“Think nothing of it.” I toss the ladle back in the bucket and give him my full attention. “So, did you have something you wanted to say?”
He chews the inside of his mouth, appearing to deliberate. “Permission to speak freely, sire?”
“I’m all ears. Fire away.”
He nods, some of the tightness leaving his face, and even his strung-up posture seems to loosen. “I believe your promised has been deflowered by the High Master of Ocruth.”
My head kicks back, as though he just punched me in the face. “What drew you tothatconclusion?”
“He refused to let her go,” he deadpans. “She had to fight her way free. Even so, I believe she carries a reminder of him with her … a pillow slip I’ve caught her sniffing more than once.”
Interesting.
“With all due respect, her loyalties are questionable.” He lifts his chin, looking me dead in the eye. “She’s a liability to our territory.”
“Myterritory.”
“Yourterritory,” he blurts with a dip of his head, his deep, grated voice hitching. “Sorry, High Master.”
“Forgiven. Slip of words.” Rolling the splinter between my fingers, I let the sharp end drag against my tongue. “So, let me get this straight. Your concern is that my judge of character is …lacking?”
The pulse in his neck ratchets into a frenzy. “No, that’s not what I sai—”
“It’s what you implied, Vanth.”
His mouth moves as though he’s shaping words he doesn’t have the balls to speak.
“And tell me,” I continue, “did you or did you not shovemypromised overboard?”
When words seem to evade him again, I say, “Nod for yes, shake for no.”
Slowly, he nods.
Right.
“So, what happened, Vanth? There’s a missing chapter in here”—I tap my temple—”and Orlaith is reluctant to give me ... well, anything. Be a good man and fill in the blanks, would you?”
A bead of sweat darts down his temple. “I—I don’t remember much. I was blackout drunk, sire.”
“Yes, I gathered that from the general aroma in here. Before that, though?”
He grimaces, spitting his response through clenched teeth. “She’s the reason my brother is dead.”
Ahh.
“I was forced to put—” his voice cracks, a coarse sob pushing through, “to put Kavan out of his misery. All becausesheruined my perfect shot.”
“I see,” I mumble, flipping the splinter through my fingers. “Eye for an eye?”
“No … I mean yes, my brother’s gone—”
“See,thatI understand.”
Relief flashes across his face before he deflates like a spent lung and drops his stare to the floor.
I blow out a breath and recline. “There’s a hiccup, though.”
He frowns, glancing up. “Hiccup?”
