Page 58 of Lhora
The man backed down, but remained at-ready.
Lhora continued through the main doors and into the evening air. Duren stopped on the portico to stare up at the stars and the two moons ascending overhead.
“Never thought I’d see those again.”
She chuckled. “Just you wait. I’m going to show you a side of Beinight you’ve never seen before, either.”
The soldier was waiting with the coach as promised. He watched in amazement as Duren opened the door for her, and she climbed in first. After he took a seat beside her, she stuck her head out the window. “Take us back to the manse.”
The soldier nodded and scooted under the wheel. As they pulled away from the building, Lhora closed the shades, settling herself against him.
“I’m filthy,” Duren remarked.
“I don’t care.” She snuggled close to him as he enveloped her in his embrace. They remained that way, enjoying the nearness as they listened to the steady huffing coming from the coach’s engine. It was a cool night, but the shades prevented the wind from chilling them. The scent of rain hung in the air, letting her know it would come before morning. Comforted by their closeness, their combined warmth, and the rocking of their vehicle, she sensed him gradually falling asleep.
“Duren?”
He grunted in reply.
“Answer something for me?”
“I’ll try.”
“How did you find me? How did you know I was on board the frigate with Vadris Lon?”
“It took me a while to figure it out.” His head lolled backwards until it rested on the seat. “After you left, I realized I’d made a mistake in letting you go. So I grabbed a carriage and took off after you. But when I got to Kotill, and discovered you’d never arrived, I went looking for you. On a hunch, I sailed to the dungeon to see if, by some misinterpretation, or maybe because my father had given my driver countermanding orders, that he’d taken you back there. That’s when we found out that everyone, including the Vadris and his crew, had vanished.” He opened one eye to peer down at her. “Will you explain that to me at some later time?”
“Of course. Go on.”
“I saw my coach parked next to the building, so I did a little digging and found out a wagon used to transport prisoners was missing.” Duren adjusted to a more comfortable position. She caught a flash of distress from him.
“Are you thirsty? Would you care for something to drink?”
“Is there a water bag or something nearby?” he whispered.
Leaning over to the adjacent seat, Lhora lifted the padded cushion and withdrew a skin. Uncorking it, she handed it to him. Duren took several swallows, unmindful of the liquid seeping from the corners of his mouth. When he was finished, he gave the skin back to her and wiped his chin with his shirt sleeve. “Thanks. Where was I?”
“You’d found the transportation wagon missing.”
“I was taking the coach back to the manse when I heard a call go out over the comm board. It said one of the frigates had been taken without notification or ground clearance.” He snorted. “Somehow I knew you had to have had something to do with it. When I got to the docks and noticed the dungeon’s wagon sitting there, that’s when I was certain. I grabbed the first Vadris and his crew I could find, and we followed your wake to Beinight.” He glanced down at her again. “How did you manage to escape our dungeon?”
“I’ll tell you when I feel I can trust you.”
Duren sighed. “If I live long enough.”
She chuckled.
They remained silent until they reached the outskirts of the city. Duren opened the nearest shade to observe the skyline. Traffic was sparse, what they encountered. Lhora believed the lights on the buildings and lining the streets didn’t do justice to the beauty of Montismet. She couldn’t wait until he got to see it in the full light of day.
A tap on the roof told her the soldier driving needed her instructions. Disengaging herself from Duren’s arms, she stuck her head out the window.
“Where do you want me to park?”
“By the grove, behind the garden gate.”
The soldier nodded and turned his attention back to the road.
“The garden gate?” A corner of his mouth quirked upward, and she got the overwhelming desire to kiss those lips again. “Is that the same garden where I confronted you?”
