“The truth- what else could I do? They knew so much already, I could not risk lying to them. I wouldn’t have wanted to anyway. Do you think I’ve got Sardec into trouble?”
Rik considered the matter. He was no great expert on the politics of the Terrarchs but he had more experience of them than any other human Rena was likely to know. “I doubt it. He’s from an old and powerful family. His sort can look out for themselves.”
“They said his family would disown him if they found out about us. There would be a scandal. He could lose his commission then what?”
Anger twisted its knife in Rik’s stomach. He hated this. He hated the way their rulers felt no compunction on putting pressure on those who could least defend themselves. They stacked the odds against humans worse than Weasel stacked the cards playing hookjack and then accused the humans of cheating when it suited them.
“Half the officers in the army have human mistresses. If they cashiered all of them they would have to promote humans to lead. How likely do you think that is? They could not afford to do anything to upset the officer corps, not now, not with a war on.”
She looked suddenly hopeful. “You really think so?”
He was in no way certain. Maybe busting one officer would merely make the others more circumspect, but he felt the need to reassure her, and himself too. He did not like feeling like he was at the sharp edge of the Inquisition’s investigations.
“What should I do?” she asked.
Rik thought about it for a moment. There had been a time when he had hated Sardec with a passion and here was an opportunity to drop him into the mire. All he had to do was tell Rena to walk away or maybe come up with some other way to use this information. He considered the thought only briefly and then dismissed it. Once he might have jumped at the chance to do the dirty to Sardec and Rena but he found his hatred had faded, and that he disliked the Inquisition more than ever he had them.
“Maybe you should go and talk to Sardec. Tell him what’s happening. He might be able to use his family’s influence to protect you both.”
“Why would he do that? I am a human. He is a Terrarch.”
“Because it’s in his best interests to do so. It would avoid a scandal for him and his family.”
“Oh,” she said. She looked disappointed as if she had been expecting a different answer to the question entirely. “Do you really think I should do that? Do you really think he would want to speak to me? He was very cruel the last time we talked.”
“He’ll see you if you let him know what it’s all about. He would be mad not to do so.”
Another thought occurred to him. If Rena caused problems for Sardec and his family one easy solution would be to have her disappear permanently. He did not think Sardec would do that, but he was a Terrarch and who knew what they were capable of when their interests were threatened. And even if he meant Rena no harm, his family might use their influence in a way that did her no good whatsoever. Terrarchs were not famous for their regard for human life.
He weighed the possibilities in his mind and found no easy answer. The likes of Joran were capable of using her as a lever to get what they wanted, and that included pulling down Asea and himself. There was no certainty that Sardec and his family would do Rena harm. As far as he could tell, going to Sardec was the best thing for her to do.
He prayed he was not wrong.
“Can I speak with you, Lieutenant?” Sardec looked up from cleaning his sword at the sound of that familiar voice. It was not one he had ever expected to hear again.
“Of course you can, Rena,” he said, studying her closely. She looked pale and haggard and very lovely in the shadows and the firelight. There was a nervousness in her manner that made him feel ashamed. He wanted to tell her how glad he was to see her, but there were soldiers around and other Terrarchs and it would not have been dignified. “What do you have to say?” he could not keep a sullen note out of voice no matter how hard he tried to.
“Could we perhaps speak somewhere more private?” He sighed and picked himself up from the blanket on which he sat. He slid his sword back into his scabbard, and picked up his greatcoat. He draped it over her shoulders. It was surprisingly cold for the time of year and she was not well dressed for the weather.
“Walk with me,” he said, taking her gently by the elbow and moving slowly away from the fire. Rena’s face looked a little flushed. And she said nothing for some time. He waited, not quite sure what to say and unwilling to make a fool out of himself by speaking first.
“All of this frightens me,” she said at last.
“That is understandable. There is dark magic here. The dead walk. Plague stalks the land.”
She shivered. “That is not what I wanted to talk to you about?”
“I guessed as much. Take your time and tell me what is on your mind.”
“The Inquisition were asking about you, and about me, about us, really,” she said at last. Sardec did not know whether to laugh or be angry. She looked so serious. He did not know why he was surprised. It was the sort of thing the Inquisition was always interested in. Thinking about some of the things he had seen in the past year, it was a wonder that they did not have anything better to do. When he did not reply immediately she continued, “They said it was a crime against nature, us being together — against the natural order of things.”
“They would say that,” he said gently. “It’s the sort of thinking they are famous for.”
“They must be right. They are from the Church. They must know more about the will of God then we do.”
There had been a time not so long ago when he would have agreed with her. These days he had his doubts. What had happened between them could not be wrong but he supposed that, being a sinner, an Inquisitor would say he was in no position to make such a judgement. “I disagree.”
“Then that makes you a heretic and your soul is in danger.”
“Is that what Inquisitor Joran told you?”
“How did you know it was him?”
“I guessed. The Inquisitor seems to have his own reasons for sniffing around us.”
“You should not speak of him that way. He is a powerful Terrarch. He could do you harm.”
Sardec kept his voice gentle. “If that were his intention he would have done so already. I fear he has other reasons for going about this business, Rena. He is after bigger fish than you or I.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think he seeks to put pressure on me through you, and then he intends to use me against the Lady Asea.”
“You mean I am doing what he wants by coming to you?”
“It does not matter. You have done the right thing by telling me. And I am glad to see you, Rena.”
“Are you?”
“Yes. I could die in battle soon and I am glad to have a chance to see you tonight.”
She took his hands in her own. “You should not talk that way.”
“I am not planning on getting myself killed but accidents have been known to happen in combat.”
“You should not make jokes about it either.”
“I am just trying to lighten the mood. You look worried and I do not wish to see you so.”
“I do not want you to die.”
“That’s good because I do not wish to die either. We agree on something at least. We have not managed to do that very often of late.”
“I am sorry about that but you were so cold when we last spoke.”
“I know and I am sorry. I have been a fool. I always seem to be around you. I do not know why, but that is the way it is.”
“Do not be cold tonight,” she said. “I do not want that. I could not bear it if that were my last memory of you.”
Before he quite knew what was happening, she was in his arms, and he was kissing her.