He steps closer and extends his hand again. “We should be moving.” He glances around, and I’m suddenly wary. I ignore his hand and instead jerk my head sideways, motioning him to walk ahead of me.
He releases a groan and backs away. “Wait here.”
Disappearing through the crumbled opening of the wall, he leaves me behind in the dark with only the crickets and trickling of the river. Before I have time to fear the unknown of the forest, he returns with Fireblood in tow.
“What about the Eyes in the castle? And what about Hawken? Shouldn’t I bring her?” The thought of being away from Court excites me.
“I have it covered.”
I study his assured features, and decide he does. Will I be able to escape him once we’re farther away? It’s a chance I’m willing to take.
He sets off and I walk just behind him, off to his side, as he leads Fireblood. “Believe me”—he unsheathes his sword and knocks a low limb aside as he clears our path—“I had no knowledge of the former leader’s plan. Even if Micah was still here, once the mission was to take place, I’d have stopped it. I won’t allow anyone to harm you.”
“But I still don’t understand. Who’s Micah? And why me? I don’t know anything.”
He cuts down a vine. “We don’t know how much Sebastian knows of King Hart’s operation. But regardless, he is to be King. Whether he knows everything now or not, soon Hart will prepare Sebastian to take over. We needed to get someone close to the prince. Someone he’d trust. Someone who could gain access through Sebastian to Hart’s operation.”
I step over a root as understanding dawns. “And that was me. But how could I do this if I was dead?”
“No,” he says. “It was me.” He turns on me. His face clouds over in the wan moonlight. “I had a close relationship with him once. The day I left Court, the Rebels recruited me, and it’s since been my mission to train and get back on the inside.”
I hold his stare. What happened between them for Devlan to so easily side against his former friend and join the Rebels? “I’m more confused.”
“I know.” He again turns and swipes his sword at the brush, moving us through the forest. “This won’t work. This is why I was trying to take my time with you.” He tugs Fireblood’s reins, leading her over a fallen limb. “I should never have allowed Larkin to come back. God, I hate that guy.”
“Just tell me.”
“Fine, Zara.”
His use of my name gains my full attention, and I move closer to his side.
“Micah, the previous leader of the Rebels, had a plan in effect. She thought disposing of you would make Sebastian distraught, and he’d seek solace in his former best friend.” He points to himself for clarity. “That he’d become so vengeful against the Rebels, he’d bring me into his counsel to formulate a counterstrike against them.”
My mouth drops open. “That’s sick.”
“Yeah, it was a sadistic plan. Micah was losing her mind to the Virus.” He shakes his head. “That plan would never have been carried out. I wouldn’t have let it.” He cranes his neck and his eyes trail over me. “You have to trust me. I would’ve killed Larkin with my bare hands before he ever placed one on you.”
The shimmering river catches his irises, and I can only see the depth of his eyes—hear the conviction in his voice. “I believe you.”
Nodding once, he returns to sweeping the forest floor with his sword. Fireblood huffs and bats a tree limb aside with her head. “Larkin’s angry with the change in command. He’s committed his whole life to the Rebels. Regardless of his stupidity, he won’t disobey orders. He was just trying to push me tonight. It’s been frustrating trying to adapt to Fallon as our new leader.” He groans and cuts down a vine. “But I need to speak with her. Ever since you came here, I’ve seen the mission clearly.”
“And what’s that?”
He halts and faces me. “I don’t think I’m the one at all.” His eyes seek me through the darkness. “You’re the one who can get close to Sebastian, and through him, King Hart.”
I jump backward and hold my hands up. “Oh, no. No, no. I don’t have anything to do with this. You and your band of Rebels…just no.” I lace my arms across my chest. “I only wanted to get away—to not have to marry Sebastian. To not have to look over my shoulder every time I sneezed, worried someone would lock me away, or torture me for stepping out of line. I’m not looking to sign up for your crazy mission.” I mock-laugh. “It’s suicide.”
Ignoring my rant, he cleaves another branch, and the forest reveals a cleared area ahead.
“Devlan, stop. I want to go back.” I’m shocked that the words have left my mouth, but they’re true. I want to be out of the forest and somewhere I can think clearly. “How far have we gone?”
“I think it’s better to show you.” He sheaths his sword. “I can try to convince you all night and we’ll get nowhere. You need to see with your own eyes.”
He mounts Fireblood and lowers his hand to me.
I study it, not sure what to do. Glancing over my shoulder, I look back through the dense forest, as if I can see beyond it and past the wall—to the castle. Then I look up at him. “How do I know you’re not taking me off to kill me?” I wrap my arms around my waist tighter, grabbing fistfuls of his tunic. “You’ve exposed yourself, and now I know too much. How can I trust that you’re not going to get rid of me because I won’t help you?”
His lips twitch into a side-grin. “I guess you can’t.” He extends his hand closer to me. “But don’t you think if that were my plan, I’d have done so by now?”