Page 121 of The King's Man
But I did smile.
When he’d finished his food, he excused himself and left. There were still several hours before the others would gather where I’d instructed. I hadmanydecisions to make. But I needed time and space and quiet tothink.To view this from all angles and—
‘Did he really say Gall is setting himself up as King?’
‘With a Fetch woman at his side,’I sent back tightly. I glanced to meet her eyes from the side, and both of us tensed with the combination of hope and fear.
‘So… that means…’
‘Gall and Istral were both alive three days ago.’
But what the fuck were they doing? And whose thumb were they under?Sadly, I suspected I knew the answer to that question.
The innkeeper arrived soon after Vaysh left and hurriedly secured us a room. Keeping a hand on Diadre at all times, I marched her through the den, meeting eyes with the man in the black hood—he shouldn’t have waited so long to play his hand. But as it happened, I no longer needed him.
The innkeeper gave me the largest room in the building across the road from the den’s street entrance, and much as I wanted to sink into that bed and sleep for days, my body trembled with nervous energy.
The moment we were alone and the man’s footsteps had faded down the hall outside, I turned to Diadre. “We only have a short time. I need those watching to believe I’m here, but our true space is… not this.” I sighed, looking at the bed longingly.
“I don’t care about the room—Jann, what the hell is going on? Gall wouldn’t do that to Melek, would he? It has to be a ruse, or—”
I shook my head and rubbed my hand over my face because the conviction wouldn’t leave me, but I didn’t want tothinkit, let alone speak it.
“Jann?” She stepped up to my toes and wrapped her arms around my waist, craning her head back. “Tell me.”
I sighed. “The Fallen. It’s theonlyexplanation,” I muttered. “They’re using Gall as a pawn to take the throne before Melek can get to Ebonreach. Somehow working to make him look like the one who defeated the Fetch.”
Diadre frowned. “I love Gall, but… would the Neph even follow him?”
“No, of course not,” I growled. “But if I’m reading this right, he’s nothing but a figurehead. And the Neph follow strength. They’ll follow the power that’s setting him up.”
“What do you mean?”
I blew out a breath and made myself meet her eyes. “The Fallen obviously don’t want Melek in power. They’re taking the throne themselves. And using Gall as a front.”
43.The Lay of the Land
~ DIADRE ~
I didn’t want to believe that Gall would let himself be used against his father, but I knew how easily a malicious person could confuse or manipulate Istral. And it seemed that Gall’s heart and mind were very similar to hers.
“Dear God,” I breathed.
Jann grimaced. “I hate to think it, but… I believe we’re going to find that the Fallen are parading Gall across the Continent to establish him as the ruler of the triumphant Neph… gathering the manpower that was left to hold the nations, and changing the story of what occurred in Theynor.”
“You mean—”
“Rumor is truth when rumor is believed by most. By the time Melek arrives in these cities, the shock of Gall’s claim will have passed from fancy into fact. The people will be waiting to see if Melek is truly the conqueror, or if it was Gall after all.At best, Melek will meet wary people waiting to see who wins. At worst, he’ll have to fight for his claim before he even makes it to Ebonreach. Or he’ll land in Valgorath with the remaining fighters to face yet another war.”
“We have to warn them.”
Jann nodded, but his eyes had gone distant with thought. His hands tightened on my back thoughtlessly and warmth rushed through me, along with the chitter of nerves in the bond.
Jannwas nervous?
“I’m afraid there will be no rest for us, Dee,” he muttered a few moments later, his head shaking slowly and his eyes darting left and right as if he were seeing things in his mind. “I need to send messages to allies ahead, and back to Melek. And we need totryto catch up to Gall and whoever is moving him like a pawn.”
Jann lifted one great paw of a hand and rubbed it over his face and into his hair.
