Tariic gave a little grunt of approval-approval that turned to a flicker of surprise when Ekhaas raised her gaze just enough to meet his again and twitched her ears twice sharply. A simple signal, be alert. Tariic’s eyes widened, but there was no change in the tone of his voice. “I’m not the only one you should apologize to,” he said.
Ekhaas, her head down once more, turned to Vounn. “I’m sorry for any trouble or embarrassment I’ve caused you, Lady Seneschal. Please don’t think less of Tariic or Lhesh Haruuc because of my actions.”
“I welcome your apology,” said Vounn coolly. Ekhaas noticed that nothing in her voice or her stance implied that she actually accepted the apology, though.
Clever, the duur’kala thought, she leaves the incident open. She could still come back at us with demands for something more than an apology. In spite of Ashi’s complaints about her mentor, Ekhaas felt a grudging respect for the older woman’s guile.
Vounn’s attention had turned to Ashi, who met her gaze with unbowed sullenness. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” she said. “I tried to stop a thief.”
Ekhaas held back a wince. Just apologize, Ashi, she thought.
Vounn looked at Ashi with the cold but focused expression of a snake about to strike. “And in the process devastated a respected memorial, desecrated an altar of the Sovereign Host, and were arrested. You should have summoned the watch and let them deal with it. You haven’t just embarrassed Deneith in front of our guests from Darguun, you’ve embarrassed yourself and Deneith in front of Karrlakton and the other dragonmarked houses. Do you realize that stories about this are already circulating in taverns?” She looked to Tariic and added, “I’m sorry you have to see this. Discipline in Deneith is usually conducted in private.”
Tariic nodded graciously, but Ekhaas’s ears flicked in something between outrage and appreciation: outrage at Vounn for dragging Ashi through briars, appreciation for her expert manipulation of the situation. She very much doubted that stories of Ashi’s misadventure had actually found their way into taverns just yet-or even if they would. Likewise, she would have been surprised if details of the night’s events would reach other dragonmarked houses without being significantly altered. She had no doubt, however, that Vounn was not in the least sorry to have Tariic witness the confrontation. It showed him that she both understood the importance of honor and was willing to deal swiftly with disobedience from those in her command-both valued traits in the culture of Darguun. The lady seneschal’s reputation as a master diplomat was, it seemed, well-earned.
Ashi looked as if she was ready to burst. Her face had turned red except for a thin white line where she pressed her lips together. For a long moment, she just glared at Vounn, then, with a sharp glance sideways at Ekhaas, her lips parted and she said, “I’m sorry.”
Vounn raised her eyebrows, less in surprise, Ekhaas suspected, than as a prompt, and Ashi expanded on her apology. “I’m sorry I didn’t call the watch. I’m sorry I’ve embarrassed you and Deneith. I’m sorry I didn’t go to the banquet tonight and that I left Sentinel Tower.” There was no grace in the apology, but Ashi managed to make it sound at least partly sincere. She even turned to Tariic and mimicked Ekhaas’s words to Vounn. “I’m sorry for any trouble I’ve caused you. Please don’t think less of Vounn or House-”
“Thank you, Ashi,” said Vounn. “That’s enough. I don’t think you’ve caused any trouble to Tariic.” She nodded to Haruuc’s emissary and for the first time, Ekhaas saw some of her charm slip through the dispassionate mask. Once again, she was amazed by Vounn. She’d backed Tariic into a corner. If he protested, Vounn could point out that it had been Ekhaas who really committed the crime of breaking into the memorial. All he could do was…
“It has been no trouble,” Tariic said. “I apologize to you, Vounn. Allow me to pay for the repairs to the memorial.”
“That isn’t necessary, Tariic. The repairs are likely to be expensive. House Deneith can cover them.”
Tariic’s ears twitched back. “Darguun will pay,” he insisted.
Vounn smiled. “The honor of the Darguuls speaks for itself.”
Khaavolaar, Ekhaas thought. She wondered if Tariic realized that Vounn had just had him agree to restore a memorial commemorating a Deneith victory over the ancestors of Darguun. The lady seneschal was already gesturing for one of her men. “Fetch the station commander,” she said. “Have him bring the keys to cell. We’re ready to leave.”
Their release was accomplished quickly. For all of the station commander’s bluster that House Deneith was treated the same as anyone else under the law, it took only a few words from Vounn to get them out of the cell and any mention of the night’s incident removed from the station’s log books. Ashi’s sword was returned to her, but there was no sign of the dagger Ekhaas had carried into the memorial. She supposed it was still there, lost in the shadows and indistinguishable from the much older weapons scattered during their fight.
Nor was there any sign of the reliquary. Ekhaas felt its loss more keenly. She was fairly certain that the station commander must have given it to Vounn, but the lady seneschal betrayed nothing. If it was in her possession, at least it was safe. Ekhaas kept her mouth closed. They were too close to getting away to worry about the reliquary for the moment. She and Ashi walked out of the watch station side by side behind Tariic and Vounn. Ekhaas managed to sneak a reassuring glance at her friend-though Ashi looked more bad-tempered than reassured-then they were separated as Tariic and Vounn bid each other good night. Two carriages waited outside the watch station. Vounn and Ashi got into one, Tariic and Ekhaas into the other. Their various guards fell in behind.
The interior of the carriage was dark, but the lack of light only drained color from hobgoblin vision. As the carriage jerked into motion, Tariic fell back into the seat and let the tight control slip from his face. “Maabet!” he spat, lapsing into Goblin. “What are you playing at, Ekhaas? This isn’t going to help our mission. What were you thinking?”
Ekhaas stayed sitting upright. “I thought that I was rescuing a part of our people’s heritage,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been caught. If it had been anyone else, I could have stopped them and got away, but Ashi’s Siberys Mark of Sentinel resists most of my magic-”
“A Siberys Mark?” Tariic sat up. “Is that what you were trying to warn me about? Vounn didn’t mention her charge carried a Siberys Mark.” He frowned. “I remember your tale of the Shadow Marches and the mad dragon. If she carries the Siberys Mark, then isn’t she…?”
“She’s my friend.” Ekhaas met Tariic’s gaze. “And Geth’s friend, too-and now she’s become Vounn’s charge. That’s why I signaled you. I didn’t want you to insult her or get her into more trouble.”
Tariic looked at her for a moment, then sat back. “Vounn’s charge and Geth’s friend. This… could be useful.”
Ekhaas nodded. “That’s what I thought.”
CHAPTER SIX
The arrival of a maid in her bed-chamber broke Ashi’s restless sleep. She raised her head and glared at the woman who stood, frozen, in the doorway. “What is it?”
The maid swallowed. “Lady Seneschal Vounn wants to see you, Lady Ashi. She says for you to wash, dress, and come to her immediately.” She moved to put down the tray she was carrying.
The anger that had kept Ashi tossing since she and Vounn had returned to Sentinel Tower and Vounn had ordered her to her rooms-with a guard posted outside the door to be sure she stayed there-came back with fresh heat. She sat up and growled, “Take a message back. Tell Vounn I’m not going anywhere on her say so.”
The maid frozen once again, tray hovering a handspan above a chest. “Lady Ashi-?”
“You heard what I said.” Ashi flung back the bed clothes and stood. Her hands clenched into fists. “Now get out!”
The tray dropped with a clatter and the maid dashed from the chamber. A moment later, the outer door of Ashi’s sitting room opened, then slammed shut. Ashi straightened her shift and stomped over to the tray. Hot water from a tall pitcher had splashed out, soaking towels and leaving a basket of breakfast rolls sitting in a puddle. Ashi plucked out one of the rolls and tore into it with her teeth.