Chapter 6
The Roar of a Crowd
Noely wasn’t quite sure what to feel after the incredibly bizarre encounter with Saskia. She very much wanted to be angry at the woman, but found that it was incredibly difficult. In the short period of time since meeting her, Noely had seen nearly a full range of emotion, yet she felt that Saskia more than meant well. From the way Saskia had reacted to Jaylon’s friend’s name, the young woman already knew what news Saskia had to deliver. Perhaps she didn’t have the details or know what had happened, but clearly Jaylon was about to find out that he had lost one of the few friends he had as a child. One of the two people he had considered his family. He was going to be heartbroken because no matter how accurately he was able to guess what was going to happen to others, Jaylon never seemed able to guess his own future, even when all of the signs were there. He was such a positive person, Noely felt guilty about what he was about to experience. Regardless of what they had agreed to for the next evening, she knew that the next few nights were going to be filled with her consoling Jaylon.
And it was Saskia’s burden to tell him.
A part of Noely wanted to stay and comfort her friend, to let him know that she was there, but she also knew that he would not want to see him break down. He always tried to be strong in front of Noely, and she knew that was in large part because his friend had done that for him when they were young. Nyle was a year or two older, but he had repeatedly stood up for Jaylon against the duke. Jaylon had tried to be her protector because of the example that Nyle had set. She would be there for her friend after the initial shock. Saskia would be there for him through the difficult acceptance.
A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she headed back toward her home. Her stomach growled, reminding the young woman that she had eaten very little that day. All she wanted was to go home and try to process the last 24 hours. It had been an incredibly long day and she was extremely tired, but trying to sleep with a growling stomach had little chance of being successful. There was a little place near the palace that served good food without it being too heavy. It was also on the way home.
After ordering a larger than normal dinner, Noely tried to keep her mind focused on what she needed to do. At first this was difficult as her concern for Jaylon was strong, but even that soon gave way to images of the morning.
Her heart began racing and she felt her face flush as she recalled what had nearly happened.
“Hello, lovely. It looks like you need a little company.”
Noely looked up into the face of one of the noblemen. She tried to give him a smile without it being inviting. Standing up, the young woman replied, “Actually, I was just finishing.”
“But you have barely eaten any of your food. Come sit with me and my friends. We could use a lovely young thing like you to keep us company over dinner. I think I could probably be persuaded to keep you a little longer than just through a meal, too.”
Stepping away from the table, Noely tried to think of one of her usual comebacks. It was so rare that anyone was able to take her by surprise like this, but being so distracted had left her vulnerable.
“There you are. Why didn’t you tell me where you were going? And where is your companion?”
Noely and the noblemen looked over as a tall man with short-cropped hair walked quickly toward them. The young woman was not sure whether she should be relieved or worried that Captain Hisa was walking toward her with a grim look on his face.
“Excuse me, but the girl and I are talking,” the nobleman stepped between the two. “I am going to be her companion tonight.”
The captain reached them and looked down at the man. “There is no way she would agree to that. This lady has more substance and taste than a little crony like you could ever understand.” Noely wasn’t sure that she had heard the words correctly because there was no way a soldier would talk to a nobleman like that.
The man who had been coming on to her seemed even more confused. When he responded, his words seemed more like a question than like he had just been insulted. “Excuse me?”
“I said that we have official business. Please excuse us. You can always look for Natasha tomorrow. She is a serving lady for the Marquise Detone.”
The man nodded vaguely and walked away without another look at Noely.
Internally, the young woman was beginning to panic. She frowned as she looked at the man who had just saved her from a difficult situation, trying to figure out if what was about to come was actually worse.
Leaning over so that his mouth was near her ear, the captain wrapped a hand around the young woman’s arm. “I’m sorry to do this to you, but I need you to accompany me.”
Noely looked up at him. “Where are we going? Why do you need me?”
The man’s eyes darted around and Noely could tell that he was assessing the situation to see who had noticed his arrival. “I have been waiting for you ever since you entered. Something about what you said earlier has been bothering me and I’m afraid I couldn’t wait until tomorrow. Please.” His words seemed polite, but the captain was already pulling the kitchen assistant toward the exit. Not wanting to make a scene and simultaneously wondering if she should, Noely went along with him.
As soon as they were outside and a little ways from the palace, Noely stopped walking. “I’m sorry, but I need an explanation before I go any further.”
