Chapter 13: Two Faces

Dane was waiting in the corridor outside the study, and he knew from my face.

"He told you about the oath."

"He did."

"I should have said it first."

"Term one," I said. "You don't lie to me."

"I didn't lie."

"You left it out, which is a lie in a nicer coat."

He took it without flinching.

"I swore it the day he made me war-chief," he said. "I never thought I'd stand against him."

"You won't have to."

"Brenna."

"Somebody else will stand against him," I said. "And you'll be standing next to me, doing nothing at all."

I felt his doubt move through the thread between us, heavy as wet wool.

I felt it settle into something steadier.

"You've got a plan," he said.

"I've got the beginning of one."

Rowena came to the tower at nine the next morning, with two maids and the shawl.

She sent the maids out and shut the door herself.

"My own hands shake," she said, "so you're going to comb it."

She laid the silver pelt across my lap and put a bone comb in my fingers.

Then she sat on the edge of the bed and watched my face.

I knew what this was.

She had stood in the cellar and said the physician would examine me, and the physician had gone to the king instead.

Now she was looking for the thing the physician hadn't told her.

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