the gates of Pree, Ransom announced himself and asked for a writ of safe conduct to see King Estian. Was Alix already there? He couldn’t sense her yet. It was granted in short order, along with permission to bring twenty of the knights as an escort. Ransom asked Dearley to remain behind with the other eighty, and to be on the lookout for any trouble.
“Do you think the king would attack us now?” Dearley asked with a frown of concern.
He would if he realized it was Ransom’s intention to steal the Wizr board and his poisoner.
“I don’t. But neither do I trust him,” Ransom answered. Then he parted ways with Dearley, taking his smaller group into the city. The residents of Pree glared with open hostility at the knights wearing the badge of the Silver Rose.
As much as he worried about the confrontation with King Estian, Ransom felt more anxious about seeing Lady Alix. If she came. Would she affect him the way she had in Bayree? Was her power so strong it would sway his will even now?
Was it even possible to manipulate a person who could magically influence others? He aimed to try. He hoped he could persuade her to take the Wizr board out of the city. It would require more deceptions on his part, but lying to her was a little easier because he suspected she’d already deceived him.
When they reached the palace courtyard, he sensed Alix’s presence. His heart began to pound faster, but he hid his reaction as he dismounted and then followed the royal steward through the gates of the palace.
“The king is meeting with his council at the moment,” the steward said to him as they walked. “You will be permitted to speak to him when they are finished. There is, however, someone who wishes to speak with you beforehand. The heiress of Bayree is here.”
“I was hoping for a chance to talk to her. And I would prefer to address the king in private,” said Ransom, knowing the demand he was about to make would be offensive to their nobility.
“That is for the king to decide,” said the steward brusquely. They were brought to a set of huge oak doors, the wood divided into many squares decorated with intricate carvings of knights, fleurs-de-lis, and banners. The walls around them were bedecked with tapestries made of fine cloth and stitching. Ransom’s gaze took it all in, but his other senses were focused on Alix, and when she came down the corridor toward him, he turned to look.
She was alone, dressed in a hooded cloak that hid her hair and features. When she got his attention, she turned into an alcove midway down the corridor and disappeared.
“Ah, there she is,” said the steward. “You may speak privately in that alcove.”
Turning to one of the knights, he said, “I’ll be back in a moment.”
The knight gave a shrug and continued milling about with the others while Ransom walked down the corridor. As he approached the alcove, he heard the splashing of fountain waters coming from ahead. The interior was full of shadows, but he spied Alix standing on the other side of the water.
He entered the space cautiously, his eyes adjusting to the dark, and she hurried around the fountain to embrace him, pressing her cheek against his chest. His first response was to flinch, but he recovered quickly and wrapped his arms around her.
“When I heard you were coming, I couldn’t come fast enough,” she whispered. “I’ve missed you.”
“Did you bring it?” he asked.
She looked up at his face, a smile parting her lips, and nodded. Relief surged inside him. He didn’t see any sort of bag or carrying case nearby, but it was dark still.
“Where is—?” he started to say, but she wove her fingers through his hair and brought his mouth down to hers for a fierce kiss.
Surprised by this, his mind quickly went blank except for the press of her mouth against his, her fingers digging into his hair, and his whole body reacted to her closeness, to the smell of lilac on her skin. The kiss was powerful, intoxicating, and his resolve began to waver.
Suddenly she stopped, pulling back, her eyes narrowing. He was breathing fast, trying to control his rampaging emotions. Despite his better judgment, he wanted more. But it felt dangerous.
“A kiss never lies,” she said, shaking her head, backing away from him.
“What?” he asked in confusion.
“A kiss never lies.” The look of rapture on her face