Patimi looked at Emriana for a long time before speaking, and the girl got the very uncomfortable impression that there was sympathy in her eyes.
"You don't know," the woman said at last, looking away.
"Know what?" Emriana demanded, forcing Patimi to look at her again. "Tell me," she insisted. "If someone murdered Jithelle and Hoytir, the only way the killers can be caught is if you tell me."
Patimi nodded and took a deep breath.
"Because," she said at last, "Jithelle was sharing a bed with Master Denrick."
When Vambran awoke, he was in his bed at the estate, and half the family was lurking over him, worry creasing their faces. The first person to notice the mercenary's eyes flutter open was Emriana, who yelped softly from the chair she was occupying next to her brother's bed.
"He's awake!" the girl cried out, hopping to her feet. "Mother, Grandmother! Vambran's awake."
"Yes, child, we can see that," Hetta said calmly, sitting forward from her own chair on the opposite side of Vambran's head from her granddaughter. "We're not blind or deaf, Em."
Emriana pursed her lips but said nothing more.
Uncle Dregaul loomed into view as servants helped Vambran to sit up.
"You're lucky to be alive," the man said, staring pointedly at his nephew. "Kovrim said he got to you just in time."
Vambran could see his other uncle lurking in the background, behind Dregaul. He nodded in thanks to the older priest.
"Yes," Vambran said, acknowledging Dregaul's comment. "I was fortunate."
"Well, we're all very glad to see you back here, safe and sound," Dregaul said, giving Vambran a single pat on the shoulder.
Then he turned and was gone, heading out the door. Vambran's mother pushed to fill in the void left by Dregaul.
"How are you feeling, dear?" she asked, leaning down to get a better look at her son. "Are you still in any pain?"
Vambran shook his head and replied, "No, Mother. I feel fine, actually. Just a little tired."
"Well, Kovrim said you'd be all right, but I wanted to hear it from your own mouth. He said the scars from the acid burns would fade in a couple of days." Ladara Matrell's face scrunched up in emotion. "Oh, Vambran, you must be more careful! You could have-could have…"
The lieutenant reached out with his hand-his right arm, which felt free of injury, he noted-and took hold of his mother's.
"It's all right," he said. "I'm fine. It was just a mugging, and I was a little careless. It won't happen again." Ladara nodded and wiped a few tears from her cheeks. "I need to talk to Uncle Kovrim for a few moments, though. Alone."
Hetta nodded and turned to depart. Ladara sprang to the older woman's side to assist her. Only Emriana hesitated.
"I need to talk to you," she said, giving her brother a level stare. "Soon."
Vambran nodded and shooed her away. When the two priests were alone in his room, Vambran motioned for his uncle to sit down beside the bed and asked, "What else happened?"
Kovrim shrugged and replied, "Not much more to tell. After you fell unconscious, I laid a few healing spells on you, had a carriage prepared, and had you brought here. You gave me quite a fright, you know."
"That was no casual mugging, Uncle Kovrim."
"How do you know?" the older man asked, worried.
"Because the woman on the roof flat out told me before she attacked me. They weren't after my coin. They were coming after me specifically."
"And you think there's a connection with this and what you saw last night?"
The lieutenant nodded and said, "I'm pretty certain of it. I just don't know how they figured out that I was going to keep snooping around. You're the only person I've told."
"Someone's been following you around, it would seem," Kovrim said with a sigh. "Mayhap reading your thoughts, eavesdropping on conversations." He shook his head in consternation. "You've gotten into something of a hornet's nest, it would appear. You'd better be doubly careful from now on."
"What about the stranger in red?"
"What stranger?"
Vambran frowned. "The figure on the roof, dressed all in crimson. I didn't get to see his face-he had it covered-but he took care of the mage woman while I was fighting with the two brutes on the ground. Didn't he stick around?"
"I never saw a figure in red nor a mage there. Only those two men you were keeping at bay. I wondered how you were burned."
"Right," Vambran said, nodding. "The mage caught me off guard. It was careless and foolish."
"Well, you'll know better next time." Kovrim said, sitting forward as if to rise. "I'm going to go back to the temple and see what I can find out about the two Waukeenar priests. You get some rest."
Vambran nodded and waved good-bye to his uncle, but he was deep in thought about other things already.
Tonight, he decided firmly. I'm going after those fake guards tonight.
CHAPTER SIX
"Even if Anista Pharaboldi or her husband are in some way involved in this mess, I honestly don't think Denrick knows what's going on," Emriana said to her brother. She had returned to his rooms right after Uncle Kovrim had left, and they were discussing what she'd learned that day. Vambran paced while she sat cross-legged on his bed. "I was watching him carefully when I told him what we'd seen, and he didn't even react. I made sure I didn't mention any names-well, at the time, I didn't know Jithelle's name-so that if he didn't know, I wouldn't get him riled up. If he was already aware of her death, I think I could have been able to tell, and he didn't blink at all."
"Maybe," Vambran said, still walking back and forth, pulling at his lips in thought. He had dressed in a fresh outfit and seemed none the worse for wear after his ordeal at the aszraun. "Or he could just be an incredibly good actor. You took an awfully big risk, testing him that way. If House Pharaboldi wants to keep their connection with the woman quiet, revealing that you know isn't going to help anything."
"I said I was subtle, Vambran. Besides, I did all that before I knew he was bedding her." Emriana rolled her eyes and sighed. "And before I knew about the attack on you. If I had already found out that there was that strong of a connection, I never would have brought it up in front of him. As it was, I pretended to be exhausted for the rest of the afternoon to avoid seeing him again."
"Yeah," Vambran said softly. "I'm sorry you had to find that out, Em."
"Oh, please," she said, forcing a laugh. "You know how I felt about Denrick before. It just confirmed my low opinion of him."
She gave Vambran a wink, but down inside, she had to admit there was at least a little pain. Finding out anyone wasn't being honest with her would do that.
"Do you think the maid who told you all this will keep quiet?"
"I imagine," Emriana replied. "It doesn't help her at all to admit she broke a confidence, especially one her mistress established with her."
"I sure hope so," said Vambran. "You need to be careful, especially now. If Denrick didn't know before, he's going to find out sooner or later. He's still likely to figure that it was Jithelle you were talking about. He may still get suspicious that you know more than you admitted."
"And do what?" Em asked dismissively. "At worst, he thinks I knew who it was during the picnic and didn't tell him. In the strictest sense, that's not true, but he might think that. Even so, what's he going to do? Get angry? Refuse to see me anymore? It's not like I'm ever going to allow him to think I'm taking him seriously again. Not when he sleeps with his family's staff."
"He might not be content with that solution, Em. From what you've said in the past, Denrick sounds like the kind of person who's used to getting what he wants. What if he still wants you, especially now that his secret mistress is no longer around?"