4. Calista
Chapter 4
Calista
It was late when Talon walked into the hut. The sun had set hours ago, so it was some time in the middle of the night. I should have been asleep, but it was hard to close my eyes when the tension between us plagued my every moment.
A moment later, he stepped inside, not bothering to be quiet because he must have spotted the glow of the candles in the window and knew I wasn’t asleep. His eyes were heavy like he was sleepy or drunk—or both. He continued to wear his casual shirts and trousers because armor was unnecessary, and while he looked handsome in either attire, I liked seeing his bare skin more.
He looked at me where I sat at the table with a bottle of wine.
I stared back.
He ran his fingers through his hair as he came to the table. He sighed before he dropped into the chair across from me and helped himself to the bottle of wine. He took a drink straight from the neck. “You’re the single most important thing to me— except Khazmuda. If I had to choose who I love more…I’m not sure who I would pick.”
I felt no jealousy or hostility sharing his heart with a dragon. I considered it an honor to be Khazmuda’s equal, aware of how long they’d known each other, everything they’d experienced together since the fateful moment they’d met.
“I hope I never have to.”
“I’m happy to have half your heart if he’s the one who has the other half.”
He moved the bottle away from himself as he stared, and his eyes slowly sank in their depth, giving me that intensity that told me he’d fallen for me just a little more. “I don’t want you to do this.”
“I know.”
He breathed in slowly before he released it as a heavy sigh.
“But we both know there is no other way.”
He kept his eyes down like he didn’t want to face the truth of my words. Didn’t want to accept the unacceptable.
“I’ll be okay, Talon.”
He swallowed, his eyes still on the table. “I’d die if something happened to you.”
“Nothing will happen to me.”
He still wouldn’t look at me.
“You need to accept that I’m a part of this. When you knew I had the gift, you asked me to help you. That’s what I’m doing.”
He finally raised his gaze to look at me. “You know everything is different now.”
“Because you love me. But I love you too—so I want to help you.”
He looked away again, this time turning his attention to the window.
“Talon.”
He ignored me.
“Nothing you say will change my mind, so just accept it.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and sank into the wooden backing of the chair, looking like a tired man rather than a relentless king. “Are you sure about this?” His eyes remained elsewhere for several seconds before he looked at me again. “Because if you aren’t, we’ll find another way.”
“I am certain?—”
“I need you to be absolutely certain?—”
“ I am . I can do this, Talon. I’ve been both a ruler and a servant. I know how it works. If anyone can blend in like they belong there, it’s me.”
The uncertainty was still in his gaze, but he didn’t fight me anymore. He finally let it be. He grabbed the bottle again and took another drink before he licked his lips. His arms returned to their place crossed over his chest.
“Where were you?”
“With Ethan…drinking.”
I grabbed the bottle and pulled it to my side of the table out of his reach. “I can see that. I didn’t realize you two were so close.”
“He’s my oldest friend…my longest friend.”
“He’s a lot older than you.”
He smirked slightly. “But when we met, we were the same age. We’ve watched each other grow in different ways. When he realized I was fused with Khazmuda, he finally understood why time had been kind to me and not to him.”
“You never told him about Khazmuda when you sailed together?”
He shook his head slightly. “I was a hermit at the time. Didn’t want to be asked any questions. All I wanted was to work so hard I fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow…and then repeat it again the next day.”
Hints of that depression were still in his gaze from time to time. It seemed to have improved during our time together, but it would always be a permanent part of who he was. Every action and decision he’d taken since that night had all been geared toward this watershed moment. Once that was over, perhaps he could truly heal. “When we should we leave?”
His eyes had drifted away, as if he was thinking about old memories that soured his mood. “Tomorrow, I suppose.”
“What about Khazmuda and Inferno?”
“As much as I’d like them to accompany us, it would be unsafe. For them and for us. We’re on our own.”
I nodded.
His eyes found mine again, staring at me with dark eyes that never needed to close. “I’m dreading this for a lot of reasons.”
“What are those reasons?”
