She gaped at him. “Wh-?”

  He shoved a newspaper into her face. Startled, she pulled it back and stared at the front page. Her mouth fell open.

  “Shit,” she whispered.

  “Shit is right. This complicates things. A lot.”

  Em sat down. Feeling as though her legs would completely collapse if she didn’t get off them.

  Due to the Emperor’s lack of offspring, it was decided earlier this week he’d take another concubine. We’d like to congratulate Emmaline Grimshaw, the sister of the war hero Marquis Flint Grimshaw-

  The paper fell to her lap as she dropped her face into her hands.

  “I’m sorry. After that- You can’t keep coming here, miss.”

  Apparently, Sager had spent his anger. Now, he just looked tired as he crouched in front of Em.

  “I have to,” she mumbled.

  “No, you don’t. I know it’s not ideal, but I can do the rest without you. What you need to do-”

  She snapped her head up. Glaring him into silence.

  “I’m going to finish this, Sager,” she snarled.

  “Miss Em-”

  “I’m going to finish what I started here.”

  “Miss Em, you’re not thinking straight. This, uh, change is a great honor, but it also comes with many dangers. That means your safety is-”

  She wasn’t listening.

  Instead, she was staring at the picture that came with the article. Someone had either been randomly etching pictures and happened to get this one… or knew beforehand that Thiago would corner her.

  Either way, the picture was of her. She knew where she was sitting, too. They would have seen Kalenna and the others sitting with her if they had included the entire scene.

  Bile rose up her throat.

  If the newspaper was already printing this… Flint wasn’t just getting blindsided by Thiago but by all of society.

  Loki, can we disappear now?

  “We should get to work.”

  She stood up. Pausing only to stuff the paper into her bag.

  “You haven’t been listening!”

  “No, you haven’t been listening,” she scowled. “You can’t do this without me.”

  “Miss Em-”

  “Let me worry about my own safety. Ash- Mister Gray, you ready?”

  As they moved Asher to the surgery table, put him to sleep, and got to work, Sager didn’t give up trying to convince her not to come back. But at the end of the surgery, he paused in his tirade as they stepped back from the table. Admiring Asher’s leg.

  Which was perfectly healed.

  A complete success.

  No scarring, no damage, and no sign there had ever been an injury.

  The only thing Asher would have to do was exercise the muscles and get them back in shape.

  The doctor weakened.

  That was the end of his arguments.

  “Keep her safe,” he grunted at Todd before shutting the door in their faces.

  When Todd prodded her for what the outbursts were about, she simply gave him the newspaper and looked out the carriage window. Listening to him swear and ignoring his questions.

  Neither of them realized they’d forgotten their planned meal of shish kabobs.

  When they arrived at Aunt Eileen’s, it wasn’t Todd who opened the carriage for her.

  Flint yanked it open, and they simply looked at each other for a long time.

  Then her brother silently held out a hand for her, and she let him help her down. Ready or not, it was time for that conversation.

  I’m sorry, Flint.

  ***

  Flint didn’t waste time.

  When he left Em the night he found out about her engagement, he called for Chez. Then pulled out the treasure he never left behind, but didn’t dare wear in the Capital. Temporarily, he handed it to Chez and waited for the man to return from his errand.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Even with Flint acting promptly, it was still eleven days before Sir Chez returned Madeline’s amulet and gave him a date.

  He received the bride price during that time and endured several dinners with the Emperor. Each time clenching one hand under the table and holding Em’s arm comfortingly. Fortunately, she didn’t seem as bad as the night he found out.

  She had cried that night.

  Not the wailing, dramatic tears she used to cry as a child. But two silent tears as she told the story in a choked voice. Her face had otherwise assumed the perfect composure Eileen must’ve been beating into her all these years.

  It made his heart ache.

  Not the situation.

  That made him furious until he was tempted to strangle that bastard himself. And if he didn’t get control of himself and the situation quickly, he might have committed treason more openly.

  No, what hurt was… she thought him so useless, so unable to help, that she kept it to herself.

  He knew all along that she was trying to shoulder everything. And he let her… to an extent. Not realizing that her actions had also shut him out.

  Restless, he stepped away from the window and dropped onto a worn-out sofa. The shabby lounge matched its condition perfectly, tucked away at the top of a rundown tea shop.

  Grimly, he put a hand in his pocket. Holding the pendant in his fist.

  He needed all the luck he could get.

  He didn’t know if it was still functional as a lucky charm. Kimball admired the Empress’s workmanship in the same breath as cursing the amount of mana needed to recharge.

  He rubbed his forehead and looked up briefly when the door opened.

  Seeing that it was only Sir Chez, he went back to rubbing.

  “They’ll see us in a moment.” Chez closed the door and sat across from Flint. “About Miss Em. May I ask something?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Did she, you know, do this herself?”

  Flint sighed irritably. “No. She didn’t arrange it. Though I wouldn’t have been shocked if she had.”

  Chez grunted in agreement.

  The two men were silent for a long moment. After waiting for so long, many of the lights in other buildings were going out, and the windows grew darker and darker.

  Flint watched the window, until he abruptly stood up and yanked the curtains closed.

  Just in case someone was watching and noted the lone building with a light.

  “How long did they say they’d make us wait?”

  Chez shrugged. He was standing along one of the dirty walls, hand on his sword handle. Watching the door grimly and listening for any sound that might alert him to danger.

  “For all I know, they heard your name and abandoned the building.”

  Flint unconsciously gripped the lucky pendant and pressed his lips grimly together.

