Page 50 of To Kill a King

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Page 50 of To Kill a King

Zadé flicked her gaze up from the steaming offering. “Sure, Elsan. Thanks fer breakfast.”

Chapter 11

Elessan

Elessan found Aliya half an hour later, still at the same table in front of the bakery. The sweet roll and two of the three loaves of bread were missing. He smiled. The sugary bun probably hadn’t lasted two minutes.

Wait. Where was Zadé?

The burden of the two new packages in his knapsack was far exceeded by the weight of the wanted poster rolled up beside them. The king didn’t intend to let Aliya escape quietly into the night, judging by the one thousand gold piece reward. At least the notice specified ‘must be alive and unharmed.’ The payment made an enticing bounty. Even in a place like Westcliff.

The posters wallpapered the village square. It was fortunate they’d stuck to the edge of town, but they needed to leave. Brooks and his men may well still be in the area. With Zadé around, Aliya couldn’t shift without revealing her final secret, and he wasn’t sure yet where the moon elf’s loyalties lay.

He would find time later, when they were alone, to show Aliya the poster and figure out their next steps.

She glanced up as he approached and grinned. The heaviness crushing his heart lifted. Her smile never ceased to dazzle.

“Zadé went to the market to grab a few things. She’ll be back soon.”

“What?” Valek. Between falling asleep during her watch, and now abandoning her charge, he was beginning to think Zadé’s reputation as a responsible strategist and leader was mere propaganda. His error in judgment could have cost him or Aliya their lives. He ground his teeth. “I asked her to stay with you until I returned.”

He wouldn’t make such a mistake again.

Aliya shook her head. “No, you asked her to guard me, like I need a nursemaid or something. I’m an adult. I can supervise myself, you know.”

“That’s not what—”

“Hey, Elsan!” Zadé’s voice rang out across the street. She sprinted in a lopsided line to join them.

He frowned at her serpentine route. Was she drunk already? The sun had barely risen.

She stumbled up and slapped a piece of paper in front of them. The table shuddered under the impact. Several patrons glanced in their direction.

Covering his face in his hands, he groaned. A slightly skewed rendition of Aliya’s head stared back at him, a carbon copy of the poster in his pack. At least it wasn’t an exact representation, thanks to her shape-shifting ability.

Zadé swung one arm over the poster with enough force to throw her against the corner of the table. She grabbed the edge of the slab and held tight for two heartbeats as she steadied herself. “Look-ee what I found, Princess! Yer more n more interestin’ the longer I know yeh.”

He grabbed Zadé’s arm. “Keep your voice down!”

Aliya’s face went white, her gaze glued to the parchment.

“I’m sorry, Aliya,” he said, with a glare at Zadé. “I meant to tell you somewhere less public.”

“You knew?” She stared at the picture, massaging the same wrist she’d been rubbing this morning.

He nodded. “They’re all over the market. We need to leave Westcliff immediately.” Snatching the remaining loaf of bread, he reached for the paper. It burst into flame.

“Valek!” He pulled his hand back before the fire singed his fingers. People at the tables nearest to them gasped in alarm.

“I’m so sorry!” Aliya’s wide eyes met his. “I didn’t mean to.”

“At least it wasn’t lightnin’,” Zadé said.

“Lightning? I’ve never shot enough to do any real damage.” Aliya’s gaze turned off into the distance. “Well, except this one time, when I was like twelve. But those were extenuating circumstances.”

Elessan glanced around. The baker and several others eyed them. Their time had run out. He ushered Aliya to her feet and down the road, trusting Zadé would follow. “Sounds interesting. You’ll have to tell me the story some time.”

“Not just once,” Zadé piped up. “Yeh also shoot it when yeh git stabbed!”




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