“Besides your safety, I don’t want to see how my homeland has changed. My memory has preserved it as it was, a warm paradise with olive trees and red geraniums and wine with good people who enjoyed good music and danced until the sun peeked over the horizon. The grand hall was lined with portraits of the great men who came before me. The maids would cook our meals. But occasionally, my mother would make us dinner, and her cooking was simply the best. Perhaps the people were nice to me simply out of respect, but it seemed like their love and admiration were real. The markets flourished with more than just produce and fresh fish, but pots and portraits and colored rugs. There was always an excitement in the air, a joy that was infectious. Children could explore the streets and alleys on their own in complete safety. The only crime we had was petty theft, usually pickpockets in the streets. Their punishment was mild, serving as free labor to compensate for what they sold. Murder, rape, violence…weren’t too common.”
I listened to every word, imagining a world so different from my own. Even when my father was king of Scorpion Valley, he’d still had to make hard decisions all the time. Had to decide how to punish men who decided to ignore the laws of the land. I’d never witnessed the violence, but I knew my father had regularly sent men to their deaths. Talon’s description made his homeland sound like a mythical place that belonged in a dream.
“I don’t want the horrors I find to destroy that memory.” He bowed his head. “For all these years, I’ve told myself it hasn’t changed at all.”
“Even if it has changed, your memories never will. That’s something he can never take from you.”
He gave a slight nod, but his eyes still possessed their sorrow.
“And you can restore it to what it once was.”
His eyes remained elsewhere, and he became lost in thought once more.
It was a pain that I couldn’t fix, a sadness that I couldn’t carry in his stead. But there was nothing I wouldn’t give to make it all go away.
Once the galleon was stocked with all the supplies they’d gathered during their run, it was turned over to us. We would deliver everything to the Southern Isles and disembark from the ship at the dock. Talon knew the way back to the island, so he would take a small fishing boat to the meeting spot in an alcove to the east and meet with the galleon.
We gathered our supplies then met with Ethan and Queen Eldinar and Uncle Ezra at the end of the dock.
Ethan gripped Talon by the shoulder. “She’s a good ship with a good crew—and you’re in charge.”
“Thank you.”
“I’d join you, but it would be unwise to leave in all this chaos.”
“I understand.”
He nodded toward me. “Your woman has a hard spine. I see why you like her.” He winked then walked down the dock back toward the mainland.
Talon turned to Queen Eldinar, but his eyes flicked away more than once. He was a confident man who didn’t shy away from direct eye contact. Whether you were with his friend or his opponent, he stared you down. But it seemed like he couldn’t look the queen in the eye for more than a few seconds. “We’ll return when we have the information we need.”
“Take care of yourself.” Her gaze shifted to me. “Both of you.”
“We will.” Talon gave a nod before he approached the ladder on the side of the ship.
Uncle Ezra came to me, dropping his guard now that Ethan had walked off. He gave me a slight smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Please be careful.”
“I will.”
“You’re brave, and your father would be proud of that.”
When the softness entered my lips, I pressed them tightly together, caught off guard by the emotion that his words provoked. We rarely spoke of my father. “Thank you.”
His hand went to my shoulder, and he hesitated before he brought me in for an embrace. His palm flattened in the center of my back between my shoulder blades, and his chin rested on my head. His armor was so hard it was difficult to believe there was flesh underneath. The touch was brief before he stepped aside and let me go.
Queen Eldinar moved her hand to my shoulder. “May Riviana be with you.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled before she removed her hand.
I climbed up the ladder and joined Talon on the deck. He was already working with the crew to prepare the ship to depart. The last thing I wanted to do was be on a ship again after such an arduous journey.
Talon moved to the wheel while the crew untied the ropes and lowered the sails. The enormous ship started to move, and Talon expertly guided the ship through the cove and between the galleons that had anchored in the waters. He called out orders to the men to turn the sails and change their height, and once we were out on the open sea, he full speed ahead.
In that moment, he was the captain of the ship—but he would always be a king.
Talon was quiet on the journey, and I knew his silence had nothing to do with me. I felt a tension in his muscles every time I touched him. They flinched and flexed whenever they felt me. The only physical intimacy he desired was holding me while we slept. After he rejected my attempt for something more, I didn’t try again, and he didn’t extend an invitation. It was unlike him, but I knew the strain of our mission had doused the flames that usually burned for me.
When I woke up on the third morning, Talon wasn’t there.
I dressed then stepped on the deck, seeing the sky a mixture of pink and orange as the sun rose from the horizon over the edge of the world. The galleon had dropped anchor sometime in the night, and we continued to float on the calm sea. That was probably why I’d slept so soundly because it’d been so still.
