Chapter 23

A fter washing her hands in the stream, Ro dried them on her cape. Dinner had been the Wyvern leftovers supplemented with fish spit-roasted over a fire. Yvette and Flynn had caught the fish. Uldamar had found some wild herbs and used them to brew a very tasty tea, which had gone nicely with the last of the searzin biscuits.

Even Valentyne had been given some of the tea. No biscuit, though. There weren't enough to go around. Besides, he didn't deserve it. He was lucky they'd fed him at all.

Now, the shelter was being set up. Ro wasn't looking forward to sleeping on the ground again. She rarely felt her age these days, but that was a good way to be reminded.

She walked back to the camp and the glowing light of the fire. The shelter was done, and bedrolls were being unpacked. That meant there was only one thing left to do. She, Gabriel, and Uldamar were going to have a little chat with Valentyne.

Uldamar was taking something from his saddlebags. Gabriel was also in the shelter, unrolling his blanket. She went to him. "I'm ready when you are."

He finished straightening his blanket and stood. "Just waiting on Uldamar to be ready, too. Looking forward to getting back?"

"Yes. You must miss Raphaela."

He nodded. "I do. Slightly more than I miss my bed, but only slightly. Don't tell her I said that."

Ro laughed. Gabriel was in a surprisingly good mood, considering they were about to question his brother about what Queen Anyka had hired him to do. "My lips are sealed. I miss my bed, too. This has nothing to do with being queen. I am not cut out to sleep on the ground. Camping, I'm fine with, but this is a little more rustic than I like."

"I understand, my lady."

Uldamar came over, a small pouch in one hand. "I have what I need. Just be careful not to breathe it in or you'll feel compelled to tell the truth for the next hour or so."

Ro snorted. "Are you implying I don't usually tell the truth?"

Uldamar's eyes rounded. "Your highness, no, I merely meant—"

She quickly shook her head. "It was a joke."

He exhaled. "Yes, of course." He smiled. "Forgive me. I fear the ache in my old bones has made me a little less than myself."

Ro frowned. "Is it from sleeping on the ground? Because I get that. I really do."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "That and I am not accustomed to riding for so long. I will be fine when we return to Willow Hall and I can soak in a hot bath."

"That does sound good." She put her hand on his shoulder. "Let's get this done, then we can call it a night. The sooner we get up, the sooner we get back."

"Very true."

Gabriel hadn't said a word, as he'd been watching his brother, who was tied to a nearby tree.

"Gabriel, how are you feeling?" Ro asked.

His gaze stayed pinned on Valentyne. "Like I very much want to know what my idiot brother was thinking. Perhaps it was all about money. I don't know."

"What's your relationship with your brother like?"

That got him to look at her. "There is no relationship, my lady. He left not long after he reached age. He said the lure of freedom was great and he wanted to explore the realm." He frowned. "Val thought my desire to serve the Summerton crown by joining the royal guards was, in his words, too much."

"Why?"

Gabriel gave a slight shake of his head. "Val felt no allegiance to any place, person, or thing and he did not understand how I could, either. My father tried to keep him from leaving, to no avail."

"Your sister left, too, didn't she? You said she was in France."

"Still is." Gabriel's expression turned inscrutable. "But her intent was never to stay. She went to study the craft of baking but fell in love with a man she met there, a human, and he was enough to keep her there."

"Oh." Ro felt for him. Was his fierce devotion to his adopted kingdom his own way of balancing out the perceived disloyalty of his siblings? She had no way of knowing, but she was deeply grateful that he had stayed in Summerton. More than ever, she couldn't wait to get back and grant him the titled estate of Starfall.

Not only did he deserve it for saving her life twice, but he'd earned it through his dedication and faithfulness.

It got her wondering who else in the kingdom was in need of recognition. Something to think about.

After they'd questioned Valentyne.

"Uldamar, if you're ready, I see no reason to wait. Gabriel, how do you want to do this?"

"He's your prisoner, my lady."

"Be that as it may, you're in charge of security. I defer to you."

Gabriel gave her the briefest smile before speaking to Uldamar. "This truth spell—how long before it takes effect and how long does it last?"

"Within seconds," Uldamar answered. "And I would say at least forty-five minutes, reliably. That can vary with a person's constitution."

"It's a good window. Longer than we need." Gabriel glanced at his brother again. "I say you dose him, then Ro, you ask whatever questions you want. If you can't get him to answer properly, I'll step in."

Ro didn't know what that meant, but she trusted Gabriel to do what was necessary. "Let's go."

Uldamar led the way. When he reached Valentyne, he crouched in front of the man, opened the pouch he'd gotten out, and sprinkled the powder inside over Valentyne. He took pinch after pinch of the stuff, raining it down on their captive until the man coughed and sneezed.

