Page 66 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
“We need to talk,” she said, letting her voice travel. How had the cold wind not stolen it yet? “Face to face, unless you want me to wake up your entire city.”
Geryll fidgeted next to me. “Maybe we should go get her?”
“Maybe she’ll wander into the dungeons and do our job for us,” Nadya said.
“Let her come.” I grinned. “I want to see what she does next.”
Zandyr had said The Huntress had a brilliant mind. I agreed–but it was more devious than any of us had given her credit for.
“Or, perhaps, you want everyone to know about our business, hmm?” The Huntress got louder, but her tone was still unnervingly melodic. Like she thought she was out on the hunt and playing with her prey.
She should have known by now the roles had been reserved.
She was inmyterritory.
“Let everyone know what theirCommanderis capable of,” she said. “I could go on and on about the coffin–”
Quick footsteps approached her.
Only then did I tense. What if I was wrong about her and she was truly a cold killer?
I was halfway to the door when another voice joined The Huntress’.
Gods above and below, no.
I groaned, loud enough to shake the weapon racks.
Nadya and Geryll gave me a weird look.
“Hello,” The Huntress said, suddenly sounding cold and caught off-guard.
“Stars above, dear, you’re shivering,” said the voice that I cherished above most, but did not want to hear right now. “Heavens, I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you look like you’ve been through a lot. How can I help?”
“I’m looking for the Commander.”
“Ah, you’re our new guest! You seem much nicer than Nadya feared. Come on, dear, come on, take my coat. Let’s get you bundled up and I’ll take you to him.”
Nadya and Geryll crowded around me, watching the door like one of those great big dragons near the Bone Bridge might burst in.
Honestly, the dragon would have probably been easier to reason with.
But underneath the annoyance, a surprising sense of thrill was trying to flicker inside of me.
I tamped it down and rolled my shoulders back, ready for the inevitable.
“What’s…what’s happening?” Geryll asked.
A sigh was my only reply as the door slung open and in walked Mrs. Thornbrew. Capping off at five foot two, what she lacked in height, she made up for in sheer gumption.
Mrs. Thornbrew had been old since I’d been a boy running through streets I shouldn’t have and not a hair on her silver head or a wrinkle on her stern face had changed. I suspected she would outlive us all and chastise and overfeed us until our last day. With no children of her own, she considered all of us her grandchildren–and acted like it.
She raised her button nose high in the air and fixed me with that unsettling gaze.
“Honestly, Ry.” She tsked. “Your mamma taught you better than to leave a poor, weaponless woman walking alone andbarefootin your home.”
Just to the side of Mrs. Thornbrew, The Huntress arched one of her brows at me, even as she struggled not to grin.
“Yes, so cold.” She tucked Mrs. Thornbrew’s fur collar under her chin, the white mink making her eyes, even reddened as they were, shine brighter with mischief.
