Authors: Amanda Hocking
I turned away from him, unwilling to let him see how badly it had shaken me up. “Thanks,
but you know you don’t have to worry about me.”
“I can’t help it,” Ridley said, then waited a beat before adding, “It’s my job.”
I pulled open a cabinet drawer and flitted through the files, looking for the one
with my name on it, and dropped the passports inside of it.
“It must’ve taken all your restraint not to kill him,” Ridley went on when I didn’t
say anything.
“On the subject of your job, have you figured out why they were after Linus?” I bent
over and dug through my bag, refusing to talk about it. I wouldn’t even say Konstantin’s
name aloud.
“No. So far we’ve come up empty. I’ve scheduled a phone call with the Queen of Omte
first thing in the morning, and I have a meeting at ten in the morning tomorrow with
the King, Queen, and the Chancellor.” He paused. “I’d like you to be there too.”
“I’m no good at meetings.” That wasn’t a lie, exactly, but it also wasn’t the reason
I didn’t want to go to the meeting.
As the Chancellor, my dad would be at the meeting, and I didn’t want to talk about
letting his attempted murderer get away. I knew he would never hold it against me,
but that didn’t make me feel any less guilty.
I grabbed stacks of American and Canadian cash out of my bag. Ridley pulled his keys
out of his pocket and unlocked the safe at the end of the cabinets. My own set of
keys were buried somewhere in my bag, and it was a bit quicker to let him unlock it.
“You know more about this than we do,” Ridley reasoned. “For the sake of Linus and
the other changelings, we need you at this meeting.”
“I’ll be there,” I said reluctantly. I crouched back down over my bag and dug out
what was left of my tracker supplies—a knife, a cell phone, a mileage log, and a few
other odds and ends—and began putting them in the cabinets.
“What are you doing out here, anyway?” I asked. “Aren’t you off for the night?” His
job was much more of a nine-to-five gig than mine.
“I saw you pull in.” He leaned back against an SUV parked next to me and watched me.
“I wanted to see that everything went okay.”
“Other than the dustup, everything was fine.” I shrugged. “I got Linus back, and he’s
getting settled in with his parents. I did a quicker intro than I normally do, but
Linus seems to be taking this all really well, and I needed to get out and get some
sleep.”
His dark eyes lingered on me. “When was the last time you slept?”
“What day is it?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Wednesday.”
“Then…” I paused, thinking. “Monday.”
“Bryn.” Ridley stepped over to me. “Let me do this. Go get some sleep.”
“I’m almost done, and if I don’t log it myself, then my jerk of a boss will have my
head,” I teased, and he sighed.
“Well, whatever. I’m helping you even if you don’t want me to.” He grabbed the logbook
and started filling it out.
With his help, everything was put away and accounted for within a matter of minutes,
leaving only my clothing and laptop in my bag. I started to pull on my heavy winter
boots and jacket, and Ridley told me to wait there for a second. He came back wearing
his charcoal-gray peacoat and slick black boots.
“I’ll walk you home,” he said.
“You sure?”
He nodded. “I’m done for the night, and you don’t live that far anyhow.”
That was an understatement. My place was a two-minute walk from the garage. Ridley
lived farther than that, but honestly, most people in Doldastam did.
The night had grown even colder, and Ridley popped up the collar of his jacket and
shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked. I was smart enough to wear a hat, so
I didn’t mind it so much. The snow crunched beneath our boots as we slowly walked
down the cobblestone road toward my loft.
I turned to him and couldn’t help but admire him in the moonlight—tall and strong
with the beginnings of a light scruff. Ridley’s looks could be a distraction if I
allowed them to be. Fortunately, I was a master at reining in useless, dangerous feelings
like attraction, and I looked away from him.
“I’m not gonna be in trouble, am I?” I asked.
Ridley looked over at me like I was insane. “Why would you be in trouble?”
“Because I’m not sure that the Berlings will be able to get Linus’s money now. He’s
a few days shy of eighteen, and there’s no telling what’ll happen to his trust fund.”
“You got him home safely. That’s the most important thing,” he said. “Everything after
that is icing.”
“So you think I did the right thing by taking him home early?”
