Page 29 of Mattox
“It can’t be a Normal archer?”
“That shot wasn’t made by a Normal. No Normal, even the ones my mother trains, can pull off a shot like that. Not from that far away. Trust us on this.”
“If it is a Mutah archer, how do we know someone from one of the Mutah compounds isn’t behind it?”
“Because Mutah have no need for a battle lord’s compound. Caralas, have you actually been inside a Mutah homestead? Have you seen how they live and work on a daily basis?”
“Truthfully? No. So what you’re saying is that archer may have been paid by one of the battle lords to do us in.”
“Precisely. At least, that’s our theory. Me and my family are working behind the scenes to find the assassin before he gets the chance for another shot.”
“What happens in the meantime? Should I assign more of our men to protect us?”
“Your men are useless,” Mattox informed her. “The only reason you’re alive now is because I was with you. If that archer catches you alone, even for a split second, he’ll be able to make the kill shot. You could be surrounded by a dozen of your guards. All it takes is for him to get a clean bead on you, and it’s over.” He nodded in the direction of the compound. “Right now your father is safe. He’s surrounded by Mutah representatives, and they’re as skilled with a bow as Normals are with sword. But as soon as he leaves the main hall, he’ll be vulnerable.”
“Wh-what can we do?”
“Believe it or not, at this moment this storm is providing you with ample security. The wind gusts are picking up, and becoming more frequent and unexpected. Any shot he tries could be blown off-course at the last second, and the chance of him hitting someone else and perhaps killing them would blow his entire plan of doing it covertly. It would out the fact to the rest of us that there’s a hit man in our midst, and that’s the last thing he wants, or the battle lord who hired him wants, because then everyone will become suspicious of everyone else. They’ll be on their guard, second-guessing every stranger, which’ll make the chance of him getting away with anything drop to near zero. I’m guessing he’s given up for now, and plans to resume once the storm’s passed.” He reached out, unaware of his hand clasping her arm until he felt his fingers close around it. The contact sent sweet ripples through him, and he nearly broke eye contact. “Just stay alert, and always keep yourself guarded.”
Releasing her arm, he turned to leave, when she stopped him. “Wait. Where are you going now?”
“I need to inform the other camps.”
She continued to stare at him, her gaze locked onto his. At that moment, he wished he could read her thoughts, or at least get an inkling of what she was feeling. Being this close together, he could smell her personal scent. Her womanly scent. With every breath he inhaled, it erased the toxic odor he’d been smelling, and filled his lungs with her warm aroma.
“Mattox, they’re pink.”
“What?”
“Your eyes. They not bright red. They’re pink. Did you know they change color?”
He grinned crookedly. “They’re red when I’m pissed about something, which is pretty much all the time. They do change hue once I calm down.”
He hadn’t anticipated her next move. All he remembered was that he’d been wishing there was some way he could taste those dark-colored lips.
It was Caralas who closed the distance between them and lifted her face to his. All he had to do was lower his head to seal the gap.
They were as soft as he’d hoped they’d be. Too bad it didn’t last long enough.
Breaking contact, she continued to gaze at him. “Thanks for coming by to let us know.”
He wanted to respond, but his tongue seemed to be stuck to the roof of his mouth. Instead, he gave a nod and hurried out of the tent, even as every nerve in his body screamed to feel her body against his.
He was still cursing as he headed for the next campground, and he’d bet his damn eyes weren’t pink anymore.
16
Preparation
He heard the sound of hammering before he reentered the compound. Shutters covered all the windows in the apartments, and merchants were busy boarding up the larger windows in their store’s front. Likewise, all the tenting had been taken down from the central square, and those who were using little kiosks or carts from which to sell their wares had whisked them away.
As a result, the compound almost looked abandoned.
A familiar figure rounded one row of apartments. They spotted each other, and Mattox jogged forward to meet Renken in the middle.
“Have you seen my parents?”
“No, but I spoke with Nevo earlier,” the big man remarked. “He told me about what you all had discussed about the archer.”
