Starsinger

Interrogation

"They were carrying weapons, not supplies," said Jace, pacing back and forth in the circle of stones. "They can't have been traveling far – a day, at most. They would need a base of operations. Glenburrow? No, if they're working for Crolton, they'd likely avoid the villages, keep to the Wood." He stopped suddenly. "Sapphire. Scout out the region southeast of the point where we met them on the trail. See what you can find." She had just started to slip away when he caught her arm, fixing her with his level gaze. "And be careful."

The blue scout nodded before disappearing into the trees, and Jace turned back to their makeshift camp. "Aaron, keep watch on our western perimeter. I'll watch our east. We're too exposed here, we'll have to find a new place to camp once Sapphire returns."

"We're not exposed," Delia said irritably. "We're invisible. That spell means that anyone outside these rocks won't be able to see or hear a damn thing inside the circle, so will you please stop for a minute and explain to me why a geoscholar's mission is being hunted down by a dozen armed men?"

Startled out of his rapid planning, Jace gave her a long, thoughtful look. He adjusted his brass soulbands nervously. Then he knelt in the grass and told her about the solstice masquerade, the would-be assassin, and their flight into the Wistful Wood. He told her about the cave, and about their half-starved march to Glenburrow. His voice was calm and steady, steadier than he clearly felt. He told her everything with his eyes fixed on the ground between them.

When he finished there was a moment of silence. Aaron stifled the urge to cough.

"The realm owes you a great debt." Finally Jace met Delia's gaze. "As do we."

The mage only stared at him. She glanced at Raelyn, who was fidgeting uncomfortably. "All this time, I've been sharing a tent with the heir to the throne."

"The deception was necessary," said Aaron.

"Obviously," Delia said. "Why the hell did you rescue me?"

Jace's head snapped up.

"I beg your pardon?" Aaron choked.

"When you broke me out of jail, you risked everything. And then running with me out of the village – you could have been caught, imprisoned, purged alongside me."

"We performed no magic," Raelyn scoffed.

"Helping a mage is enough. And with the prison bars..." Suddenly Delia trailed off. Aaron looked sharply at her. She'd never mentioned what Sapphire did to the bars.

"What about the bars?" Jace asked.

Aaron cut him off. "We couldn't leave you to die," he told Delia.

"You didn't know me," Delia said. "All you knew was that my own people thought I was too dangerous to live. And you risked the life of the crown princess on a gamble that I was worth saving."

"It was the right thing to do," Aaron insisted.

"And if Raelyn had been killed? Zareyma would have been thrown into chaos with the nobility launching civil wars to defend their claims and leaving thousands dead."

Jace tilted his head, gazing at Aaron with a self-satisfied smirk. Oh, he's enjoying this immensely.

"That's enough," Raelyn interrupted. "If we had left you, you'd be dead, and now so would we. It all paid off, and thank the gods for it."

Jace stood. "She's right." He offered Delia his hand. "Can you stand?"

Delia eyed him warily. "Am I going somewhere?"

The corner of Jace's mouth twitched. "Just checking if you are well."

"I'm fine. I could eat a mountain bear though, if you have one handy."