From the Ashes by Nicole Ciacchella

Author:Nicole Ciacchella
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sweenix Rising Books
Published: 2017-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 34

“Be prepared to leave in three days,” Lucinda said. Though she met Benecio’s eyes, her expression was unreadable. She seemed more remote than ever, and it made him uncomfortable. Did she hold a grudge against him? Just when he thought he was beginning to gain ground with her, he had upset the balance.

He wouldn’t have done things differently, no matter how distressing his discomfort, nor would he let that discomfort deter him. After the raid, he would have to tell her who he was and hope for the best. It didn’t matter if she saw his deception as a personal betrayal, as long as she could see past her feelings and know that he wanted what was best for Falloria, as did she. As long as they could continue to work together to further their mutual goals, it didn’t matter how she felt about him—at least that was what he told himself.

“I thought I would be involved in the planning,” he said, careful to keep his voice even. He wasn’t surprised that the Ashes didn’t trust him, but it didn’t do much to make him feel more confident that they’d be able to collaborate, either. Short of delivering the heads of every member of the nobility on a platter, he didn’t know what more he could do to gain the Ashes’ trust.

“The less you know the better, for both us and you.”

He couldn’t debate that. It also spared him the responsibility of deciding what to tell his father. He wouldn’t have warned his father about the raids, but his ignorance of the plans absolved him of his guilt, which he supposed was some small recompense.

“Very well,” he said, deciding to go along with things. Some part of him screamed he was a fool to trust them. For all he knew, they could be planning to assassinate him and dump his body in some far corner of the realm. He had known the risk when he had decided to do this, though, and now wasn’t the time to balk.

She looked faintly surprised that he didn’t protest, but then she wiped the expression from her face. “No need for a pack. We’ll supply disguises, food, and water.”

He was tempted to ask if they feared he’d poison their supply, but he forced the words to remain on his tongue. His words had already landed him in plenty of trouble, and goading her wouldn’t encourage any trust between them. He would have been speaking out of sheer frustration at any rate, and allowing himself the relief wouldn’t be worth the cost.

“Where should I meet you?” he asked.

“Ryanne will invite you to walk with her when her shift ends, and she’ll take you to Leo. From there you’ll continue onward to the meeting point Ryanne will detail to you, and she and Leo will return to The Teetotaler’s Bane, Leo disguised as you. The trickiest part of the plan will be ensuring no one sees you after Leo takes on your guise.”

“I’ll take the utmost care,” he said sincerely.

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