“Are they now?” said the captain, moving closer. “Remove your hood, sir.” He pointed his sword at Rafe.
Rafe didn’t move, but I could sense his magic building up inside him. If Rafe and I unleashed our magic in this tavern, there would be no telling the number of casualties.
The captain glanced at me once and looked back at Rafe. “I said, remove your hood,” he enunciated every word. “Let’s see what you are hiding under there.”
A burst of cold air entered the room. Everyone turned toward the door.
“Marcus Gold doesn’t have any accomplices,” said a tall, dark figure standing at the entrance of the tavern. His eyes went straight to Rafe and then to me. For a fleeting second I thought he recognized us.
He turned to the captain of the guard. “They are not to be touched,” said the stranger, pulling back his hood, revealing handsome features framed by a mass of wavy gold hair. He was young and broad-shouldered, and he looked not much older than Rafe.
“But Lord Delacourt,” said the captain, bowing low to the stranger, “they were conspiring with the criminal.”
Delacourt turned his cold blue eyes on the captain. “No, Captain Finley! They were working for me to apprehend the criminal.” His voice was soft but laced with steel. “In fact, your untimely outburst nearly ruined my carefully laid plans.”
“What bull!” the captain exclaimed.
“Mind your tongue, Captain Finley,” said Lord Delacourt, his blue eyes narrowing to ice chips, “or it will be the last time you use it.” He pushed back his fur-trimmed crimson cloak to reveal a gleaming sword at his waist.
Captain Finley gulped and took a step back. His eyes squinched, and he looked like steam was about to start erupting from his ears at any moment, but he moved out of the way nonetheless. His sneaky little informant disappeared into a shadowy corner.
Lord Delacourt dismissed the captain with a wave of his hand and moved to stand in front of me. His face softened and, much to my astonishment, he gave me a sweeping bow. “I thank you for your assistance, my lady. I am forever in your debt.”
“It was my pleasure,” I said, even though I had no idea what he was talking about.
I glanced at Rafe, but he didn’t look perturbed; in fact, I saw the hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips. Was this something he planned? If this mysterious stranger was a lord of the realm, then he must have recognized his prince. But I had no idea who he was; I had never seen or heard of him before.
Delacourt clasped Rafe’s hand in his. “My friend, you will stay at my castle tonight—it is much more comfortable than this miserable inn.”
Rafe nodded. “We would be delighted, my lord,” he said with a smile.
“Escort the prisoner and my guests to the castle,” said Lord Delacourt to his men, turning and walking toward the door.
“No! Arrest them!” the captain shouted to his underlings. “The magistrate will decide if they are telling the truth.”
Three guards rushed forward to apprehend us, but Delacourt raised his hand, stopping them in their tracks. I could feel the rush of magical power concentrated around him; he was a mage.
“But, but the magistrate . . .” sputtered the captain.
Delacourt turned his emotionless gaze on the captain. “The magistrate will do as I tell him. And I presume you will too, if you value your job, Captain Finley.”
The captain bowed again, and Lord Delacourt gave me his hand. “Allow me, my lady.”
I took Delacourt’s hand and walked forward, but I caught a glimpse of the hatred in the captain’s eyes. I had made a new enemy, of that I was quite sure.
Outside, in the courtyard of the little inn, the horses waited.
Delacourt turned to me, his voice soft. “You can ride with me, my lady.”
But Rafe was beside us in an instant and snaked his hand around my waist as he pulled me toward him. “That won’t be necessary, Lord Delacourt. The lady will be riding with me.”
Delacourt smirked, his eyes twinkling. “As you wish.” He jumped up onto his own horse in one graceful leap.
Kalen had retrieved our horses from the stables, but it turned out that my horse had hurt her hoof and was now lame; which meant I had to ride with someone else. I was glad it was Rafe; I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
We followed Delacourt and the guards uphill to a castle that lay on a rocky crag along the side of the mountains overlooking the town below. I sat in front of Rafe as we traversed the rocky mountain road, which cut through the gray stone between the thickly wooded slopes. He wrapped his cloak closer around us, and his powerful body protected me from the biting chill of the howling wind sweeping down from the mountains.
“We will be safe at Briarwood Castle,” said Rafe in my ear. “For tonight, at least.”
“Do you know Delacourt well?” I whispered.
“Yes, Brandon and I were at the Academy of Evolon together for four years. We lived in the same house at the academy. The Delacourt family has ruled these lands ever since anyone can remember. The Earldom of Briarwood is one of the oldest titles in Eldoren, passed down through centuries, and Brandon Delacourt is the only heir. He has been away from Eldoren for the past year; last I heard, he had gone north to Andrysia.”
I tried to remember if I had seen him before. But I knew I would have remembered him if I had. “Aunt Serena never told me anything about this family, and he wasn’t at the palace for the ball either.”
Rafe laughed softly at this. “You won’t catch Brandon Delacourt dead at a ball. He is a notorious loner, no one ever sees much of him. His family doesn’t sit on the council of nobles, and I suspect that’s why your aunt
