Page 137 of The Thief and the Traitor Bride

She was unceremoniously dropped on her feet. Nore stumbled and Caspian reached out to correct her, but she spun out of his reach—so the commander caught her instead, his hand firm but not aggressive on Nore’s arm. This close, before she could remind herself not to look, she could take in more of his features: his hazel eyes and high cheekbones, the shadows of restlessness, the postbroken crookedness of his nose.

“You’re not here to kill me,” Nore said, the words falling from her lips before she could stop them.

“No,” the commander said, letting her go. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “But my lady certainly needed extra convincing on the matter.”

Something cold unfurled in Nore’s stomach. “You’re betraying Locke,” she said, taking a step back. Even if Locke wanted her dead, the idea of this kind of betrayal, from her own commander, was too much for Nore not to feel immediately on the High Lady’s side.

“Of course not. Locke knows exactly where I am and what I’m doing,” the commander said. “You are asking a lot of questions for someone whose life I just saved.”

“She tends to do that,” Caspian said darkly.

The commander shook his head. “I don’t have time for this,” he said. “Come on—we should hurry before someone realizes I’m not where I’m supposed to be.” He looped his arm through Nore’s like they were just on a stroll and did not yield when she tried to pull away. “Don’t press it,” he murmured as they started walking again.

“Why aren’t you restraining him?” Nore asked, looking pointedly at Cas, who walked free.

The Viper leveled her a look. “Because he’s earned my trust.”

Nore couldn’t help herself: she laughed at that. “You’ll regret that, I’m sure,” she said bitterly.

“Hmm.” The commander nodded to a guard as they passed, who inclined their head in respect. “I hope not, for his sake. People who do betray me tend to wind up dead, one way or another.”

Because he was the Viper of Osar, and if he could not kill someone with his power, Locke could with her sword. Nore pressed her lips together—she had nothing to say about that.

Nore kept her guard up as they walked in silence up the stairs, then down the long hall toward the door. Commander Seward stopped only twice to speak to some of the working guards, and then they were walking through the door, leaving the prison behind. Nore took a breath of the frigid air and shivered.

“Here,” Cas said, holding out his coat. Hers was taken when they found one of the weapons she had sewn into a false pocket.

Nore only glared.

“Are you sure you want to free her?” the commander asked wearily.

“Positive, unfortunately,” Caspian said, shrugging his coat back on.

Nore had nothing to say to this. She was not in the mood to talk to either of the two men.

The prison was on the outskirts of Osar, so the passersby were in trickles rather than crowds. There was something happening in the festival hall behind them, the sound growing dimmer and dimmer the farther they walked.

To her surprise, the commander escorted them all the way to Maerin, taking a side road that wound around town toward the harbor instead of the more direct route through town. He did not release Nore, as if he still did not trust her not to run, but there was nowhere she could go—who on this Isle would house someone who had betrayed the High Lady of Locke?

When the harbor was in sight, Nore felt a prickle in the back of her neck—she spotted, farther down the docks, a ship flying Lindle colors. A familiar ship.

“Do you think you can take it from here?” the commander asked.

“I do,” Caspian said. He came to Nore’s other side, slipping his arm through hers, and she was too shocked and relieved that they were being released to protest in the first place.

“And that’s it?” she said, recovering. “You’re just… freeing us?”

“Not for your sake,” the commander said sharply. He stepped back, hands behind his back, and nodded to Caspian. “Thank you again.”

“It was no trouble.”

The commander’s lips thinned to a line as he glanced over at Nore. “It’s not a favor,” he said to Nore, as if she’d ever believe it to be such. “Not for you.”

Nore inclined her head. “Then I will not regard it as such.”

“Good.” He turned his attention back to Caspian. “And if you have need of a safe harbor…” He trailed off, leaving the rest of the sentence unsaid.

Caspian nodded. “Then I know where to look. Many thanks for your help, Commander, and if she is not too incensed, please pass my regards on to Locke.”