Sworn To Secrecy: Courtlight #4 (33 page)

“Or in the next room.”

She nodded. “So let’s go.”

Sebastian turned his head aside for a moment. When he turned back to her, his expression was calm.

“Let’s try to keep track of how far we’ve gone though.”

She nodded and stepped into the next tunnel with her glaive outstretch to meet any threat. They started up the steps again. She counted each one as they went.

After twelve steps she heard Sebastian say, “Does this remind you of anything?”

“What?” she said distracted as she continued to count, “Fourteen.”

“We were in a very narrow passage just like this in the aether realm as we searched for the land wight,” he said.

“Seventeen. So we were.”

“I believe you threatened to drop me down a chasm then.”

“I did not! Twenty-one.” They were speeding up.

He had her attention now.

“All I’m saying is the only time we are ever really alone is when we’re about to go somewhere really dangerous or coming from something that nearly got us killed,” Sebastian said.

“That time we slept on the cot was nice,” she said distracted, “Twenty-five.”

“My point is that we never have time for the two of
us
.”

“Us? Twenty-seven.”

“Us! You, me, together.”

She faltered and stopped. “Thirty. There is no us. There is a companion trainee and a prince heir. Two people who were a couple, but let jealousy and deceit tear us apart.”

Then something caught her eye. The light of the moon through a door ajar.

“I see something Sebastian!” she said, “It looks like an opening. We’re almost there.”

She quickened her pace, “Thirty-four.”

“Wait!” he said catching up to her.

Before she could continue on up the stairs, he grabbed her waist from behind to stop her, “There is an ‘us’. There will always be an ‘us’. Ever since I met you in the aether realm for the first time, I’ve wanted you Ciardis. You’re unlike anyone else I’ve ever known. Feisty. Strong. Caring. Stubborn.”

“Hey!”

“That was a compliment. You’ve never flinched in the face of adversity even when I have done the most horrid things to push you away.”

She bit her lip as her heart beat fast. She couldn’t think of a worse time to have this talk with Sebastian. They were stuck in a tunnel that could be blasted to bits in moments as well as on the trail of a mad woman. But she wanted to hear what he had to say. She wanted to hear him apologize. To feel his touch. To know that he cared. But Ciardis being Ciardis, she couldn’t help but retort, “You mean like that time you leveled a bow and arrow at my head and threatened me to kill me because you thought I was with that group of men trying to kill you in the aether realm?”

She heard him sigh and then his grip on her waist tightened. He pulled her back until she stumbled back down the stairs with a gasp.

“Sebastian! You idiot! We could have fallen.”

“Relax, I’m bracing you,” he said as he moved so his right arm was entirely circling her waist and his face was buried in her hair.

And so he was. Uncertain, she leaned back until her head rested against his. For a moment there was silence.

“I need to know something,” Sebastian said, “If I fight for you, will you fight for us?”

She opened her mouth as she prepared to say ‘Of course.’ It felt like the right thing to say.

She felt him open his mind to hers as he swiftly read her emotions. Sebastian cut off what she was about to say.

“No!” he said in her head in a fierce tone, “For us—not for the world, not for the empire, not for our friends, not for family. Not to save anyone else. I want you to fight for this relationship. Fight for us to be together.”

She could barely think with him so close. They hadn’t enjoyed the touch of one another, physical or mental, in far too long. For a moment, she lost herself in the smell of Sebastian, the feel of his strong grip and the comfort of his voice.

When she arose from her quiet contemplation, she said two words, “I will.”

She knew he could feel her sincerity through their link.

He released her and with a careful hand pushed her forward to stand by herself.

“Then so will I.”

Taking a hesitant step forward she said. “Thirty-five. Isn’t this the part where you surge ahead to protect me?”

“No,” he said.

“Why?”

“Because I trust you.”

Nothing more needed to be said. He trusted her. He trusted in her ability to protect herself and if need be—him as well. As she reached the steps just below the door, she smiled.

Hefting the glaive in her hand, Ciardis kicked the door open with a shout, “Forty!”

As the door opened wide, she saw the moon high above in the sky. She surged forward onto the open-air stone platform prepared to meet the duchess of carne and her guards. Ciardis was completely unprepared to almost end the life of a stout older man who stood on the rooftop in front of her.

He quickly grabbed her glaive just behind the sharp blade on the end and jerked the weapon aside. Refusing to lose her grip, Ciardis swung to the right with the weapon.

Sebastian charged out of the tunnel with sword raised and attacked her opponent. Spry, the older man released her glaive and dodged to the side while bringing up his own sword in a swift block. Their swords met in a clash of metal as Sebastian pressed forward and the man dodged back twice.

With a grunt the old man, who was beginning to look more like a warrior and less like a kindly grandfather by the second, disarmed the prince heir. Sebastian’s blade clattered to the stone.

Sebastian stood stiffly in front of his opponent with the man’s blade at his throat.

But the old warrior was quite surprised to find the tip of Ciardis’s glaive at his own throat a second later.

“Who are you?” she said.

The old man breathed heavily but answered as he dropped his sword. “I am Jason.”

Ciardis backed up until she faced Jason with Sebastian by her side.

“Where’s the duchess of Carne?” said Sebastian.

“She’s gone.”

Ciardis was furious. “You let her go. You’re her servant, I presume.”

The old man glared. “I am no servant of the duchess of Carne or her minions.”

“Then I’ll ask you one more time,” Ciardis said. “Who are you?”

He lifted his head proudly, “I am Jason SaAlgardis, bastard son of Emperor Cymus and leader of the faction which will restore the rightful emperor to the throne.”

Ciardis gasped and Sebastian’s mouth opened in shock.

The man said. “That would be you, prince heir.”

Thank You

I hope that you enjoyed reading Sworn To Secrecy. If you have a moment, please share this book with others.

Lend It.
This e-book is lending-enabled, so feel free to share with a friend.

Review it.
Help other readers find the Courtlight series by telling them why you liked this book.

If you write a review on Amazon.com, I will send you a free copy of my next upcoming book in the Courtlight or Crown Service series (your choice) as a small way of saying thank you
.
Please submit your review link
by clicking here.

Sign up.
Get notice when the next book in the series is ready by
signing up
to the newsletter. Beginning in January, I’ll be giving a $25 gift card* on the 15
^th
**
of the month, and every month after, to one newsletter subscriber. The winner will be announced inside the newsletter, so you’ll have to actually open it to see who won  So if you’re not a newsletter subscriber, go do it. This will also be open to international readers.

*Must be deliverable online.

**Or in the New Release email for that month, so your inbox stays unclogged.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN!

Thank you for your support!

Website:
www.teedun.com

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/TerahEdunAuthor

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/tedunwrites

Goodreads:
www.goodreads.com/author/show/6517970.Terah_Edun