Page 17 of War Queen
Norah narrowed her eyes at the man. “Yet you’ve been sent here with this message. Why would Alexander send someone I don’t know?” And why to Soren?
“He and those close to you are watched by the council. And… he said the Destroyer would know I come truly.”
“How would he know?”
“I don’t know. I don’t ask questions. I only come with the message.”
“What of my grandmother?”
“She’s well.” Then his face twisted slightly. “Well, maybe notwell. She’s confined to the castle, and angry. All the time. She yells a lot. We can hear her over the wall.”
Her body shook with relief. She looked at Mikael and could see the doubt on his face. “What’s your name?” she asked the man.
“Colb, Regal High. Colb Matheson.”
Norah let her eyes run over the man. He was dressed in Mercian armor, but he was missing the polish of a trained soldier, both in stance and in words.Strange. “You don’t seem like a soldier.”
“Because I’m not a soldier, Regal High. I work the mines.”
Very strange indeed.
“The Bear sends a miner?” Mikael’s voice was edged with skepticism.
The young man shifted again.
“Does Alexander say anything else?” Norah asked.
He shook his head. “No, Regal High. Only to bring the Shadow army, and he’ll be waiting.”
Mikael gave a slight wave of his hand, and the Crest ushered the man back out, leaving him and Norah alone. She watched him as he sank down on his throne and crossed his arms, bringing his fist to his lips. Her heart still thrummed in her throat. Was this her opportunity to take back Mercia?
“It could be a trick,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “If we marched on the North and Aleon was waiting with them, we’d be easily taken.”
“It’s possible,” she admitted, “although if the council was trying to trick us, I don’t think they’d send a miner to do it.”
“Or it’s exactly who they’d send. A disarming cover. And someone you wouldn’t be familiar with. Perhaps they don’t know who in your army is loyal to you.”
“I can’t help but be inclined to believe him. His knees were practically knocking together.”
“A scared man isn’t necessarily an innocent man. Or perhaps he does believe he comes with a message from the Bear, but he’s been fooled himself.”
True.Norah sighed. It was a very real possibility that the council was trying to trick her into marching to war. And Mikael was right. Together with Aleon, the council would be able to overtake Kharav. But if it wasn’t a trick, then this was perhaps her only opportunity to take back Mercia—to take back what was rightfully hers.
She looked at Mikael. Could she really ask this of him now?
Chapter five
Thedininghallwasquiet. Shocking. Norah kept herself from rolling her eyes as she chewed her food slowly. She shifted her gaze between Mikael and Salara-Mae, wagering which topic would first be broached—the call to war from Mercia or Mikael’s choice to redecorate the throne room. One she was desperate to talk about, and one she wasn’t.
Mikael mulled over a small stack of parchments as he ate, which wasn’t unusual. He sometimes brought work to the dining hall instead of taking breakfast in his study. While it annoyed Salara-Mae, Norah didn’t mind. He’d drop it in an instant if she mentioned it.
Mikael paused, perplexed at one letter in particular.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Outsiders. Possibly.”
A chill ran down her spine. Could it behim, the man who’d sent the assassins? Had he sent more? She had been bolder in facing the blood birds, but now that he might be back, she couldn’t shake the pang of fear that turned her stomach. “Possibly?”
