The Rogue Guardian

Chapter 18: Selling Lies and Truth

Joshua hadn't needed an entire week to find out where it was Therese of Verivain had gone, despite what he'd told Caer. What would take time was deciding what to do with the information-- mostly, who else besides Caer might need to know it.

He'd learned that she had traveled up the Mitrove river to the Verivain manor on the outskirts of a town half a day's journey away, and stayed long enough for there to be witnesses to her presence before leaving in the middle of the night to ride down past the capital. Most likely at that point she had taken a boat for the rest of the one day's journey to Maenar. As far as anyone else knew, she was still at the family manor, and the fact that Joshua knew any of this was a testament to the fact that Caer had been right to think he still had some friends left from his younger days.

Now, sitting in the darkest corner of the Black Horse with his face concealed in the shadows of his hood, he just had to decide what this information meant. These days, anyone who suddenly appeared in Maenar was at risk of being suspected for treason. Less so if they were nobility, but more so if they were spotted in the thieves' dens, and one offhand comment from his friend suggested Therese may have been. But to jump right to the conclusion of consorting with rebels was... hasty, at best. And dangerous at worst. The implications were huge.

This was exactly the kind of danger he didn't need right now. So close to being done with all of this-- one wrong step could ruin everything. But to leave Caer to figure it out on his own would be an even bigger blunder than one he could make on his own. At least he had some control this way.

Sighing, he finally stood up and made his way through the crowded room to the stairs. Dealing with Aiden was about as pleasant as dealing with Tobias, but it had to be done. Reaching to the top of the steps he found Rayna guarding the door, her face drawn. She barely acknowledged him, but some twinge of pity in his stomach made him stop before her. "Are they busy?" Aiden was rarely too busy to see him, but it was a gentler way of breaking the silence.

"You can go in." There was a hesitant silence and he wondered if it was his place to say anything but finally she said quietly, "And I'm fine."

"I suppose you can't go back to the castle."

She shook her head. It was impossible after having been imprisoned and escaped. She was a fugitive now, like Nali was as well, like Dell had been since leaving the royal spies and like Aiden had been for years longer than some of them had been alive.

"Have you thought about--"

"No," she cut him off. "I am not Aiden's weapon."

He nodded. He understood that well, the refusal to become another person's tool. He had been fighting that for years-- they both had, though Rayna had done a far better job of it than he had. The circumstances of their lives were so different but had ended them up in such similar places.

"I'm sorry about that happened."

"It was the Thief who let us go. Did you know?"

He smiled grimly. This was Rayna's kind of pity, and it was more helpful than his. "I didn't. Is this safe information?" Safe to pass along, as he did so often for so many people.

"You can figure out how safe it is. Don't tell Aiden I told you."

"I won't. Good luck."

"With what?"

"Whatever you need it for."

"Then good luck to you too."

If they were honest, they both needed it very much.

He knocked on the door and went in. Dell was there, which was good, and just Aiden and Beck beside her.

"A little early for another meeting," Aiden remarked, cutting off whatever Beck had been saying.