“Absolutely.” Ridley stopped walking, so I did too, and he looked down at me. Our
path was lit by lanterns and the moonlight, and I could see the sincerity in his chestnut
eyes. “You have great instincts, Bryn. If you thought that Linus was in real danger,
then he was. And who knows what Konstantin Black would’ve done with him?”
“I know.” I sighed. “I mean, I do. But what if his parents don’t feel the same way?”
“The Berlings aren’t like that, and if they are…” He shrugged. “Screw ’em. You protected
their son, and that’s all that should matter.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He smiled back at me, then motioned to the barn just up the road. “Now
go up and get some sleep, and don’t forget about the meeting in the morning.”
“See you tomorrow, Ridley.”
“Good night.”
I turned and jogged toward the barn, but he stayed where he was in the street, waiting
until I’d made it inside safely. The lower level of the barn was a stable, but the
stairway along the side of the building led up to a small loft apartment, and that
was where I lived.
It was chilly inside, since I’d turned down the heat because I’d planned on being
in Chicago for a month or more. Before I took my coat off, I threw a couple logs in
the wood-burning stove and got it going. I had a furnace, of course, but the natural
heat always seemed to feel better.
I could hear the Tralla horses downstairs, their large hooves stomping on the concrete
of the barn, and their neighing and rustling as they settled in for the night. The
Tralla horses were huge workhorses the Kanin had brought over from Scandinavia centuries
ago, and they stood even larger than Clydesdales, with broad shoulders, long manes,
and thick tufts of fur around their hooves.
The horses in the stable all belonged to the King and Queen, and, like most Tralla
horses, they were only used for show, pulling a carriage through town if the Queen
was making a visit or marching in a parade.
They could be ridden, and I did ride one horse—Bloom—as often as I had the chance.
Bloom was a younger steed with silvery gray fur. Even as tired as I was, I wanted
to go down to say hello to him, maybe brush his fur while he nuzzled against me, searching
my pockets for hidden carrots or apples.
But I knew I had to be up for the meeting, so I figured I’d better postpone my reunion
with Bloom until the next day.
Instead, I settled in and put the rest of my things away. My apartment was small,
taking up only a quarter of the loft space. A wall separated my place from the room
where the hay bales and some horse equipment were stored.
But I didn’t need that much space. I had my bed, a worn couch, a wardrobe, a couple
shelves overflowing with books, and a chair and a desk where I put my laptop. Those
were the only things I really needed.
While I waited for the loft to warm up, I changed into my pajamas. I’d decided that
it was about as warm as it would get when I heard footsteps thudding up the steps.
Based on the speed and intensity—like a herd of small but anxious elephants—I guessed
that it either had to be a major emergency or it was Ember Holmes.
“Bryn!” Ember exclaimed as she threw the door open, and then she ran over and threw
her arms around me, squeezing me painfully tight. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
“Thanks,” I managed to squeak out as she hugged me.
Then as abruptly as she’d grabbed me, she let go. She’d barely even stepped back when
she swatted me hard on the arm.
“Ow.” I rubbed my arm and scowled at her. “What the hell?”
“Why didn’t you call and tell me you were coming home?” Ember demanded, staring up
at me with piercing dark eyes and her hands on her hips. “I had to hear about it from
Ridley that you’d been attacked and were leaving early.”
“Thanks, Ridley,” I muttered.
“Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?” Ember asked.
“I didn’t want word getting out.” I sat back on my bed. “I thought it’d be best to
keep mum until we figured out what’s going on.”
“Well…” She didn’t know how to argue with that, so she brushed her bangs out from
her eyes. “You can still tell me. I’m your best friend.”
Ember was lithe and petite, standing at least four inches shorter than me, and I wasn’t
that tall to begin with. But she was a good fighter, quick on her feet and determined.
I respected that about her, but that wasn’t what bonded us together.
Like me, she didn’t quite fit into Kanin society. In her case, it was because she
was actually Trylle. Her father had worked for the Trylle Queen before they’d moved
here to Doldastam four years ago. They hadn’t exactly been welcomed with open arms.
Outsiders never were, but Ember and her parents had made their place here.