When I stepped onto the deck, I spotted Talon at the bow of the ship, staring at the enormous cliff that rose up to the sky.
I followed his gaze, and at the top, I saw the tall spires of a castle, the colored glass windows, the limestone structure that was almost the color of the cliff, rich in tones of beige and red.
That was the moment I knew we’d arrived.
Several fishing boats were in the sea around us, all searching for the traps they’d left the day before. Close to the shore and bathed in the minerals of the rock, the water was a stunning blue that appeared tropical. It was clear, almost to the bottom.
I came to his side and stared at the castle that had once been his.
He didn’t acknowledge me beside him. Either because he was too absorbed to care or too absorbed to notice. His dark eyes were locked in place, but his expression lacked the anger I expected. His breathing was calm. Whatever his thoughts might be, they were a mystery.
I reached for his hand, and I ran my thumb over his skin.
He moved slightly at my touch before he looked at me—and that was when I knew that he hadn’t noticed me until then.
It was a moment that was better without words. There was no consolation suitable for the loss. No amount of wisdom I could impart with my youth. I’d had my father and my castle taken away from me by a necromancer in the night, but this moment didn’t give me any satisfaction.
My heart had forgiven him completely.
He stared for a while longer, his eyes still locked on the castle at the top of the cliff, ruling over the sea as well as the people in the kingdom. “It’s time.” He turned to look at me, his eyes hard as if he was doing his best to feel nothing. “Last chance.”
Now, I wanted this even more. “I’m ready.”
He stared into my eyes, his dark eyes piercing as they tried to uncover my thoughts with their sharpness. A breeze moved through the air and ruffled his dark hair. The short beard on his jawline had grown in the last few days because he’d been too occupied to shave. He was a beautiful man, inside and out, and I was grateful we’d survived all the trials of our relationship, that our love was stronger than hate. “I love you.”
I sucked in a breath when I listened to the unexpected, the declaration he hadn’t made since the moment he’d told me he first told me how he felt. He showed it through every touch and every kiss, but he hadn’t actually said the words until now. I could feel the words melt across my skin and sink into my flesh…sink into my heart. “I love you.”
The galleon sailed into the harbor and approached the docks. Talon let one of the crew steer the ship into the port and dropped anchor near the pier. Some pirates jumped out, while others tossed rope overboard so they could secure the ship in place to unload. They lowered the ramp next and began sliding down the loot in the boxes and barrels, the heavy containers thudding when they hit the deck.
Other ships were docked there, sailors unloading their catch for the day. The stench of fish was unappealing.
We loaded the loot onto the cart then headed to the port where the soldiers were positioned. There was a gate there, and only merchants given permission by the soldiers were allowed to pass and bring their goods to market.
Talon was dressed like the others, in worn and torn clothing, his sword and other belongings hidden in the cart underneath all the items they would sell. I was dressed similarly, looking like another hand on the deck. He turned to me as we walked. “Don’t speak. Stay at the back of the cart.”
“What about you?”
“These men won’t recognize me.”
We walked down the pier until we reached the road that led to the gate. Everyone stood in a single file line, waiting for their turn to pass into the city with their goods. The line moved slowly, so it was clear that the soldiers did their diligence and searched all the carts.
“What is the purpose of such an extensive search?” I asked.
Talon didn’t answer.
“Is this a practice you used to enforce?”
Talon continued to look ahead. He moved forward when the cart in front of him did the same. “No.”
After half an hour, we made it to the front. The soldiers were in full armor with blades across their backs, looking like generals who belonged on the front line rather than checking carts full of fish.
One of the soldiers stepped forward and looked straight at Talon.
Talon stared back.
As if the soldier was offended, he stopped and waited for Talon to look away.
But Talon remained steady.
“What are the contents of your cart?” He was a big man, bigger than Talon in size and height, which was saying something.
“Steel, silver, and fruits,” Talon answered.
The other soldier moved forward, climbed into the wagon, and began an unnecessary and extensive search.
The first soldier stared at Talon, metal pins across his uniform, like he was of high status even though he was down at the docks. “I’ve never seen you before.”
“I’m new on the crew,” Talon answered.
The soldier continued to search the contents, ransacking the cart. It went on for a solid ten minutes, the fruits coming loose and rolling around the bottom of the cart, the sound of metal clanking when it came out of its chest.
