Page 38 of A Tempest of Intrigue (Tempest of Shadows #4)

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Ellery

I wiped the sweat from my brow before helping to finish tying down the final load of wheat in the back of the wagon. That was it. Another harvest in the books… most likely the last one for me at home.

I’d tried not to think about that as we’d worked over the past week to reap all the crops that were ready, which was most of them. The apples and pears would come soon, as would some vegetables in the garden, but we’d finished the bulk of the work.

Stepping back, I studied the load in the wagon. Since it was the last one, it wasn’t as full as the ones before it, but it was still impressive.

We’d also sent two wagonloads into the Revenant Woods for Tucker’s encampment. It wasn’t enough to get them through the winter, but it would help.

Mr. Fletcher slapped his hand against the wood and grinned at me. “Now it’s time to get this to town and rest.”

My aching body rejoiced at his words. We’d worked so much over the past week that there’d barely been time for recovery.

I was looking forward to a hot shower, clean clothes, and a bed. I had to return to Tucker’s tonight to greet the new arrivals, but we’d finished early today, and I planned to lie down for an hour or two. I deserved some time to lick my wounds.

“I’ll be back soon,” Mr. Fletcher said as he walked to the front of the wagon.

He climbed up, lifted the reins, and gave the horses a light slap on the rump. The cart lurched forward with a jingle of the harness and a creak of wood that had seen better days.

I watched it rattle away, kicking up dust as it traveled to Nottingshire. The barricades had lifted, and amsirah were traversing the road again, but a subdued air hung over the realm.

While Ivan didn’t kill anyone else during the lockdown, we were all waiting to see what he would do next. There was no way he would give up on finding a female lightning bearer, but the more time passed, the more anxious the realm became.

If he was biding his time, then Ivan was planning something big. And no good could ever come of that.

There were rumors he had metalsmiths working nonstop at the palace, but no one knew what they were doing or if it was true. Most of the chatter came from the fact they could hear metal clanging, bangs, and that many, if not all the metalsmiths in Tempest had been called to the palace.

Since they were hidden away, no one could see what was happening. Those who claimed to have heard them assumed it was the missing metalsmiths, but they could be wrong.

Those missing men and women could be dead. It would make no sense for Ivan to kill them, but little the king did made sense to me. However, there’d been so much work to do this week, that I’d had little time to stew over it.

When the wagon disappeared, some of the tension eased from my shoulders. We’d finished most of the work for the season, and Ivan would soon have the money and horses I owed him. Once that was done….

I had no idea what would happen once it was done. As of now, Tempest had remained tranquil, but I didn’t expect that to last.

When I turned away from the road, I discovered Scarlet standing by the side of my home, watching as her father left for The Hollows. For a brief second, our eyes met before she turned and walked away.

I started to go after her but stopped myself. Despite working together this past week, and often side by side, she had yet to speak to me.

I wanted to plead for her forgiveness, but I couldn’t force it from her. She required time to figure things out; I just hoped she forgave me.

Feeling beat down, I trudged toward my home. Not even happy thoughts of a shower could lift my spirits.

I was almost to the front step when the thud of hoofbeats drew my attention. Despite having had plenty of riders over the past week, I tensed while bracing myself for something bad.

Some of my rigidity eased when a single rider broke over the horizon. At least it wasn’t a caravan of soldiers coming to get me, but as the rider neared, my anxiety returned as they stopped on the road thirty feet away from me.

My stomach sank when Gaius swung off his horse with an easy grace. He led the animal onto the grass, draped the lines over the pommel, and let him go.