Land of Smoke and Ashes

Deadly Plans

The serving woman next to him said something and touched his arm, and he blinked and turned back to her.

She felt something hot and prickly flare to life in her chest, jealousy maybe, and shoved it down as deeply as she could. She had no claim over Sam, even if they had kissed back there. Her cheeks felt hot just thinking about it.

The soldier leaned closer, still talking, and his mug wobbled dangerously in his hand. Seized by a sudden idea, Natalie closed her fingers around the stone in her pocket and drew it out, keeping it in her closed fist as she leaned toward the man. "Here, give me a drink, will you?" She gave him her sweetest smile, which felt utterly fake.

Jake the soldier didn't seem to notice the insincerity. He grinned at her and pushed the mug of beer into her hands. "Naughty girl, drinking before the market. Isn't your boss going to be mad?"

"He won't care." She was careful to lock eyes with him, making sure he was looking at her and not her hands, as she received the mug. Still staring at him, she tipped the mug back and pretended to drink, slipping the stone over the edge of the mug. It made no sound as it hit the disgusting-smelling amber liquid, but it fizzled slightly, and Natalie held onto the mug until it stopped. She grinned and pushed it back at him.

"Thanks."

She waited anxiously while he continued to flirt, growing more impatient with each probing question he was asking: Did she have a boyfriend at least? How long was she in town for? Did she think men in uniforms were sexy?

Finally, he tipped the mug back and took a deep draught of the beer, and Natalie slumped in relief. A second later she had an alarming thought. Jewels had said the stone would only take a minute to work. If he was still out here and begun spewing the queens' secrets everyone would know something was wrong.

She glanced at Sam, who seemed to be sitting there a bit stunned as the serving girl flirted shamelessly with him. She was hanging off his arm, Natalie noted a bit sourly.

She leaned sideways, bumping an arm into the soldier's playfully. "What do you say, should we get out of here? It's so noisy here, I'd like to hear you talk without all this distraction." She sent a silent apology to the serving woman on the other side of her, whose glare had tipped over from annoyed to positively murderous now. Clearly she'd had her sights on the soldier and Natalie was ruining everything for her.

Jake the soldier's brows shot up, and then his leering smile was back. Natalie forced her expression into what she hoped was a coy look instead of utter disgust.

"Yeah," he said. "I think that's a brilliant idea. So noisy in here."

He stood up so fast he nearly tripped over the bench in his haste, and Natalie got up a bit slower. That seemed to get Sam's attention, because his head snapped up, and he placed both hands on the table, as if he were about to get up. Natalie shook her head sharply. Hopefully he would figure out this was part of the plan.

Sam looked darkly mutinous as she and the soldier exited the kitchen, but luckily he didn't follow them.

She wasn't sure why she did it, but on her way out the door she spotted a single, flour-dusted apron hanging on a hook by the door, and she snatched it off, cramming it into a tiny ball under her arm before anyone could notice.

Once she was out in the dimly lit hallway, Jake the soldier stumbling behind her, Natalie began to walk a little faster. Her heart was beating hard. They needed to get somewhere there'd be no risk of being overheard by any of his fellow guards.