Chapter 12
Chapter twelve
The tavern smelled of stale wine and regret as Cedric pushed the doors open. He'd traded his uniform for a woolen navy coat and scuffed boots, his posture hunched as he stalked inside. The ceilings were low, the lighting dim, and the clientele raucously clinked their drinks together.
Beyond the dusty windows, the river flowed and ebbed around the slouched building.
Dockworkers milled in and out, smoke drifting from their pipes.
Dark beams crisscrossed above, plain benches and wobbly tables scattered around the room.
The uneven floorboards were stained and sticky with spilled drink.
In the back of the room, concealed in a shadowy corner, sat his informant.
Cedric took a seat across from him, scanning his surroundings for any stray eyes before doing so.
“Captain,” Jean said in a low voice, lowering his pipe. He wore a rumpled, dirty coat, his hair a tangled mess, and his breath reeked of cheap ale. A dripping tallow candle wavered between them.
“You don’t need to play the part too well, Jean,” Cedric said, eyeing the man’s tankard.
“Can never be too careful. People can sniff out the mole fast enough otherwise.”
“You also need to stay alert on the job,” Cedric countered. “Now. Report.”
Jean withdrew a folded note from the pocket inside his coat and slid it across the table. Cedric scooped it up, scanned the contents, then folded it once and held it to the candle’s flame. The paper curled and blackened, ash drifting down between them.
“The Silver Flame?” Cedric murmured as the last of it burned away. “Are you certain that’s where the serpent came from?”
“Yes,” Jean said. “We have a spy among them. He intercepted a message. A patron paid for the work.”
Cedric hummed in thought. “Then the group itself may not be our true concern.”
“There’s been talk,” Jean said, taking a swig of his tankard. “Saying the princess is a gilded lamb for the slaughter. Claim the alliance with Castaviel offends the Maker.”
Cedric clicked his tongue. They had no right to claim what offended the Maker.
“If she is the lamb, why target her?” Cedric asked under his breath.
“Well, some civilians are starting to listen,” Jean continued. “The Silver Flame says the marriage will bring destruction to the kingdom.” He assessed the room with a brief sweep before continuing. “The spy suspects they’ll try something at the engagement ball. Make a spectacle of it.”
Cedric’s jaw ticked. The image of the gardens surfaced unbidden—of the prince who drew close to Nin, his eyes fixed on her rosy lips. He knew Prince Rodrigue would attempt another kiss at the ball.
His fists clenched.
A boisterous song burst from the other end of the room, breaking through his thoughts. Cedric’s mouth pursed. This was not the time to be thinking such irrational and ridiculous things.
Concentrate.
“But would they truly act? Even with a patron behind them?” Cedric asked.
“It’s our only lead,” Jean answered with a shrug.
But something refused to settle in his twisting gut. The danger was too straightforward, the timing too convenient. Plots rarely revealed themselves this easily.
“Is there anything more?” Cedric asked.
Jean shook his head.
Cedric pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. “Then we find the patron.”
With that, he stood and left without another word, the tavern's bawdy songs and drunken laughter echoing behind him.
If the information proved true, the engagement ball would be an ideal opportunity to strike.
There would be open courtyards, foreign dignitaries, and a sea of faces to disappear into.
An assassination could be carried out, and the criminal could slip away unnoticed before anyone realized what had gone wrong.
But why do it publicly? The other attempts had been concealed. Were they wanting to be pinned as the perpetrators?
Regardless, Cedric would not allow it.
Nin was in danger, and her safety was all that mattered. He would double the guard, alter patrol routes, and ensure every eye was trained on Nin. The Silver Flame may somehow breach the palace, but he would not allow them to get close.
He would protect her at all costs, or die trying.