  That was a distinct possibility. Perhaps he should have come secretly after all? But, no. He was sure these people would have known who he was even if he hadn’t been forthright about it.

  He pulled back the curtain a crack to look outside.

  A few shadows were moving around out there. Never more than two at a time.

  Were they drunks heading home? The usual assortment of hoodlums using night for their unsavory business?

  Or are these people checking that Flint had, indeed, come only with himself and one knight?

  If they hadn’t run, he couldn’t imagine such a careful group would simply meet him without covering themselves in every way they could.

  It was another hour before the door finally opened.

  Flint still stood by the window. Arms crossed and relaxed. None of his growing impatience showing. He didn’t even allow himself to tense at the sound of the door opening.

  “Good evening, Marquis Grimshaw. I apologize for the wait.”

  Flint slowly turned his head to regard the people entering the room.

  There were four of them. All but the leader wore hoods so close to their faces he couldn’t see more than an occasional chin. Three stood behind a sofa as the leader plopped down and crossed his arms, smiling brightly.

  Flint’s frown deepened as he returned to the opposite sofa.

  “Tea?” asked the newcomer pleasantly.

  “I want in on your operation.”

  The man paused. Rearranging his features so they didn’t crack with his surprise.

  “Pardon? What operation are you talking about?” He spread his hands, once again controlling his smile. “I’m afraid my tea shop isn’t lucrative enough to interest a Marquis.”

  Flint pulled a folded wad of papers from the inside pocket of his coat and tossed it onto the coffee table. Then he sat back while the man picked it up and unfolded it.

  Interestingly, one of the cloaked people stepped forward. Close enough that she could look over the leader’s shoulder as he turned each page. Despite the cloak, Flint could clearly see the lines in the woman’s body and the distinct way she held herself.

  He frowned.

  Something niggling at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on it.

  “This is… impressive.”

  Flint grunted.

  “If you believe all of this is true, why hasn’t the Emperor’s loyal dog reported it all?”

  Flint grunted again and gritted his teeth. Loyal dog? His fingers twitched. They only stayed relaxed against his knees because he consciously refused to clench them.

  Loyal dog?!

  “There was nothing to gain from it.”

  “Yet with this information, you could have at least stopped all our funding for the rebels in your lands. Fewer battles, fewer casualties.”

  “I’ve suffered no actual damage from the rebels.”

  Which was true. His knights had orders to kill only if necessary. Something the knights he sent were all too willing to do as it was a welcome reprieve from the slaughter the Emperor usually sent them on.

  And the rebels had strangely reciprocated.

  It was more like a war-game sparring match than proper battles. Though he doctored the reports to make them seem more serious.

  “Assuming all of this is true, why are you approaching us now?” The leader tossed the papers to the table. Boldly meeting Flint’s eye.

  Flint clenched his jaw, unaware of the momentary fury that filled his eyes.

  “The Emperor crossed the line.”

  “You are far too blunt, Marquis.” The man crossed his arms. “Shouldn’t you at least try to hide your hand?”

  “Why? I’m sure you already know the situation. It would be a waste of time to play those games.”

  There was a long pause as the man raised an eyebrow.

  “Why us?”

  “Are there any other options?”

  The hooded woman snorted a laugh before the leader could reply. She twisted it into a cough and turned her head.

  Flint watched her. The niggling at the back of his mind grew. But now it wasn’t that he couldn’t identify what bothered him about her.

  He was simply refusing to examine it.

  Because what he didn’t know for sure was less he could tell later.

  “I suppose there aren’t.” The leader’s smile turned sardonically amused. “I’m afraid your reputation is too well muddied. I can’t risk my people by involving an enemy Marquis. You may go.”

  The man stood with the clear intention of leaving.

  Flint didn’t move.

  “If you truly believed I would be a danger to you, you would never have met with me or allowed me to wait here unmolested. And you certainly would not be walking away knowing what I know. Name your price.”

  “You’ve spent your entire career shielding your people. You’ll throw it all away because one of them is in danger?”

  Flint’s expression didn’t change.

  He simply stared at the leader, arms crossed.

  Waiting.

  “You and your people are impoverished. Even with an impressive bride price, it will barely be enough to get your March fully functional. And even then, it’ll be another year or two before you bring in a profit. What payment do you think I could name?”

  “Except within the walls of my manor, my March is free of spies.” He’d been carefully weeding them out since before he became a Marquis. He knew who was a spy and who wasn’t.

  “So?”

  “You didn’t finish looking through the paperwork. I know who’s responsible for most of the noble disappearances.”

  The man stiffened, and Flint had to bite back a grim smile of satisfaction.

  “Safe havens are scarce. Even if they go to the rebels, they won't remain unnoticed for long. The Emperor could then view the rebels as a serious threat rather than a small nuisance."

  “You’re offering to hide them?”

  Flint didn’t answer. He simply stared.

  “For what? What do you hope to gain from this alliance? We cannot help you with your problem. Any obvious move we make now will endanger the entire organization.”

  “For now.”

  Flint stood, consciously keeping his hand away from his sword hilt. Aware that Chez was probably putting his hand on and off his own sword, but not looking to confirm.

  “I just want to be in the middle when that changes.” Flint almost glanced at the woman. Making quick guesses, he impulsively added, “Otherwise, I will simply cause trouble by myself.”

  The leader pressed his lips together. Thinking. Behind him, the woman clucked her tongue and casually crossed her arms.

  With a sigh, the host pulled out a notepad and pencil.