So I Married a Sorcerer (The Embraced #2)(104)

“Try to remain calm,” Sister Fallyn said quietly.

“Calm?” Brigitta cried. “How many times must I watch Rup—you-know-who risk his life? The swordfight was bad enough, but now he has to face a fire-breathing dragon?”

Brody strode from the dressing room, wearing breeches and an unbuttoned shirt. “Is there anything to eat—”

“Did you see him?” Brigitta demanded. “Is he all right?”

“I couldn’t see him.” Brody gave her a sad look. “After the swordfight, the guards took him to the army barracks. They won’t even let Stefan see him. They claim if they don’t keep him under watch, he might try to escape.”

Brigitta sank into a chair. Any man in his right mind would try to escape Gunther’s ridiculous quest. “I think the king is using them for revenge. He must hate the dragons for what they did to him.”

Brody nodded. “Probably so. Tomorrow, Gunther and several army troops are taking the three contestants to the Norveshki border. They expect to arrive before nightfall. The following morning, the three contestants will cross into Norveshka to hunt for dragons.”

Brigitta took a deep breath. For four days now, she’d been forced to sit still, looking pretty while Rupert risked his life. No more. If she wanted a say in her own destiny, she needed to act.

“Here.” Sister Fallyn passed Brody a tray of food leftover from dinner. Brigitta had hardly been able to eat.

“You were closer to the field,” she said quietly. “You could see him better than I. Was he all right?”

“He’s fine. Not a scratch.” Brody ate a slice of ham. “Stefan went back to their room in the basement to pack up their things. He’s rejoined the other guards and servants from Eberon, who have been staying in town. They plan to follow the troops tomorrow at a discreet distance.”

Brigitta nodded. “That sounds good.”

Brody sighed. “It’s not all good. I shifted into a bird and landed on a windowsill close to where Captain Mador and General Tarvis were having a discussion. Once they cross the border into Norveshka, they’re not even going to attempt to kill a dragon.”

“But then they’ll lose the round,” Brigitta said.

Brody shook his head. “There can be only one loser. They intend for it to be Seven. Instead of hunting a dragon, they plan to ambush—”

“Rup—” Brigitta pressed a hand to her mouth. Of course, if Rupert was brought back dead, he would automatically become the loser. The captain and the general would become the last two.

“From their position, it’s a great plan,” Brody muttered. “They won’t have to risk their lives fighting a dragon.” He bit off a piece of cheese. “I wanted to pass the news on to you-know-who, but I couldn’t get near him. I tried slipping in as a dog, but the guards shooed me away. Even if I made it inside the barracks, I would have to shift to talk to him, and the soldiers would see it.”

“We have to warn him.” Brigitta rose to her feet and paced across the room. “And we need to be close by in case he needs us.” She stopped in front of Sister Fallyn. “Pack some clothes. We’re going with the troops in the morning.”

Sister Fallyn gasped. “What? I don’t think the king will allow it.”

“If he tries to refuse me, I’ll remind him that he agreed that I could participate as I desired. I need to be there to congratulate the winner when he returns.”

“The king might still refuse,” Brody muttered. “He’s not exactly known for keeping his word.”

Brigitta shrugged. “If he does, we’ll travel with Stefan and his group. I will not stay here, doing nothing!”

Brody smiled. “Fine. I’ll travel along as your dog. Or even fly overhead as a bird.”

“Excellent.” Brigitta’s heart pounded. Rupert would not have to face this quest alone. Even if she had to follow him into Norveshka, she would do it.

For this was her destiny, too.





Chapter Twenty-Eight

The following evening, Brigitta was pacing once again, but this time in a tent by the Norveshki border. Luckily, Gunther hadn’t objected to her and Sister Fallyn coming along. He’d actually been pleased by her apparent support of his dragon hunt. And since he normally traveled with a dozen wheeled carts and two dozen servants, the addition of one more carriage hadn’t fazed him.

Brigitta’s sack of clothes had looked puny compared with Gunther’s six trunks that filled one cart. Two carts were filled with tents and rugs, then another two carried the furniture Gunther wanted in his tent. It took another cart to transport the five-foot-tall golden candlesticks he insisted on having. The rest of the carts were filled with cooking supplies and food.

Stuck inside a carriage all day, Brigitta hadn’t been able to see Rupert. She’d spent the day gazing out the window at the homeland she’d never known. Rolling farmland, cut into squares and outlined with rock walls. Small villages built around a chapel of Enlightenment.

As they traveled east, the land had grown increasingly hilly, the farms replaced by large forests and pastures of sheep. The last several miles had proven difficult, for the horses had strained to pull the heavy carts up inclines that had become too steep. Eventually, the caravan had halted in a green valley close to a meandering stream. When Brigitta had finally emerged from the carriage, stiff and sore, she’d stared in amazement at mountains so high they were topped with snow.