Shield of Sparrows

“Evangeline.” Zavier’s fatherly tone was the perfect balance of gentle yet firm. “If you keep running away from Luella, she’s going to think you don’t like your lessons.”noveldrama

“I don’t like ’em.” She crossed her arms over her chest as she pouted.

“Not even science?”

Her big, gray eyes turned pleading. “I wanna stay with you.”

Zavier sighed, casting his eyes to the afternoon sky.

He was going to cave. When it came to that child, he had no spine. No one did, it seemed. She had all of Treow wrapped around her little finger.

“Fine,” he said. “You may join us. But afterward, you’ll go to your lessons.”

Her smile was contagious. “’Kay.”

It was warm today, the sun beating down through the tree branches. Almost too hot to enjoy the walk around Treow.

Almost.

For the past five days since Zavier’s arrival at the encampment, each afternoon, he’d visit my treehouse and invite me on a walk.

We took the same path. We walked at the same leisurely pace. We talked about the same, safe topics. The weather. The previous night’s dinner. My training regimen with Tillia. And when we exhausted those topics, we’d just walk, side by side, until we circled back to my treehouse.

Today was the first time Evangeline had been brave enough to follow. For ten minutes, she’d been sneaking behind us, running from tree to tree. Finally, Zavier had stopped and turned, catching her on a dash.

She took the space between us, holding his hand as she gave me a wary glance.

Evie had yet to speak to me. For a girl so bold, she seemed nervous where I was concerned.

Was that because she knew I was married to Zavier? Or because I was an outsider? Or because the Guardian had warned her not to trust me?

Turning a child against me seemed like his style.

I hadn’t seen him in five days, not that I was counting. Apparently, he didn’t need to babysit me with Zavier around.

Fine by me.

“Hi,” I said, giving her my kindest smile. “I’m Odessa.”

She leaned against Zavier’s leg, sweet and shy and with the most precious face in the realm. “Hi.”

Zavier winked, and a hundred butterflies fluttered in my belly.

Maybe this marriage wasn’t entirely hopeless. Zavier as a father was different than the bored, indifferent man I’d met weeks ago. The protectiveness for his child was endearing.

“Pap—” Evangeline caught herself midslip. “Zavier?”

It broke my heart a little to hear her call him Zavier.

“Can I go with you when you leave?” she asked.

“You’re leaving again?” I asked.

He opened his mouth to answer one of us, but his focus shifted into the forest. He held up a hand for us to stay quiet as a crease formed between his eyebrows.

I scanned the trees, searching for whatever it was he’d heard. But other than some birds chirping and squirrels chattering, the only noise was from the occasional falling pine cone.

He listened for another moment, features taut, until he exhaled and the worry vanished.

“What?” I asked.

Evie squinted into the distance, peering into the shadows. Then her face lit up as a man appeared, striding through the trees on near-silent feet.

The Guardian.

My babysitter had returned.

Damn my heart. It skipped.

Heartburn. It had to be heartburn. The cooks had added peppers to the eggs this morning. They’d been spicy, and now I had heartburn.

Zavier let go of Evie’s hand as the Guardian approached. The men clasped forearms as Zavier asked, “How did it go?”

There was a seriousness to the Guardian today. A sharpness. He looked to Evangeline, his expression softening a bit, before jerking his chin for Zavier to follow away from our path.

He didn’t so much as blink in my direction.

Also fine by me.

They stepped away, their backs turned to block us out. To block me out.

Evie crooked her finger, motioning me closer as she whispered. “He goes to fight the monsters. The bad ones.”

Bad ones? “Like grizzurs and lionwicks?”

“No.” She shook her head. “The sick ones.”

Sick monsters. “What do you mean?”

“Evangeline!” A woman’s voice echoed through the trees.

The girl’s eyes blew wide. She turned, about to run away and hide behind a tree when the woman stopped her.

“I see you, Evie. Don’t you dare run away from me.”

Evie looked to the ground, chewing on her lower lip.

A woman swept down the path, marching our way. She was beautiful, with a slender, willowy figure. Her long, brown hair was braided much like mine, the thick plait draped over her shoulder. She walked with elegance and immediately reminded me of Margot. Straight spine, pinned shoulders, with a lifted chin.

It wasn’t haughty or superior. This woman’s posture was simply perfect.

She stopped in front of us, her green eyes narrowing. “Well?”

“Sorry, Luella,” Evangeline mumbled.

Luella sighed, crouching in front of her charge. “It frightens me when you run off.”

“But if I tell you where I’m going, you won’t let me.”

I pulled in my lips to hide a smile. At one point, I think I’d told my own tutors much the same.

