Page 33 of The Fury She Holds
Faron cocked his head, and his lips twitched. “Maybe I should address this first. Talwyn, what is your relationship to Captain Daire?”
“None of your business,” she said.
Faron took a sip to hide his smirk. “I’m afraid your behavior last night may have ruined any chances you had of being his guest again.”
“You saw me there?”
“How could I miss you?” His teeth flashed. “And I noticed your friends there as well. I think the king would be interested to know how all of you managed to sneak past the guards. One is concerning, but five? Someone might think that the captain of the guard is conspiring against the crown, if he gave you his personal invitation.”
Tal sighed. Daire grated her nerves, but he was a good captain and loyal to the kingdom. She didn’t want to get him in any trouble. “Daire didn’t know we were all there. His invitation to me was purely innocent, and Sybil attended as my chaperone. That’s all he knew.”
“I think it says something about the captain if he doesn’t know when someone sneaks into the palace.”
“If you’re here to make threats then we’re done,” Carrick growled as he leaned forward.
Faron waved his hand. “I’m only having some fun. But it is a safety concern for the king. I won’t get the captain in trouble, but the king should be made aware of weaknesses in his security.” He notched a brow as if challenging her to deny it.
Tal nodded slowly.
“Was your little stunt part of the plan?”
Tal peered sideways at Carrick and gritted her teeth. “I didn’t anticipate not being able to eat all day.”
Faron leaned against his chair and chuckled. “Are all women at the docks like this, or is it just you?”
Carrick’s eyes flicked between Tal and Faron. He raised his brow a fraction, his silent question of whether she wanted him to intervene. When she shrugged, he said, “Are we going tocontinue with the small talk, or did you have something to tell us?”
He threw a hand up. “Apologies. The women I have the unfortunate task of interacting with are not nearly as interesting as you.” He leaned forward, all eyes on Tal. “I’m intrigued.”
“And I’m tired. Can we get back to the girl?” Tal sat back in her seat and crossed her arms.
“Right, the girl. Her name is Nola and she’s a scullery maid. She’s never been late or missing before. The other maids mentioned that she could often be found wandering around the smithy, talking to one of the blacksmith’s young apprentices.” Carrick and Tal exchanged a knowing look. This confirmed Egan’s findings from the kitchens. “Apparently the boy has gone missing too, but no one seems to have noticed. The blacksmith said he’s prone to forgetfulness and loses track of time. But he and Nola disappeared the same night.”
“Is it possible they ran off together?”
He shook his head. “They boarded with other servants who said they barely have a coin to their name. The two were never seen leaving the palace that night, and no horses or carts are missing.”
“If they didn’t leave the palace, then where are they?” Carrick frowned.
Faron’s attention caught two figures entering the tavern, and he waved them over to their table. “Perfect timing.”
The two men sat beside Faron, each taking one of the remaining drinks. Carrick tensed beside Tal, who shifted in her seat with a deep exhale.
“I’d like you to meet—”
“Eddard.” Tal eyed the man with the carefree smile and sandy blonde hair.
To his credit, Faron appeared only slightly taken aback. “You know each other?”
Eddard nodded. “We’ve met. How goes the horse riding?”
“I get in the saddle here and there. Find the perfect sunset yet?”
“Alas, I’ll have to search another day.”
Tal nodded. She met Eddard shortly after Daire had been appointed to captain. He was just as much a dreamer then as he appeared to be now. She turned to Faron. “What does a member of the king’s guard have to do with this?”
“Did you know that the palace was built in an age of great espionage? It’s riddled with secret tunnels, passageways, rooms hidden from the public, even dungeons that no one knows about. And thanks to your little incident last night, I did some exploring.” He winked. “One of the tunnels led to an underground chamber where the two are being held.”
