[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

for herself so long as her dark guardian was at her side. Shasta would rather not win at all if it cost
Talon s life.I d hand the crown over to Kumire myself first.
The room was beginning to lighten as the first rays of dawn crept through the window, and Shasta
fetched her writing box from the mantel. Talon might not believe her, she might not even care& she might
have been killed already. But Shasta was not going to waste any more time. If her guardian was still alive,
she had to reach her somehow. Sitting down at the table, she dipped her quill in the inkpot and started to
write.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The tavern was a chaotic place this time of night, when its patrons had been drinking for several hours
and were at their most uninhibited. The fiddler in the corner was playing a cheerfully bawdy tune, and
men were shouting to one another over the music, calling out raucously to the serving girls and pounding
their wineglasses on the counters. No one even noticed the group of plain-clad men sitting quietly at the
Page 192
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
back table.
And that was exactly why Talon had chosen the place for their meeting. She d learned that there were at
least a hundred of the royal guard hiding out in Ardrenn. Some had disguised themselves as common
tradesmen or merchants, but many, particularly officers whose faces would be recognized, were forced
to hide in small back rooms and root cellars, borrowing space from friends and supporters and
depending on the kindness of others for their meals.
All had refused to swear loyalty to Kumire, rejecting claims that Princess Shasta had been killed and
demanding he provide proof. They d been ostracized for their defiance. Kumire had ordered them
imprisoned for treason, though it was no great secret that  imprisonment meant a clandestine visit from a
jailer with a large axe. Now, any man who still wore a royal guard uniform was the enemy, particularly
because of the risk of recognition.
Every now and then someone would be identified as one of the former guard and a troop of
red-jacketed soldiers would appear at the door of the house where he was staying. Usually they arrested
not only the wanted man but the family that was harboring him as well, women and children included. No
one knew for sure what happened to such families, but Talon had heard the sickening rumor that Kumire
was running a virtual slave trade out of the palace, selling the wives and children of anyone who
displeased him into barbarian camps to the north, possibly to the Monderan coal mines.
She d managed to make contact with a few of the men who remembered her, and word had spread
quickly that Princess Shasta was alive and was gathering an army. The response had been tremendous,
so much so that Talon had to rely on a system of messengers to relay information back and forth because
it was impossible for a hundred men to gather in secret in a city that was being so closely watched.
They met irregularly so as not to attract attention, often in taverns such as these where it was not
uncommon to see a group of men huddled together over a table of beer and wine. Their strategy had
been set several times but delayed when one of their fellow conspirators was arrested. Men in hiding
were still coming forward, so Talon had to keep making alterations to their plan.
The men who had gathered tonight had just agreed upon one such adjustment and were dispersing
slowly so as not to attract attention.
Talon was always the last to go.
It was taking some time for everyone to drift away, so she sat quietly talking with Jen Crossis, a former
lieutenant in the royal guard and her self-appointed co-leader among the rebels. She liked Jen; he was
extremely bright, if a little too eager at times. He d been her first contact when she arrived, and he was so
excited to hear that the Princess was still alive he d nearly choked on a mouthful of the bread Talon had
brought to him.
Talon was just about to give Jen the signal to go when the tavern door swung open and a boy in a
ragged cloak entered and looked around the room uncertainly. He couldn t be more than about eleven
winters, far too young to be wandering the streets at night and certainly not old enough to be in a tavern
like this one unescorted. Casually Talon slid a hand inside her vest, where she had a small dagger
concealed in an inner pocket. Weapons weren t allowed in taverns such as this one, but that didn t mean
that most of the men here weren t carrying at least one blade of some sort.
Talon s instincts told her that this boy was up to something, and she gripped the handle of the dagger
beneath her vest. She didn t relish the idea of killing a child, but she would if she had to. The plan, and
Page 193
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
those who were risking their lives, had to be safeguarded.
The boy approached cautiously, winding among the tables as if he were purposely trying not to attract
attention to his movements. He finally drew up close to the wall, and Talon caught his hand before he
could make any aggressive moves.
 Can I help you, kid?
He licked his lips nervously.  Are you&  He lowered his voice to a whisper, almost mouthing the
words.  Are you the one they call the Marvel?
Talon considered her reply. The rebel guard had begun the habit of referring to her by that nickname, but
it was hardly a secret title. She gave the tiniest of nods, hoping she hadn t just fallen into a trap.  What is
your business with me?
 I have a letter for you. Very slowly the boy reached into his belt and pulled out a parchment note.
Talon released her grip on the dagger and drew a sharp breath when she saw the seal. Only one person
had that signet.
Her hand shook for just an instant as she took the letter.  Thanks, kid. You did well. Surreptitiously,
she reached into the pouch at her belt, pulled out a gold coin, and pressed it into the messenger s hand.
At the feel of the money in his palm, the boy brightened but still managed to contain his excitement with
admirable aplomb. He carefully made his way to the back door, slipping out unnoticed.
 The royal signet, Jen murmured in awe.
 Yes, Talon confirmed quietly, and her fingers trembled again.  This is from the Princess. I don t know
how she managed to get this to me.
 It must be important. Jen elbowed her.  You gonna just sit there? Open it.
Talon broke the wax, her heart in her throat. Had something happened while she was gone? Was Shasta
hurt? She unfolded the parchment.
Dear Talon,
I ve had a letter from V. It s good news, but I m not going to put the details here in case this letter is
intercepted. Trust me when I say no one else can hold a candle to V. s orders. But that s not why I m
writing to you, and I don t think the rest of what I have to say will be of interest to our enemies so I m
not going to censor it.
I don t know at this point if you re dead or alive. I m praying that you re safe and that this letter finds [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]