Unfortunately for Crow, the woman, whom he had just learned was named Penelope, also seemed to have realized that Abraxas wasn’t the most reliable guard among them. He clicked his tongue in disappointment as she told her comrade to switch places with her and took up his position in the wagon. She was turning out to be more of a pest than he’d expected. It was still within his capabilities to get away from this group of jesters, but with a more vigilant guard at his side, he would now have to be clever about it.

At the front of the cart, William didn’t seem happy about the change either, but Crow guessed he was more concerned about his authority being challenged than he was about the actual switch. The older man looked like the type to expect everyone to show him their utmost respect whether he deserved it or not. The thief had a feeling they were going to butt heads quite a bit on this mission, since he was the type that refused to stroke anyone’s ego but his own.

Once everyone was in place, the cart lurched forward along the road, the wheels rolling slowly until they gained momentum. In the back, Crow made himself right at home. He found a comfortable place to sit where he could lean back against a soft pile of folded blankets with his legs stretched languidly in front of him. He could already feel excitement bubbling up inside his chest, though he did his best to hide it. The king had practically handed him back his freedom on a silver platter. If the monarch thought he would actually go to some foreign kingdom and do some lowly job for which he’d receive no credit, he was dreaming. He was going to take the first opportunity to escape back to his home in the outer villages.

As they approached the main gates of the citadel, he looked out the side window to watch the sentry signal for the looming barrier to be opened. It was the first time he’d been granted access in or out of the inner kingdom, and it made him feel important. He knew he wouldn’t have gotten the same treatment if he’d been traveling on his own, but it was still nice to pretend. Plus, the enthusiasm he felt about leaving the castle was real. Once they passed through the opening, they would be on their way to the neighboring kingdom in the north, and with it, the peasant villages that laid directly south of that border. He smiled to himself, continuing to stare out the window so Penelope wouldn’t see his expression. It was only a matter of time before he was free again.

Continuing on down the paved road, it didn’t take long before Crow grew bored of watching the towns roll slowly by. He sat with his cheek pressed wearily against the wooden frame, his pastel eyes shifting from the window to the guard on the other side of the wagon. Idly, he wondered how she had ended up as one of his keepers in the first place. All the female knights he’d seen before—the total of which he could count on one hand—had been [i]homely[/i] to put it kindly. He couldn’t get a good measure on her body underneath the bulky armor she was wearing, but she had a pretty face at least. He was sure she could have married and settled down instead of volunteered to sit in a stifling carriage with a criminal like him if she’d want to.

Now that he was paying closer attention, he couldn’t tell if Penelope was even watching him. She had seemed observant enough when she’d made her airheaded comrade sit on one of the horses, but now she almost looked like she was lost in thought. He studied her discreetly, pondering if she would try to stop him if he made another attempt to go through their supplies, but she spoke up before he could move.

For a moment, Crow just stared at her, unsure whom she was talking to. When no one responded, he decided to take it upon himself to reply, “I can honestly say I know what you mean.” He stretched out his legs and leaned contentedly against the pile of blankets. “Although I think I have you beat. This is the first time I’ve left the [i]prison[/i] walls in a year.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the half-piece of bread he’d managed to keep hidden from William. Taking the soft food between his teeth, he tore off a mouthful and then looked back up at Penelope.

“Oh, sorry,” he apologized insincerely as he swallowed the bite. “Did you want some?”