Her expression softens. As if she knows how much my heart is hanging on that one single hope. She opens her mouth. Closes it. And allows us to simply sit there, staring together at the ocean shimmering a few terrameters beneath us as the ship continues its race toward Bron.
“About your arm.” She rouses after a bit. “You want to talk about it?”
“It was a mistake. I’m better now. Do you think Myles knows what Draewulf wants?”
She makes a sound very much like a scoff but doesn’t say anything. Just shakes her head.
“What if we ask Draewulf the questions straight to his face—about what he plans to do with us and if there’s a way to free Eogan? Could you determine Draewulf’s thoughts then?”
She scrunches her cheek and peers back over at me. “I’m not sure. With Eogan’s block in the mix, I could probably see if Draewulf’s lying but not read his mind. Unless he’s clearly planned out his path and Eogan’s not confusing it. I’d have to be near him long enough to get a better sense, but even then . . . If the things you’re hoping for have never been done, Draewulf himself may not actually know the answers.”
“So it’s worth a try.”
Her smile is gentle. “I think so. But the better question is, can we get him alone for a few minutes to try it?”
I look down at my cut arm. At my fingers as I flex them into a fist.
“Let me take care of that.”
CHAPTER 10
I HEAR THE BOY A GOOD HALF MINUTE BEFORE HE reaches the metal grate, mainly because he’s grunting and cursing up a storm. The wall square squeaks, then pops out to fall and hit the floor again just before Kel drops into my already-darkening room.
He scrambles up and tries his best to look very serious, which ends up with him merely showing those big white teeth.
“You’re back.”
“Told you I would be.”
“Well? What do you want?”
He shrugs. “Just making sure you’re not doing anything you shouldn’t be.”
Because I assume he’s doing enough of that for both of us. “Who have you been trying to stab this time?”
“I haven’t. I’ve been sleeping mostly. I was listening in on the delegates for a while, but all they talk about is stuff they want from King Eogan. Well”—his face sours—“except for the cranky one. He talks a lot about his head and his back and his hard bed and the ship’s noise.”
I grin. “So does that mean you can get anywhere on this ship?”
His little face turns furiously proud. “Just about.”
I eye him. “Such as the room where King Eogan is?”
He frowns. “You want me to spy on him?”
“It wouldn’t be spying. I just . . . want to know if he’s all right.”
“You want to spy on him.”
“Look, boy—”
“Kel.”
“Look, Kel—”
“Is it ’cuz you want to kiss him?”
“ ’Cuz I want to—what?”
“When a person likes someone and wants to marry them and have babies, they kiss them. And I heard one of the delegates say you like King Eogan. Is that why you’re spying on him?” His tone says he finds this not only unnecessary, but wholly repulsive.
I stare at this boy who is the strangest small person I have ever met in my entire seventeen years. And burst into laughter. “No. I most definitely am not spying on him so I can have babies with him. I simply . . . want to ensure he’s feeling all right. He’s been ill and—”
“Then why’s your face turning redder than the carpet?”
“I am not turning red.”
He rolls his eyes and walks around the room, poking at the walls and lightly kicking the cot I’m seated on.
“Look, can you or can you not get near King Eogan’s room?”
He shakes his head. “The only air vents I can travel are along this and the other delegates’ corridor. Also, the kitchen and bathrooms and a few soldier areas. Besides, I wouldn’t listen in on the king for you anyway.” His face takes on that stoic expression, which is promptly darkened by a flash of fear. “And I don’t think you should have babies with him neither.”
Good, then we’re both agreed. Except . . . I frown. “Did you know King Odion?” I ask on a hunch.
He nods and looks out the window into the night.
“Not very nice, eh?”
“He was a great king, brave and strong, the most powerful in all the Hidden Lands.”
Right.
His small brow furrows.
“But?”
“He wouldn’t have liked you. And he wouldn’t have approved of you coming to Bron—not just ’cuz you defeated his army, but because he wouldn’t have liked that you tried not to harm my people.”
“Not to harm them?”
He nods again. “My people believe power is a responsibility to be used for striking down those who’d endanger our community. They’d think what you believe weakens it.”
I don’t tell him that at the moment I’m tempted to agree with his people and dead King Odion. “And what do you believe?”