Promising Hope (43 page)

Her mouth and throat were so dry, swallowing was
hard. “You said you wanted me to want to be here. I don’t yet, and
I really won’t if you push me. Haven’t you learned yet that being
nice will get you farther than being threatening?”

He rolled his eyes as he stood. “When I tried to be
nice to you the other night, it didn’t change anything.” Instead of
moving towards her, he moved towards the drinks.

She crossed her arms. “Well, being nice for two
nights earned you a kiss.”

“Oh, yippee! I suppose a year from now, you might
spread your legs? I’m not a child, Grace. I’m not playing a game
and you’re not a circus owner with rewards and prizes—”

“What do you want from me, then? I’m trying to make
this bearable for both of us, but I’m not going to sleep with
you—”

He turned on her, the drink from his glass sloshing.
“Oh, I think you would if I truly wanted it.”

“I would cut off your hands if you touched me,” Grace
said through gritted teeth.

He stalked towards her, and she forced herself to
remain upright even when he cowered over her. “Really? Do you
honestly want to try?”

“You are exhausting!” she said, raising her voice.
“How can you go from being a civilized person to a horrible bastard
in seconds?”

He took a hold of her chin and glared at her. “Don’t
speak to me like that.”

She wrenched her face away from him, his fingers
slipping painfully from her skin. She took a few steps back. “I
can’t believe I was enjoying myself with you.”

“Me, neither.” He scoffed. “I can see straight
through this ruse, Grace. Don’t take me for a fool.”

She clenched her hands into fists. “Believe what you
want. What’s next, then? Do you want to hold me down and force—”
Her voice cracked, and she cut herself off. “Or what, William?
What?”

He stared at her for a moment, then flopped down on
the couch. He leaned back with his drink. She’d never seen him
drink so much. Was it because of her? Or maybe his father being
ill?

He rubbed his eyes and finished his drink. “I’m not
going to force you to do anything. I’m going to enjoy the rest of
my night with plenty of alcohol and in the morning, I’m going to
keep looking for a Thieran for my father.”

“Then I’m going to retire to my room,” Grace
said.

He waved a hand, not even looking at her.
“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

When she got back to her room, Marisa started crying
in relief. Grace nearly joined her, but she just buried herself in
her covers and lay there shaking until she fell into uneasy
sleep.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dar couldn’t believe their luck. On second thought,
perhaps it wasn’t luck. Dar and the other men had been watching the
castle for two days now, waiting for an opportunity to spy on
Kilar. When Kilar and Prince William left the castle with only a
few bodyguards, none of them Cosas, of course the men followed.

They traveled to outlying houses and villages around
Renaul. The men changed into various forms, keeping close. The
prince and Kilar spoke very little—perhaps knowing how unprotected
they were without a Cosa. Kilar led William to various houses of
magic folk, searching for a Thieran or a Mahri. The search was
futile. Houses were empty. Other people hadn’t seen their Thieran
friends for days.

After William and Kilar had another failed attempt,
Adrian’s whistle called the men to the side of the road, a small
clearing in the trees next to the house they’d just visited. As the
royal company got back on the road, William’s shoulders were
drooped and his expression was cloudy. Dar, in squirrel form,
rushed back to the other men as the royals moved onward.

The men changed back to their original forms. Dar
breathed in fresh air through his lungs and sat down on a tree
stump. After hours in various forms, he was growing tired. The
sweat on Evan’s forehead told him he wasn’t the only one.

Adrian paced around, panting as though he’d been
running. “We could take him out right now. He has four bodyguards.
Four!”

“We can’t do that, Adrian,” Dar said.

Adrian glared at him. “He’s threatened Evan’s
family—”

“It’s my family, too,” Dar said through gritted
teeth. “But Jeshro is right. If we turn the prince against us,
whatever progress we’ve made with the king will be for nothing.
Killing Kilar right in front of him would be suicide for our
family.”

Adrian groaned. “And he must know it. I can’t believe
he has the gall to leave the castle with four bodyguards.”

“Like he doesn’t even believe we’re a threat,” Evan
said in a low voice.

