Page 11 of A Taste For Lies (The Apex Kingdom #1)
Chapter 11
ALORA
W e pass the Veridian border without incident, bushwhacking through forest and avoiding the main road to circumvent the guard posts. But even with the extra time that requires, the striders are such exceptional animals, it’s clear we’re going to make it to the outskirts of Ravenscrest by nightfall as Carter predicted, if not sooner.
By our midday food and water break, I decide I’m done with this silent, grueling ride to the capital. When we get there, Eleni and I will have to head straight to the Veridian Guild, and I’m running out of time to broach the subject with my new clients.
Rule Number Seven: Information is power.
“I need to know more about the amulet.”
“Like what?” Carter asks around a mouthful of cheese, but in an open way that suggests he’ll actually share the answer.
“Like where it’s kept, for one.”
“That’s why you need access to Taran.” Surprisingly, Maeve is the one who responds. “We don’t know where the amulet is yet.”
I blink. Twice. “You conscripted me to steal this amulet for you and you don’t even know where it is? ”
“We know it’s in Ravenscrest,” Carter assures me. “The king—he would never be far from it.”
“And Tare can find it,” Maeve adds confidently. The tone of someone who trusts her cousin’s abilities implicitly with no room for doubts.
“But when he does, we need you ready to pounce, Wildcat,” Carter finishes.
My brow furrows. “Didn’t you say my cover would only last until Samhain? How can you be so sure you’ll locate the amulet by then?”
“Because we have to,” Taran answers, and something in his tone makes me shut my mouth with a snap.
I chew on this new information for a little while. It’s not so different from the pearls job—starting with a general location and waiting for the right moment to make my move.
Except with the pearls, I was on my own. As I prefer. It sounds like for this job, I’ll be dependent on Taran locating the prize. Which makes me want to hiss.
“Have you solved my cover story issue yet?” The others start at the sound of my voice. They must have thought I was done with this interview once I lapsed into silence. “The personal Apex,” I clarify.
Taran and Carter exchange a glance. “Well, we think Maeve vouching for you might be enough…” Carter starts.
My eyes narrow. “To explain why I traveled here from Shanterra to court the prince with no Apex guardian?” It’s clear from both their expressions they expected this reaction and are trying to manage me. Males.
“We can say something happened to her before the journey—”
“That’s not going to work.” Maeve shakes her head decisively, saving me the trouble. “These women aren’t even bringing their own Apex necessarily. More likely, they’re bringing the most impressive one in their family’s retinue.”
We all lapse into silence.
I sigh. In for a feather, in for the flock. “I can ask the Veridian Guild for assistance. I have to get the waiver from them anyway. ”
“What?” Taran jumps to his feet and annihilates the distance between us in one huge stride so he’s towering over me. “You cannot tell the Veridian Guild about this!”
It happens so fast. One second, we’re all sitting in a loose circle, speaking casually. The next, I’m being shouted at by a looming predator. I break out into a cold sweat.
Quickly, I rise to my feet. But he’s close, much too close. His expression is the desperate kind of dangerous that has my stomach twisting like a knot. I take a healthy step backwards and raise my hands slowly, my tone measured. “I told you. I have to get a waiver to do a job in Veridia, or I’ll be excommunicated.”
“It’s true. We both will.” Eleni’s voice is thin with nerves but she still lends her support. Every member of our little troop went still at Taran’s reaction, the rest of their meals forgotten in their laps.
Taran’s attention snaps to my strider and the pack lying atop it. “You want to trade the pearls to them, don’t you? That’s why you lied .”
The air gets trapped in my throat, and I can’t speak around it. He can smell them.
Taran’s glare swings back around to me. His eyes flare like gray ash as they burn down into mine, and a low sound rumbles from his chest. Everyone else’s heads have lowered, their eyes on the ground, even Astrid’s and Carter’s. It’s involuntary; the dominance rolling off the prince is palpable.
“Your Highness,” I start, but a menacing snarl rents the air, making me jump. Carter visibly winces. I swallow. Try again. “Taran.”
The prince’s lips stop curling back over his teeth. The suffocating dominance lacing the air lessens enough that I can finally draw breath. Flecks of silver break through the dark gray storm clouds.
“Taran.” I say it again, softer this time. Silver overwhelms the gray, and the piercing glow begins to fade. Reason returns to his face. Something else flashes in his eyes—an emotion I can’t place—before it’s masked by resolute indifference. I only catch it because he’s standing so close, and my attention is hyperfocused on him.
He steps back one giant pace, which should make me feel relieved. Instead, I have the strangest instinct to follow. To touch his hand. To soothe the beast.
I clear my throat. “I won’t tell them anything about the job. They wouldn’t expect me to anyway. I’ll just say it’s a personal issue and ask for the waiver.” It’s sort of true. I do have a personal reason for being in Ravenscrest, even in the palace. But if I get caught operating for a client in their territory—my eyes flick to Eleni, and my stomach sinks. Excommunication. For both of us. “I’ll, uh, need to offer some kind of compensation, though. To make it worth their while to overlook our presence.”
“I’ll give you as much gold as you need.” The prince’s voice is rough, like sand scraping stone. “But you can’t trade them the pearls. And I’m coming with you to the negotiations.”
“Ahem,” Carter cuts in from across the clearing, cautiously raising his head. “You can’t go with the wildcat. None of us can, or the guild will know you’re involved.”
Another snarl, but this one is half-hearted. He knows Carter’s right.
“Eleni will come with me,” I say. “And…you can hold on to the pearls while we do. As a gesture of good faith.” I finger my necklace, holding my breath for his response. His eyes track my hand, and I self-consciously drop the charm.
Taran shakes his head. “It’s too big a risk. I’ve contracted with the Veridian Guild before. So has my father. Any one of them could tell him.”
Rule Number Five: Secrecy is your most valuable asset.
“I won’t even say the job is for a client.” My pulse pounds in my throat, and I worry he can see it. “Eleni and I are here on personal business and need permission to operate in Veridia on a limited basis. Neither of us has ever been there before—there’s no connection between us and the mark.”
He frowns. “How are you going to convince them to give you the waiver if you’ve never met them?”
Eleni carefully lifts her eyes from the dirt. “She’ll tell him the Shanterran guild master requests their assistance.”
“That’ll work?” Carter asks .
“It will work,” I say decisively, even though I have no idea if that’s true or not. The pearls were a backup plan—and a solid one. Without them, this negotiation is going to be much trickier.
Taran paces back and forth, raking his hands through increasingly disheveled hair. “Fine.” The prince suddenly stills his frenetic pacing, extending a huge hand to me. “It’s a deal.”
Tentatively, I slide my much smaller palm into his. His warm grip encloses mine, and when our eyes meet, the ache in my rib cage is so sharply painful, it nearly steals my breath.
“Deal.”