general's gaze was sharp on Luc's face.

He nodded.

“Well. She has told me the story of how you met in Kassia. I had heard you’d been captured, but when you sent me a missive from the Rising Wave three weeks ago, I assumed it was false information.”

“Someone in my column was working for the Kassian. I trusted him, and it led to two deaths and my capture.” Luc still thought sometimes of the look on Derek's face as the Kassian had thrown back the cloaks they’d used to disguise themselves.

It hadn't been triumphant, or even gleeful. It had been full of shame.

He wondered what had happened to the young soldier. Luc had never seen him again.

---