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That was before we had the matter of a child to consider.
The diplomat s expression flickered, but he said nothing. Luke
blew out his breath with impatience. I must know if she carries
my child or not. If you will not let me speak with her, I shall send
my physician to examine her
She is not seeing anyone, your Majesty, the diplomat
snapped, his voice venomous. Send who you like, but they will
not be admitted.
Luke bristled, started to respond. The diplomat cut him off with
an arch look.
Will you force your way into her chamber, and add further
insult to what she has already suffered?
I will have the truth. I will not consent to allow you to take my
child from me. And as no one will discuss with me whether she s
carrying a child or not, I am forced to conclude
The diplomat s lips thinned. She is not, he said, low and
savage. He drew his spine straight and stared at Luke as though he
expected him to quail beneath it. There is no child, and you have
no claim on her. He stormed into the room before Luke could
speak a word, and locked the door behind him. When Luke
pounded upon it again, he received no response at all.
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* * *
Two more days had passed, and Addy still had not seen Nume
since they d left the boat. Now the Ilians were leaving, taking
Nume with them, and there was nothing to be done about it. Addy
stood at Luke s side, stiff as a plank, as they made a public
farewell.
He spoke at length, to the people and to the Ilians. Pretty
politicians lies that didn t mean anything. Addy kept herself
straight, her expression blank, and did not allow herself to search
for Nume amongst the Ilians.
Luke had arranged for a formal farewell after the speeches, and
for Addy to be at Nume s side as they escorted the Ilians to the city
gates. Long minutes for Addy to say everything that had filled her
to bursting these past days, and a few moments of privacy at the
end to say their good-byes.
It was enough. It would have to be. She could endure this,
knowing that there would be an opportunity to kiss Nume good-
bye at the end of it.
She couldn t listen to Luke s words, though. Not when they
professed respect and friendship for the Ilians, and an enduring
bond between the two nations. They were lies, too. There wasn t a
one of them, apart from Nume, whom Addy would have welcomed
back to Samar s shores, and she knew Luke felt no fonder of any
of them.
She let the words pass over her, so she would not be tempted to
give her reaction away. They had opened the palace gates and
allowed their people in, though most of those in the courtyard were
courtiers and noblemen.
Behind them, commoners crowded thick down the length of the
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Great Road. A low, indistinct noise rose from all of them, reaction
to Luke s words, to the fact that Nume was leaving and Luke was
still married to his Rannan pirate.
Amidst it all, came a sudden sharp sound like a hiss, followed
by an impact. Addy turned, looking for the source. On Luke s
other side, Conall was already looking alarmed and furious, and
Luke Luke had broken off his speech, one hand pressed to his
shoulder around the long shaft of an arrow. Blood trickled down
over his fingers and stained his shirt.
Luke? Addy reached for him, but Conall pushed him back
away from her.
Guards! Here to me, he snapped, and the Rannan guards he d
brought with him surged forward, surrounding Luke, who was
looking pale and shocked. He looked down at the arrow thrusting
out from his chest and groped a hand out blindly.
Addy spun around again, staring out at the crowd, searching
their ranks for someone who might have done this. Conall lifted a
hand to shield his gaze from the sun and looked elsewhere, higher,
as though the attack might have come from the sky.
She followed his line of sight, but saw nothing beyond the
rooftops and buildings of the city. Was that where he thought the
shot had come from? Only the finest archer could have made a shot
from such a distance.
Conall swore and ran down the steps, shouldering his way
through the crowd. Addy darted after him without thought, and
with only a glance thrown over her shoulder to ensure that Luke
was safe amongst the guards.
They had him sitting down, leaning back against one guard for
support and looking gray. But he was upright, and he turned his
face up to one of the Rannans to say something to him. He was
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alive.
How many times am I to see my brother nearly killed? she
thought grimly.
No more. They would end this. She sprinted through the space
in the crowd that Conall left in his wake, picking up the hem of her
skirt so she wouldn t trip as her feet flew over the flagstones.
Conall! she cried when she had nearly reached him, and they
had come through the press of the crowd to the other side.
He stumbled and turned back to her, his brows lowering. No,
Addy. Go back. Stay with Luke.
The hell I will. She set her jaw. I m coming with you.
Where is he?
He looked at her for just a moment, then sighed and shook his
head. He gestured up, to the roof of the building before them. The
shot came from here, I think. Quickly, now.
They ran into the building, which was dark and close, every
scrap of space stolen for the tenements that housed the palace staff
and servants. Addy followed Conall up the staircase, so narrow the
pirate s broad shoulders brushed against the walls.
Three flights up, and they burst out onto the roof. Sunlight
blinded her after the darkness inside, but they couldn t afford the
time it would take for her eyes to adjust.
She blinked the spots from her vision and turned, searching the
rooftop. Movement at the corner of her eye caught her attention.
She spun and chased after it, a small figure at the other end of the
roof.
A step ahead of her, Conall snarled, Leyburn! The man ahead
of them stumbled and turned back, just for an instant.
Cold resolve slid through Addy. This was him, the man behind
all the attempts on Luke s life. She set her jaw and ran harder after
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him.
There was another door leading to another flight of stairs at the
far end of the building. As he made toward it, Addy cried, Conall!
Cut him off! He could run faster than she could. She d never
make it down and through the building to the other flight of stairs
before Leyburn did.
Conall started to protest, then stopped himself, reconsidered,
and spun to head for the stairs again. Addy kept after Leyburn,
driving him back down off the roof and into the tenements.
She couldn t see him in the narrow staircase, but his boots
thundered up to her, reassurance that she hadn t lost him yet, until
they abruptly stopped.
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