Page 58 of Of Kings and Thieves

Killian was glaring at me coldly. “My lords,” he said, drawing the attention back to himself. “This woman waved us down a day ago, seeking safe passage to Ironset. As you can see, she is no warrior, nor good with that horse. If you see fit, let her ride on and be about her business.”

My face was burning as the Deviants glanced at me. A couple of them laughed. The bald one stared at me for a moment. “And yet I can tell by her sword that she is not completely without protection.”

“Yes, my lord. The sword is for show—she can barely hold it correctly.” Killian said. I looked to Col, but he refused to look at me.

Killian is playing a part, my love. Remember the promise you gave me? Now is the time.

Tears threatened to fall, but I blinked them away. You planned this all along.

No. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but we are out of time, and my capture can buy us more of it.

The Deviants had turned from me to Col, looking at him as the bigger prize.

I love you, Samara. We can keep in touch through the bond.

“No!” I said, but Scarlet grabbed my horse’s reins and turned us toward Ironset, leading me away. People behind us had gathered to watch the scene, and they barely moved aside for our horses.

I began to dismount, but Scarlet hissed at me. “Stop!”

I was about to begin singing, enchanting anyone within reach, but then I caught the look on Col’s face, the subtle shake of his head. He was telling me to back down. But was it because he had things under control, or because it was going badly and he didn’t want me to get hurt? Tears stung my eyes. I couldn’t just let him go.

But then Scarlet was leading my horse quickly away from the fray. “Won’t they follow us?”

She didn’t answer right away. Not until we reached the other side of the bridge and were riding for the walled city beneath the castle.

“You almost blew his cover,” Scarlet said, finally reining in my horse and hers. She was angry. Her face had turned the same color as her hair. “Col turned himself in for all of us. The least you can do is not get us all killed at the same time.”

“He what… Scarlet, I didn’t ask him to—” I made to jerk away, but she held my horse firm, and the animal danced beneath me.

“It doesn’t matter that you didn’t ask him.” She lowered her voice. “He’s going to do whatever it takes to keep you safe, and he’s going to do whatever it takes to save his people. The worst thing we can do right now is act like fools and draw attention to ourselves. It would ruin his planning.”

“How hard would it have been for someone to clue me in before we got here?” I asked, still fuming.

“First, the prince does not need to ask your permission. And second, it all depended on whether Killian could get us through the city, but the Deviants must have placed a spell over the bridge, one that counters other spells.”

“Still, information would have been nice.” I glared at her.

She took a deep breath. “Look, I didn’t want him to turn himself in either, okay?”

I blinked. “That’s why you were arguing last night.”

Scarlet nodded. “That’s part of it. Col is going to play the game, at least for a little while. And me…” She sighed heavily. “I’m supposed to keep you safe. Instead of getting taken in with him and Magnus, I am to take you away from here, at least far enough away to keep us out of trouble until all this is over.”

I just stared at Scarlet, the ramifications of her confession hitting me like a punch to the gut. “Will I ever see him again?”

“Yes, but only if he’s on the throne. I’m only to bring you to him if he is the king.”

“That’s not right.”

“I’m not happy about it, either, okay? I want to be there, not stuck here with…” Scarlet snapped her mouth shut.

“Then go.” I scowled. “If I’m so much trouble, leave me here. I’ll find my own way.” I finally managed to pull my horse away from Scarlet, but as I turned, I saw the soldiers marching Col and Magnus off the bridge, toward the city.

“Hurry,” Scarlet said. She didn’t touch my horse again, but there was an urgency in her voice. “We need to get out of here.”

We didn’t go into the city but wound through the dirty streets just outside the walls, near a small marketplace. Once we stopped, I strained my neck to get a glimpse of Col, but he and his guard were hidden from sight.

“It’s better if they just sort of forget about us,” Scarlet said, watching me as if she didn’t trust me to run off after Col. I wanted to. Gods knew I wanted to. “Killian may have had the concealment spell stripped, but everything you and I drank this morning was laced with a special brew of his. If they don’t look right at us, they forget about us. It makes us invisible to them if we don’t garner any direct attention.”

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