“The Markiz cottoned on to the fact that the Princezna’s powers were beginning to weaken in Vasterya. Suddenly all these plans and feelings he had buried inside himself were bursting forth, being allowed free reign. With no word from Silvera that there was anything wrong with the Princezna, tipping him off that there was some kind of cover up going on, the Markiz began making plans.”

“What kind of plans?” Wolfe asked softly, and I knew that menacing quiet did not bode well.

Kir shrugged again. “I was working for him, he found a Glava useful and he paid me well. When things began to change he put his plan to take the sovereignty over into action.”

My stomach plummeted and I felt like I had been kicked in the ribs. “Take the sovereignty over?! Is he insane?!”

“Yes.” Kir nodded. “Quite possibly. He’s started training an army. He paid me to start the rookery up, hoping that a gangland at the border would put off visitors who may take tales back to Silvera. So far it’s worked.”

Wolfe was frowning. “I sent men in only a few weeks ago. There was no mention of an army.”

“No there wouldn’t have been. The army is trained out in the west near the sand dunes. And the people of Pharya are almost religious in their belief in the Markiz and would never betray him. Without the Dyzvati power these people are easily brainwashed, especially with food and money.” He snorted and gestured around him. “Even I’ve been brought low by it.”

I narrowed my eyes on him, suddenly understanding his role in this. “You would have let him do this? Bring an army into Silvera? Betray Haydyn?”

My old friend remained expressionless as he replied in a flat voice, “I suspected Haydyn was unwell and that it was being dealt with. I expected this madness to be over soon and for me to return to working for the Markiz who would remain a Markiz, not a Kral.”

Remembering the boy who had fought so savagely against Syracen when he hurt me, who had taken a lashing unlike anything I had ever seen, I wanted to believe him, but there was a hollow darkness in Kir’s eyes that hadn’t been there those many years ago.

Wolfe cleared his throat, breaking the strained look Kir and I shared. “So what were you planning on doing with us?”

“Making sure you weren’t spies. I thought the Markiz would pay good money for you. And he certainly would pay good money to get his hands on the Captain of the Royal Guard and the Handmaiden of Phaedra.” Kir shook his head, grinning wryly, not seeming to believe we were here. “But he won’t find out about you. I would never let any harm come to either of you.”

I exhaled sharply, my relief palpable. “Thank you, Kir.”

He threw me a boyish smile, one so genuine we could have been children again, planning new ways to harass Syracen, consequences be damned. He looked me over and I felt his gaze sharpen. “I knew you were pretty, Rogan, sweetheart, but I had no idea you’d turn out so well.”

I felt Wolfe stiffen beside me at the compliment and tried not to blush at Kir’s roguishness. He had been like that as a young teenager as well. In fact he’d once kissed me on the cheek when Syracen was visiting at the palace. Kir had gotten away from him and come to find me. I think I’d been hiding out in the gardens, terrified to be in the same building as Stovia. Sensing my unease, Kir had teased me into playing a game of tag with him. A few games in and we heard Syracen bellowing for Kir from the bottom of the gardens. Kir’s eyes had hardened but when he saw me watching he’d turned his bright smile on me and swooped down, planting a kiss on my rosy cheek, telling me he’d be back for me.

“You’re just the same,” I laughed, shaking my head at him.

His eyes told me he disagreed before he turned to Wolfe. “What about you, Wolfe? How is life treating you these days? Got a wife yet?”

Wolfe grunted.

Kir didn’t seem to be bothered by Wolfe’s monosyllabic response and instead stood to his feet. “You look like you both could do with a bath and some food.”

Immediately panic set in, Haydyn’s face swimming before me. “Actually, Kir, we really need to be going.”

“Where are you heading?”

For some reason I wasn’t sure we should share that information with Kir and wasn’t surprised when Wolfe grunted, “Ryl.”

We weren’t going to Ryl. We were going to Caera, but if anyone had intercepted the messenger then he would verify that we had wanted him to contact people in Ryl. Plus, the Guard were in Ryl. No rookery gang could outfight the Guard.