Adrian surveyed them for a moment. “Galvin, you look
the least tired.” He ordered him to follow the royal company at a
distance. “If they do anything besides search for Thierans and
Mahris, come back to us immediately. We’ll be here discussing, and
then we’ll come up the road and meet you back in town where the
horses are in an hour. Then we’ll trade off, and you can rest.”

Galvin nodded and promptly left. That left Adrian,
Evan, and Dar. Adrian’s three other men were with Jeshro.

“Obviously the king is very ill,” Adrian said. “Where
are the Thierans?”

Dar shook his head. “There are usually a few here in
Renual.”

“We should contact Jeshro and tell him to find a
Thieran,” Evan said. “If he sends one, it will put him on the
prince’s good side.”

“You’re right,” Adrian said with a nod. “We’ll go to
Lin to communicate with Jeshro or Angela.”

“But where are the Thierans usually in Renaul?” Dar
asked. “There was one at the castle a few times when I was a
prisoner. Joyce, I think her name was.”

“Smells like foul play,” Evan said. “Like someone
doesn’t want the king to be healed.”

Dar’s brow furrowed as he turned this over in his
mind. Who wouldn’t want the king to be well? The prince, so he
could take the throne? If it was him, he was quite a good actor.
He’d threatened a few magic folk today trying to find a Thieran,
and each failed attempt left him with a sour look on his face. It
almost made him seem human. Kilar was helping him, but Tisha…
according to Angela’s assessment of Wendy’s thoughts, Tisha would
be against the royal edict.

“Tisha?” Dar suggested.

Evan shrugged. “It’s a possibility.”

Dar stood. “Well, I suggest we get to Lin right away.
The sooner King Thomas is healed, the more time we have before that
slimy son of his takes the throne.”

Adrian and Evan also got to their feet. Adrian sighed
again. “How many distractions before we can take care of Kilar?” he
muttered.

“It’s not a distraction, it’s a priority,” Dar said,
already leaving the clearing. “We have no idea if Prince William is
with Tisha or Kilar, but we know his father is giving us a chance
to come home. He needs to stay alive.”

Before they met Galvin back where the horses were,
they used Lin to contact Jeshro. Any Thieran would do, they told
Jeshro. And to send him as quickly as possible. They met Galvin by
the horses a little more than an hour later, and Dar switched
places with him. Galvin told him the prince and Kilar were a couple
miles east of the city. He changed into a dog to pick up scents,
but it still took him nearly an hour and a half find them.

He’d worried he’d lost them, but he finally stumbled
upon the royal company lounging next to a creek. The guards stood
at a distance, circling as William and Kilar ate fish around a fire
pit.

Even though he was tired, changing back to himself
was too dangerous and he knew he wouldn’t have very good chances
against six of them. He changed into a squirrel and skittered
towards the other side of the creek.

William and Kilar were silent for a few minutes as
they ate, but finally William said, “Grace mentioned the ancient
texts last night.”

Kilar glanced over at him. “What do you mean?”

“She thought you hadn’t told me about that.”

Kilar scratched the back of his neck. “So she
knows?”

William shrugged as he took a few bites of the fish.
“I don’t know how she would.”

“She was with them for weeks, William. She must know
the legends.”

“That’s what they are, you know. Legends.”

Kilar glared at him. “I’m willing to chase after a
few legends in the chance that they’re true.”

Dar moved a tad closer. Were they talking about the
legend Jeshro mentioned about the man who used the ancient texts to
attain magic?

William scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Yes, and you’re
willing to wreak havoc in the process.”

“Oh, please. All I did was give Evan Avialie a reason
to cooperate with me.”

“And what else have you been doing?” William asked.
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed your long absences.”

Kilar smirked. “I would never. You notice everything.
Unlike your father.”

William stilled, his lip upturning, and he shot a
venomous look at Kilar, who winced.

“My apologies, your Highness,” he said softly. “That
was insensitive of me.”

William threw aside the skeleton of the fish he’d
been picking at. He moved closer to the creek and dipped his hands
in the shallow water. He was so close. Dar could change back, leap
on him, have his dagger to his throat… all within seconds. So
tempting, but of course impossible. He’d be dead within minutes, or
thrown back into prison. But then Grace would be free of him. The
Avialies would be free of him.

