Protecting the Princess. Rachelle McCalla

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СКАЧАТЬ he can keep an eye on me. He hates me for not telling him where Thad is.”

       Stasi felt alarmed by Kirk’s words. Though they seemed to explain parts of her brother’s case that had always bothered her, in some ways, they raised more questions than they answered. “I don’t understand. Why would you go on trial and endure my father’s hatred—and the scorn of the Lydian people—if you didn’t have to?”

       “But I did have to.”

       “Thaddeus could have returned.”

       “No, Stasi, he couldn’t. I’m sorry I can’t share more details. What your father did—” Kirk’s voice grew rough, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, betraying emotion. “It was bad, Stasi. Bad enough for Thaddeus to go away forever.”

       Much as she couldn’t fathom her father doing anything that wasn’t pure, noble, right and blameless, Kirk’s statements had the reinforcement of six years’ history to back them up. A chill of fear prickled goose bumps down her arms. “Do you think it has anything to do with today’s attack?”

       Kirk froze, and Stasi thought she spotted a glimmer of fear in his usually fearless eyes. “If it does—” he swallowed, and seemed to need a few breaths before he could continue “—then God help us.”

       Stasi didn’t understand all that was going on—Kirk was still withholding information—but she knew enough to know that whatever they were up against, Kirk was scared of it. He’d once stared down a murder trial without blinking. If Kirk was afraid, then she had reason to be afraid, too.

       And it also occurred to her that she’d hated and avoided him for six years, when perhaps he’d been acting in a nobler manner than the king. Moved by the thought of what Kirk had been through on her brother’s behalf, Stasi reached for his arm. “I’m sorry.”

       He looked down at her, and suddenly she realized how close they were standing, and how strong the arm under her hand felt, and how much she’d missed spending time with him.

       “Don’t be.” He leaned a little closer. “I took a vow to protect your family when I joined the royal guard. That meant standing by your brother when his own father tried to betray him. That means doing whatever I can to keep you safe.”

       Stasi considered the face so close to hers, his eyes so familiar to the laughing boy she’d known throughout her childhood. Freckles she’d all but forgotten now reappeared like old friends, but on a face matured by time and trials. Had her father really done something so awful her brother saw no other option but to run away? She hated to think it was true. And yet, she’d seen the shadows that had haunted her father’s eyes since the time her brother had disappeared. What had King Philip done? And why?

       Whatever it was, Kirk had stood by her brother, and now he’d kept her from danger, too. “You went beyond the call of duty. I wouldn’t ask you to do that for me.”

       “It’s not up to you.” He stood, and her hand fell away from his arm. “I need to be going.”

       “Must you?” Stasi blushed when she heard her impulsive words. She only meant that she didn’t want to be left alone on the island, especially if he was taking the only boat for an undetermined period of time. She’d be stuck, practically marooned.

       A smile flickered at the corner of his mouth. “I promise to return quickly.”

       “What if you can’t?”

       He tipped his head thoughtfully, as though her words had prompted him for the first time to consider that he wasn’t immortal. For some time he stood still, apparently mulling over a decision.

       Stasi studied his handsome face, his sandy-brown hair and the broad sweep of his shoulders. As a child she’d absolutely adored him. For the last six years, she’d hated him.

       His deep voice sounded reluctant when he finally spoke. “You make an excellent point. It would be irresponsible for me to leave you here without anyone to protect you, but I can’t take you with me. And yet, there isn’t anyone in the royal guard or in the military who I know for certain we can trust. Not under the circumstances.”

       “Then what?”

       Finally, Kirk made a resigned face and pulled out his phone. “Ah, good. The cell phone towers in Sardis still cover this island. I’m going to call Thad.” Kirk’s eyes hardened, his expression fiercely solemn. “We must keep the conversation brief. We have no guarantees that this line is secure. Your brother already knows the rules. Everyone has a code name. You must not say anything that would give away who you are, where you are, or who he is. It would endanger you both. Understand?”

       The fear she’d felt throughout the evening was crystallized in his request. She’d seen the explosions. She understood the danger of the situation, even if she didn’t know who was behind the attacks or why they’d occurred. “I promise.”

       Kirk nodded, then dialed and held the phone to his ear.

       “Thank God you called. I’ve been worried sick.” The voice that carried through the phone was just loud enough for Stasi to make out the words. “I’ve seen the news. Tell me they’re not all dead.”

       “Not all. I’ve got Juliet with me right now.”

       “Praise the Lord.”

       Stasi’s skin prickled with goose bumps at the sound of her brother’s voice, and she stepped closer to Kirk, straining to hear more of the voice she’d long thought she might never hear again.

       “Keep her safe,” the distant voice insisted. “What about everyone else?”

       “I don’t know,” Kirk answered. “I’ve got her holed up in your old hiding place. I’m heading back to town to learn what I can. I hope to have good news for you.”

       “Bless you.”

       Kirk looked thoughtful as he spoke. “If you don’t hear from me in three days, send someone for Juliet. Don’t come yourself.”

       There was a pause. “It’s that bad, then?”

       “I’ll do everything I can, but I don’t know what we’re up against. I can’t leave her here indefinitely.”

       Stasi suspected he might be close to ending the call. She reached for the phone, eager to speak with her brother.

       “Juliet wants to talk to you.” Kirk handed over the phone, warning her, “Remember.”

       She nodded solemnly and held the phone to her ear before realizing she didn’t know what to say, especially if she wasn’t to give away her brother’s identity. “Are you—” She swallowed back the rest of her question.

       “I am.”

       It was her brother’s voice. Her heart leaped inside of her.

       “Don’t give my friend any trouble.” Thaddeus didn’t use Kirk’s name. Then, as though he suspected she might have her doubts, Thad assured her, “You can trust him completely. Right now, he might be the only person you can trust.”

       “What’s going on?” Stasi asked, knowing that if her brother had heard a report on СКАЧАТЬ