Talon said nothing.
I stayed near the rear of the cart, and no one gave me a second glance.
The soldier finally climbed out of the cart. “Clear.”
The first soldier stepped aside. “The gate closes at sunset.”
We finally passed through and said nothing as we continued the long walk down the dusty road, the double gates that led into the city in the far distance. Rocks eventually turned into sand and lovely beaches with blue waters were visible, but despite the beautiful morning, there was no one around to enjoy it.
We passed through the double gates and stepped on the cobblestones, one of the sailors guiding our horse to the market.
Talon continued to walk at the front and survey his surroundings, staring at the commoners who passed, the other carts that headed to the town square with a fountain in the center. Except the fountain didn’t produce water. It was bone-dry.
Talon stopped and stared at it.
The sailor brought the cart to a halt.
Talon stared at the fountain for a long time before he climbed into the wagon and retrieved our things from underneath the hidden floorboard. He secured his sword across his back then hid its appearance with a black cloak.
The two of us and the sailors went our separate ways.
Talon walked to the dry fountain and stared at the stone. Chunks of it were missing, like fallen debris had cracked it in places where it’d gone weak.
I surveyed the market around us, and the first thing I noticed was the quiet. There was no music, no one playing a guitar trying to earn a couple coins from the public. Most of the stands had little to offer, a small amount of produce and meat, like they’d already sold most of their stock for the day…or there simply wasn’t enough.
Everyone was thin, very thin, and they looked dead behind the eyes. There was no laughter or uproarious conversation. There was a subdued energy to the air, a palpable misery like a cloud of fog. The sun was shining and the weather was agreeable, but everyone looked like it was the coldest day of winter.
When I looked at Talon again, his eyes were on the people, examining them just the way I was. His eyes were guarded and hard, a slight tension in his jaw. Earlier on the ship, he hadn’t looked angry, but he certainly looked angry now. “Follow me.”
We left the main part of the city and approached the cliff that sprouted from the earth. High above the city was the castle, and other pavilions were perched at the top, looking like the kingdom of heaven in the clouds.
Talon headed to those cliffs like he was about to march straight to the steel gates that blocked the path of the hill to the crown jewel at the top.
“They won’t let us pass the gate.”
“We aren’t going to the gate.” He took a detour off the road, leaving the cobblestone path where the remaining houses sat. He stepped into a field of olive trees and passed underneath their tall branches as he moved farther into the wild.
“Then where are we going?”
“I know another way to the castle.”
“Does anyone else know it?”
“Silas is the one who told me, and I doubt he told anyone else. It was how he snuck girls into the castle.”
“And I’m guessing that’s what you used it for too,” I teased, hoping to cheer him up, even slightly.
He ignored what I said and continued on.
It was almost midday, and the heat had risen with the sun. I drank from my canteen but tried to ration it because I wasn’t sure when I would have a chance to refill it. With my pack across my shoulders and the incline of the hill, I was already sore but didn’t complain. “I’m sorry that it’s changed so much.”
He continued to ignore me.
I felt like I had been thrown back in time, acquainted with the moody Talon who only wanted to lash out.
I shut my mouth and didn’t say anything else.
It took nearly an hour to approach a part of the cliff, which was far away from the road and invisible to anyone from town or the castle. The sea was on our left, the surface reflecting the sun in the center of the sky.
Talon approached a crack in the rock, a crack so narrow you could only pass through it if you sidestepped. He took off his pack and held it with one arm before he started to sidestep his way inside.
“And girls would go for this?”
“It’s just a few feet.”
I followed his movement and headed toward the cliff, feeling an instant respite once I was in the shade.
He stepped out of the passage and waited for me to join him.
When I left the narrow passage, I realized we were under the cliff, the ceiling so high above I wasn’t sure how high it went. It was instantly comfortable because of how cool and quiet it was.
“This way.” Sunlight peeked in through the openings in the wall, giving us enough light to follow the path farther into the cliff. The path inclined slightly in parts and then became steep in other places.
“How far?”
“About an hour.”
“An hour?” I asked incredulously. “How would you convince girls to do this?”
He kept up his pace at the front. “I didn’t have to do much convincing.”
I smirked, glad that some of his humor had come back.
When we were halfway there, he stopped and waited for me to catch up.
