“What?” Ash’s stomach clenched.
She grinned at him. “Easy there, Wolf. Sometimes I have to touch a person to get a reading.” She paused. “So—what do you think? Is this going to happen?”
Ash shrugged unhappily. “He’s gone to a lot of time and trouble to get to this point. The empress must really want this deal.”
“There’s a solution,” Jenna said. “What if I died before the exchange is made?”
“What? No!” Ash felt a twinge of guilt, recalling his conversation with Lila. “That is not a solution.”
“Think about it,” Jenna said. “The only thing worse than the king we have now is a king with a dragon and a whole new army.”
“No one is asking you to—”
“You don’t need to ask. I’m volunteering,” Jenna said. “Thousands of Patriots have died, fighting for freedom. It’s a chance to do my part.” Her voice trembled a bit.
Ash cast about for options. “What if the dragon dies instead? Then Strangward has nothing to trade.”
“No,” Jenna said, lifting her chin.
“I don’t like it either, but when it comes to a choice between—”
“Look,” Jenna said. “If the dragon dies, it just delays things. The empress can always ship over another one. Besides, from what you said, Montaigne is really looking for an army. What we need to do is prevent Montaigne from forming an alliance with this empress, whoever she is.”
“A delay would help,” Ash said. “With a little time, the king could die. Or you might escape.”
“That’s a prayer or a wish,” she said. “It’s not a plan.”
“Give me another suggestion,” Ash said. “Something a little more creative than self-sacrifice.”
She studied on it a while, and then her eyes lit up. “You said that the emissary’s ship is here, in the harbor?”
Ash nodded.
“What if we blow it up, and put the blame on Arden?”
“We?” Ash raised an eyebrow. He reached up and tapped his collar. “And this would happen how? I’m out of commission when it comes to attack magic, remember.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “It’s not all about you, healer. I’m no wizard, and I’ve been blowing things up for years. I can tell you what you’ll need, and how to do it. You probably wouldn’t want to use magery anyway, if we want to blame it on Arden.”
Yes, Ash thought. I am in love with this girl.
He heard Taliesin’s voice in his head.
It’s the worst thing in the world, to risk yourself by loving someone. At the same time, it’s the best thing in the world—and worth the risk.
Jenna’s mind was elsewhere. “Do you know someone who can get black powder, fuses, and the like?”
Ash nodded, thinking of Lila. “I do.”
“I’ll make a list then. But you have to promise me something.”
“Promise you what?”
“You’ll free the dragon if you can.”
Ash pressed his lips together to prevent words from spilling out, but Jenna saw.
“You’re wondering why I have this fixation on a dragon I’ve never met?”
“The thought . . . did occur to me,” Ash said carefully.
“The dragon didn’t volunteer,” Jenna said. “Anyway, I just—I can’t help feeling that I—that it’s going to be important, going forward.” She looked up at him. “Can you trust me on that? I’m not asking for a contract. All I’m asking is that you try.”
Ash swallowed hard. “I’ll do what I can.” He paused. “Have you thought about what might happen to you if the deal falls through? It’s not like the king is going to set you free.”
Jenna shrugged. “I’m from Delphi. I should have been dead a long time ago.”
“Some things are worse than death,” Ash said.
“Then give me an out.” She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers.
“That again?”
“No, healer. This is different. I don’t want to die. I want to live. I want to hear the bells in the temple church in Delphi, ringing out the victory. I want to hike into the Spirit Mountains and speak to witches and faeries. I want to sail over the ocean, all the way to the horizon and beyond. I want to go all those places I’ve never seen, except in books. I want to fly—”
He raised both hands. “All right,” he said, “but, remember, I—”
“I want more of this.” She pulled his head down and kissed him soundly on the lips. “And this.” Sliding her hands under his doublet, under his shirt, finding the bare skin, she lay back in the chair and pulled him down on top of her, wrapping her legs around him.
“I have plans for you, Wolf,” she growled, biting at his ear. “I don’t intend to die any time soon.”
“I believe you,” he said hoarsely.
An hour later, by the temple bells, they still lay tangled together in the chair, their clothing in definite disarray.
There is a lot can be done in a chair, Ash thought. Maybe we can just live in this chair from now on.
“I’d better go,” he mumbled against her shoulder.