Hisa’s black eyes shone in the dark, and for a moment she felt a twinge of fear as he looked around them. He took a step forward, and Noely felt like a small rodent trapped in the gaze of a snake. Fleeing would have been the right thing to do, but she found that her body would not move.
Whatever she was expecting, what he did was not it. Leaning close, his face only a couple of inches from hers, the captain said, “There’s only one way you heard about a strategic avalanche. When did you encounter him?”
Noely’s body was released from whatever trance she had been in, and she immediately took a step back. “I beg your pardon?”
“Oh, I'm not asking you to beg yet, my dear.” He grabbed her arm and began pulling her toward the palace.
“Let me go.” The young woman was debating whether or not she should shout to get attention.
“You shouldn’t. Not if you want me to remain nice.” The voice was cold and hard, but Noely felt that the feeling behind the tone was sheer annoyance. “I need you to make some food. We’ve caught him, but if we are to keep him alive, he’s going to need food.”
Suddenly the young woman’s heart was in her throat. Her steps quickened and Noely did not think to ask anything else as they sped toward the kitchen. As they got close, the captain suddenly changed their direction. Though the captain had not said anything, Noely was certain she knew what he meant – Cyprian was the spy and they had caught him after he had left the cave. Having seen what they had done to him before, Noely was afraid of how badly hurt the shifter would be now. Even though he could heal quickly, there were some wounds that no one could heal, and if the soldiers had taken the man in custody, there was a good chance that there would be no rest so that Cyprian could heal.
They moved quickly toward a small area where Noely had never been allowed to go, the prison for the most notorious people the empire had. Neither the captain nor the cook spoke as they moved through the doors and into a cold reception area. The man moved with purpose, dismissing those who rose to greet him. Noely vaguely heard what they said, but she could hardly focus on any of the conversations as her mind cycled through everything that could have happened to Cyprian since that morning. Having seen him in action she knew that he should have been able to easily escape soldiers. That meant there was still hope. Perhaps Hisa meant someone else, and since he had seen her he had decided to drag her in to make food for the prisoner. For the first time in a long time, Noely found herself praying silently that this was the case, that it did not mean what she was almost certain had happened.
“Make the same thing you made this afternoon,” the captain said as he pulled her through a large door. Clearly they were in a kitchen, but it looked very different from the space in which the young woman usually worked.
“I’m sorry, I don’t really remember what I made today.”
The man’s black eyes reflected annoyance as he looked at her. “Then make whatever you can cook quickly that will help keep someone from…” His voice trailed off as he tried to find the right words.
“I will see what I can do.” Noely set to work.
The captain was clearly preoccupied as he paced around the kitchen. Noely’s heart was beating furiously as she tried to keep her hands working, though they were shaking. With the way the captain was moving, she was reminded of a large creature of prey stalking something that only it could sense. There was something very off about the entire encounter, and as soon as she noticed it, she began to fear the worst. Still, she kept her mouth shut as she worked, knowing that anything she may say could be used against the shifter.
Finally, the captain spoke. “Did he tell you his name?”
Noely just shrugged, keeping her eyes on the food.
The young man moved forward and slammed both hands on the table in front of him. Jaylon’s words from earlier in the evening rang loud in her thoughts. He’s moving up the ranks very quickly, and from what I can tell it’s all because of his skill. Not three years in the military and yet he’s really got it down. Though she tried to keep her eyes cast down, Noely found it impossible not to look up at the man, his presence demanding her attention.
“You were outside of the walls. We have been tracking a spy. You knew something that only someone who came into contact with him would know, which means that you talked to him. I am asking you,” his voice was hard and sharp, “if he told you his name?”
Not sure why the shifter’s name mattered, Noely looked up. “He said that he was Cyprian. But I don’t-”
The captain slammed his hands down on the table repeatedly, then he looked at the cook with his eyes narrowed to the point where they were slits. “What kind of a spy – gods damn it!” He walked away from her for a moment, then turned and looked at her. “Bring the food.” He said nothing else as he headed toward a large metal door. He ran his hands over a couple of areas, as Noely hurried to catch up. She could hear the bolts moving as she tried not to look at the man standing near her.
The only thought that passed through her mind as the door slid open and the captain strode through the doorway was that no monster or human could ever be as terrifying as Captain Hisa.