I thought I was in shape, but following Talon up this path told me how untrue that was. My hands were at my sides, and I breathed through the cramps, wiped my forehead with my forearm.
He drank from his canteen before he returned it to his pack. “This is where we’ll stay until tomorrow.” He turned away, and instead of taking the path upward, he moved to the side, following an opening.
The sound of running water became more audible the farther we went, and after we squeezed through another crack, we emerged at a waterfall that filled a pool before it moved into another waterfall.
I stared at the blue water and looked at the ocean in the background, one of the most beautiful sights I’d ever seen.
He dropped his pack and removed his cloak and his sword. He stripped down until he was buck naked then jumped into the water, making a loud splash that sprinkled the rocks with water. When he surfaced, he flung his hair back and scattered more water.
I looked up the rock, seeing that the very top of the cliff was so high that no one would ever see or hear us.
“Get in.”
I set my pack next to his and undressed before I jumped in the water, letting myself sink for a moment before I swam back to the surface. I slicked my hair back and wiped the water from my eyes, and then I saw Talon before me, drops on his tanned skin, possession in his eyes.
My tiptoes could reach the bottom, so I balanced to keep my chin above water.
His arms circled my ass, and he lifted me to him so I could keep my shoulders above water, bringing our faces close together.
A pain formed in my chest when I realized he’d probably brought Vivian here, but I didn’t want to be jealous of who he’d loved before, especially when I was going to be lucky enough to love him longer than she did.
“It’s beautiful here.”
Whatever composure he’d reclaimed was washed away by my words. “You should have seen it before.”
“I’ll see it after—when you restore it.”
His eyes couldn’t hold mine for more than a second. They darted away. “The guards at the gates were searching for weapons.”
“Why would weapons concern them?”
He moved to the shallow part of the pool then pulled me off him, turning his back to the rock as he leaned against it, his mood immediately soured by our reality. “Because the people are prisoners—and they’re starving.”
“I wonder why they are starving.”
“I don’t know,” he said. “The soil was fertile when I lived here. Produced the reddest tomatoes and the juiciest grapes. They must be using that land for something else, or they ran the soil dry by hoarding all the water. I’m not sure. People probably tried to leave, but my uncle wouldn’t have a kingdom without people to rule, so he locked them inside. Weapons are forbidden to prevent an uprising. I expected conditions to be bad…but not this bad.”
I studied the side of his face, studied the sorrow that burned in his eyes. “We’ll fix it.”
“Stop saying that.”
“We will, Talon.”
He gave a slight shake of his head.
“There’s no reason you can’t reverse the damage that’s been done. No reason you can’t take the crown and restore this land to its former glory?—”
“Let’s just get through this.” His mood dropped further, his eyes losing their light. “All that shit that comes after…doesn’t matter right now.”
The waterfalls pounded into the water and sent endless ripples toward us. The sun felt welcome on the skin while we were submerged in the cool water. It would be a paradise if this were a different time, if he were a prince and I were a pretty girl he’d met down in the village. “What’s the next step?”
“The path leads to the storage area. It’s where we house the aged wines and cheeses because it’s cooler in the mountain than anywhere else. The servants live on the grounds, at least they did when I lived here. We can get you a uniform there.”
“And then what? I just walk into the castle?”
“Yes.”
“No explanation?”
He shook his head. “Just say you’re new and clean. They won’t question it.”
“I don’t see why they wouldn’t question their superior.”
“Based on what I saw in the village, my uncle rules with fear and ferocity. Nobody will want to question him without fear of pissing him off. I’m sure this will be the same. If anyone asks, say that Jairo gave you the position. No one will want to question him.”
“Who’s Jairo?”
“My cousin, one of my uncle’s sons,” he said. “I’m sure he’s around.”
Now that the time had arrived, I felt the race of my heart, felt the uncertainty in my blood. But when I was scared before, I pushed through it, and that was what I would do now. I was the only one who could do this, because even if they miraculously didn’t recognize Talon, he would have a hard time explaining his presence. No one would bat an eye at another maid in the house serving the royal family.
Talon built a fire out of the dried grass and a couple of old branches. It was small, but that was all we needed since we had nothing to cook. He leaned against the wall and looked at the waterfall.
“You think anyone will spot the fire?”
“Maybe from the sea.”
“That doesn’t worry you.”
He shook his head. “Since there’s no love for the king, I doubt anyone cares enough to investigate it.”
