Rowan dusted off his shirt from where Lake had grabbed him. “When necessary, knights are in the trade of doing business with people of certain talents, despite their perceived unsavory qualities, yes?”
Maddox only stared at him.
“Oh, stop with the intimidation attempt, Captain. I’ve seen baby boars scarier than you. Answer me or don’t. The question was rhetorical. I already know you have an arrangement with the pirate captain.”
“Um, what?” I looked between him and Maddox. “Pirate captain?”
There was a tic in Maddox’s jaw. He kept his eyes on Rowan. “How did you learn of this?”
“Well, you see, that’smyskill,” Rowan said. “I’m a procurer of knowledge.”
“A spy, you mean.”
Were neither of them going to elaborate about the pirate? Because that’s where my mind was still stuck. Seriously, what the actual hell? A real freaking pirate captain. Did he have a huge ship with black sails? A parrot? Booty that he’d plundered?
“Call it what you will.” Rowan flicked his hand. “Regardless of the title, those with this skill are considered a valuable asset. After all, you have your own secret force of spies working within the Order of Knights.”
The muscle in Maddox’s jaw tightened even more. If he ground his teeth any harder, they’d break off.
Spies. Pirates. This fantasy world had so many layers, most of which I hadn’t even uncovered yet.
“There’s a secret force of spies?” I asked. “Really?”
“Yes,” Maddox answered me without taking his eyes off Rowan. “They gather intel, scout locations, and are sent on stealth-focused missions. Among other things. No one outside the Order of Knights knows of their existence, with the exception of the king and his closest advisors.”
“And now me.” Rowan grinned.
“What interests me the most is how you’ve managed to…procurethis knowledge of the inner workings of the knights, yet none from the Secret Order have detectedyou.”
“Fascinating, isn’t it?” Rowan picked at his nails. “I suppose these spies of yours need better training, for I’ve been sneaking around the castle for weeks, and no one has been the wiser.”
“You could be imprisoned for that,” Briar said. “Executed, even.”
A spark of mischief shone in Rowan’s eyes. “They’d have to catch me first.”
“Make your point, bandit, and be quick about it,” Maddox growled. “My patience is wearing thin.”
“He’s not a bandit,” I whispered. “He’s told me like a billion times.”
Rowan clasped both hands against his heart and smiled at me. “We’re making progress, you and I. Fortifying our bond. Do you feel it too?”
More than I cared to admit, yes. Damn him.
Maddox sneered. “Earlier, you mentioned a business arrangement. What is it you want?”
“What I want?” Rowan’s focus shifted to me, then back to him. “Can be discussed later. As for what I can give you? Information.”
“Concerning what?”
Rowan stepped toward the fire, and Lake growled. “Easy, wolf. I’m merely seeking warmth.” He knelt on the rug in frontof the hearth and warmed his palms. The glow from the flames made the dark auburn strands of his hair brighter. “Many believe the light is where one finds enlightenment, but darkness is where the real truth lies. When you whisper to the shadows, they find me and whisper back.”
“What did you learn?” Briar asked. He and Maddox hadn’t taken a single step away from me. They stayed right by my side.
“I came upon certain secrets spoken in dark corridors and the plots devised from them. Plots to destroy Bremloc’s defenses from within. Is that information worthy of your time, oh great and mighty captain?”
Maddox stared at him, expression hard. “You tell me nothing I don’t already know. There are those who are always plotting such things against us, but our defenses are strong.”
“Ah, they are.” Rowan nodded. “However, even a fortress believed to be impenetrable can eventually fall if traitors dwell within the walls.”
“Traitors?”
Rowan matched the captain’s hard stare. “You and your knights are monitoring all the ships that come into the area and patrolling the roads for traveling caravans, completely unaware that the enemy you search for is already among you.”
