Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands #2) - T.A. White Page 0,146

time she didn’t quite contain her laugh.

Fallon’s face was cool and implacable as Shea lost the battle and her chortles rolled out. The rest of the party besides Fallon, Eamon and Buck eyed her with concern, not seeing what she found so funny.

“If the Telroi could compose herself, perhaps we could get back to the business at hand,” Braden said.

“My name is Shea. I suggest you remember it.”

Braden’s forehead wrinkled as he frowned at her. She held her breath waiting for the rebuke. He turned back to Fallon, ignoring her command. “We can send the scouts in first to learn more before the main body moves.”

Eamon nodded his agreement. “My scouts can recon the area and then report back. I think small teams of three to five would be best given our lack of knowledge.”

It was a good plan. One Shea would have recommended had she been in charge.

“I will be on one of the teams,” Shea said. She lifted her chin and met Fallon’s gaze. “Of all of us, I have the most experience with places like this. It would be a waste of a valuable resource to keep me back.”

“I think we can manage without you,” Braden said in a dismissive voice.

Shea ignored him, knowing that Fallon’s was the only opinion mattered.

Eamon voiced his opinion. “Her skills are some of the best I’ve seen, and she does have more knowledge of this place. It would considerably boost our odds.”

“I think she should go,” Gawain said, unexpectedly siding with Shea. “Shea,” he said, stressing her name, “might be able to see something our men overlook.”

Shea fought to keep the shock off her face at Gawain’s support. He’d made no secret his suspicion of her and her loyalties. The fact that he’d be in support of her addition to the scouting teams wasn’t only surprising, it was suspicious as well.

She gave him a sideways look but only saw an expression of concentration on Gawain’s face. There was no evidence of deceit or ulterior motives. She gave a mental shrug, setting aside his motivations for now. Perhaps he thought by letting her go, he could expose her for a traitor, or perhaps he thought she’d perish while scouting. Since either scenario wasn’t going to happen, she decided it would be a waste of energy trying to dig below the surface. Time would eventually bring his real motivations to light.

“You should send me as well,” Reece said, inserting himself into the conversation. “I have just as much experience as Shea. Furthermore, I’m the one who led you to this place.”

Eamon snorted. “Yes, the ambush by golden eagle has inspired such confidence in your skills and loyalty.”

Reece’s shoulders bunched, and he gave Eamon a cold look. “The eagles were no fault of mine. I don’t control them. Perhaps if your men had been a little quicker, they wouldn’t have drawn the eagles’ notice.”

“We don’t trust you,” Buck said, stating the truth in a matter of fact manner. “People we don’t trust aren’t typically sent out with the scouts.”

Reece lifted an eyebrow. “And yet you trusted Shea to lead you. Your scout team was the one she was part of for the past few months, wasn’t it?”

Shea narrowed her eyes at him. He was up to something. While that information was widely known among the Trateri, it wasn’t the sort of thing they would share with a prisoner, someone they barely trusted. Where had he gotten that little tidbit?

“Best be careful, boy,” Buck warned. “We don’t take it lightly when someone slanders one of our own.”

“Shea has long since proven her loyalty,” Fallon said when it looked like Buck was about to throw discipline to the wind and attack Reece. “The same cannot be said for you.”

Reece lifted his hands, backing down with one last glance around the group. He heaved a sigh but didn’t argue.

Fallon looked at Shea. “You may go with the scouts.” Shea took a deep breath and started to smile. “I’ll be going with you.”

She debated whether to argue but decided not to take his stipulation as a slight on her skills.

“Fallon,” Caden protested. “That is unwise.”

Fallon gestured for quiet. “I’ve made my decision. You can send two of the Anateri with us if that makes you feel better, but we will be part of the scouting party.”

Caden shut his mouth, his lips tightening as his eyes shot to Shea in a glare that should have singed her eyebrows. It was clear he laid the blame for Fallon’s decision at