“The commander of the guard will examine the body.” Shek Kul’s uncompromising pronouncement shocked Kaeska to silence and she stared up with no little dismay. I couldn’t see what she had to worry about; tahn poisoning is tahn poisoning and I couldn’t see there being any trace to prove whose hand had been behind it.
The Elietimm stepped forward to divert attention from Kaeska, all humble solicitude. “Since it is my ill-considered actions that have exposed the lady to these accusations, may I make some reparation by defending her honor? I am no swordsman but I have some small skill with a mace, if that would be allowed.”
Shek Kul looked at him, contempt plain on his face now he had given his judgment. “That would seem entirely fitting.”
I bit down hard on my protests as I caught a frantic look of appeal from Laio. Fuming, I waited as first Shek Kul then the two wives descended from the dais, Kaeska taking her place beside Gar, a spring in her step proof against the venomous glance she received from Laio. Sezarre moved to put himself between me and the Elietimm, a good thing because I was so furious I was sorely tempted to put a length of sharp steel through the bastard’s guts there and then. Kaeska and the enchanter must have been working to this end all along. We returned to the residence, my anger driving me on so fast that Laio was only able to keep her position in front of me by half running at times.
I turned on her as soon as we were inside her apartment, not caring who heard what through the flimsy walls and shutters. “What’s this about a single combat? You never said anything about that! You were so cursed sure Shek Kul would leap at the chance to get rid of that bitch, he’d hardly pause for breath! What’s going on?” I ripped off my helm and bracers, dropping them anyhow, heedless as a gem bounced loose from its mounting.
“It’s hardly ever done, I never thought Shek Kul would opt for testing the truth like that.” Laio was visibly upset, but I had more important things to worry me as I stripped off my chainmail.
“Where’s the cursed justice in a single combat, Dast help me? I could have taken Irith, no question, whether Kaeska was innocent or guilty—that’s probably why they finished the poor bastard off! Now I have to fight that cursed enchanter, who’s not only handy-looking with a mace but I’ll lay sound coin will be using magic on me as well!”
Laio was struggling to follow my rapid and impassioned Tormalin. “He wouldn’t dare,” she objected.
“Who’s going to know? Who’s to say his little chant isn’t some kind of battle cry? Is Shek Kul going to stop the fight when I back off and say the bastard is messing with my mind? How exactly does this test of truth work?” I was sweating profusely and shrugged myself out of my padded jerkin with an oath.
“It’s a fight, two men, each with a weapon and armor, to the death.” Laio looked on the edge of tears. “Once the word is given, it cannot be stopped, not until one is dead. Anyone backing out is deemed guilty and executed.”
“Either party? If I back out, all of a sudden, I’m looking at a sunset trip with Poldrion?”
Laio’s hands hovered in confusion as my meaning escaped her. “The test is a serious matter, Shek Kul would not call for one unless he thought it was necessary. You are telling the truth, so you are bound to win!”
I looked at her and cursed myself as a gurry-eating fool for relying on her like that, seeing her extreme youth with new eyes. I’d been so far adrift out here, I’d taken the first thing I’d been offered for a bearing, only to find I’d been setting a course by a cloud bank.
“Shek Kul wants rid of Kaeska, but he doesn’t want her blood on his hands, does he? This isn’t about truth or justice, it’s about Shek Kul avoiding condemning her outright himself!” I was as angry with myself as I was at Laio; I’d been in such a hurry to draw the Elietimm’s teeth that I hadn’t stopped to think all of this through myself. That didn’t stop me taking my fury out on Laio though.
“You were so pleased with yourself weren’t you? Now I have to go up against a cursed sorcerer who’ll be able to pickle my wits and pick me off at leisure. Well, I hope you’re pleased with yourself; this time tomorrow, I’ll be dead and Kaeska will be judged pure as spring water and free to poison whoever she wants. Still, look on the bright side—you and Gar can plan a nice trip to Relshaz to buy yourself a new slave. Try to take better care of the next one. With luck Mahli and the baby might still be alive when you get back!”
“You’re making a lot of fuss—” Laio began tremulously.
“No, pigeon, I’m not!” I caught her chin as she went to turn away and looked her straight in the eye. “I’ll take on any man you want in fair fight—Grival, Sezarre, the captain of the guard. I’ll trust my skills and take the runes as they fall. This is different; this is magic. And not just honest magic—air, earth, fire and water. This is enchantment that gets inside your own mind and turns it against you.” I laid a heavy hand on Laio’s head to emphasis the point and felt her quail beneath it. “I’ve had one of these bastards loose in my skull before. I’ve tried to fight it and I know that I can’t!”
“For this man to use magic would be to condemn himself and Kaeska—” Laio began, a tear trickling unheeded down one cheek.
“I’ll be dead before anyone notices!” I pulled my hands away and looked around the room. A pitcher of weak Aldabreshin wine stood on a side-table and I began to pour before abruptly heaving the jug at the wall. “I can’t even get a decent pissing drink in this shit-hole!”
The crash of the shattering pitcher shocked Laio into fullblown sobbing but it brought me to my senses, my rage as effectively in pieces as the earthenware jug. I shook my head; Laio was so very young, she couldn’t expect to play for the same stakes as Kaeska and win. I should have known that.
“Come on, stop crying.” I put a hand on Laio’s shuddering shoulder. She turned to fling herself against my chest, her tears hot through the thin silk of my undertunic.
“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “It seemed like such a good idea, such a good way to get rid of Kaeska. I thought Shek would be so pleased, it might make up for me not wanting a child just yet, I don’t want to do it, not just yet, not after yesterday, and I’ve got myself into such a mess with the cotton, but if Gar was to help, I could sort it out, as long as Kaeska wasn’t here to make trouble, and Nai is so lovely, I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to him or to Mahli and it would be all my fault, if I knew Kaeska was planning something and I didn’t do something to stop her—”
She choked as she ran out of breath and coughed on her tears. I sighed and gave her a hug, a little startled to feel her cling to me like a drowning kitten. “Hush, what’s done is done, after all.” I didn’t feel that sanguine, but if I was going to have any chance against the sorcerer I needed sleep, not to spend half the night soothing Laio’s hysterics. “Let’s just go to bed.”
Laio lifted her tear-stained face, a puzzled expression fleeting across her brow. “All right, if you want to.” Standing on tip-toe, she kissed me full on the lips, pressing herself against me. That met an instant reaction as my body received the message half a breath ahead of my wits. Before I could say anything to correct this misunderstanding, Laio twined her arms around the back of my neck to draw me closer, her mouth open and inviting. Abruptly I kissed her back, hard, a challenge in my lips and tongue, knowing this was almost certainly an inappropriate thing to be doing, but equally only too aware that I would be fighting for my life tomorrow, with a lame leg, against a sorcerer who would have me just where he wanted me. Laio evidently felt the shift in my weathervane and pressed her thigh into me, my scruples weakening as my ardor hardened. Dast take it, I could be dead by sunset tomorrow, and if the condemned man wasn’t going to get a hearty meal I’d take what was on offer. Sliding my hand down, I teased her breast through the fine silk of her dress and felt her nipple rise to my touch.