Chapter 12 #3
“Where do you suggest we start?” I asked.
“First, I want to see if those soldiers discovered a horse or anything else around camp,” Vannesh said. “Then we’ll speak with the maid who discovered the body–”
“I don’t think that’s going to be much help,” Tanell said. “She was hysterical and had to be sedated.”
“Damn,” Vannesh grunted. “That’s fine. We can continue without her.”
Vannesh launched into action after that, and it made my head spin to try to keep up with him. He confirmed there wasn’t much for my queens to do, and Tanell, Yori, and Serra headed off to get some sleep.
“I’d like to help, Master Vannesh,” Carissa said.
She had scooted forward in her chair so she was barely perched on the very edge, and there was a hard, fierce glint in her eyes.
“I have skills that will suit this situation,” she said.
“I’ve heard as much,” Vannesh chuckled. “I’d be delighted to have your skills at our disposal.”
“Where do we start?” I asked.
“Let’s speak with the soldiers first.” Vannesh nodded.
“Alright,” I agreed. “No time to waste. Let’s go.”
The three of us stood up and headed out of the tent. Vannesh took the lead, and Carissa marched along right at my side.
We checked in with Anders first to let him know where I was going.
After all, it was his entire job to keep me in his or his team’s sights at all times.
If I suddenly disappeared, he’d have a fucking heart attack.
Unsurprisingly, he insisted on coming with us and left Rubin in charge of guarding the tent with my queens inside.
“Where is the soldier tasked with searching the area?” Vannesh asked.
“They haven’t returned yet,” Anders said. “King Manolito sent a group of twenty men.”
“Let us head that way,” Vannesh decided.
In less than a minute, we passed the bloodstained patch of grass where Rostam had died and headed further away from the edge of camp.
We only made it about ten more yards before the group of Zall’s soldiers emerged from the darkness.
“King Kenneth.” The one King Mannie had put in charge greeted me with a bow.
“Hey,” I said. “Did you find anything?”
“A horse,” the soldier said, and he turned to indicate another man in the group.
The large man at the back of the group walked forward with a black horse’s reins in his hand. The horse was almost invisible in the dark of the night.
“Any idea who the horse belongs to?” I asked.
“No, sire,” the large soldier said. “He’s not a wild one, though. He had reins on.”
“No saddle?” Carissa asked with furrowed eyebrows.
“No, my lady,” the soldier answered.
“Strange,” Carissa murmured, but she didn’t elaborate.
“Are the horse’s hooves bloody?” Vannesh asked.
“Oh.” The soldier looked surprised. “I didn’t think to check, sir.”
“Well, do it now,” Anders said in an irritated voice.
The soldier nodded and hurriedly bent down to inspect the horse’s four hooves.
“It’s hard to tell, sir,” he answered after a moment. “It’s possible, but it’s pretty dark out here.”
“Bring him to the paddock,” I instructed. “Inspect the hooves there, in the lamp light, and if you find anything, go to my tent and let the guards on duty know.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he said.
Nobody moved, and I grumbled a little.
“Go on,” I ordered.
The group of soldiers hopped to it, and a moment later, they were all well within the boundaries of the encampment. Once again, Vannesh, Anders, Carissa, and I were alone.
“Do you think they’ll find anything?” Anders asked.
“No,” Vannesh grunted. “If there had been any blood on the horse’s hooves, it’s probably been wiped off in all this grass by now. Assuming the attacker didn’t do so right after the murder.”
Carissa started to walk away without saying anything, and I strode after her.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
Her eyebrows were pulled together in determination, and she was half-bent over and staring intently at the ground as she headed back toward camp.
“I’m looking,” she whispered.
“For what?” Anders asked as he and Vannesh rejoined us.
“Tracks,” she said.
She led us back over to the bloody patch of grass. Carissa stopped, pulled a length of string from her pocket, and quickly tied her long, curly hair away from her face.
My mouth was suddenly dry, and I couldn’t think for a second as the slender length of her neck was presented to me. I hadn’t realized how refined her jawline was, and my tongue ached to press itself to the soft pulse point.
I swallowed against the rush of desire in my chest and cleared my throat.
Carissa inspected the area all around where the body had been. The grass was flattened where everyone had stood earlier, but Carissa was looking at a place on the outer edge of the circle of footprints.
“Do you see any?” I asked.
“I don’t see horse hoof tracks,” she said.
“Neither do I,” Anders agreed.
“Not horses,” Vannesh said, and his eyes were bright when he looked back up at me.
“Not horses, sure,” I said in confusion. “Does that mean there are other tracks?”
Carissa’s green eyes were on fire with interest as she looked up at me and nodded.
“Boot tracks,” she said.