The Deceiver's Heart (The Traitor's Game 2)

I snorted and marched back to my horse to tend to its needs. Except that wasn’t really why I was there. I needed some way to get Kestra out of my mind, maybe forever. For all my efforts to save her from Tenger, he had won in the end. He had ripped her away from me and written that letter to gloat over his victory.

Trina said, “You should all get some sleep while you can. I slept earlier, so I’ll keep watch for a few hours.”

Huge offered to rest at the far end of camp and to keep one eye open for trouble as he slept. I had no doubt he meant that literally. I laid out my bedroll to guard the opposite end of camp, then groaned when Basil laid his nearby.

I closed my eyes, rolled away from him, and pretended to sleep.

“I do care for her,” Basil said. “But there’s nothing either of us can do for her now. You know that, right?”

“I’m trying to sleep, Basil.”

“The girl who’s with her now, the girl from Brill. I don’t trust her.”

Trina must have been eavesdropping. She said, “Wynnow has done nothing to earn your mistrust.”

“It’s not just me. Ask your physician—Loelle. She doesn’t trust Wynnow either.”

“She doesn’t like Wynnow, which is different. Loelle doesn’t like anyone from Brill.”

“Nor do we. There are reasons why Reddengrad has no formal relationship with Brill,” Basil continued. “They will cheat and lie and destroy others if necessary and without guilt because they consider the rest of us inferior. Worst of all, their long lifespans afford them great patience. Don’t you think it’s suspicious that they sent you the heir to their throne?”

“Reddengrad also sent us the heir to their throne.” I rolled over, making sure Basil felt my eyes on him. “Should we doubt your loyalties too?”

“I risked my kingdom to save Kestra’s life!”

“And her gratitude was expressed in promptly ending your engagement.” I sat up, though my head swarmed with dizziness. “Let’s settle this, shall we?”

Basil studied me a moment. “Still feeling the effects of the other night?”

“No.” I straightened up and thought that if I did get sick, I’d aim it all toward him. “Why do you ask?”

He smiled but glanced away. “She never poisoned me, that’s all I’m saying.”

Near us, Trina chuckled, still listening in. Fortunately, Gabe began coughing, which took her away to tend to him. It left Basil and me free to really talk.

“I don’t understand why she broke our engagement,” Basil said. “She only told me that she was confused.”

“There’s no confusion in her feelings. She didn’t want your affections before her memory loss and she doesn’t want them now.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Basil said. “I saw the way she acted whenever you were nearby, and how patiently she endured my company when we were alone. I know where her heart is, where it really is. But,” he quickly added, “I truly do care for her.”

Trina began walking again through the camp, so I lowered my eyes, and my voice as well. For now, this was only between him and me. “If that’s true, then she still needs our help. She’ll leave the Blue Caves with magic. You understand what that means?”

Basil took a moment to absorb that, but he finally raked his fingers through his hair and said, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, Simon, but I think we may have something to agree on. She needs our help, together.”

I reached over and shook his hand, then we lay down to finally get some sleep. Despite my exhaustion, I stayed awake with lines of thoughts streaming in every direction through my head.

If I saw Kestra again, everything would be different. Magic would bring her more enemies, fewer friends, and an indistinguishable line between the two. Tenger was a perfect example of that, the friend who would give her magic, and the enemy who would one day kill her for it.

Stranger still, Basil had just agreed to help me protect her. We were finally on the same side of an idea.

From there, things became more complicated. I would have to go to the Hiplands, and if by some miracle we succeeded in holding back the Dominion, maybe I would have the chance to see Kestra again and determine for myself if things were truly over.

They were. I already knew it.

Tenger was about to destroy her in a way that Lord Endrick never could have dreamed of doing.

At the very least, he intended to separate us, maybe forever.