“When we launch our attack, perhaps we should distribute weapons to the citizens.”
His eyes had been on the water a moment ago, but then they flicked back to me.
“Since that’s exactly what King Barron fears, that’s what we should do.”
Talon considered it before he gave a slight nod. “Good idea, baby.”
I lived for that nickname. It didn’t happen often, but when it did it deepened the connection between us. I already felt like his and he felt like mine, but his invisible grip on my wrist tightened. “How many children would you like to have?”
The softness in his eyes disappeared like a snuffed-out fire. His stare hardened, and he suddenly looked devoid of all emotion. He was very much alive, but now he looked on the verge of death. “I’d rather not speak of such things.”
“You said you want to marry me and have children with me?—”
“And I meant those words,” he said quietly. “But there’s no guarantee that we’ll be able to enjoy such luxuries.”
He continued to look at the battle as a death sentence, a final act that would claim his life, and nothing I said could change that. “Then hypothetically, if we were to enjoy such luxuries…how many?”
His eyes flicked away and remained hollow like a rotted-out tree. He stared at the waterfall with an expression tightly wound with stress. His chest hardly rose with the breaths he took, as if a rush of depression so great stopped his need for breath. Silence continued to pass, and once seconds had become minutes, it was clear there would be no answer.
I let it go. “I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know what the future brings.”
He slowly turned to look at me again.
“But I prefer to believe it’s everything I want it to be.”
At dawn, we continued our journey up the secret path to the top of the cliff. There were no stairs, so sometimes we had to climb up the rocks to get to the next level of the cave. Sunlight was limited, only coming in through occasional cracks in the wall.
When we made it to the top, Talon stopped and set down his pack. There was a narrow crack that stretched for a long distance. He examined it before he turned back to me. “This is it.”
“It looks like it doesn’t go anywhere.”
“There’s a shelf against it. Just have to shift it a couple inches, and we’ll be inside.”
“What if someone’s in there?”
“I’ll listen before I move it. Are you ready?”
My heart was racing fast, as fast as it did when I ran at a full sprint.
He continued to study me. “You don’t have to do this. Your decision is not a testament of your love for me.”
“I’m ready.”
His eyes remained locked in place as if he wanted the answer to come from my expression, not my words. “I’ll behead everyone in that castle if you need me.”
“I know.”
He kneeled at his pack then withdrew a piece of parchment. He unfolded it then turned it around to display it to me. “This is a map of the castle. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here and it’s a big place, so there are a lot of details missing. But I’ve detailed the main parts of the castle you need to know about, such as the kitchen, the maids’ quarters, and the weapons room…if you need it. My uncle is a pompous man, so I’m sure he’s claimed my father’s chambers for himself. Most of his time will be spent in my father’s study, which is at the top of the castle with a view of the sea and the city. I suspect he spends little time actually running the kingdom and chooses to pursue extracurricular activities, like hunting, smoking, concubines…things of that nature. I’m not sure if my cousins will live in the castle. They may live in the nearby homes on the royal grounds as I did.”
“Why didn’t you live in the castle?”
His eyes glazed over for a moment, like a memory crept up on him from nowhere. “Vivian lived a very modest life before me. The idea of being in a castle where you’re never truly alone didn’t appeal to her. She wanted to cook, make a home, be a mother to our children rather than letting them be raised by a maid. It was her one condition when I asked her to marry me.”
“So, when you became king, you would have continued to live outside the castle?”
He nodded. “If that’s what she wanted. I thought she might change her mind as the years progressed, but we were barely married for a year when…when it all happened.” He looked away, like he shut off the memory before it could fully form in his mind.
He said he never wanted to speak of Vivian ever again, but he shared bits of their story voluntarily sometimes. It was nice to know more about his life, even if it involved another woman. “Thank you for sharing.”
He stared down at the map for a moment longer before he folded it up and handed it to me. “Keep this shit out of sight.”
I slipped it inside my bra underneath my shirt.
He looked at me for a long moment, knowing this was the last chance we would get to speak in private. I didn’t know how long I would be within the castle, but it could be days…or weeks. Someone could discover my treason and behead me before Talon could reach me. “Please be safe.”
“I will.”
“You don’t know how hard this is for me.” His eyes dropped to the ground.
