Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves 1)

Tiago hesitated, glancing at Kazi. “We have them in custody, but they aren’t talking.”

Her eyes were steel. This was another development she didn’t like. I wasn’t going to get anything more out of her. At least not yet.

“There’s been some other trouble,” Tiago added.

He said that since the first night I disappeared there had been six fires in six different districts. Two homes had burned to the ground. No one died, but all the fires were suspicious and unexplained. The town was uneasy. There was also a thwarted raid on a Gitos caravan. Two drivers were injured.

I cursed. Someone was trying to create unrest in Hell’s Mouth from all angles. Or maybe it was many someones.

Boone brought back awls and hammers from the post, pounding and fiddling with the rusted lock on my ankle until he broke it off. “Hers too?”

She was surprisingly silent, but her gaze was condemning, certainly calculating how she would pay me back. “Yes,” I answered. “Hers too.”

I rubbed my ankle where the shackle had scraped and cut into my skin. Kazi did the same as she eyed me suspiciously. We were finally separated.

Foley arrived with the fresh horse for Kazi and me, and Aleski, our post messenger, arrived just behind him. Aleski rode lean, and his Phesian colt could get there faster. As I adjusted the stirrups on my own horse, I gave him instructions. “Ride ahead. Greyson Tunnel. It’s important they see us coming from Tor’s Watch, not from town. Yell for clothes. Anything. Bring them down to us. We’ll change on the run. We can’t show up in these. Clothes for her too. Check Jalaine’s room. Then get there and stall. And shoes!” I called as he rode off.

I had no choice but to bring her along. I’d talk to her as we rode. Convince her that she needed to go along with whatever I said. Try to make her understand what was at stake. The wolves were already moving in on Hell’s Mouth. Tor’s Watch would be next.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

KAZI

I glared at Jase.

But inside I secretly roared with laughter.

On some level I was still furious. He talked of honesty in one breath, and two minutes later his lies were bared like a Candok’s teeth. They sank into me, sharp and unexpected.

Still, once the shock had passed, I quickly had to hide my satisfaction at my astonishing good luck. He was taking me straight to where I wanted to go—Tor’s Watch. I didn’t have to sneak inside or create any more problems in Hell’s Mouth to land me there. I was being escorted in by the Patrei himself. It was a rich, sweet irony that, at some point, I was going to happily shove down his throat.

From the minute we were met by the riders in the valley, I had watched him transform. He became someone else. He became the Patrei. His face hardened as he barked orders, and all the quiet plans he had been stewing on for the last several miles spilled out, one command after another like he was a general. His soldiers, like minions, jumped without question at each one. I had foolishly thought that in those quiet miles he had been thinking about us.

His commands didn’t stop with his thugs. We wolfed down a few bites of bread, salted meat, and a swig of ale, and then he ordered me up on the horse we would share. He carefully held the reins out of my reach, got on behind me, and we left. As rushed as he seemed, he kept the horse in an even canter so it wouldn’t become winded. I guessed that meant we had several miles to go yet.

I maintained my anger and silence, though I couldn’t resist a smile when I knew he couldn’t see. He spoke as we rode, trying to explain his ruse of the settlement destination, saying that he was afraid I wouldn’t go along if I thought he was taking me into custody.

“Is that what you’re doing? Taking me into custody?”

He was caught off guard by the first words I had spoken, and his answer came out in halting fits. “I—Yes, well, until we can figure this out.”

Figure what out? It was clearly not me causing trouble in Hell’s Mouth, nor Wren and Synové, whom they had in custody. That revelation alone shocked me. How did that happen? Did they stand watch at the end of that street for me for too long? And on what grounds were the Ballengers holding them? It was within their rights to investigate treaty violations. Still, I had a hard time understanding how they were taken in the first place—Wren and Synové were more than skilled, and those with Jase that day had been as bleary eyed as he had been. If they were being held at Tor’s Watch—

If. Another thought wheedled into me. Maybe they didn’t have them at all. Tiago had hesitated for a few seconds when Jase mentioned them. They aren’t talking. They couldn’t talk if they weren’t there, and Synové did nothing but talk. Maybe his thugs were still searching for them and didn’t want me to know. Another kind of leverage. They were going to hold their supposed imprisonment over my head. I suppressed another smile. I could play that game too.

I felt more like myself again. Back on track. The blurred lines became clear. I could forget these last days with Jase as easily as he could.

We slowed to cross a brook, and Jase leaned close, his chin nuzzling my cheek, “Kaz—”

I shoved him away with my shoulder, my elbow jabbing backward into his ribs.

I heard a small oof.

I shook my head in disbelief. Now what game was he playing?

Once across the brook, he rode faster. “Aren’t you going to say anything at all?”

No.