Page 37 of Kingdom of Chains

‘Watching his tent isn’t going to make her appear any sooner,’ Hadewaye said.

Blackmane had not even realised he was staring. He looked away and cleared his throat. ‘The food does smell edible.’

Hadewaye released a long exhale. ‘A couple more days and this will all be over for you.’

‘Do me a favour and stop talking.’ His tone was sharper than he intended.

Hadewaye raised his hands, saying nothing further.

Blackmane walked away then, knowing he would not be able to contain his jealousy when the pair finally emerged from Hodge’s tent.

There was a handful of women wandering about the kitchen area when he arrived, having hushed conversations while adding vegetables to pots. Blackmane spotted the woman Isabel had reacted to the day prior. Curious as to who she was, he headed towards her. She appeared uncomfortable when she saw him walking her way, but he did not read too much into that. That was most people’s reaction.

‘Morning,’ he said.

She offered a strained smile. ‘Defender. Are you after some food?’

He nodded.

‘We only have soup. No bread yet.’

‘That’s fine.’

She went to fetch a clean bowl, then began ladling beefy liquid into it. Blackmane watched her, recalling the way she had looked to Isabel. ‘How do you know Lady Isabel?’

She flinched ever so slightly when the name left his mouth, then held the bowl out to him. ‘I met her yesterday. She requested some food.’

The distinct lack of eye contact suggested otherwise.

He took the bowl. ‘Did you live at Maddock House too?’

She froze for half a second, then feigned confusion. ‘Maddock House?’

‘In Llanelieu.’

She shook her head. ‘I have to get back to my work. We have a lot of people to feed, as you know.’

‘She’s trapped,’ Blackmane said. ‘With him.’

The woman finally met his eyes, studying him for a long moment. ‘You have been paying attention.’

He stared back at her. ‘Why the big secret? I would have thought a connection to the future Countess of Hereford would work in your favour.’

‘Perhaps you have not been paying close enough attention or you would know His Lordship decides who the lady befriends.’ She hung the ladle on the hook dangling from the pot. ‘I really must get back to work.’

He did not want to get her into any trouble. ‘Thanks for the soup,’ he said, then left.

He was thirty yards from the tents when he heard Hodge shouting at someone. Concerned the someone was Isabel, he dropped the bowl of soup and broke into a jog, slowing when he spotted the earl standing face to face with Webb. Alveye, Tatum, and Hadewaye now stood outside their tent, watching. Blackmane looked around for Isabel, but she was nowhere insight. A bad feeling enclosed him as he headed for the other defenders.

‘I will have your head for this,’ Hodge was saying. ‘Then I will display it on a pike in the middle of the camp so that every crow in a twenty-mile radius can feast upon your eyes.’

‘What happened?’ Blackmane asked Tatum when he reached him.

‘Lady Isabel left.’

Blackmane lowered his brows. ‘What do you mean “left”?’

‘The camp,’ Alveye said.