She did have the added struggle of being a lesbian in a society that wasn’t exactly
thrilled about that kind of thing. But since she was a tracker, and not a royal with
an important bloodline—or even Kanin—she’d gotten a bit of a break and tended to slip
under people’s radar. Not that Ember would ever let anybody keep her down anyway.
“I know. I’m sorry,” I said. “Next time I’ll be sure to tell you.”
“So what happened?” She sat down on the bed next to me.
I shook my head. “There’s not much to tell.”
“Ridley mentioned…” Ember paused, her tone softening with concern. “He said that Konstantin
Black was involved.”
I lowered my eyes and took a deep breath, but I could feel her eyes on me, searching
for any signs of trauma or despair. When Ember had moved here, it had only been days
after Konstantin had left. She may not have been here for the attack, but she definitely
witnessed the aftermath.
His attack on my dad had left my nerves raw and I was struggling to control my anger
at both Konstantin and myself. Myself for not being able to protect my dad better,
and for having had such strong feelings for Konstantin.
Ember, along with my friend Tilda Moller, had been instrumental in helping me deal
with it. But that didn’t mean I wanted Ember or anyone else to have to deal with it
now.
“It was Konstantin,” I said finally.
Ember didn’t say anything for a minute, waiting to see if I’d continue, and when I
didn’t, she cautiously asked, “Did you kill him?”
“No.” The word felt heavy and terrible in my mouth, and an ache grew in the pit of
my stomach like a forgotten ulcer flaring up.
“Good,” she said, and I looked up at her in surprise. “You don’t need that on your
conscience.”
I scoffed. “His death I could handle. It’s his life that I don’t need weighing on
me.”
“I don’t know what happened, because I wasn’t there, but I know that you did the right
thing.” Ember put her hand on my shoulder, warm and reassuring. “You always do. You
got the Berling boy home safe and sound, and you’re here and you’re alive. So I know
you did everything right.”
I smiled wanly at her. “Thank you.”
“You look exhausted. But I’m sure you had a very long trip back.” Ember’d only been
a tracker for a little over a year, but already she understood how taxing the journey
could be, even without a run-in with my nemesis. “I’ll let you get some rest.”
“You have no idea,” I admitted with a dry laugh.
Ember stood up. “I really am glad you’re back. And your timing is perfect.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“My birthday’s on Friday, and the big anniversary party’s on Saturday. You’re back
just in time for all the fun,” Ember said with a broad grin.
I tried not to grimace. “Right. Fun.”
The birthday party would be fun, but the anniversary party I’d been hoping to avoid.
It would mean guard duty at the palace all night long, which sounded like it would
be right up my alley. But every party or ball I’d guarded had always turned out to
be nothing but trouble.
The footman who answered the door to the palace helped me take off my coat, even though
I assured him it wasn’t necessary, and he nearly pulled off my blazer with it as I
tried to wriggle away. I’d kicked off my boots, and before I could collect them he
was already bending over and picking them up.
If I hadn’t been in such a hurry, I would’ve insisted on doing things myself. Just
because I was in the palace didn’t mean I needed a servant doing everything for me.
But as it was, I’d barely had time to shower, and I didn’t have time to dry my hair,
so it had frozen on the way over from my apartment.
I mumbled apologies to the footman and thanked him for his trouble. He offered to
lead me down the hall to where the meeting was being held, but I didn’t need it. I
knew the building like the back of my hand.
The opulence of the palace was nearly lost on me by now. Like the exterior, most of
the walls inside were stone or brick. Two massive wooden doors opened into the majestic
front hall, but despite the openness, it felt dark and cavernous, thanks to the gray
tones of the stone.
The only natural light filtered through stained-glass windows featuring famous battles
and royalty long since gone. At the right times of the day, when the light came through
the window depicting the Kanin’s voyage across the sea, the hall would glow blue,
and when it shone through the window immortalizing the Kanin’s role in the Long Winter
War, the hall would shine blood-red.
The rest of the palace was designed much the same way. Since the palace had been built
right after the Kanin settled Doldastam, the key to keeping the cold out seemed to
be building as many brick walls with as few windows as possible. Not to mention an
abundance of fireplaces, which was another reason the stone was so necessary. Less
chance of the building going up in flames.