The Traitor A. Lombardo (best thriller novels to read TXT) 📖

Taking note of them, Gretta approached. Rayna grabbed Kai’s hand and squeezed. “Just breathe, the woman cannot possibly recognize you,” he assured her. “She has not seen you in years, and I do good work. It may not up to Riome’s standards, but even I would glance by without knowing it was you.”

They watched Gretta walk straight to their table. Her glare was soft yet suspicious. “My dears,” the older woman smiled sheepishly, “I hate to be so bold, but you appear to be leaving. Could I have your table?”

Rayna nearly knocked her chair over as she bolted upright. “Certainly, madam, we are leaving. Here, please, have my seat.”

Confident the woman did not recognize either of them, Kai leaned toward Gretta. In his best Bangloo accent, he asked. “I am new in town. If I may ask, who are the Diu soldiers searching for?”

Gretta’s eyes swelled in surprise, and her hand wrapped around Kai’s arm as she pulled him into the seat beside her. “Let me tell you, dear.” She leaned in close enough Kai could smell her rose perfume. “Our once beloved Prince Kai has murdered his father, our beloved King Iver Galloway, in his bed. I heard he escaped prison, killing four guards and maiming three others.”

That’s a lie, Kai thought—or at least he hoped it was a lie. There was no telling what happened after Keegan knocked him out and abducted him. His father quite possibly could have murdered countless people breaking him out of prison. Curious about what else Gretta knew, he continued to listen, hoping to learn something useful.

“Now, I would never believe it possible of the young man, but the word is, the Queen witnessed the whole thing. Word is he claimed innocence to his jailors, but when questioned by the King’s council, he did not even defend himself.”

Kai wanted to tell her it was not his fault, that there was more to the story than she knew. “Maybe the Prince was in shock? His father did die, after all. Perhaps he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I suppose you’re right, but why did he run? And now the King’s body is missing, as is the Prince. They say he had an accomplice. Someone else in the palace helped him. The news I heard this very morning, the Grand Duke is questioning Prince Seth about the escape of a maid who is said to be close to the children, a Katori woman. It seems Prince Seth was lurking around the entrance to the dungeon the night before.”

The more Gretta talked, the sicker Kai felt. He wanted to leave, but her firm grasp and incessant whispers pinned him to his seat. “Maybe this other person knows what happened, and maybe he could absolve the Prince. I have heard of the Prince’s dedication to his father and Diu. Could he truly fall so far the citizens no longer have faith in him?”

His question gave her pause, and Gretta fell silent as if the idea had merit. “We all loved Prince Kai. He saved this very city, and his Aunt Helena, during the battle for Port Anahita, but he has since taken up with the Katori mountain-people. As I hear, he spent these past nine months hiding away with them and refused to return to Diu. I, for one, was shocked to hear that he even engaged in a battle against his own men in a scuffle north of Baden Lake.”

A scuffle, Kai fumed. Is that what they are calling it? No, it was so much more. And he did not attack his men; he only fought against Milnosian soldiers. Men who deserved his wrath. Before he could speak, Rayna spoke for him. “Thank you kindly for the information, madam, but we really should be going.” She pulled on Kai’s other arm, and Gretta let go with a slight smile and a nod.

Kai grabbed their cloaks and followed Rayna outside. They walked for several blocks without a word. He knew he had pressed his luck questioning the woman, but he had to know what the people of Diu knew about the situation. So far, it was all rumor and speculation twisted with a few facts to make it believable.

The silence gave him time to let go of his anger and frustration, and it also made him appreciate Rayna’s compassion. She did not chastise him for the risk, nor did she harp about what he could have said. Around the next corner, two guards stopped them.

“What is your purpose in the city?” the tall one asked.

“Visiting family who were killed during the Battle of Port Anahita,” Rayna responded in a thick coastal accent as she pointed north. “We are headed to the graveyards outside of town.”

The guards let them pass, and they continued in silence for another block before Kai spoke. “I’d say our disguises work. For a woman who spent years seeing you nearly every day, she had no clue who you were.” He puffed up his chest, proud of his work.

“Well,” Rayna looked up at him and put her hand on his chest, “I would know your blue eyes anywhere, even behind all this brown makeup and dust.”

“Blue, you say,” Kai focused on her brown eyes and felt his change.

“Why you green-eyed sorcerer.” She kissed him quickly and pulled him through the crowded street. “So, what are we looking for? A newly dug grave? Any disturbed ground indicating a recent burial?”

“Well, we should get our facts straight,” Kai suggested. “Before speaking to Gretta, I learned that Diu soldiers started searching for the King’s body the morning after they threw me in prison. Given that Nola’s men had days to search, I am not sure what we expect to find now.”

Rayna picked up the pace. “We have to try, and since we can glean beneath the soil, we may