So, Wolfe didn’t quite trust Kir either. I felt a pang of guilt that I shoved away forcefully. Nothing could get in the way of saving Haydyn. Not even an old friend.

Kir nodded. “Well you’ll need horses. I can get you horses. But I have a lot of explaining to do to the gang and well… you both look like you could do with some freshening up and some rest. Let me have the bath filled, and Wolfe you need to take care of that wound.”

We didn’t argue with Kir. Mostly because I think we were desperate for a bath. It was the spoiled upbringing in us both. Kir had a couple of the men fill the bathtub with hot water and I left the room with Kir, while Wolfe bathed. He took me to another room down the hallway, away from the gang members. It too was kept quite clean, a couple of armchairs here and there, painted theatre posters covering the chipped walls. I sat down, confused by the strange mix of alien and familiarity in being with Kir. I smiled in thanks as he handed me a glass of water and sipped greedily, not realising how thirsty I was. My eyes widened at the touch of Kir’s fingers on my face, but he was just tipping my cheek to the side for a better look. His green gaze darkened to the colour of the forest at night.

“Who did that?” He bit out.

Not really caring if I got Jesper in trouble, I told him. Kir cursed profusely before softening his expression as he took in my fright. His fingers were gentle on my skin as he stroked my cheek.

“I’ll kill him for that.”

I shivered, pulling away when his gaze dipped to my mouth. “Please don’t.”

He quirked an eyebrow, drawing back. “You don’t want me to punish him for beating you?”

I smirked. “I think I punished him enough.”

Kir laughed. “I forgot how bloodthirsty you can be. What did you do to him?”

I told him and Kir laughed harder until I joined in.

Wiping tears from his eyes, he sighed, appearing relaxed for the first time. “Oh I have missed you, little Rogan.”

Smiling sadly, I shrugged. “It’s been a long time, Kir.”

“It has,” he agreed. “But we went through a lifetime together in only a year.”

As we both remembered, a chilly silence fell over the room. I flinched, still hearing his screams as the Captain of Guard lashed him over and over again with the horsewhip.

“Do you dream about it?” he asked me so quietly I almost didn’t hear him.

I looked away, my teeth clenched tightly together. I gave him an imperceptible nod.

His rough hand clasped mine and I turned slowly to look at him. “No one understands, Rogan. How could they? No one understands but you.”

I nodded, feeling as if the last eight years were melting away and I was huddled in Kir’s arms as we cried together by a campfire, the Guard ignoring us as we sobbed in a grief only we could understand. In Silvera we saw one another once or twice a month but I remembered how empty I felt when I heard he had run away, like some of kind of bond had been snapped. “You left me,” I whispered.

His features hardened as if he was in pain and he grasped my hand tighter. “I had to get away, Rogan, please understand.”

“I do,” I replied softly. “I do.”

“You could stay. Here. With me.”

Shock froze me and I stared back at him wide-eyed.

His mouth quirked up at the corner. “It’s not such a strange request, Rogan. We were close once. We loved one another as children.”

I felt pin pricks of tears at those words because they were true. We had clung to one another with a fierceness born of our grief and protected one another whenever we could. “I can’t stay, Kir. Haydyn needs my help. I can’t stay.”

“She is ill then?”

Biting my lip, I gripped his hand tighter, pleading with my eyes. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

His eyes widened and he cupped my cheek. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”

I believed him.

But…

“What about Wolfe?” I drew back a little, feeling as if I were drowning in a riptide of memories and sorrow… and affection.

Kir frowned. “What about Wolfe?”

“You seem surprisingly friendly with him considering you had to live with his family for a year.”

I watched him closely as his eyes narrowed, his mouth thinning. “I have no problem with Wolfe. He was a good lad when we were young. As much a victim as we were.”

W-w-what? I struggled to breathe evenly.

My heart began thudding in my chest. How could Kir… what did Kir know that I didn’t? How could Kir forgive when I couldn’t? “What do you mean?” I was desperate to know, I needed to know.

