Shades of Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #16) - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,46
he was the officer in charge.
The male narrowed his blue eyes as Troy halted in front of him. “Are you looking for someone?”
“Riza,” Troy revealed.
The male shrugged, his hostility barely concealed. “I haven’t seen him.”
Mmm. Troy arched a brow. Was the soldier prejudiced by Jord? Or was it something else? Maybe he just didn’t like him.
He wouldn’t be the first.
Or the last.
“What about Koral and Lusca?” he asked, referring to the two guards who’d been on duty in the outer chamber of the dungeons.
The officer cast a covert glance toward the male and female who were playing darts at the back of the room before he parted his lips to deny having seen them.
Troy walked away, in no mood to soothe the male’s prickly resentment. Later he would discover exactly what Jord had said to ensure the guards wouldn’t cooperate with his investigation.
He sauntered past the crowd gathered around the card table, resisting the urge to send them a finger wave or maybe blow them a kiss. He was powerful—far more powerful than anyone in the mer-folk castle could possibly imagine—but he wasn’t capable of defeating a dozen armed warriors.
Besides, he wasn’t there for shits and grins. After his conversation with Jord, he’d read through the reports offered by Riza, and then by Lusca and Koral. Not one of them had matched the others.
So who was lying?
Or were all of them lying?
He intended to find out.
Reaching the pair at the back, he glanced toward the target. “Is this a private game or can anyone join in?”
The male—Troy assumed he was Lusca—scowled, as if to make double sure Troy realized he wasn’t welcome.
“What do you want?”
“Answers.”
The male gave a toss of his head, his long, golden hair tinted with blue rippling down his back.
“What sort of answers?”
Troy smiled wryly. He’d perfected the hair flip. This male was an amateur. “About Brigette’s escape,” he said.
The female, Koral, tossed a small dagger from hand to hand. Her face was thinner and her teeth chiseled to narrow points. Troy sensed she was the more dangerous of the two.
“We already gave our report to Rimm.”
Troy spread his fingers, offering a smile of faux regret. “I’m sorry, but there are few details I want to clear up.”
Lusca folded his arms over his chest. “We’re off duty.”
Troy considered his options. He couldn’t force the guards to reveal what they knew. Not unless Inga threatened them with the Tryshu, and he was trying to avoid that. The mer-folk would never respect her if she ruled with the same ruthless oppression that Riven had used.
So how…
It was the glint of the dagger’s blade as Koral flipped it over and over that gave him the perfect solution.
“How about a little wager?” he drawled.
“For money?” Lusca demanded.
“I’ll pay you one gold coin each time one of you hits closer than me to the bull’s-eye.”
Koral’s eyes glowed with a sudden anticipation. Troy suspected she was the local champion.
“And if we lose?” Lusca asked, obviously not as confident that the outcome was predetermined.
Troy shrugged. “You answer my question.”
The two guards exchanged a glance before Koral sent him a warning frown. “No cheating?”
“I can’t use magic down here, can I?” he demanded. “Is it a deal?”
“Okay.”
Koral grabbed several silver daggers from a basket and dropped them at Troy’s feet. Then, with far more care, she opened a velvet-lined case to choose three daggers with mother-of-pearl handles. They were obviously her private collection.
Lifting her hand, she released the first dagger with a snap of her wrist. It flew end over end, the silver shimmering in the light of the nearby torches. With a thud it hit the target, sinking into the porous material. It was a near-perfect throw, hitting a breath from the bull’s-eye.
Troy reached down to scoop up the daggers; then, straightening, he tossed one with nonchalant motion. It flew straight as an arrow, hitting the exact middle of the bull’s-eye.
Shocked silence. Troy rolled his eyes. Did they really think he’d propose a wager if he wasn’t sure he was going to win?
“How were you knocked out?” he asked.
Lusca reluctantly turned his attention from the target to Troy. “We were standing guard in front of the door to the dungeon.”
“Which way were you facing?”
The male paused to consider the question. Obviously no one had asked him before.
“Toward the dungeon,” he said in firm tones.
“You were hit from behind?”
Both guards nodded.
“You didn’t sense anyone approaching?” Troy pressed.
“Obviously not,” Koral snapped.
“You didn’t smell anything?” Troy demanded.
They gave another shake of their heads, their expressions resentful. They