Reign Queen L. Gibbs (best books to read for young adults TXT) 📖

to tug up theneckline of her dress. He peered at the wall to the left of theirbed. “That’s my passageway.”

Russal walked her to the bed and patted thecoverlet. “Sit here a moment.” Then he strode to the wall he’d keptglancing at. The pounding seemed to come from there, a dullthudding noise as if someone were encased in a box.

He pressed a panel into the wall, pulling itup and out soundlessly. Behind it was another layer of thewall.

Kambry tiptoed on bare feet behind him. For amoment, she wondered where her shoes were, but curiosity about whatwas behind the panel shooed her concerns for them away.

Russal reached down low and lifted the innerwall panel up and then out, setting it leaning on the thick drapespulled over windows that had been visible hours earlier when theyhad been dressing for dinner.

She gazed around his arm at the rectangle ofdarkness. Then a leg stepped out, followed by the rest of a personwho straightened up after passing under the low edge of the wallabove.

“Tomo,” Kambry whispered.

“You pick an odd time to visit, Tomo, and aneven odder choice of entrance.”

“We heard there was an attack in the maze.”He looked at Russal, an eyebrow lifting.

Kambry stepped to Russal’s side and gazed athim as well. He was disheveled, and she suspected she look equallyuntidy.

“What are you doing here, Tomo?” Russal put adry quality in his voice that seemed to say this was the last thinghe expected from his friend.

“They wouldn’t let me come in your frontdoor.”

“I believe I told the guards I wanted to bealone with my wife. You’re familiar with the concept?”

Tomo laced his hands behind his back as ifhaving that one part of him retreat from sight was enough to allowthe rest of him to remain in their bedroom. “I think we shouldsearch about for Covey. Don’t you think it odd he attacked theLaurents and Kambry’s parents?”

That’s what they had been talking about. “Wewondered about that, too,” Kambry said.

“And what did you think about it?” Tomoasked, fixing his gaze on Kambry, before his face grew pink.

So she might be a bit more tousled thanRussal. She rolled her eyes.

Russal tucked Kambry under his arm and wavedhis hand at Tomo. He tugged the shoulder of her dress up. “I thinkthis can wait until morning.”

“No, it can’t,” Tomo said. “I have to go backto Amily and tell her that Covey is free to roam at will. We havebabies he has already kidnapped once.”

“They’re both quite safe.”

“We thought ourselves quite safe at StromCastle, which I might remind you, does not contain secrettunnels.”

“You are heading back to Amily and going totell her we will deal with this in the morning. There is nothing todo right now.”

“Russal, we could search thepassageways.”

“Tomo, go to bed.” Russal turned away, hishand reaching for Kambry’s and tugging her toward the bed.

She stared back at Tomo, who hadn’t moved. Hecould be right. Maybe they should hunt for Covey instead of crawlinto bed for the night.

“Two of your guards were found unconscious inthe maze.”

Russal turned. “What?”

“I went to Burty first. He said he found twoguards knocked unconscious in the maze.”

Russal’s hand worried her fingers. “Help meput the wall back together.”

The two slid the section of wall back inplace and pressed the panel flat.

Kambry watched them exchange looks and tappeda foot. He was planning something, and they had not discussed theattacks. He’d distracted her, and now she was certain he was goingto rush off with Tomo.

Russal turned and gazed at her, hiscountenance revealing little more than that he was decidingsomething she would not like. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Ijust want to talk to Burty and find out a bit more about the guardshe found in the maze.”

“I’m coming with you.” She turned in place,looking for her missing shoes.

Russal straightened his clothes with a tughere and there before shaking his head at her. “By the time you’vefound your shoes and combed your hair, I’ll be back.” He smileddown at her and kissed her forehead. “Would you like to sitdownstairs with a couple of guards?” He asked as if it wereentertainment he was offering.

“No. I would like to join you and hear whatBurty has to say.”

“I’ll return in a few minutes.” He waved atTomo. “Come along. You didn’t just pound on my wall so you couldstand here gaping at Kambry.”

“I wouldn’t dare gape at the queen.” Hestrode past Russal for the stairs. “I was just trying to imaginehow you think the rest of your evening is going to go.”

Russal trod down the stairs behind him, hisvoice carrying back to Kambry. “What are you talking about?”

Whatever Tomo’s response was, Kambry didn’thear it.

“The list just keeps growing,” Kambrygrumbled.

After more than an hour, she’d done more thanbrush out her hair. Her dress hung in the closet, her queen’sscabbard lay on the nightstand by the bed, and she turned thebedsheets down. The nightgown Amily had sent was soft and slid overher skin as she paced. There was little else to do, and thatbothered her. Over the passing of an hour, more than a minorirritation had tightened her shoulders. She searched for anyactivity that would pass the time and distract her from hermounting anger with Russal. Weren’t they ruling Kavin together, andshouldn’t she be with him?

The room beyond their bedroom had proveddiverting for a few minutes. Russal must have remodeled it with herin mind. A chunk of one corner supported a variety of scribeactivities. Fresh ink and parchment filled cubbies along with aslanted table she could raise or lower depending on if she wishedto stand or sit while working. Her box of tools rested on a shelfdesigned especially for it, as it ran on runners and tipped todisplay its contents within easy reach of the table. Histhoughtfulness helped her annoyance recede.

The rest of the room contained a trainingarea with much-used equipment, most held weapons suited to Russal.There were several she found of her own size, and they were recentacquisitions based on their shine and lack of wear. There wasanother area she imagined Russal used for writing letters or quietreading. A chair, again sized for