Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands #2) - T.A. White Page 0,113

She didn’t think that would be good for them or the Highlands.

He gave her a fierce smile. “It never is. That’s what makes it so fun.”

“You’re not going to let me talk you out of this, are you?”

She really wished he would. He had no idea what was in store for him there. Nothing good would come of this. She was almost sure of it.

*

Fallon waited until Shea had set off to check on the friends she had among the Trateri before turning back to the tent containing Reece.

He stopped next to the Anateri guarding the entrance. “Let no one inside. Not even Shea.”

The Anateri shared a glance before giving a nod to show they understood.

Fallon ducked inside, his eyes immediately drawn to the prisoner. Reece had moved from the chair to the cot where he reclined with his hands folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling as if he could see beyond it to the sky above.

Fallon had caught Shea staring at the sky on more than one occasion but had never asked what so fascinated her. Seeing Reece do something similar reinforced the relationship between the two—a relationship Fallon found himself mildly jealous of, a feeling he wasn’t comfortable or familiar with.

“I’ve noticed Shea always looks to the sky in moments of rest or when she needs reassurance. It seems you do something similar. Why is that?” Fallon asked with a casual voice.

Reece didn’t stir from where he lay, simply turning his head slightly to keep Fallon in view. “Does she now? That’s interesting. I hadn’t realized.” He fell quiet again. Fallon waited with all the patience of a hunter, one accustomed to letting his prey set its own trap. “It’s probably a remnant of our training. The sky is an ever-changing canvas, but for those who know where to look, you can find set points that can tell you your location.”

“Like the West and East stars,” Fallon said. His people used the night sky to navigate as well. There was a star in the east and a star in the west that never changed its position in the sky. Using them, you could always be assured of the direction you were traveling.

“Just so.”

Fallon studied the other man, noting the micro expressions in his face and the way his eyes slid away from Fallon’s.

“You’re lying.” Fallon was sure of it. “I have no doubt that she and you can navigate by the stars, but that’s never her first choice. They’re good for a general direction check but useless during the day.”

Reece stared at Fallon for a moment, his thoughts hidden. “You’re not as stupid as you look.”

Fallon crossed his arms, not perturbed in the least by the insult. He’d endured much worse things said about him. If the other man thought to gain information from Fallon’s loss of temper, he’d have to work much harder at his insults.

Reece sat up. “When we were children, Shea spent much of her time training in the various pursuits her parents deemed worthy of a pathfinder. She took it very seriously. Even back then she was focused and driven. It left little time for play.”

“Were you not in the same training?” Fallon asked.

Reece’s smile was humorless. “More or less, but my parents didn’t expect the same level of excellence of me. They used to send us out into the wilderness, with little more than a compass and knife for survival. Shea and I would entertain ourselves by watching the clouds and telling stories using the shapes we found there.”

Fallon found himself fascinated by this rare glimpse into Shea’s childhood. He’d noticed when she told him stories of her journeys, that they were always about the places she’d visited and the things she’d seen. There was rarely much insight into her as a person. He was charmed by this bit of whimsy Reece had revealed. It made him wonder if she would tell their children stories set in the clouds when it came time.

“But you didn’t come here to hear more about our childhood,” Reece said, with a canny look.

Fallon arched an eyebrow, grimly amused. “Guess you’re smarter than you look as well.”

Reece’s quirk of the lips was less than humorous. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

Fallon grabbed a chair and pulled it over so he could sit facing Reece. He settled into it and observed Reece, letting the other man feel the full weight of his regard.

“I want to talk terms,” Fallon said, letting the other man