Page 61 of The Turncoat King

She forced herself to pay attention. She had a headache—a low throb behind her eyes.

“Haslia is the most likely culprit, but it’s not impossible she instructed another spy to finish the job for her.” Luc’s lips had formed a grim line. “We can’t let our guard down.” He glanced over at where Revek lay, half-aware. “I’ll have guards standing guard over Revek until he’s able to remember whatever it is Haslia doesn’t want him to tell us.”

He watched his friend for a long moment, and Ava wondered if he was worried Revek had betrayed him in some way. Deliberately kept whatever secrets Haslia had shared with him.

Others may wonder the same about Luc if all her secrets were laid bare, she knew.

So she had better make sure that never happened.

Chapter 19

“Ihave an embarrassing question for you.” Ava slid beside Deni, crouching in front of the campfire.

“You need me to explainthatto you?” Deni lifted his brows, eyes dancing in jest.

“Ha ha.” She elbowed him in the side, and he had to put out a hand to stop himself falling over. “My cloak has been burned.”

Deni’s gaze sharpened immediately, and he looked her over from head to toe, sniffed. “I thought I smelled ash. How?”

She leaned close in to him. “Luc is discussing it with the General now, but it looks as if Haslia was a Kassian spy. She tried to kill Revek tonight, and then when it didn’t work, either her or one of her fellow spies tried to burn him. I got in the way.”

“Are you—?”

“I’m fine.” Ava sent him a lopsided grin. “Bashed on the head, taken captive and then set alight all in one day. I’m ready for bed, I can tell you that much. But I have no money left to buy a new cloak. Am I owed any for my duty here?”

“You are, but it isn’t given out on the road. What you can do is get a letter of credit from Raun-Tu or one of the other lieutenants, and then take it to a trader. They have to honor it, and then they collect the money at the end of the journey.”

She sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

“It won’t be much,” Deni warned. “Do you have money from all the fights?”

She frowned. “Fights?”

“The sparring sessions, where everyone was betting.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t bet in those.” She didn’t even know how that would work.

He frowned. “You should have some money from that. I’ll speak to the others. It isn’t right everyone won except you.”

She hadn’t thought about it until now. And she wasn’t able to care very much, either way. As long as she could buy a cloak, she’d make do.

For a moment, she let herself rest in front of the fire, let it warm her. Her eyes stung when she closed them, and it would be too easy to simply lay down right here and sleep.

She forced her eyes open. “Are the trader stalls open tonight?”

“They’ll be closed now. It’s late.” Deni stood, and held out a hand for her to take.

She accepted it and he hauled her to her feet.

“Go to bed, Avasu. You’re off duty tomorrow. Take the time to shop and buy yourself a new cloak. Spend a restful day walking slowly with the column. You took a bad blow to the head this morning. I don’t know how you’re still standing now.”

She was only fine because of her cloak. Because of its healing spells. She felt the loss of it again.

She gave a nod. “I’ll take your advice.”

He patted her back, and she walked away through the tents, and then stopped.

Should she speak to Luc before she disappeared into her tent?

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