Huntress by Malinda Lo Read Free Book Online

Raiden met the prince’s gaze. There was a brief silence. “Fine,” he said gruffly. “Kaede, close the door when you come in.” He did not wait for her to sit down before opening the account book and paging through to a section marked with a ribbon. “As I was saying earlier, the King has ordered a contingent of guards to accompany you, as well as several wagonloads of supplies. I’ve no idea how long this trip will take; all the maps are confoundedly inaccurate.”
    Kaede realized they were discussing the journey she was about to embark on—and that her father had had no intention of telling her anything about it. She bit back the flaring anger inside her and sat down in the empty chair next to Con. The prince said, “Lord Raiden, I know that my father always travels with a large number of guards, but I think we would be better served by a smaller party.”
    “It is dangerous out there, Your Highness. The people are restless. Our caravan was attacked on the way back from the Academy.”
    Con nodded. “I know. But I think we would be more likely to slip by, unnoticed, if we were fewer in number. Consider this: If we travel with one guard each, we can stay at inns along the way instead of requiring shelter from my father’s loyalists. It will allow us to gain information, as well. I can send word to you by carrier or messenger if necessary.”
    Lord Raiden frowned. “One guard each is not much. The King will not support it.”
    Con leaned forward, putting a flattering smile on his face. “Lord Raiden, my father will support anything that you recommend.”
    Kaede’s eyes flickered from Con to her father. She could see that he wanted to believe what the prince said.
    “Your Highness, that is kind of you to say, but I’m afraid it will be too dangerous.” Lord Raiden glanced at his daughter, who was watching him with a stony expression. “And besides, my daughter is traveling with you. I want her to be safe.”
    Kaede choked back a laugh; he had never been so concerned for her safety before she was called to go on this journey. When she was a child, he had rarely seemed to notice her at all. She was convinced that his worry, now, was only a pretense; he was just frustrated that she was not doing what he wanted. When her father saw the disbelief on her face, he glared at her, and she glared back.
    Con saw the exchange but made no mention of it. “No one will know who we are if we travel lightly, Lord Raiden. But if we travel with a caravan of guards, we will be a slow-moving target.”
    “What about the Xi? They aren’t to be trusted. It would be better to send more guards with you.”
    “The more people we send, the more the Xi can turn with their glamours. We should bring only the guards we can trust.”
    Lord Raiden tapped the tips of his fingers together. “Whom would you propose to take with you? Which guards?”
    Con relaxed a bit. He could sense that Lord Raiden was about to give in. “Tali, of course,” Con said. Tali had been his personal guard since he was a boy, and he was trusted by both the Chancellor and the King. “He is completely loyal to me.”
    Lord Raiden nodded. “Tali would be going with you anyway. I agree he is a good choice. Who else?”
    Con had already consulted with Tali on this, and he had two names ready. “Pol should go. He is one of Tali’s favorites and has been in the King’s Guard for ten years now. He is from the Northerness, and he is a skilled hunter. He would be a valuable asset. And I think we should also bring Shae, from the Third Division, though she is fairly new to the Guard.” Tali had suggested the woman, who had only been a guard for two years. “She’s from the village of Jilin; grew up near the Great Wood. She’ll know it better than any of the other guards.”
    “So there would be six of you,” Lord Raiden said. “You, Taisin, Kaede, and three guards.”
    “Yes.”
    “You’ll need six horses?”
    “I would suggest four riding horses, and