Luella relaxed, the fear of losing Evangeline gone, and stood, facing me with a small smile. “You must be Odessa. I’m Luella. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You as well.” I gave her a slight bow.

I’d never bowed to my own tutors before, but it came automatically. As if Luella’s grace demanded the respect.

“Odessa.” I turned at Zavier’s voice. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to cut our walk short. There’s something that needs my attention.”

“Of course.”

He nodded, then bent to run his thumb around Evangeline’s face. “Go with Luella.”

Her tiny shoulders sagged. “Are you leaving?”

“Not yet.” He pulled her into his leg, giving her a brief hug.

My gaze shifted to the Guardian.

His hazel eyes stared back.

There was no smirk today. There was no taunting or mischief in his expression.

Something was wrong. Something had happened.

A chill crept down my spine.

“Shall we?” Luella motioned to the path like she was to usher both me and Evangeline away.

I followed them to the commons before breaking away with a wave. Then I weaved through the trees, searching faces until I found the one I’d been looking for.

Brielle was hanging wet clothes on a line to dry. My clothes.

True to his word, Zavier had moved her and Jocelyn into a treehouse of their own. The privacy, the companionship with a friend, had done her wonders. She was less sullen, happier, than she’d been since arriving in Treow.

“Highness.” She curtsied. “Is everything all right? Do you need anything?”

“No.” I came to a stop at her side, standing close as I checked the space around us, ensuring we were alone. “Have you heard anything about sick monsters?”

Her forehead furrowed. “Sick monsters? No. What does that mean?”

“I’m not sure.” What made a monster sick? “Just a rumor I heard today.”

“I’ve heard nothing of monsters.” She lowered her voice. “But I heard something last night at the bonfire, after you retired to your room. I was walking back and heard a couple of men talking. I, um, eavesdropped.”

Since Zavier’s arrival, there’d been a liveliness to Treow. Or maybe it was the doing of his warriors. Over the past five nights, there’d been a bonfire near the commons. People would gather and drink while they told stories. Jocelyn and Brielle had gone every night. They’d tell me all about it over breakfast.

But neither had invited me to attend. Nor had Tillia.

After a string of nights sulking that I’d been left out, I’d decided this was the Guardian’s doing. The reason he took my rope ladder each night.

So I wouldn’t make my way to the bonfire. I wouldn’t overhear whatever it was that the Turans didn’t want shared.

“What did you hear?” I asked.

“That a few men have gone missing from Treow.”

“Missing? Like they left? Or were taken?”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “One of them saw me listening, and they stopped talking.”

So they guarded their stories from Brielle, too.

Smart.

“Jocelyn said she heard someone talking about the king’s militia. He’s recruiting more men. I guess one of the pony riders quit to enlist. Maybe that’s where these men went as well.”

Why would Ramsey need to build his militia? The crux migration? Or for a war?

Father had told me he needed to get into Allesaria. But he’d never specifically said he’d be sending troops. I’d made that assumption. What if he’d never planned on invading? What if all of this was in reaction to something Ramsey was doing?

I hummed. When we were on the coast, the men hauling our trunks had mentioned the militia. Ramsey must be pulling people from across his kingdom.

Pulling them to Allesaria, maybe?

“Have you heard anything about Allesaria?”

“No.” She frowned. “I asked Mariette about it once. She never spoke to me often before that point, but when I mentioned the city’s name, she ignored me for days.”

“It’s been the same for me.” Whenever I’d bring up Allesaria, conversation would either die or change direction.

It was almost as if the city was a myth. A legend.

What if Allesaria didn’t exist?

Maybe the reason Father couldn’t gain access to the Turan capital was because there wasn’t a Turan capital. It had never been rebuilt. And if there was no capital, then there was nothing for Father to find that might help us against the crux.

No. Impossible. Children were taught the capitals of every kingdom. I’d known about Allesaria since I was old enough to read and write.

It existed. Somewhere.

Didn’t it?

“We’ll never learn anything if we stay here,” I said.

Brielle bent to pick up a clean tunic and pin it to the line. “It seems, Highness, like that’s the point.”

They’d trapped us here.

For weeks, I’d accepted this place. I’d been biding my time, thinking eventually we’d go to Allesaria. But Zavier would take me to Ellder instead. I’d fail entirely. And my people would pay the price.

If I was going to find Allesaria, then something had to change.

Me. I had to change.

I could ask questions until I was blue in the face, and no one would answer. What exactly was a sick monster? Did it have anything to do with that green blood I’d seen from the marroweel and dead grizzur? Why was King Ramsey burning books and building a militia? What was happening in Turah, and how many secrets were these people keeping beyond the location of their capital?

It was time to stop waiting for the Turans to gift me information.

It was time to start acting like a spy.

It was time to figure my way out of Treow.