Hecar peered at her. "Hey, I know you."
"It's my daughter, Fliara. You saw her a couple of times when Kyri brought her around."
"That little-" He ceased when he saw her bristle. Fliara was every inch a warrior, sleek and muscled. There was nothing diminutive about her now. "She's turned into a fine fighter, I can see now, a credit to you and your mate, Ganth."
Ganth chuckled. "Well and quickly spoken, Hecar. She's every bit as headstrong as the rest, which is why she's one of us now. The foolish female just abandoned the clan to help us."
"Better to follow you than the clan these days," Hecar returned. "I learned that a long time ago." He thrust out a hand to Fliara. "You're welcome to join, only you might change your mind. Your brother and father have a habit of getting into the worst of situations."
"And whose fault was it this time?" Kaz pointed out.
"What is it with Jopfer?" Ganth asked his daughter, wisely changing the subject. "Why did he choose to go from the service of the circle to the state priesthood… and how was he selected to replace the former high priest? I've never heard of someone other than a cleric rising to that position."
"It was abrupt," Fliara answered. "The old cleric was still going strong, but then one day he suddenly announced he was searching for a successor." Her eyes narrowed. Kaz and Hecar were listening intently. "The priesthood had been adamant about supporting the warlords, and their position was weaker after the war because of it. I think the old high priest decided to quit. The circle was different. There were a lot of new members. Jopfer was one of the new generation, one with vitality, and he didn't have any connection to the Dark Queen's minions. That was important to gain people's trust. He grew very, popular very quickly."
"I'm beginning to smell a deal between interested parties," Ganth grumbled.
Kaz agreed. "Looks like either the circle offered Jopfer as a replacement or the high priest preferred him as a way of keeping the sons of Sargas from falling further from grace in the eyes of the people." He shook his head. "Nothing sounds quite right. We must be missing something. Even if the clerics had lost their standing, why accept a minion of the circle as their master?"
"Jopfer's no minion of the circle," Kaz's sister offered. "In fact, they seem afraid of him now. He took to the role of high priest as if born to it. He's not only brought the state priesthood to the forefront again, but eclipsed his predecessor."
"Things make even less sense, then."
They were interrupted by the sounds of armed warriors behind them. Some of the group who had accompanied Fliara at the circus waited just beyond the chamber. One of them stepped forward and curtly pointed.
"I think, my children, that we're being asked to leave this place."
The warrior in the lead responded, "The patriarch has found a house where you'll be safe until tonight. He feels you should go there as soon as possible. We've been sent to escort you."
"What then?" asked Hecar.
"I'm going after Delbin. He freed us in the circus. It's because of me he's here in the first place, and I owe it to the kender to get him out."
"Get him out of where? Who's got him? The guard?"
"No, I'd say the high priest." When he saw Fliara start, Kaz reassured her, "You owe no obligation to us. I'd even make Father stay behind if I thought I could convince him to do so."
She gave him a look that was reminiscent of one Kaz himself had been known to give people in certain situations. "And you think I could do any less?"
Ganth sighed. "What sort of children did I raise?"
"The high priest," Hecar mumbled. "We'll be assaulting the temple itself…"
"Probably. I can't think of anywhere else they would keep him. There are supposed to be cells below the main building."
"The temple…" Helati's brother grunted. "All right, then. How do you expect to gain entrance to that place? We can't just walk in, can we?"
Kaz lowered his voice, making certain that the warriors impatiently waiting by the door could not hear him. "No but there is someone else who can."
"And who's this? A cleric?"
Kaz turned away from him without answering, and said to the guards, "We expect our weapons back before we go."
Honor's Face and the other weapons were brought forth. The leader said, "We'll give them back to you at the safe house."
"That'll do." Kaz looked at the others. Hecar was still waiting for an answer. Kaz smiled grimly. "You haven't figured out who has the key to the temple? I'll give you a guess. He's not a cleric."
"Lad, you're not talking about-"
Kaz nodded to them. "Yes, Captain Scurn. He is no doubt looking for us even now. I think we should help him find us."
Chapter 12
Helati looked the children over one more time before settling down. She could not sleep, not just yet, so she spent the time in quiet contemplation of what she and Kaz had expected to do with their lives over the next few years. They wished for more children and had intended to expand their dwelling accordingly. However, the growth of the settlement was going to force them to rearrange some of their plans. Like it or not, Kaz was going to have clan responsibilities.
Helati was not so put out by that. If anyone deserved such an honor, it was her mate. Had he not fought well in the war, faced mages and monsters, and earned the praise of other races, the last the hardest thing for any minotaur to attain? Clan Kaziganthi had a good ring to it, though it would no doubt be shortened to Kaz, as her mate expected.
Her reverie was disrupted by a slight sound, a movement outside. It might have been only an animal, but Helati doubted that. Like Kaz, she had come to sense the difference between various intruders. This seemed more the two-footed kind.
Easing the dagger from her belt sheath, Helati pinpointed the location. Even in her home she always wore a blade, a notion Kaz had introduced to her, for which she was glad. Her other weapons were nearby, but the sound was close to where the children slept. The dagger would be better.
The sound was repeated. A footfall, all right. She poised herself, ready to strike.
"Mistress Helati?" whispered a female voice.
Many of the minotaurs had started calling her by a number of titles such as "lady," "matriarch," and "mistress." Like Kaz, she preferred simply being called by her name, but the others would not hear of it.
"Come in slowly," she called, "with both hands visible."
The other obeyed. A moment later, a female called Keeli entered. Helati recalled her as the mate of Zurgas. The pair had been busy since their recent arrival, already having located a place to build their dwelling. "Forgive me for disturbing you at this time, but I wanted not to be noticed."
Helati lowered the dagger, but did not put it away. "And why is that, Keeli?"
The other female looked around, making certain they were alone. "I had something to tell you, but I was afraid others might be around, others who might be the wrong ones."
"Including your mate?"
"Zurgas knows, but since this is my knowledge, he agreed that it was up to me to tell you. He waits back at our campsite."
Helati did not know whether she was supposed to feel more secure knowing that or not. She was not certain she could trust the newcomer. "Perhaps if you explained what knowledge it is you have…"
Keeli cleared her throat. Her gaze fixed on Helati's suspicious eyes. "I am of the clan of Sumarr. It's not a large clan, but it has links to others. Through those links, I gained a position working as a low-level subordinate for a member of the Supreme Circle. At the time, I was proud of the honor. My work involved seeing to it that his dictates were followed by the State Guard. That was how I met my mate. He occupied a similar position for another member of the circle. We had cause to meet often, though we kept our interest in one another quiet for some time."