Sage puzzled over Wilder’s last words as she hurried to catch up to Alex. “Why will the Rangers be reporting to you?” she asked. “Aren’t they a completely different entity?”
“I’m the closest superior. It’s a courtesy.” His speech was clipped, like he didn’t want to be caught talking with her. “And we’ll be going out for exercises later. They know the area.”
“Will you go across the river?” she asked casually.
Alex looked down at her. “Of course.”
Sage struggled to find a way to ask what he would do if he ran into Casmuni, but she probably wasn’t supposed to know that was possible, let alone likely. “It’s only a few miles to the edge of the desert. Will you train there?”
He narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think we’d do that?”
“I just thought it would be a unique opportunity.” She shrugged, trying to look casual. “It’s uninhabited, right? They’d never notice.”
Alex looked away. “I don’t know. I hadn’t considered crossing the border.”
Oh, but he had. The way he refused to meet her eyes practically screamed it.
It wasn’t until they were halfway back that Sage realized they’d left Ash Carter behind.
24
THEY RETURNED TO the Norsari group in the afternoon, but as far as the river still was, Alex felt it was impractical to march today. He left again as soon as he’d gotten something to eat, wanting to scout the best place to set up permanent camp. Cass insisted on accompanying him. Much as he wanted to be alone, Alex knew his friend was right. The squad they’d met today hadn’t seen recent signs of Casmuni, but it was better to be safe.
The spot suggested by Sergeant Starkey wasn’t difficult to find. An almost-clear slope rose up from the river to a flat plain large enough to build a training ground and hold group exercises. It would also be visible from a significant distance. If the Casmuni crossed the river again, they would do it knowing what waited on the other side.
He and Cass returned around midnight, and Alex was up again before dawn, itching to finally begin his mission. The weight of what he carried in his jacket was also a constant reminder of a particular task he had that day. All the tension made him short-tempered, and he struggled to keep from shouting orders.
Sage ignored him as she readied her gear, which was really as he deserved, seeing he’d barely said ten words to her until yesterday. She probably thought he’d forgotten what today was, and over the course of the morning, Alex never had an opportunity to correct that. Or, in his cowardice, he never made the opportunity.
They were on the move within an hour, and the goal was to reach the campsite by dusk. The men were fresh from their day of rest, so between that and following a major path, they made good time. They reached their destination as the sun set.
Tents started going up to shelter them from the cool wind flowing along the river from the mountains. Alex ordered Sage’s set up before his, and it was ready before she was done brushing down and caring for Shadow. When everything was finally settled for the night, he still hadn’t had a chance to speak with her. Alex stood outside her tent, watching the silhouette made by a single candle inside.
It was now or never.
Alex took a deep breath and opened the flap to duck inside. He’d given Sage a tent large enough to stand in—an officer’s tent—with a cot and a chair and table. She sat at it now, writing what looked like a letter, and when he entered, he brought a breeze that nearly extinguished her light. Sage cupped her hand around the flame to protect it and glanced up, annoyed. Her eyes widened as she recognized him.
It was suddenly like the night they’d met, when he’d brought her supper as she worked in the library of Galarick. When he’d been disguised as a common soldier. Alex hesitated before taking another step. Only then did he remember he should’ve asked before coming inside.
“Why are you still up?” he asked, inching closer. “You must be exhausted.”
Sage went back to her writing. “I have a lot to do, and very little could be done while on horseback.”
He stopped on the opposite side of the table. “We’ll be setting up everything tomorrow, so Nicholas won’t have time for lessons yet. You can relax and recover from the journey.”
“I’m fine, sir.”
He stiffened. “You don’t have to call me that when we’re alone.”
“My apologies. It’s such a rare occurrence.” Her quill scratched across the paper.
Alex said nothing but tapped his fingers gently on the wood.
“Do you need something?” She still wouldn’t look up.
Alex cleared his throat. “I have something for you. A present.”
Her quill stopped, and he heard her catch her breath. He pulled the cloth-wrapped object from his jacket. “I was going to give it to you in Tennegol before I left, but since you came, I decided to wait for your actual birthday.” Alex laid it on the table between them, and she hesitated before reaching out to pull the cloth away, revealing a sheathed dagger. “I had it made for you,” he whispered. “Months ago.”
The dagger’s black-and-gold hilt was almost identical to the one she carried, the one Alex’s mother had gifted him when he left home for page training. He’d given it to her last spring for protection, but also because any of his men would have recognized it with its inlaid letters AQ.
Sage tilted the handle to see the initials in the candlelight. SF. “There’s no Q,” she said.
Alex nodded. “I had them leave room for it, if you want to add it later, or…”
“In case I change my mind?” She raised her eyes.
He felt the blood drain from his face. There was a flash of guilt in her gray eyes, and she looked down. “I guess this means you want yours back.” She reached for the knife at her belt.
“No,” he said quickly.
She unhooked it anyway and held it next to the new one. “I suppose it’s too small for you anymore,” she said.
“Even if it wasn’t, I gave that to you to keep. I want you to have it.”
Sage pursed her lips. “Will you teach me to fight with two knives, then?”
Alex flushed. “Given the way our last lesson ended, that’s not a good idea right now.” It had been the night he finally admitted to himself how much she meant to him. His internal defenses suddenly breached, Alex had been unprepared to resist the desires that swept over him, and within minutes he’d been ready to throw everything away for what he wanted. Then she’d called him Ash and brought him to his senses.
“No,” she said. “You wouldn’t want to say anything you’d regret later.”
“I don’t regret anything about that night.”
Sage blinked at the daggers, silently tracing the initials on both with her thumbs.
“Well,” Alex said finally. “Happy birthday.” He turned to go.
She dropped the knives and jumped to her feet. “Wait.”
Alex eyed Sage warily as she came around the table to stand in front of him. She held out her hands, palms down, in the royal gesture of gratitude she must have picked up from living at the palace. Without thinking, he reached back.
“Thank you,” she said softly, squeezing his fingers.
He held on longer than he should have, then pulled her a half step closer. Sweet Spirit, she smelled good. He’d forgotten how good until yesterday morning, when he’d stepped up to help her, and every rational thought had vanished at her touch.
Just like now.
The color of her hair had already lightened a few shades from two weeks outdoors. Her skin, too, was sun-kissed, and more freckled than ever. Alex released her fingers and slowly raised a hand to brush hair from her eyes. Once he’d gotten over the shock of that first day, he kind of liked the way it looked.
“Is there anything else you wanted?” Alex whispered. Ask me to kiss you, he begged silently.
Her mouth twisted up a little on one side. “For my birthday or in general?”
“Either.” His fingers closed on a few strands of her hair. Ask me to kiss you.
Sage shook her head. “I can’t have what I want.”
“Maybe you can tonight.” He leaned forward to close the gap between them. Ask me to kiss you.