Page 173 of Sword & Shadow
The tension remained in Auden’s shoulders, though his expression eased. “You’ll stay within earshot?” he asked.
“Yes.”
With a sigh, Auden waved him off. But Deckard didn’t miss the glint of worry that lingered in his eyes.
Hurrying deeper into the woods surrounding them, Deckard stayed true to his word. He set up the traps quickly, remaining within shouting distance. And once he’d done his duty, he turned to the trees, finding Hewitt already standing before him.
“That Mage gives me a headache with all his bellyaching,” Hewitt grumbled.
Deckard sighed. “He’s just trying to be cautious. Now,” he crossed his arms, glaring at the ghost, “would you mind telling me exactly when you learned that my brother had designs on my wife?”
“That’s the least of your concerns,” Hewitt said dismissively. “What you should be focused on is how Evylin will respond when he says something to her.”
Though he didn’t appreciate the redirection, Deckard allowed the momentary distraction. “Rafferty’s sure he won’t say anything.”
“Rafferty’s wrong.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I know your brother,” Hewitt said. “Because I’m also the second son who never measured up.”
Deckard’s brows pinched together. “You were a military legend.”
“I was a screwup.” Hewitt raised his bushy eyebrows. “My entire life, I lived in the shadow of my older brother. He was the clever one, the charming one. People always liked him best.Iwas the disaster, the Glaas boy who got into fights and couldn’t control his temper. It wasn’t until I was conscripted that I excelled at anything.”
Deckard wondered if these facets of his history were due to his abilities as a Warrior.
Hewitt took a step forward. “I understand your brother because Iwasyour brother. He will say something because he’s desperate to prove himself—to himself and you.”
“How would—” Deckard shook his head. However Thom justified his actions didn’t matter. He chose to ask the question the ghost would care to answer instead. “If you’re right, if he says something, what impact do you imagine that will have on my relationship with Evylin?”
Hewitt tugged on his beard, his gaze drifting toward the trees in thought. “There’s a chance it will be positive,” he mused. “Evylin is afraid of intimacy. Discovering that other men might have designs on her may push her back into your arms.”
A swell of hope rose in Deckard, and he immediately quashed it. Wishing for Thom to reveal his feelings only for the sake of forcing Evylin’s return to him was almost as dishonorable as Thom making overtures to his sister-in-law in the first place.
“However,” Hewitt continued, “the greater odds lie in favor of his profession driving her farther away from you. She won’t want to come between the two of you. The guilt of it may further convince her to part with you, no matter her feelings.”
Deckard pressed his lips together. “I’ve worried about that.”
“And, of course,” Hewitt added, “there’s a chance that she’ll be so overwhelmed by both your and your brother’s attentions that she chooses to abandon this whole quest and run home on her own.”
Deckard frowned. “You don’t really believe she’ll do that, do you?”
Hewitt shrugged, but Deckard could see in the relaxed posture of his mouth that the man wasn’t truly worried by that eventuality.
In the fading evening light, Deckard studied Hewitt carefully. His steely eyes held the same brooding slant as Evylin’s. They shared the same brown hair, though hers was softer and cooler in tone, whereas Hewitt’s was darker and richer. Their dispositions were similar, too: stubborn, clever, and brutally honest. But Hewitt carried a darkness with him, one that harbored secrets. His demeanor was closed off and unfriendly, allowing him to wield people and their vulnerabilities like a weapon.
A man as skilled at manipulation as Hewitt didn’t miss a thing. He crafted calculating plans, exploiting others to obtain the ends he needed for success. It was what any good officer learned to do. Identify the desires of your men and utilize them to accomplish the task at hand.
While plotting Evylin’s escape from Whickam Village, Hewitt wouldn’t have failed to take into account every last opportunity. He would have considered both Deckard and Thom with equity. And just as he’d discerned Deckard’s deepest-held secrets and dreams, he would have recognized Thom’s as well.
“How long have you known?” Deckard asked, sure of the answer.
Hewitt lifted his chin. “Known what?”
Deckard held his stare, unflinching.
The ghost drew back his shoulder, bearing up to his full, monstrous height. Anyone who hadn’t spent so much time in his company might find the posture threatening. Deckard just found it theatrical.
