Page 151 of The King's Man
“You need to sit down and keep healing.”
“You caught me off-guard because Itrustyou—”
“Jann, please stop. I know it’s scary when your body lets you down, but youwillheal and until then, we need to make the most of the time we have. So, please, go back to the hammock and lay down. I’ll cook and fill you in and we’ll discuss the best way to do this. Together.”
I opened my mouth to argue—then realized she’d presented a very valid plan. Except for the laying down part. If it was true I’d slept longer than a day, I needed to move to loosen and stretch muscles. And I told her so.
She shook her head again. “No, you need to sit in that hammock and let me massage your back and work those muscles for you,” she muttered, turning back towards the hammock.
And I would have argued that point too, but the moment she said the words, she sent an image of me, naked and sitting, with her seated behind me, her hands all over my back and… and I found that idea quite appealing.
Grumbling so she wouldn’t think I’d given in, I did as she suggested, led her back to the hammock and sat down—slowly, carefully, because my body still complained. But once I was in the hammock, Diadre climbed up behind me, opened her legs around my hips and let the hammock’s tension keep her pinned against me.
Then she opened that bag she’d brought with her and drew out a small bottle, unstopping it and pouring a small amount of herbal-scented oil into her palm.
And then she began to massage my back, her hands small but strong, kneading, sliding, pressing—even her elbows digging into the muscles at one point—and she carefully and strategically outlined what she had learned so far, and what she hoped to find when she went back this evening.
I growled at that, but didn’t interrupt her, the growl becoming a groan and flinch when her massage hit the core of the sore muscles on my back.
But soon, even her hands on my skin couldn’t distract me from what she showed me in my head—and what it meant for our world.
Gall, entering Braventhall as a ruler already on the throne—with heralds and wealth and command. Power.
Gall, ignoring the traditions and making an already uneasy population of Centaurs twitch with his words and actions.
And a young Centaur, curious and childlike, getting in his path when a disagreement with the Council had Gall striding out of their chambers with a threat to fire the forest if they didn’t sign a truce.
‘…he walloped the baby,’she sent sadly.‘No one knew at first, because it was during his retreat. The child wasn’t supposed to be on that path. The females are weeping about it still. Almost killed the colt. He’s still recovering. If they’d seen it happen, they would have leaped on him, even with his guards and power. That’s why they attacked when you gave them the signal. They thought it was Gall returning to make good on his threat and they have vowed vengeance.’
Oh, dear God. The Centaurs were incredibly patient and slow to rise to conflict, but once they did…
“Jann… they’ve named the Neph a traitorous state.”
I stilled, my jaw going slack. “No, they can’t have—”
“Yes. You cannotshow your face, or approach any Centaur. Theywillkill you if they can,” she said quietly. “Good thing you’ve got me to be your spy, I guess?”
52.This Never Happens
SOUNDTRACK:Hold Onby Hidden Citizens and Ryan Innes
This chapter is dedicated to Tessa, for all your great ideas that got us here.
~ JANN ~
“…None of this matters if we get killed in the traverse of the Peaks. No matter what, Jann. We need to stay here and rest until you’re stronger. You know that.”
“I only need a day, or two at most—we heal fast.”
“We’ll see,” she answered skeptically. I wanted to bristle at her refusal to trust my word, but I was still shaking from thinking she’d been taken and knew I was overreacting.
Dawn light rose as I grew thoughtful.
I’d tried arguing her out of this plan for an hour while she skinned the animal she’d caught on her journey and roasted it over the fire, then fed us both. But I was quiet as we ate thenshe cleaned up, because as much as I abhorred the idea of her infiltrating the Centaurs alone, the truth was, itwaswhy she was here. And itwaswhat she’d been made to do.
But, the panic that lit in my chest when I thought of sitting here, injured and impotent while she walked among them though…
Was that the problem? It wasn’t that I didn’t want her to do her work. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her. It was that we all knew, these things rarely went to plan. And if she was caught among them,alonebecause I sat here like a lump on a log…