But I did know. Because outside the castle walls was where his wife had been burned alive. Where every member of his family had been burned to ash. “I’ve survived the fall of my kingdom.”
He looked at me again.
“I survived the Arid Sands. I survived the Battle of Riviana. I will survive this too.”
After a long stare, he gave a slight nod.
I moved into him and rested my face on his chest, feeling the hardness of his muscles rather than the cold touch of his armor. I squeezed him as I smelled him, as I treasured him, the man who had become my home and my family.
His thick arms circled me and squeezed me hard into his chest, his powerful embrace wrapping around me completely to enclose me in the most comfortable cage. His chin rested on my head as he held me there, his grip so tight it seemed like he had no intention of ever letting me go.
I could stay like that forever…but I couldn’t. I was the one to step away first.
He let me go, but begrudgingly. Sorrow and discomfort were potent in his dark eyes, like it took all his strength to let me walk this dangerous path alone. He turned into the crack in the hard stone of the cliff and began to sidestep inside, disappearing into the darkness of the enclosed rock.
I waited a moment before I followed, putting space between us in case it was needed.
When we reached the opposite end, it was dark, so dark I could barely make out his movements. But I saw him press his ear to the back of the shelf and listen to hear if anyone else was in the storeroom. At dawn, I imagined it was empty because who could need wine and cheese at this hour, but I didn’t know what other things were stored inside.
He stood there for minutes to be overly cautious. When no sound was heard, he gently pushed the base of the shelf and slid it across the stone floor, making an opening big enough for both of us to pass through. Light blanketed the crevasse in the rock and lit up the rest of my path.
I joined him and stepped into the storage room, the place full of wine bottles on shelves against the wall, pinwheels of cheese on wooden shelves so they could continue to age. There were also grains, oats, and wheat. Beans stored in wooden barrels and bottles of olive oil.
Talon pushed the shelf back before he examined the storage room, like he was well acquainted with the place. “It hasn’t changed at all.”
“Why were you in the storage room?”
He moved to one of the shelves that held the assortment of wine bottles. He examined one that was covered with dust as he read the label. “Silas and I used to help ourselves to the wine and scotch.” He looked at the other bottles before he stepped away. “Most of these were my father’s. I’m surprised Barron didn’t destroy them all. I guess his appreciation for good wine is stronger than his hatred.” He stepped away and approached the door. “The linen closet is across the hall.” He pressed his ear to the door and listened. “I think the staff is in the kitchen preparing breakfast. We should be able to grab a uniform.” He cracked the door and looked into the hallway, and when the coast was clear, he crossed to the other door and stepped inside. It had shelves full of bedsheets and duvet covers and extra pillows, all the stuff needed to keep all the chambers in the castle pristine.
Talon seemed to know where everything was even though he’d been royalty while he lived on the grounds.
“I understand why you know where the booze is, but why do you know about this stuff?”
He opened drawers and searched different shelves, looking for extra uniforms the maids wore in the castle. His back was to me as he searched. “I’m sure you can figure that one out on your own.” He finally found the clothing, a black dress with a white apron sewn directly into the material. He turned back to me with the dress in his hands. “It’s the last one, so it’ll have to work.”
“I’ll get dressed.”
He moved to the door and locked it.
I shed the clothes I wore and put on the dress before I handed him my old things so he could return them to my pack.
Talon gave me a quick look over. “Ready?”
I nodded.
“Follow the path to the left. The maids never use the main entrance. They use the servants’ entrance I put on your map.”
“Got it.”
He continued to look at me. “You look good in that.”
I tried to suppress my smile. “I’m about to sneak into the castle to spy on your uncle, and you want to do this right now?”
A full smirk moved over his lips. “Baby, I always want to do that.” He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the mouth. “Stay in contact with me. I want to know you’re okay.”
“I will.”
He listened at the door again before we both stepped into the hallway.
He moved to the storage door then nodded down the hallway to the left.
I gave him a final look but didn’t say goodbye. That was a word I never wanted to say to him.
After a long stare, he gave me a slight nod before he stepped into the storage room and closed the door.
I stood in the hallway alone, suddenly aware of the fact that I was on my own in this journey, that the success of this mission lay on my shoulders and my shoulders alone. I looked down the hallway that was carved into the rock, the ceiling high above me with jagged edges. I stared down that hallway for a long time before I finally took my first step…and then my next.