"You owe me this," Simon said to Tenger. "For what I sacrificed in the dungeons, you owe me your trust. I've proven my loyalty."
"Yes, but is that loyalty to us, or to her?" Tenger gave a grim smile. "All right, let's get these two back to Silven, as quietly as possible." He rode closer to me. "How should we address you now? I gather you've abandoned the reason to be called 'my lady.'"
"I'd be happiest if you don't address me at all. Take me to Darrow."
"We'll talk first, over supper," he said. "If I like your answers, then we'll try to locate your man."
"Darrow first," I started to say, but Simon put a hand on my arm.
"Let him win this one," he whispered. "You have bigger battles ahead."
Tenger cocked his head, enjoying his small victory. "Besides, I'm sure you're both hungry."
Neither of us had eaten in over a day. I wanted to see Darrow, but I also liked the idea of getting some food first. Maybe I could let him win this one.
"Give me that knife," Tenger said. "It wouldn't be a polite conversation otherwise." It wasn't a request. When I handed it over, he cocked his head toward his riders. "Get Simon onto the cart and check his injuries. Gabe, you'll escort our guest."
"No." I reached for Simon's arm but he had stepped farther away from me. "I'll ride on the cart, with Simon."
"If you do, you'll draw attention to us both." Simon barely met my eyes. "Go with Gabe. I'll see you in Silven."
It felt like he was pushing me away, now that he was with his own people again. Maybe it really was about avoiding attention--or maybe he would be different now, more like the coldhearted Simon who had intercepted my carriage three nights ago.
Another battle lost. Reminding myself again that I was here for Darrow and nothing more, I followed Gabe to his horse. He helped me up first and saddled in behind me, closer than I liked. I had hoped we would travel into town near Simon's cart, but Gabe took us on a wider route, away from the others.
"Kestra Dallisor." Gabe said my name slowly, savoring each syllable as if it were a dessert he wished to devour. "No wonder Simon didn't want me to know who you are. If I breathe the Dallisor name in the town square, we'll have a mob after you within minutes."
"Don't breathe in the town square, then."
"Spoken with ice!" Gabe chuckled. "You've got the spirit of a Dallisor."
"I'm not a Dallisor. Not anymore."
Not ever.
Up ahead, Gabe pointed out a small wooden box on the ground, stained nearly to the color of the soil. When I noticed it, I saw a line of them spreading out as wide as I could see.
"Proximity alarms," he explained. "Magnets that detect the iron inside Dominion soldiers' hearts. Any of them cross this line and the magnets will start snapping together, sending a signal into town. I designed them myself."
"Do they work?"
He chuckled. "Well, yes ... in theory. You'll be safe here, Miss Not-a-Dallisor-Anymore."
The Dominion soldiers didn't worry me. Tenger did.
As we entered Silven, I better understood what Simon had meant about the Coracks blending in with the population. This was a simple town of wooden buildings and rutted dirt roads. Open shops lined the dirt road, though there weren't many people around. I supposed they were out working. It'd be hard enough just to put supper on the table each night, so it would be easy for them to miss certain oddities about their town, or, more likely, to ignore them.
I thought of other towns I had passed through in years past. Were they all infested with Coracks this way, blending in with the local population until the opportunity came to attack us?
To attack them. The Dallisors were them to me now, not us.
"Hello, Gabe!" A girl from the far end of the street saw him and gave a friendly wave. She must not have recognized me, but I definitely knew her.
Celia.
Just as I had done once with Simon, I slid off Gabe's horse and began running. Gabe called for me to wait, but he had to secure his horse first, giving me a good lead. At some point, he would realize I also had his knife.
As soon as Celia realized that it was me racing toward her, she panicked, looking in every direction for a place to run. Let her try. She could scramble up the side of the nearest building and I would figure out a way to be on top by the time she got there.