The Beauty of Darkness - Mary E. Pearson Page 0,90

with threat.

“Gone,” he answered, and with shaking hands, he waved Kaden and me to the kitchen table to explain. “Please,” he added when we didn’t move. We pulled out chairs and sat. Kaden kept his knife drawn, but by the time Enzo was done explaining, I rested my head in my hands, and could only stare at the scarred wooden table where I had eaten so many meals with Pauline. She had left weeks ago to try to help me. All of them had. I couldn’t hold back the groan swelling in my throat. They were in the heart of Civica. Dread gripped me.

Kaden put his hand on my back. “She’s with Gwyneth. That’s something.”

“And Berdi,” Enzo added. But both of their reminders seemed only to confirm our fears. Pauline was trusting—and a wanted criminal just like me. She could already be in custody. Or worse.

“We have to go to them,” I said. “Tomorrow.” There would be no resting up.

“They’ll be all right,” Enzo said. “Berdi promised me.”

I looked up at Enzo, hardly recognizing him as the shiftless boy who could barely be relied upon to show up for work at all. His expression was earnest, one I had never seen on him before.

“And Berdi left you to run the inn?”

He looked down, brushing an oily strand of hair from his face. I hadn’t tried to disguise my suspicion. Pink colored his temples. “I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t blame you. But that’s what Berdi did, left me in charge, keys and everything.” He rattled the ring of keys hanging from his belt, and I saw something akin to pride in his eyes. “Really. She said it was long past time for me to step up.” He suddenly startled, twisting his apron in his hands. “That other fellow could have killed me. He nearly did. He heard me and—”

He swallowed, and the large apple of his skinny throat bobbed. He stared at my neck. “I’m sorry. It was me who told that bounty hunter about you walking on the upper road. I knew he was up to no good, but all I could see was that handful of coin in his palm.”

Kaden sat forward in his chair. “You?”

I nudged Kaden back in his seat. “The other fellow?” I asked.

“That farmer who was staying here. He cornered me and threatened to cut out my tongue if I ever said your name to anyone again. Said he’d stuff it down my throat along with the coin. I thought for sure he was going to. I thought about how close I’d come to—” He swallowed again.

“I knew I was running out of chances. Last thing Berdi said to me before she left was that she saw something good in me, and it was time I find it too. I’m trying to do better.” He rubbed the side of his face, his hand still shaking. “I’m not doing all this half as good as Berdi, course. All I can manage is to keep rooms clean for the boarders, make a pot of parritch in the morning and a pot of stew at night.” He pointed to the wall at the far end of the kitchen. “She left me directions. For everything.” There were at least a dozen pieces of paper tacked to the wall scribbled with Berdi’s handwriting. “I can’t serve dinner for a whole dining room yet. But maybe if I hire some help.”

Natiya came into the kitchen, her sword strapped to her side, a dagger in her hand, a new swagger to her stride. She leaned back against the wall. Enzo glanced at her but said nothing. We had come full circle, and I saw the worry in his eyes. He knew we saw him as a possible threat.

“So you know who I really am?” I asked.

For the briefest moment, I saw denial rush through his eyes, but he shrugged it off and nodded. “Berdi didn’t tell me, but I heard about the princess being wanted.”

“And just what did you hear?” Kaden asked.

“Any citizen can kill her on sight and collect a reward. No questions asked.”

Kaden hissed and pushed away from the table.

“But I won’t tell anyone!” Enzo quickly added. “I promise. I’ve known for a long time and had plenty of chances to tell the magistrate. He’s come around twice, wondering what happened to Gwyneth, but I’ve never said a word.”

Kaden stood and ran his finger along the flat side of his knife blade, turning it to catch the