"And what situation was that?"
She gave him an incredulous look. "You don't send every scout available out to search for some run of the mill foot soldier. It had to be somebody important. Important people always have enemies. It's not a far jump from there to someone trying to assassinate the man."
Darius allowed his lips to tilt upward in a small smile. "And yet, you're the only one who leapt to that conclusion."
Shea couldn't help that and in truth it said more about their fighting force than it did her.
They were wasting time interrogating her when they should be talking to some of the cartographers. They made the maps. By now, they had probably checked the maps in question so they should know she was telling the truth.
The second man could also have corroborated her story. The fact they were still questioning her said they were playing some kind of game.
She didn't know what time it was, but she was tired. Even with adrenaline keeping her alert, she could feel exhaustion crouched right below the surface like some great beast waiting for the right moment to pounce.
"If you checked the maps or even talked to the other guy we saved, you could find out if I'm telling the truth," Shea burst out. Her patience was fast disappearing and with it the brakes she normally kept on her mouth.
"We have," Caden said quietly.
Shea inhaled sharply. Then what the hell was the last half hour about. They must know she wasn't a spy.
"Indeed. I've got men out hunting down the cartographer responsible for creating the faulty maps. The cartographer master, scout overseer and Vincent are being held. Once we've got all the information from them we can, we'll give them the trial. Those that survive will be exorcised from the clans."
"Then why am I still tied to this chair?" Her voice snapped with anger.
Darius shrugged one shoulder. "Because we can."
A power play. Great.
"And for all the reasons I spelled out before. You're an enigma that just doesn't fit."
Darius waved one of the guards over. Shea felt a surge of relief as he pulled out a key and began unlocking her cuffs.
"You're free to go now. On the behalf of the Trateri, I extend our heartfelt gratitude at your actions."
"If this is how you treat people who do you favors, no wonder no one thought to stray from their orders." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Shea wanted to draw them back.
Caden's face darkened at her insubordination, and the guard drew in a deep breath before giving her a look to say he thought she was an idiot.
Right now, she kind of agreed. She was an idiot with a big mouth.
Darius gave her a sidelong look, one that held a trace of recognition.
"I've heard something similar before."
Shea felt the weight of his eyes as she looked away to rub her wrists. They didn't hurt, but she needed an excuse to avoid his gaze just then.
"It's odd, but you remind me of her." Darius's voice was thoughtful. "You even have the same color hair."
Damn it, she knew she should have kept dying her hair. After that first night when she had used oil, she hadn't bothered. Being out of camp and in the wild for long periods made it near impossible to keep her hair dyed without drawing attention.
Keeping her voice calm, she said, "Do I? It's a pretty common color in the Lowlands."
"Hm," was Darius's only answer.
"If that's all, I'll be on my way," Shea said standing and meeting his eyes. It took everything in her not to bolt at the speculation she saw there.
He waved his hand to dismiss her. She didn't delay, giving them a sharp nod and striding to the tent flap. The whole way it felt like his eyes were burning a hole in her back
"Oh," Darius said and Shea froze, turning her head slightly back to him. "Hawkvale will probably want to thank you himself when he's recovered."
She inclined her head and ducked out of the tent before he could stop her again.
She was going straight to the operations master and getting orders for the first scouting party leaving here. She had stayed too long, and it was time to do what she should have done months ago. Leave.
Chapter Seventeen
"Shane, wait up."
Shea turned to see who was calling her, but her feet didn't slow a beat even when she saw Eamon ambling towards her. She increased her pace until she was walking as fast as she could without running.
"Shane, kid, wait up." Eamon jogged after her. Catching up, he placed a hand on her shoulder and forcibly pulled her to a stop. "Why didn't you stop?"
She jerked one shoulder up in answer and looked down at her feet.
"Shane." Eamon's voice held a note of warning.
She looked him in the eye and said through gritted teeth. "Was just in a hurry is all."
His eyes narrowed as they took in her closed off expression, and the way she immediately dropped her gaze after answering him.
"Bullshit."
Shea glared at him while her jaw took on a mutinous slant.
"Are you just now being released?"
Shea's face froze as she squinted up at him before glancing over her shoulder at the tent she'd just left. Darius and Caden walked out and were heading for Fallon's quarters. Caden tossed a glance her way, taking in Eamon's worried stance and her angrier one.
She turned her back. "Just now? Do you mean to tell me you and the others were released earlier?"
"I was freed shortly after we were separated. Phillip was released even before that and Buck not long after me."
"What?" Shea semi screeched as her eyebrows climbed to her hairline.
That'd been hours ago. The sun had risen at some point during her detainment and was now a giant ball of orange hanging low over the mountains as the sky lightened to an almost painfully vibrant blue.
Shea's stomach grumbled reminding her that it was early morning, and her last meal had been the pastry the guard had given her.
"I take it they just finished debriefing you."
She gave him a glare and spun on her heel. She was going to find one of the cook's fires, get some breakfast, then head to her tent for a nap. Afterwards, she'd head for the operations master and see what she could do about getting out of here.
Eamon's long legs easily kept pace with her shorter ones, content to leave her to her thoughts as she strode along, her face holding all the warmth of a thunder cloud.
"Your story couldn't have been that different from ours."
"What?"
"I'm just trying to figure out why they kept you so long."
Shea turned her head slightly as if she'd seen something, not wanting him to see the caution that was suddenly there.
"With us, they just asked why we thought to leave the main search. Once they thanked us for saving Hawkvale, they released us. Was it not the same for you?"
Shea shrugged, careful to keep her face turned away. "I think they were a little more suspicious since I'm a Lowlander."
Eamon frowned as he considered this piece of information.
"They thought I might be a spy so I think they checked out your stories before they debriefed me." She tried for a grin but only managed a half-hearted grimace. "Guess they believe that now, since they released me."
"Suppose so." Eamon's eyes were alive with suspicion and a little bit of concern.
Shea smothered the guilty feeling she had at telling him half-truths. "This'll be a pretty amazing story to brag about when you get together with the other scout masters later, huh?"
He gave her a half grin. "I probably won't have to fetch my own ale for a while."
"Maybe you'll even get that promotion to field master they should've given you ages ago."
He made a pleased expression and looked off into the distance.
"Go ahead and sleep as long as you need," Eamon told her after they had gotten a plate of biscuits, eggs and bacon. "We're off the mission roster for the time being."
Shea nearly choked on the mouthful of fluffy, buttery biscuit. Swallowing harshly, she gasped, "What?"
"The orders of the Warlord's second. He wants us close for the time being." Eamon was absorbed in trying to pick up the last scraps of egg with one of his biscuit halves and missed Shea's stricken expression. "I think it's because he wants us there when Hawkvale wakes up."
Shea's eyes widened slightly, and she became absorbed in fiddling with her food.
"Whatever the reason, we're tied to camp until the restriction is lifted."
Mistaking the slump in her shoulders for disappointment at being sidelined, he clapped her on the back. "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll put us back on the roster soon. They'll probably have so many expeditions for you that you'll wish you were still stuck at camp."
Shea's lips stretched tight across her teeth in a smile that felt more like a grimace. "You're probably right."
"I'll see you at supper then," Eamon told her.
She nodded as he left before staring unseeing at the tents across from her.
What was she supposed to do now? If she'd been taken off the roster, that meant no assignments. She was stuck here.