Free Warrior by Jennifer Fallon Page B

Mariner’s mistress, you know,” he told her, his lips hovering over hers. “He was the only one in the whole damned country who could afford her.”

    “Well, I hope you’ll not be too disappointed that you’ve missed out on both the mother and the daughter.”

    Ameel’s head jerked up at the unexpected voice. Luciena nearly collapsed from relief as he pushed her aside. She turned to discover a Palace Guardsman standing in the doorway. Aleesha stood next him, her hands on her hips, looking terribly smug.

    “Who are you?” Ameel demanded. As the officer stepped into the room, Luciena realised it was the same young man who had delivered Princess Marla’s invitation the other day.

    “I am Xanda Taranger. And you, sir, are trespassing.”

    “I own this place,” the moneylender announced. “You’re the trespasser here, boy.”

    The lieutenant snapped his fingers. Immediately the room began to fill with Palace Guardsmen.
    More of them ran up the stairs behind him to check the upper levels of the house. There seemed to be scores of them. How had Aleesha managed to get them here?

    And why, of all the people in the entire world she could have called on for help, did she go running to the damned Palace Guard?

    “You own this house, do you?” the young man remarked, pulling off his gauntlets as he stepped further into the hall. “Then you must be part of the plot.”

    Ameel Parkesh looked uncertain for the first time. “Plot? What plot ?”

    “The plot to assassinate the High Prince that I’ve just discovered going on here. My informants tell me this house is the hub of the whole conspiracy. If you own it, Master Parkesh, then I can only assume you are one of the ringleaders.” He turned and waved a couple more of his men forward.
    “Arrest this man on charges of treason and plotting to assassinate the High Prince.”

    “This is absurd!” Parkesh protested, as the guards closed in on him. “You’re making this up!
    There is no plot!”

    “There is if I say there is,” Lieutenant Taranger insisted. “And it’ll be your word against mine.”
    He was only a few steps away from Ameel now. He stopped and leaned forward a little, adding, “Care to wager on who the High Prince is more likely to believe if I tell him I’ve uncovered a conspiracy?”

    To Luciena’s astonishment, Ameel Parkesh held his hands up in defeat. “All right! You win. For now.”

    Xanda Taranger smiled. “Perhaps your involvement in this heinous plot against the High Prince deserves a little more investigation after all,” he conceded. “Let him go.”

    The soldiers stood back as Ameel straightened his vest angrily and then glared at Luciena. “Your friends at the palace can’t protect you against what’s legally mine, Luciena Mariner,” he warned. “You have that money by the end of the week or this house and everything in it is mine. And trust me, I do mean everything .”

    “Sergeant, escort Master Parkesh off the premises, please.”

    Parkesh shook off the sergeant and strode out of the hall without another word, although he did stop as he passed Xanda Taranger and made some comment that Luciena couldn’t hear. Then he left the house, the hollow boom of the door slamming shut announcing that, for the moment at least, she was safe.

    Luciena felt faint. Aleesha ran to her but she shook her off, trembling so hard she was afraid she might fall. But she was determined not to let her tears of relief at her narrow escape be witnessed by anybody, least of all some lackey in the pay of Marla Wolfblade.

    “Luciena . . .”

    “Leave me alone, Aleesha,” she said. Pushing past the slave, Luciena ran from the hall and out into the courtyard where nobody could see her give in to the overwhelming despair that threatened to bring her completely undone.

Chapter 6

    Luciena looked up and hurriedly wiped her eyes as the young officer stopped in front of her. She was hiding in the small grotto dedicated to Kalianah that