Defend the Dawn (Defy the Night #2)(35)

He stumbles back a step, too.

“Oh no, Will,” she moans. A hand flops onto her stomach. “It’s going to come out the other end.”

If she somehow makes that happen, I am absolutely dropping her.

But the first patrolman grabs the other’s arm and jerks him back another step. “Get her to the physician, then,” he snaps. “Be quick about it. You’re not supposed to be out after midnight.”

“Yes,” I say quickly, nodding like a fool. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

He glances at Violet and curls his lip when she groans again—but then he turns away, striding through the darkness.

I keep walking, sticking to the main path. Violet hangs limply in my arms and doesn’t make a sound aside from plaintive moans.

Eventually, they’re long out of sight and I’m out of breath from carrying her for so long. For as thin as she is, she’s certainly not tiny. The next time she lets out a sound, I say, “That’s quite enough. They’re gone.”

She all but springs out of my arms and grins at me. “I was rather good, wasn’t I?”

“Good enough,” I allow. I shove my hand into my pouch to find the mask.

“I saved your life, Fox!”

I give her a look. “You endangered it by following me.”

She scowls. I ignore it and untie the knot in the red silk so I can put the mask back on.

As I do, though, I realize she’s studying me.

Maybe it’s not as dark as I thought.

I set my jaw and turn away, glaring into the woods. I’ve taken too many chances tonight. “Forget what you saw.”

“I don’t want to,” she says dreamily. “You’re more handsome than I imagined.”

That’s so unexpected that it startles a smile out of me. She’s barely more than a child, but I don’t want to hurt her feelings, so I say, “I’m honored, but my heart longs for another, Violet.”

“Truly?” She sighs. “Is it very serious?”

That actually makes me laugh. “Quite.” I tie the knot in place, then turn back. “Who’s Will?”

“My cousin.” She pauses. “What’s your name?”

“Fox is fine.” I glance down the path, then up at the sky. “What’s the rebel meeting they were talking about? Do you know?”

She shakes her head—then nods. “Mama says the Benefactors have a new leader. But it’s not one of the consuls.”

Interesting. “Do you know where the meeting is?”

“No—but most gatherings take place in the commons. Do you know it?”

I do, but I shake my head. “It’s not important. Will you be able to get home safely?”

She nods. I fish another handful of coins out of my pouch and hold them out to her. “For boots this time.”

She inhales sharply, but I narrow my eyes, and she nods.

“Yes, Fox.” She sighs.

When she takes the coins, I study her in the darkness. “I might not be able to come around very much for a while.”

Her eyes flash wide. “What? Why? Because of me? Did I—”

“No. Not because of you.” I hesitate. She’s already seen my face, and hopefully I won’t come to regret that. I can’t afford to give her much more information. “I will return as soon as I can, but for now, I have duties that will … that will keep me away for a matter of days. Possibly weeks.”

Possibly forever. But I don’t say that.

Her lips part. “But … but we need you.”

I flinch, then glance in the direction of the Royal Sector. “I know. But right now, there are others who need me more.”





CHAPTER ELEVEN

Tessa

I’m always surprised how quickly things can happen when people have money in hand. When I worked for Mistress Solomon, I remember she once had to wait four weeks to have a shipment of creams sent to a buyer in Sunkeep, just because she wasn’t willing to pay a wagoner to make a special trip. I thought for sure the creams would go rancid from sitting out in the summer heat, but Mistress Solomon sent them anyway, saying it wasn’t her fault that the buyer wasn’t willing to pay a premium for a faster delivery.

But in the Royal Sector, it seems like all someone has to do is make a decision, and they can have whatever they want at their door in a few hours. For the king, it’s sometimes a matter of minutes. After meeting him, I never considered Harristan to be a frivolous man, but there are times that he requests something offhandedly, completely oblivious to the time and effort it must take to fulfill his wishes. He’ll call for tea, and it’ll appear more quickly than it’s possible to boil water. He’ll order an assessment of steel shipments across Kandala over the last fifty years, and advisers will have stacks of paperwork to review within an hour.

The king agreed to this mission to Ostriary, and the traveling party was arranged and outfitted within a few days. My trunks were packed before I was even aware that I was going. I don’t know many of the details, because Harristan and Corrick have been tied up for much of the week, but it’s clear that I’m to be included. Eagerness keeps making my heart skip.

But now it’s dusk on the third day since the ship arrived, and I’ve hardly laid eyes on Corrick since the dinner with Captain Blakemore. The prince’s tension was so potent at the table. It’s obvious he doesn’t like the other man, but it’s hard to argue with a supply of Moonflower petals when people are still dying and rebels are still calling for revolution. I know Corrick has been embroiled in planning with the king, but it’s left me with a lot of time to stare at the ceiling and replay the conversations over and over again. I keep remembering Rian’s voice when he said, You have to force your sectors to provide medicine?