Stormcaster (Shattered Realms #3)(71)

Hal swore. Robert was as subtle and stealthy as any charging bull. It wouldn’t take long for the blackbirds to catch wind of this. But if Robert found out Hal was here looking for him, he’d go deeper underground than ever. The city was too big and the situation too dangerous to be playing hounds and hares.

But he had to try.

“Tell me he’s using a fake name, at least?”

Bellamy laughed. “He’s calling himself Cordray.”

That was the name of their old tutor.

“Could I ask for a favor?”

“You can ask,” Bellamy said, with a sigh. “Just remember, I’m not the hero you are. King Gerard was a cold, ruthless bastard, but at least there was a purpose to most of what he did. King Jarat—he’s a monster.”

Great, Hal thought. My mother and sister are held prisoner by a monster, and my brother seems determined to join them.

Hal ripped a page from his journal and scribbled a note on it.

Mr. Cordray—

I may have the information you are looking for. I’ll be at the Golden Horn each evening between six and nine.

—A friend

It was a laughably transparent ruse, but it might make Robert curious enough to show up.

He handed it to Bellamy. “If you could leave this with the duty officer at the garrison house, I’d appreciate it. I’ll cover some of the taverns around here and we’ll see if I can lure him out of hiding.”

Bellamy nodded, tucking the note away. “I’ll do that, Captain. I just want to say—I’m glad you’re not dead.”

Hal laughed. “Not yet.”

“Be careful, all right? I hope we both live to see the day that I can fight under your command again.”

“Or I can fight under your command.” Hal stood and embraced his friend. “I hope there will come a day that we can quit fighting and share a beer without looking over our shoulders.”





28


TAKING THE BAIT


For the next two nights, Hal had his dinner in the common room of the Golden Horn, watching the comings and goings through the door. He’d chosen that place because it was a busy taproom, the food was good, and it wasn’t where he was staying. The only downside was that it did seem to attract a lot of blackbirds, who dined and drank in noisy flocks all evening long. It was hard to sit there nursing a drink when his father was at White Oaks preparing to march on the capital, Alyssa Gray was on her way across the Indio, and who knew how far the enemy had advanced in the north. He couldn’t even distract himself by reading because he had to keep his eye out for his quarry.

He was about to call it a night for the second time when he saw a familiar figure shoulder his way into the tavern, glance around the room, and saunter up to the bar. Robert ordered a cider, sipped it, then scanned the room once more. He leaned in and exchanged a few words with the tapsman, who nodded toward Hal in his corner. Robert slipped him some coin, took a long pull on his cider, flirted with the serving girl, then strolled over to Hal’s table.

“Is this seat ta— What are you doing here?” he hissed.

“Have a seat,” Hal said, shoving the chair out with his foot, “and tell me how you managed to misplace the good sense you were born with.”

For a moment, he thought his little brother might refuse, but Robert finally slumped into the chair and banged his tankard down on the table.

“I don’t need your help,” he growled. “Go on back to White Oaks.”

“Oh, I’m going back there tomorrow, and you’re going with me. If I can find you, the King’s Guard can, too. Every thane on the council has spies and operatives here in town trying to get to the king’s hostages. Why do you think you’ll succeed when they haven’t in three months of trying?”

“Because nobody’d expect me to come looking.”

“Right. They wouldn’t expect it, because they know you spring from a long line of smart people.” Hal leaned toward him. “Look, nobody wants to free our mother and sister more than me, but this is not the right way to do it.”

“King Jarat said that if Father’s armies lay siege to the city, he’ll hang the families from the parapets.” Despite his bravado, Robert’s voice quivered a little.

That thought, Hal had to admit, was a punch to the gut. It was one more reminder of how impossible it would be to forge an alliance with the north to fight back against the empress.

“Doesn’t sound like the new king is much of an improvement over the old one,” he said.

“Father won’t listen to me. He’s going to attack anyway. He says we can’t give way to that kind of pressure. And he won’t lift a hand to save them.”

“Do you think he wants to see Mother and Harper hurt?” Hal waited, and Robert finally shook his head. “Giving in won’t help them. Even if the thanes flat-out surrender, Jarat will execute Father and the others, and probably us, too, because he knows we’ll come back for revenge. He’ll confiscate the estates and fill his treasuries. And he still won’t free the hostages.”

Robert scowled down at the table. “So, that’s it? We give up?”

“No. Matelons never give up. But we don’t get drawn into a battle we can’t win.” As he said this, Hal was a little amazed to hear his father’s words coming out of his own mouth. And it seemed a bit hypocritical after his boneheaded moves in Fortress Rocks and Delphi.