Sage groaned and pushed the blanket back, realizing she could see a little in the light coming from under the door. The shadow of two feet appeared, and a knock echoed through the room. Ash pushed himself to his feet and padded across the stone floor in his socks. She smiled as she heard him trip on the forgotten dagger and curse.
The door opened a crack, and Sage threw her arm over her eyes against the burst of light. “I see the lesson went well,” a voice said dryly. Lieutenant Casseck. She didn’t care what he thought, but that light was too bright.
“Shut your damn mouth,” said Ash. “What’s going on?”
“D’Amiran’s realized Robert is gone. He wants to see Quinn right away, but he’s moving slowly from last night’s wine.” Sage wondered whether Casseck meant the duke or the captain.
Ash glanced over his shoulder at her. “Can you get her back to her room discreetly?”
“Yes.”
“We need five minutes.”
“Make it three.”
Ash shut the door in the lieutenant’s face, then reopened it when Casseck knocked again. “Thank you,” Ash said grudgingly, accepting the candle his friend offered. He bolted the door and turned to her. “Let’s get you back together first. Your hair is a real mess.”
Sage sat up stiffly and began struggling with her breastband. It was loose in the back, and she wasn’t sure she could fix it without taking off her shirt. Ash set the candle on a table and dropped down beside her. “Let me help.” She cringed as he lifted the back of her shirt. His hands tugged the ties but it only became looser. “Oh,” he said sheepishly. “The laces ripped through the eyelets. I hope you have another one.”
He’d been through her trunk; he should know. But she only said, “I do.”
She focused on lacing her boots while he tried to pull her hair down, but succeeded only in making a further mess of it. Sage swatted his hands away and picked it apart expertly. Ash sighed and stood, lifting her up under her armpits as he rose, and set her on her feet. He moved around to her front and loosened her belt so he could push her shirt back into her breeches. Even with the distraction of his hands in her trousers, she managed to put her hair in a single braid and tuck it around enough to hide it under her hood. He tossed her jacket to her and gestured for her to step off the mat so he could stack the pallets back in the corner. Once she felt in order, she tried folding the blanket before giving up and rolling it. He took it from her and tossed it on top of the corner pile.
Three minutes had surely passed, but no knock came to urge them out. Ash saw her glance at the door and said, “He’ll come back when it’s safe to take you to your room.”
“Why can’t you take me?”
“Because I don’t think I can walk next to you without making it obvious what happened last night.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I thought nothing happened.” He ignored her and jammed his shirt back into his breeches. Her stomach twisted. Why wouldn’t he look her in the eye?
The captain. He wanted to use her, but Ash didn’t. She’d seen Ash’s reluctance when he made her promise to obey orders, when he taught her to fight. What other orders had Quinn forced on him?
After last night the answer was obvious: Ash wasn’t allowed to be with her, no matter how much he wanted. Anger rose in her chest. Did the captain think she wasn’t good enough for Ash? It was none of his damn business.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
Sage crossed her arms. “No, I’m not. I want to talk.”
He froze with one hand half in his breeches. “About what?”
“About the things I don’t know yet. You said not last night. Well, it’s morning.”
Ash swallowed. A tap on the door saved him, and he nearly ran to answer it. “Thirty seconds,” whispered Casseck through the crack. Ash beckoned to her.
She stepped up beside him. “Talk to me, Ash.”
He pulled her against him. “Tonight, I promise. Everything.”
His mouth was on hers, and she melted into him, barely able to wonder what was so wrong about this, why anyone would try to stop what they had when it felt so right. Even Darnessa wanted it.
A single knock interrupted them. “I’ll see you tonight,” he murmured before opening the door and handing her to Casseck.
The lieutenant led her to the end of the passage and handed her a small pile of firewood. “This is for Lady Sagerra’s room,” he said as though nothing was amiss. They walked side by side through the empty courtyard. Most of the servants must be eating breakfast and all of the nobles still asleep.
Sage knew she should care about her reputation, but what Casseck thought of Ash concerned her more. If he reported what he saw to the captain … “We didn’t—”
“I know. I know him well enough to see that.” He looked down on her. “It’s you and your honor I worry about. As far as those harpies traveling with you are concerned, you’re already bedding half the soldiers.” Sage rolled her eyes, but Casseck remained serious. “If they talk where others can hear, you may find yourself cornered by a man who thinks he can do what he wants with you. We’d be forced to kill him, hopefully before he got very far.”
Sage thought of the guard in the gatehouse. “Maybe we could use that to our advantage.”
Casseck stopped to stare at her. “No. Absolutely not. That goes too far. We will never use you in that way.”
She met his eyes accusingly. “Captain Quinn doesn’t mind using anyone to his advantage—including Charlie.”
Casseck shook his head. “If you truly believe that, my lady, you don’t understand him at all.”
Sage turned away and continued, making Casseck scramble to catch up. She was done with everyone defending Quinn, done with not knowing anything, done with watching Ash crumble under his captain’s demands.
Most of all, she was done being Quinn’s pawn.
57
QUINN CROSSED THE ward to meet Duke D’Amiran’s summons and climbed the steps to the top of the outer bailey at an energetic pace.
“Your Grace,” Quinn called as he approached. “I’m sorry it took so long to find you; there was a miscommunication as to where you were.” He bowed low, then stood straight with an inquiring look, trying not to appear as tired as he felt.
“I want an explanation, Captain,” the duke said. “Four of your men left on a patrol yesterday—without my permission and unaccompanied by my guards.”
Quinn blinked. “I wasn’t aware we needed permission or escort, as we fall under the king’s authority. In the future I’ll make sure you’re informed, however. We meant no harm.”
“No harm?” D’Amiran growled. “What say you to the report of armed men roaming my lands, frightening my workers? If my few fields cannot be planted in time due to the chaos, who will pay for the loss? You? Soldiers destroy out of habit, but men like me must provide for their people.”