"What are you doing, old man?"

Uldamar slowly straightened and nodded to Ro.

As Valentyne sneezed again, she approached. "Valentyne Nightborne."

His eyes narrowed. "I don't use that surname anymore, your highness. I go by Greybone."

Gabriel scoffed.

Ro kept her focus on Valentyne. "Whatever name you use, I want to know who sent you."

Valentyne's jaw worked, but he looked away and stayed silent.

Just because he'd been spelled to tell the truth, didn't mean he was obliged to speak. Getting him to admit who'd hired him wasn't going to be easy, but Ro wasn't a quitter. "Who sent you?"

Valentyne wouldn't even look at her.

She decided to try a different tactic. She drew the Silversmith blade from her boot, the metal singing out as the leather sheath released it, the dagger flashing with light as it caught the glow of the fire behind them. She turned the weapon over in her hands. "How much did Queen Anyka pay you to come after me? What did she want you to do? Why did you want the ashes? I already know Anyka thought Lady Cynzia was alive, so did you think bringing those back would be second best?"

Then she asked the question she thought would most likely get a response. "Why did you abandon your family after you escaped Malveaux?"

"I didn't abandon them," he snarled, eyes flicking toward Gabriel then back to her. "I left to seek my own way."

"That's one question down." She leaned in, narrowing her eyes. She wasn't scary, she knew that, but she was a queen. The power differential had to do something to him. "Who sent you?"

He glared at her. "You already know the answer to that."

"So it was Queen Anyka?"

He huffed out a breath and nodded.

"How much did she pay you and what exactly was she paying you for?"

His lips pressed firmly together, tightening into a hard line.

Gabriel nudged Valentyne with his boot. "Answer her. Things will be easier for you if you do."

Valentyne looked up at Gabriel. "How is what I do any different from what you do? You're as much a mercenary for hire as I am."

"My loyalty is to the kingdom that gave me a safe home. Unlike you, I cannot be bought. There are many differences between us. Pity you don't understand that." Gabriel's eyes filled with disgust. "You have one more chance to answer Queen Sparrow. I suggest you use it wisely."

"Or what?" Valentyne mocked. " You'll deal with me?"

Gabriel's countenance darkened. "Yes. I will."

Valentyne tried to lean away, but there was a tree behind him.

"Answer my questions and I will deal with you as leniently as possible," Ro said. "Don't answer them, and I will give your brother free rein to do with you as he sees fit." She slipped the dagger back into her boot. "The decision is up to you, but I'm done playing. I am tired and I am missing my family and tomorrow is another long day. So, last chance. What was Anyka after?"

Valentyne cut his eyes at his brother. "Lady Cynzia. I was sent to bring her back from the cloud kingdom."

"Alive?"

"Yes."

"How much did Anyka pay you?"

"Five hundred gold pieces with another five hundred when I return with Lady Cynzia."

"And you confirm that Anyka is the one who hired you?"

"Through her valet, yes."

Since she was on a roll, Ro opted to ask a few more. "So you followed us to Hythe?"

"Yes, but I got lost." He frowned. "Somehow I went in a circle for an entire day."

Ro gave Uldamar a wink before turning back to Valentyne. "How did you know about Lady Cynzia's ashes?"

He hesitated, then sighed. "I overheard the Wyvern guards talking about them before you left."

"Then you followed us on our journey back to Willow Hall?"

He shook his head. "I went back into the woods and found a good place to ambush you."

She shrugged. "Wasn't that good, though, was it?"

He bristled.

"Anything else you'd like to tell me before I go? Anything that might help your case? Give me a reason not to send you to Tenebrae?"

He paled. "Tenebrae?"

The prison island had only come to mind as she'd been talking to him. Clearly, she should have mentioned it sooner.

He swallowed. "For how long?"

"I don't know yet. I suppose I'll have to think about it, considering how difficult it was to get answers from you, how you tried to kill me, how—"

"I never tried to kill you, your highness." He strained against the ropes binding him to the tree. "I only released that bolt because Gabe attacked me. I swear, I meant you no harm. I'll do whatever you want, please. Not Tenebrae, your highness."

Ro sighed as if she were bored, then turned and walked away, leaving Valentyne to stew. "Uldamar, Gabriel."

The two men came after her, neither saying a word until she stopped under the shelter. Gabriel was the first to speak.

"Do you really mean to send him to Tenebrae, my lady?"

"I am certainly considering it." She crossed her arms. "But I'm also wondering if he might assist us in exchange for a different sentence. He can't be trusted, though. That much I recognize, so I don't know if his help will truly be help or just a waste of time."

Gabriel lifted his head to stare at the roof of the shelter, then sighed. "What kind of help do you want from him?"

Ro smiled. "This is what I was thinking…"