Fear of Fire and Shadow (The Fade #1) - Samantha Young Page 0,68

that, I ask you?”

Chaeron was as shocked as I at the explosion, and the rabble-rousing yells of agreement. What on Phaedra was going on here? What this man said, it couldn’t be true? But as I looked around at the desperate faces, I found the truth in their eyes.

Impulsively, I strode forward past Chaeron who tried to reach for me, but missed. “There must be some mistake,” I implored the man. “We didn’t know.”

He looked at me with such revulsion, I tensed. And then he made a groggy noise in the back of his throat and spat in my face. Chaeron’s blade was against his neck before I even could comprehend what had happened. Humiliated, I wiped at the phlegm dripping down my cheek and glowered at the man who now stood stiff against Chaeron’s sword.

“Your name?” Chaeron growled in his face.

“Den. Den Hewitt.”

“Den Hewitt, you just committed a crime. Do you know who this lady is before you?”

The rabble-rouser paled somewhat as he really looked at me, his eyes showing a little of his panic as he wondered who he had just offended. “No,” he replied hoarsely.

“You just assaulted the Lady Rogan of Silvera. The princezna’s handmaiden.”

The gasps of the people around us made me want to curl inside myself. Den blanched, fear turning his mouth white. Still shocked at his treatment of me, a woman, a lady, I let him stew on it. They thought his punishment would be grave indeed. However, although stunned by his offense, I was more concerned by his accusations.

“I didn’t know.” He wilted a little.

“No. I imagine you did not.” Chaeron shifted the sword from his throat. “Den Hewitt, I charge you with assault against the Lady Rogan of Silvera. You will be placed in my custody and taken back to Silvera for trial.”

“Lieutenant.” I shook my head, not wanting this man punished severely for an act of stupidity born of frustration.

“But Lady Rogan?” Chaeron frowned.

“All I want is an apology.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

Hewitt looked between the two of us, his expression filling with hope as he waited for Chaeron’s decision. The lieutenant finally nodded, although his eyes blazed, and Hewitt breathed a sigh of relief before turning to me. “I am so sorry, my lady. I am so sorry.”

I nodded. “If you had merely told us your grievance, we would have dealt with it, Mr. Hewitt. I assure you that none of us were aware of these conditions you speak of. Let us return to our camp and I will speak with the captain of the Guard. He will investigate the matter.” It was perhaps obnoxious and forward of me to assume Wolfe would take care of this situation, but I couldn’t leave these people as they were. They were so volatile. Just one spark …

Den Hewitt thanked me and apologized some more, relieved at escaping severe punishment. The men and I withdrew from him and turned back for camp. I could feel Chaeron’s disapproval, but I was the one who had been spat on. I should be the one to mete out the punishment.

Before I could approach Wolfe, Chaeron charged ahead. He cornered the captain.

By the time Chaeron was done, Wolfe’s face was hard as stone. With an efficiency and lethal determination that demonstrated just why he was captain, Wolfe rounded up a group of ten men and they mounted their horses. As they cantered toward me, I stood to the side and kept my eyes on the grass. I saw Wolfe’s horses’ hooves come into view and then stop.

“Next time, ask me before you offer my services.” He snapped.

I scowled at him. “Are you saying you would leave them this way?”

He frowned back. “You know I wouldn’t. But I don’t appreciate taking orders from you, Lady Rogan.”

My apologetic smile was brittle. “Apologies. It won’t happen again.”

Again, seeming startled and disappointed by my compliance, Wolfe nodded and began to pull away. Just as I was relaxing, sure Wolfe would take care of the issues the villagers had put forth, he threw over his shoulder. “I’m fining Den Hewitt for assaulting you.”

“But I don’t want that!” I cried, rushing to catch up with him. I could see the other men trying to look uninterested in our exchange. “You can’t do that!”

Wolfe drew to an abrupt halt and glared down at me. “I can do anything I want, Lady Rogan. I am captain of the Guard.” He seethed, his face mottled with anger. “He assaulted you, Rogan, and that