Page 49 of The Rebel and the Rose
Nothing dirty about killing if you do it right, said Caruso, downing his coffee.
Nadia had done the same.Next time, let me do the interrogation.
Fine, he’d relented.
There would be plenty of time on their journey.
And the truth was, even if Ransom did believe her about Lark, he still couldn’t trust her. What loyalty did Seraphine Marchant have towards the King of Valterre, a man who had dragged her off the streets of Fantome and had her beaten black and blue? Threatened her in full view of his Daggers and remained wary of her, even now.
The only thing tying her to this mission – and her word – was the fate of one of her best friends, Bibi. But Seraphine was a mercurial creature and a Versini always had a plot up hissleeve. Ransom would have to watch them both closely to keep them in line.
At last, the palace doors groaned open and Seraphine came down the stone steps. The Shadowsmith was with her, both of them washed and dressed in clean clothes, and carrying matching satchels presumably with supplies for the journey ahead. Someone had stitched closed the cut on Versini’s forehead, and applied tinctures to the rest of their wounds.
Seraphine’s bruises were already fading from purple to yellow, the swelling around her eye abating overnight. Compared to Versini, she was faring a hell of a lot better. Ransom fisted his hands as thatthingin his chest tugged.
Was it the work of Saint Oriel or his own twisted desire?
She is not to be trusted.
She is your enemy.
This was justbusiness. His business.Royalbusiness. They would work together for a time, kill the prince and bury the acolyte, and come home to kiss the king’s ring, before going their separate ways again. For good. Seraphine would live under the Crown’s protection, and Ransom would return to the fate he had resigned himself to.
Yes. Good. Fine.
Fine.
Seraphine surged forward, leaving Versini and their accompanying soldiers trailing down the steps behind her. She stomped towards him, and at once, Ransom was drawn to the strand of wheat-blonde hair that had slipped free of her braid.
He folded his arms to keep from reaching for it. ‘Ready to quest, spitfire?’
‘Did you find Bibi?’
‘She’s in the lower dungeon. Scared half stiff. Though she seems to have fared a lot better than you and Versini.’
‘Call him Theo.’
Make me.
Versini was glaring at him. Standing six paces back with his arms folded like some kind of war general. ‘Let’s not start off on the wrong foot, Tunnel Rat.’
Ransom cocked his head. ‘Do you always talk to trained assassins this way, or just the ones who already want to kill you?’
Seraphine swatted him. ‘Don’t start. It’s too early.’
‘Accosting the Head of the Daggers in front of his underlings.’ Caruso whistled. ‘You must have a death wish, little dragon.’
‘It’s all right, Caruso. That’s just her way of flirting.’
‘Bibi,’ she said impatiently. ‘Tell me.’
Right, right. The king’s bait. ‘As I said, she’s alive. Well fed, and somewhat rested. As far as hostages go. When I found her, she attempted to claw my eyes out through the bars of her cell. I think she thought I had killed you both.’ Sera flinched.Hehad flinched. It had taken several minutes to calm Bibi down, to convince her to trust him. ‘I tried to put her mind at ease.’
‘Did it work?’
He weighed his answer. The truth wasdefinitely not. Bibi had burst into tears, almost immediately, then begged him to free her. ‘I told her you and I were going on a little quest. And that when we return, she’ll be free to go.’
She chewed on her bottom lip. The cut there had crustedover in the night, the cherry red of her blood a shade lighter than the rest of her mouth.
