Shadow Blades (The Cimmerian Cycle #2)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The king smiled and waved Kiayani and Mik forward.

"Lady Kiayani, what do I ow this pleasure?"

"Your Majesty, it is Mik who would like to talk to you," she curtsied and took a step back. Mik's fingers twitched.

"What service does the hero of our Kingdom require of the king?" The king chuckled.

Cormac scratched his head, he had always thought it was Kiayani whom the king held admiration for. He wondered what he had done to make him such a hero.

"Your highness," he inclined his head, "In the absence of Kiayani's father I would like your permission to take her hand in marriage."

The king paused, but not as much as Cormac did. It felt like he had taken a heavy blow to his chest. Kiayani was to be wed, she could never be his.

The king regained his manner, "I give you my blessing."

"Thank you," Kiayani and Mik said in unison.

"You better go tell Lillian, she'll be dying to hear."

With a final gesture to the king the pair left, hands almost touching. Cormac felt as though something ad left his heart as well. He screwed his eyes up in pain before relaxing. He had to let it go. She was a stupid noble woman who was only good for going to parties, dancing and eating fine food. A girl like her would challenge Cormac's way of life.

Long ago he had accepted his imminent death and now he could accept that Kiayani was never to be his. Lord Hidefield was the next visitor.

He came to dine and share lunch with the king. He did not appear to try forcing the contract onto the king. It seemed as though he was giving him a break before powering ahead. They did not even mention the contract at all and Cormac suspected that he wanted to remain the king's loyal friend.

From his perch he watched them return from the dining hall, a goblet of wine in hand. To Cormac, Lord Hidefield looked positively annoyed by having to wait so long. His hand favoured to rest on the hilt of his sword. It looked as though he was ready to lob the king's head off at the slightest notice. But Hidefield was smarter than that. He would make sure of his own survival.

When Lord Hidefield finally left the palace mid-afternoon Cormac was glad to see the back of him. The kingdom was not Lord Hidefield's and Cormac went back to his base.

He knew something was wrong the moment he entered the hatch. None of the boys could meet his eyes. As glad as he was to see them alive and well he needed to know what was wrong.

He went over to Root. Someone had to know what was wrong.

"Where is Isabel?" He asked Root directly.

Cormac couldn't help but worry about her. She had managed to rescue the boys but what if something had gone wrong? Had Isabel been captured? Was she lying in some dark alley wounded to helplessness? What if she was dead?

No, he couldn't think that. Isabel couldn't be dead.

Root interrupted his worry.

"She went to find Mouse," he said staring down at the floor.

"Mouse?" he said weakly. It was hardly a relief to hear a name other Isabel's for once.

"When we got back, Mouse was gone. We were all going to look for her but Isabel wouldn't let us." Root shrugged, glancing up at Cormac. He wondered where Mouse could have gotten to. It was hard for her to leave the hideout on her own and once she would have no idea where she was going. At night the city would impossible for her to navigate and just as impossible for her to be found.