Midnight Jewel
Page 101

   The rangers must really have a fierce reputation if they could make Alan waver from keeping us away from strange men. “It’s okay,” I said, mystified. “Take me to him, and then disappear. I’ll be fine, and I won’t say anything about you if I’m caught.”
   I had no idea why a ranger would ask for me specifically, but I quivered with excitement as I hurried to the kitchen. A ranger, here! I’d hoped all night a messenger would come to Jasper with miraculous news about Tamsin. Maybe it was coming to me directly.
   The man at the door was unshaven and wore a fur-trimmed hat. His leather coat had seen rough times, but there was no mistaking the lion of Osfrid stitched into it in green and gold. He touched his brow in greeting but didn’t take off the hat.
   “I’m sorry for the late hour, but I was told to talk to you discreetly. I’m Lieutenant Kenmore, fifth rangers’ division.”
   I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
   “We’ve been scouring the woods all night and finally just called it quits. And . . . I hate to say it, but we couldn’t find Miss Wright. Not even a trace.”
   There went another piece of my heart.
   Mira, you will never lose me. No matter what else happens or where we go in this world, I will always be there for you.
   “Th-thank you for telling me,” I managed to say. “I’m sure it must have been difficult.”
   “It was. And I’m sure the storm wiped away plenty, but I’m surprised we didn’t find anything. Not a scrap of dress or a blurred footprint. But we looked. We really did.”
   “Will you continue searching tomorrow?”
   He shook his head. “There isn’t much more to search. We doubled the field, and I can’t believe she got farther than that in the storm.”
   “But then, what happened to her?”
   “I don’t know. Maybe she’ll turn up in some impossible place. Maybe she made it back to town and is hiding. Stranger things have happened. I wish we could do more, but we’ve got to report to Armsfield at first light. How we even ended up here is beyond me.”
   I tried to push my despair aside for a moment. “Weren’t you dispatched here?”
   He frowned. “Eh . . . yes. And no. Our commander got a requisition this morning asking us to assist in the search and then unofficially let you know the results.” Lieutenant Kenmore took a rumpled piece of paper out of his coat pocket. “Signed by Silas Garrett of the McGraws.”
   Silas had told me himself the McGraws had a lot of power to throw around when they needed it. Most royal resources were obligated to help him if called.
   “I’m surprised he’d do this for me,” I admitted.
   Kenmore scratched at his beard as he collected his thoughts. “Well, I’m not sure he did.”
   “You just said he did.”
   “I said we got a requisition signed by him. But the thing is, I know Silas Garrett. Good guy. I also know that he’s not in Cape Triumph right now—which is where this was sent from. I checked the requisition against some other documents he’d signed. The signature’s a perfect match.”
   “So . . . what are you saying?”
   “That someone else sent this, pretending to be him. Someone who can do a damned good match of his signature—pardon my language.”
   I held my expression and didn’t dare to even blink for fear of giving anything away. “If you knew it was a forgery, why didn’t you say anything?”
   “We were nearby. Maybe it’s an abuse of resources, but I had no problem searching for that girl. I certainly wouldn’t get in trouble.” He held up the piece of paper. “But whoever wrote this? That’s another story.”
   “W-what do you mean?” My head was swimming.
   “Well, I’m not going to tell anyone, but forging Silas Garrett’s signature and requisitioning part of the royal army? That’s ten kinds of treason if you get caught. That’s a death sentence back in Osfrid.” He looked me over with such scrutiny, I could fully believe he was a master tracker. “You must have someone who thinks very highly of you to take a risk like this. Good luck with everything, Miss Viana. I hope that girl turns up.”
   When he’d left, I shut the door and leaned my back against it, closing my eyes. There was no question in my mind about which person knew Silas well enough to forge his signature. But I’d become unsure if that person cared if I lived or died.
   I opened my eyes, took a deep breath, and returned upstairs with renewed purpose. My heart felt too big for my chest as I grabbed a new wig and made the attic climb. The path by the marsh was patched with standing water from the storm, but I barely even noticed the mud or branches whipping against me. My steps felt light, and the stars above me seemed to burn more brightly than ever, with Ariniel’s star the most radiant of them all.
 

   Signs of the storm still marked Cape Triumph, but it was otherwise business as usual. I turned down the familiar streets and then hesitated—only for a moment—at the bottom of Grant’s staircase. After another deep breath, I made my way up and knocked.    The door slowly opened, and Grant peered out, not looking entirely surprised to see me. He leaned against the doorway and waited.
   My whole body trembled with nervous energy. “Why did you do it? You could’ve lost everything! Not just your cover and chance with the Balanquans. You put your life on the line! Why, Grant? Why would you risk all that?”
   “Because it was for you,” he said simply. “And I like you.”
   “But only a little.”
   He shook his head. “A lot.”
   I studied him intently, drinking in all those features I felt like I hadn’t seen in years. The lines of his body, the shape of his face, the unruly hair. But it was his eyes I finally settled on. “If you like me so much, then why haven’t you asked me inside?”