He leaned in close to me, his expression quizzical. “Why do you care?”

“I-I… I…” I had no answer for him. And even if I did I would have been distracted by the heat that sparked to life in his eyes, his mouth descending towards mine. Kir was going to kiss me! My heart flailed as if it were being strangled. Was I going to let him?

“Boss.”

Kir pulled back, his eyes closed tightly, muttering curses under his breath. He whipped around and I followed his gaze to the door, completely shaken by what I’d nearly let happen.

Jesper was grinning at us knowingly. “The Hawks want to talk to you, Boss.”

“The Hawks?” I queried, confusion wrinkling my brow.

Kir smiled and pulled me to my feet. “My gang are called the Hawks.”

I threw him a sardonic look. “Why? Because you always catch your prey?”

He grinned wickedly. “Always, beautiful Rogan. Always.”

I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed, and by the way Jesper’s mouth fell open in surprise I was guessing it was something Kir didn’t do often.

“I’m sure Wolfe will be finished with the tub. Why don’t you go along and check and I’ll be back soon with some food.”

I nodded and we headed down the hallway together. When he and Jesper disappeared around a doorway, I was so in a stew about what had almost happened I forgot to knock, and just barged into the room.

“Oh,” I gasped as Wolfe stood before me shirtless, droplets of bath water falling from the strands of hair at the nape of his neck to his shoulders, running in tantalising rivulets across his muscled abdomen. He was beautiful. My gaze followed the trickle like a magpie with a diamond… and then I gasped again at the raised scar on his lower stomach. “Oh m-” I cut off at his growl as he wrenched a shirt on over his head, covering what I had just seen.

Wolfe had been branded.

A dark horseshoe burn scar branded his lower stomach. Who would do such a thing?

“Wolfe-”

The door burst open slamming into my back and I stumbled forward.

“Oh, Rogan, I’m sorry.” Kir righted me as he came in, patting my shoulder in apology. “It’s just we have a problem.” He slammed the door shut.

“What kind of problem?” Wolfe refused to look at me.

“I’m about to have a bloody mutiny on my hands if I don’t hand you over to Solom.”

I paled, instinctively wanting to edge closer to Wolfe. Reminding myself I was an independent woman, I stiffened my spine. “So what do we do?”

Kir’s gaze pinned Wolfe to the wall. “I’m sorry, brother, but I had to.”

Panic made my heart gain tempo. “Had to what? What’s going on?”

“Does she know? About your…?”

Wolfe nodded stiffly.

Kir relaxed then. “I know you tried to keep it hidden, but it was the only thing I could barter with.”

“I understand.”

Understand what? My head swivelled back and forth between them so much I was sure it was about to spin off. “Understand what?” I snapped in burning frustration.

Finally, Kir turned to me. “I told them about Wolfe being a mage.”

I gasped, “You knew?” Suddenly I felt hopelessly betrayed. What was it that these two men shared? Why was Kir so amiable to Wolfe? Why couldn’t he have told me he and Wolfe were friendly with one another? Why was I the only one that didn’t really know Wolfe?!

Kir nodded. “Yeah, I know. I managed to convince the Hawk’s that we could sell Wolfe to Solom.”

“No!” I yelled, outraged at the idea. “Over my dead body! No!”

The two of them raised their eyebrows at me and then grinned.

What on haven were they grinning about?

I growled in frustration as the truth dawned on me; for a moment I had forgotten my decision to trust Kir, but I wasn’t amused at him taking an opportunity to get rise out of me. “You’re not really going to sell him, are you?”

Kir huffed in indignation. “Of course not. I’m going to let them think I am. They’re sending a messenger to Pharya to have someone come and collect Wolfe. That someone should be here in a few days. For now I want you to rest up for the night, have some food. And then tomorrow when I come to get you, we’re going to pretend Wolfe blasted me with his powers and you escaped, when really I’ll be letting you out the back door.”

“There’s a back door?”