Page 25 of Sword of Desire
Harley sat up, listening. Not hearing any sounds of movement, she carefully pushed her blankets back and slid out of bed. Grabbing her dressing robe, she wrapped it around her body, tying it at her waist. She decided not to wear her slippers and opted for remaining in socks to make the least amount of noise possible.
She’d heard Lyle’s door open and close about two hours ago. While she assumed he’d retired for the night, she couldn’t be certain. She methodically turned her handle, cracking her door an inch. No light came from under Lyle’s door, so she entered the antechamber, closing her door behind her. Ever so slowly, she tiptoed to the next door. Knowing Lyle, he probably had this door rigged so he’d know if someone opened it or not. Considering her options, she came up with a plan to enact after she went to Oriana’s room.
Harley opened the door and slid into the hallway. With her back to the wall, she made her way to the left, maintaining a steady pace as she passed the first two doors. When she reached the third one, it wasn’t closed all the way, so she had to be careful not to push on it, opening it farther.
With a pounding heart, she finally reached the fourth door. She slowly turned the handle. Once the door was cracked far enough, she stepped into Oriana’s room, closing the door behind her. The open curtains allowed moonlight to filter in.
The smell hit her first. Roses—just like Oriana. She breathed in deeply, savoring the familiarity, as if her cousin were still alive. Unable to help herself, she went over to the nightstand, picking up the small wooden box with a rose carved on the top. Lifting the lid, she saw the necklace with a tiny yellow rose on it, the one her cousin wore every single day. However, at her birthday celebration, she had worn a fancy diamond necklace. But this one here, this was the essence of Oriana. Tears slid down Harley’s cheeks. She set the box down and wiped her face with her sleeve. She hadn’t considered what being in here would do to her. Sniffling, she dabbed her nose.
“Sorry,” a gruff voice said from behind her. “I had to be sure.”
She startled at the sound and whirled around to face a man stepping out from the dressing closet. When he came into the moonlight, she noticed the roots of his hair were dark like most Marsdens, but his ends were blond like most people from Melenia. “Who are you?” she whispered.
“The name’s Rikter.”
“Are you the one who gave me the notes?”
“I am.”
“What did you mean when you said you had to be sure?”
“Ackley trusts you—and I trust Ackley—but I wanted to see if being in here would affect you. If it didn’t, I was going to leave. I’ve been watching you, and I couldn’t tell if you had Ackley or Lyle fooled. Maybe both.” He shrugged.
“And now?”
“As always, Ackley is right.” The corners of his lips rose.
She nodded. “Coming here, I considered the possibility that you might work for Lyle, not Ackley.”
“And now?” he asked, repeating the same words she’d used.
“I see your hair is dyed.” That was all the proof she needed to confirm this man wasn’t loyal to Lyle.
The man nodded, seemingly satisfied. “We don’t have a lot of time. I need to leave in ten minutes, during the change in shifts.”
Harley moved toward the window, intending to look outside, when the man grabbed her arm, pulling her away.
“Sorry,” he said, releasing her. “I just don’t want anyone to see you or a shadow.”
She nodded, feeling stupid for not thinking about that. “Can you get a message to Ackley?”
“I can get messages to Ackley and Owen. Whatever you need, I’ll try and make it happen.”
A sense of relief filled her. This man, Rikter, was her lifeline to the outside world. Knowing he was there to support her, emboldened her to do more to take Lyle down. “Lyle said he located Ackley. He sent a unit after him.”
“I saw a group of heavily armed men leave earlier today.” He folded his arms.
“That was probably them.” Unease filled her. “Will you be able to get word to Ackley before those men reach him?”
“I’ll do my best. Is there anything else?”
She shook her head.
“Thank you for this information.” He squeezed her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re on our side.”
“What if we just killed Lyle now?” Before he had the chance to harm those she loved and cared about.
“His death would solve a lot of problems.”
