mam put me to the task.”
“Who’s your mam?”
“Why, the innkeep, miss. She says I’m to let no one in or out of this room until the kingsman says, and if there’s trouble, I’m to call for her.”
“So no one’s been in or out?”
“No one, miss. I’m trusty.”
“Yes, I can tell.” Melaia closed the door and leaned back against it. If no one had been in or out, where was Trevin?
The scratch came at the window. Then a sharp click, and the lattice silently swung open to reveal a thick silhouette against the airy darkness of the night.
“Trevin?” she asked.
The silhouette jerked upright. “Rogue, scoundrel, and ruffian, remember?” He stretched and rubbed his arms.
“Which is it tonight?” She paced back to her pallet, folded her arms, and faced him. Whatever he was stuffing into his pack clinked. “Where did you go?”
“To the privy.”
“Out the window?”
“Can you see in the dark?” he asked.
“Of course not.”
All she could see was his angular face dusted by a trickle of pale moonlight. But she could tell that he jerked something off a finger and stuffed it into his pouch. Then he slipped off his cloak and shook it.
She huffed. “You climbed out the window to go to the privy? There’s a chamber pot in the corner.”
“Great ghouls, lady. Can’t you be somewhat discreet?” He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m accustomed to court life, where those who want to keep their positions choose to feign a blind eye, a deaf ear, and a
mute tongue.
”
“You mean they pretend not to know anything.”
“Exactly. So you’d best learn the lesson now, or you’ll have more trouble than your priestly vow of integrity is worth.”
She set her jaw and glared at him, wishing she could see in the dark. It was impossible to read his face. “Trust no one,” Gil had said, but if she couldn’t trust
anyone
, she might as well return to Navia on the morrow. She was certain the kingsman would have no complaints as long as she left the harp with him. But deserting her mission would mean snubbing the overlord, clearly disobeying Hanni, and most important, giving up on the possibility that she might truly help the king.
“All right,” she said. “When I get to Redcliff, I’ll do as you say. But for now—please understand—I need to know I can trust you.”
“Can I trust you?”
She was taken aback. “Of course you can trust me. I’m a priestess.”
“I’m not talking about creeds or vows. I’m talking about you. Can you besmart enough to know when keeping your mouth shut will save your own neck? And mine?”
“I … I don’t know.” She sank to her pallet.
“You’re never less than honest, are you?” He leaned against the window frame. “Let’s start with something small. A raiding party is camped two ridges away. Their plan was to attack us at dawn.”
“That’s something small?”
“Mouth shut.”
She pressed her lips together and folded her hands in her lap.
“I found a lookout and impressed upon him the importance of taking a message to their leader, forbidding him to attack us.” He tied two corners of his cloak to the bottom of the lattice. The moonlight split into shards as he closed the lattice, leaving the cloak hanging out the window.
Questions filled Melaia to bursting, but she swallowed them.
“I hope that works,” he said. “We’ll know when the cock crows.”
“Does the innkeep know?” she blurted, then covered her mouth.
“A question worth asking. She doesn’t know I left, but she knows raiders are near. Weapons are gathered, the city alerted. She’s placed a couple of archers on the roof.” He squatted in front of Melaia, took her hand, and slipped a hilt into it. “A knife,” he said. “Sharp. Just in case.”
A rush of warmth ran through her at his closeness. A new way to ward off the chill, she thought, immensely glad he couldn’t see that she was flustered.
“You’ve never held a
“Who’s your mam?”
“Why, the innkeep, miss. She says I’m to let no one in or out of this room until the kingsman says, and if there’s trouble, I’m to call for her.”
“So no one’s been in or out?”
“No one, miss. I’m trusty.”
“Yes, I can tell.” Melaia closed the door and leaned back against it. If no one had been in or out, where was Trevin?
The scratch came at the window. Then a sharp click, and the lattice silently swung open to reveal a thick silhouette against the airy darkness of the night.
“Trevin?” she asked.
The silhouette jerked upright. “Rogue, scoundrel, and ruffian, remember?” He stretched and rubbed his arms.
“Which is it tonight?” She paced back to her pallet, folded her arms, and faced him. Whatever he was stuffing into his pack clinked. “Where did you go?”
“To the privy.”
“Out the window?”
“Can you see in the dark?” he asked.
“Of course not.”
All she could see was his angular face dusted by a trickle of pale moonlight. But she could tell that he jerked something off a finger and stuffed it into his pouch. Then he slipped off his cloak and shook it.
She huffed. “You climbed out the window to go to the privy? There’s a chamber pot in the corner.”
“Great ghouls, lady. Can’t you be somewhat discreet?” He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m accustomed to court life, where those who want to keep their positions choose to feign a blind eye, a deaf ear, and a
mute tongue.
”
“You mean they pretend not to know anything.”
“Exactly. So you’d best learn the lesson now, or you’ll have more trouble than your priestly vow of integrity is worth.”
She set her jaw and glared at him, wishing she could see in the dark. It was impossible to read his face. “Trust no one,” Gil had said, but if she couldn’t trust
anyone
, she might as well return to Navia on the morrow. She was certain the kingsman would have no complaints as long as she left the harp with him. But deserting her mission would mean snubbing the overlord, clearly disobeying Hanni, and most important, giving up on the possibility that she might truly help the king.
“All right,” she said. “When I get to Redcliff, I’ll do as you say. But for now—please understand—I need to know I can trust you.”
“Can I trust you?”
She was taken aback. “Of course you can trust me. I’m a priestess.”
“I’m not talking about creeds or vows. I’m talking about you. Can you besmart enough to know when keeping your mouth shut will save your own neck? And mine?”
“I … I don’t know.” She sank to her pallet.
“You’re never less than honest, are you?” He leaned against the window frame. “Let’s start with something small. A raiding party is camped two ridges away. Their plan was to attack us at dawn.”
“That’s something small?”
“Mouth shut.”
She pressed her lips together and folded her hands in her lap.
“I found a lookout and impressed upon him the importance of taking a message to their leader, forbidding him to attack us.” He tied two corners of his cloak to the bottom of the lattice. The moonlight split into shards as he closed the lattice, leaving the cloak hanging out the window.
Questions filled Melaia to bursting, but she swallowed them.
“I hope that works,” he said. “We’ll know when the cock crows.”
“Does the innkeep know?” she blurted, then covered her mouth.
“A question worth asking. She doesn’t know I left, but she knows raiders are near. Weapons are gathered, the city alerted. She’s placed a couple of archers on the roof.” He squatted in front of Melaia, took her hand, and slipped a hilt into it. “A knife,” he said. “Sharp. Just in case.”
A rush of warmth ran through her at his closeness. A new way to ward off the chill, she thought, immensely glad he couldn’t see that she was flustered.
“You’ve never held a
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