“I know.” His thumb caresses the top of my hand. “And I’ve made it. I didn’t belong.” He cocks his head in the direction of the castle. “They knew it. I was being unknighted.” He forces out a breath. “As I watched the stars earlier tonight, I knew change was coming. I could feel it. And there you were.” His eyes bore into mine. “I’m staying with you.”
I lace my fingers through his. “I wasn’t letting you out of my sight, anyway.”
Chapter 4
The Rebel camp is still. Tents scatter the deeply wooded grounds and campfires burn low, their embers barely lighting our path. At this moment, I’m a traitor. I’ve abandoned my mission, apprehended a fellow Rebel, and betrayed my mentor. Now, I’m giving away our hidden base to the enemy.
Xander walks silently beside me. I need to discover what his place is in all this, and I need to convince Micha that I did the right thing. That they marked the wrong guy.
As we near the center of camp, I see two guards posted at the entrance of Micha’s tent. We’ll never get by them without disturbing the whole camp. I tug Xander’s hand, nodding toward the woods. We have to sneak around.
Stealthily, we circle the camp, making our way toward the back of the tent. Suddenly the crickets and sounds of the forest are too low, my breath is too loud, and I feel my every step is echoed throughout the camp. I have to be smart about this. If I walk into the tent, Xander in tow, I’ll bring on a fight before I can speak my mind.
I turn toward Xander. “I need to go in by myself.”
He cups my shoulders, shaking his head. “No. We’re in this together. I’m not letting you do this without me.”
I smile at him, realizing how similar we are. “Yes, you have to. Or else this will end bad. Trust me.”
He sighs. “Give me a signal—something to let me know if you need me.”
I nod. “Okay, I’ll whistle.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Whistle?” Then he nods. “It’ll have to do.”
I step forward, but he yanks me back, placing a hard kiss on my lips. I pull him closer as I commit to memory his scent of earth and fire, and something indefinably him. I slowly pull away, and the absence of his lips leaves mine cold.
I walk away without another word. If I look back, I’ll ask him to run away with me. I know this. So I keep moving forward. I have to face Micha, or we’ll be running forever. And in Karm, there’s nowhere to run.
The smell of campfire and sharp pine sap hits my senses, and it feels like home. Micha is my home.
The back of the tent is pitch black as I search for a loose seam. I finally find one and lift the brown fabric, crawling under. A candle burns low, revealing Micha seated at the desk.
“Hi, Mother,” I say, announcing my presence.
She stands, startled. “Fallon.” Then she sets down the dagger she has outstretched before her. “I didn’t—”
“Expect to see me alive?” I finish for her.
She holds up a small silver device. A communicator. “Larkin hasn’t reported back,” she says. “I knew you’d be coming.”
“And if he had?” I press my lips together, knowing the truth. “You had no faith in me. You didn’t trust me to make the right choice.”
A slow smile crosses her face. “You were given an order. There was no choice to be made.” Her voice is cruel, and her bright blue eyes cold, taking me in—sizing me up. “This was a big mission for anyone to take on. But you were the perfect agent.”
I nod once, annoyed. “Because I trusted you so completely. I wouldn’t question your judgment.”
“Yes,” she says simply.
“I’m not a child anymore,” I say, taking a step toward her. “You could’ve told me the reason. You can still tell me the reason. Why Xander?” I huff. “He’s not a threat.”
She moves toward the middle post of her tent, then learns against it. “But he is. He could ruin everything we’ve set into motion. It’s taken years to place our two plants in court. And Sebastian’s getting ready to wed. There will be many distractions—prime opportunities for us. And he could undo all of it.” She sighs. “He’s a liability we can’t afford.”
I shake my head. “I don’t understand. He’s nobody. In fact, according to your own agent, the Force was about to unknight him.”
Her eyebrows rise. “And with a motive like that, he could do a lot of damage in court.”
“Stop!” I shout-whisper. “I deserve to know the truth. I almost took a life tonight. One that had no reason to die.”