Page 117 of Waking Roslyn

“Come on,” I said, leading the way to the herb garden that was set back far enough for us to possibly not be noticed but close enough that Thomas could still see the comings and goings.

I knelt with my back to the house and pushed my hands into the dirt. Thomas knelt close by but faced the kitchen.

After about ten minutes, Thomas seemed to stiffen. “A group of soldiers is coming.”

That was good. I’d learned that the earls did not have as many soldiers at their disposal as the duke did, so this group would be a good portion of the soldiers among whom we wished to search.

“Any familiar faces?”

“Maybe.”

My heart pounded, but I kept working, maintaining the facade.

“No,” Thomas said after a moment. “It’s not him.”

I blew a breath through my nose as frustration crept in.

I moved a few paces to my left, pulling a few weeds and noticing how wide the variety of herbs was. Then my hand stilled. The plant I was looking at was some variety of thistle. And it had tiny white flowers.

Stars above, was this moon thistle? I quickly pulled a knife from my belt and cut off a small branch, then stuck it in my pocket. If an apothecary could identify this, then we might not have to find the man who Thomas had seen deliver the roses. This might be enough.

Suddenly, Thomas grabbed my arm and I turned to see what had caught his attention.

A man in a cook’s apron had stepped outside and held the arm of a young boy, whom he was chastising. The man held a burnt loaf of bread in his hand and used it to bop the youngster on the head.

I flinched at the show of verbal and physical assault, but at least he had not struck the lad with something harder. “It’s just a servant’s quarrel,” I said to Thomas.

“No, it’s him,” he said.

My eyes shot back to the man. “The cook? He’s the one?”

“I’m sure of it.”

I was on my feet before I knew it, my steps taking me toward the would-be murderer.

Thomas grabbed my arm, but I shook him off. “Wait, John!” His hissed words were enough to make me pause, even if his restraining hand wasn’t. “You’re not supposed to maim him, remember? We’re supposed to do this right. Take it to the king’s soldiers.”

I heard him, but it was difficult to agree that it was the right course of action when the man in front of me had nearly killed Roslyn. I tried to tug my arm away.

“You’ll get yourself killed. Which is none of my business, but you’ll probably get me killed too, and that is my business.”

I clenched my teeth, a growl of frustration escaping my lips. He was right. I was letting my anger get the best of me, and I had to get it under control. I took one more seething look at the wretch who had poisoned Roslyn and then turned sharply away. “Let’s go.”

My strides ate up the ground, but I reminded myself to blend in. I’d lost my head for a minute there, but I was thinking clearly again, and if I were to ruin our chances of catching the culprits at the last moment, I’d never forgive myself.

We reached the horse, and my chaotic thoughts pounded through my head as I pulled Thomas up behind me and then urged my mount in the direction of Weltshire Castle.

Dust kicked up behind the horse as I urged it faster down the lane, and when my mount skidded to a stop outside the stables, I didn’t say anything as I tossed the reins to the groom. I had to speak with Captain Sterling. I hoped that some of the king’s guards were here as well. This needed to be resolved. Now. Roslyn had suffered for long enough.

I burst into the war room and slammed my hand down on the table, leaving the branch of moon thistle there in the middle of it. “Moon thistle,” I said, my breath heaving. “I’m almost sure of it. It has the tiny white flowers, it—”

“John,” Captain Sterling said with authority. “Calm yourself.”

I forced two breaths and then tried to explain more coherently. “I found that plant in the herb garden at Ravenna Manor. We need an apothecary to come and tell us if it’s moon thistle.”

I looked around at the stunned faces of eight soldiers, three of whom bore the king’s crest on their uniforms. Good.

The captain stepped forward. “This was on Ravenna land.”