William rinsed his hands, then his face. He angled
himself so he was half-facing Kilar. “So? What plans do you have
for the other magical families?”

“Nothing important, Your Highness.”

“It would be easier for me to help if I knew what
you’re doing.”

“Help me chase after legends?”

William paused. “I know you’re not a silly man, that
you don’t chase after fancies. If you truly believe there’s
something to the legends, then maybe you’re right.”

Kilar inclined his head. “I will admit some of it is
merely hope. But there are certain things that lead me to believe
we’re not the only one who’ve sought it out. And some men may have
actually found such power.”

The prince studied him. “Do you think Evan will bring
you the ancient texts?”

“No. Not until I take someone he cares about.”

“Who?”

Kilar didn’t respond for a moment, glancing around
their area. “Do you remember the older woman we spoke to today? She
lived by herself, had that mole on her nose?”

“By the bridge?”

Dar knew the woman; she was a Cosa who had once been
married to an Avialie. She’d lost her husband to Protectors, so
she’d stayed to herself over the past decade, vowing to hurt anyone
who came to her asking for help in the war she called “stupid and
pointless”.

“Yes. She’s a Cosa. I believe we can recruit her to
the castle with the right amount of money. Then it should be safe
to discuss these sorts of plans.”

He thought Helen would help him? If Dar had been in
his own form, he would have laughed. Helen helped no one. Even
today, she’d been grumpy and flippant with the prince.

William nodded. “Of course.”

“I would have brought her sooner, but we’ve been
preoccupied with His Majesty.”

William stood up. “Speaking of which, let’s go to Lin
and ask him to send out a message to all the Zinnas he knows. I’m
willing to offer a hefty sum of money to any Thieran who will heal
my father. Zinna messages would be more effective than us knocking
on every door outside the city.”

“Agreed,” Kilar said, getting to his feet.

“I’d hoped a Thieran would be closer, but whoever did
this was thorough.” William’s hand clenched into a fist. “They’ll
pay for this.”

The men started to pack up, and Dar watched them
until they were on the road. Then he changed into a horse and
rushed back to Adrian and the others. They were by the horses,
talking quietly. When he changed into his own form, the world spun
around him for a moment. He stumbled, but then caught his balance.
He bent over, his hands on his knees, panting. “They’re using a
Zinna, offering a reward for any Thieran who can heal him. But
they’re going to Helen to bribe her into working at the
castle.”

Adrian scoffed. “She won’t help them.”

“I know. Do you think they’ll hurt her?” Dar
asked.

Adrian and Evan exchanged glances. “Possibly,” Adrian
said. “Depends on how badly they want a Cosa.”

“They have plans about the ancient texts they weren’t
willing to discuss in the open,” Dar said.

“Why her of all Cosas?” Galvin asked. “Isn’t there
another in town, Emile?”

Evan stood up. “We should warn her.”

Dar nodded. “I’ll go with you.”

“You look like you’re going to pass out, Dar,” Adrian
said. “Evan and I will go.”

“Helen hates everyone, but she’s got a thing for
Dar,” Evan said. “Don’t worry, if he faints, I’ll take care of
him.” He clapped Dar on the back.

Adrian pursed his lips. “Fine. If you’re not back in
an hour, we’ll go looking for you.”

“Can we take the horses?” Dar asked Evan. He wasn’t
sure if the prince and Kilar were going straight to Helen’s, but
Dar and Evan were already closer.

Evan nodded. They mounted and headed for Helen’s
house. A couple years ago, shortly before Lisbeth’s vision, they’d
met Helen. They were looking for a Cosa to help them track down
some Avialies who’d been kidnapped by two Protectors. Helen had
been furious when they showed up to her house, but Dar had been
able to calm her enough to get her to tell them where another Cosa
was. He wouldn’t say she “had a thing” for him, but he was able to
talk sense into her. He had seen her a few times since then, but
she’d never helped him or the Avialies.

They arrived at Helen’s small house by the bridge
that led the road into the east side of Renaul. It was a cottage
surrounded by thorny rose bushes. Evan motioned for Dar to go
ahead. “I’ll keep watch for the others and use Adrian’s whistle if
I see them coming.”