“His complicated past.”
“It isn’tthatcomplicated.” Her voice rises. “Can you tell if he’s trying to deceive us or not?”
“Look, when you’ve sustained that much trauma in your life, you tend to always be a little deceptive. It’s like an involuntary defense mechanism.” I tap my temple. “It’s probably hardwired into him by now.”
Much like how my “gift” is hardwired into me now.
Rhiannon sighs. “Fine. Let me be more specific, then. Haron. Is he being truthful about what happened to Haron?”
I nod. “Absolutely. He thoroughly believes that he was not the one who hurt Haronandthat he would never hurt her without provocation.” I glance at her. “Doyoubelieve him?” I ask, though I know the answer.
“Of course I do.” She doesn’t hesitate.
I pause, recalling a thought I had when Jayme spoke about the Gorg Pack. “I have to admit, though, his past does make him look even more guilty. One could argue that attacking Haron was an act of revenge against the Shaman for turning him into a monster.”
Dammit, her face seems to say. Her mouth presses into a thin line as she looks away.
“What happens to him if we can’t prove his innocence?” I ask.
“He’ll be executed,” she says, her voice soft. “With all that’s at stake . . . banishment wouldn’t be enough. Xander would have no other option.”
“Shit.”
Rhiannon nods and starts to say something in response, but we’re interrupted by the sound of footsteps running toward us. We both turn to see Akila sprinting through the darkness, her eyes shining in the moonlight.
“Commander.” Akila catches her breath. “Olcan wants you to know that Haron is awake.”
“Good,” Rhiannon says. “How does she look?”
Akila shakes her head, and we both understand at once. I don’t want to think about what will happen if Haron dies.
“Thank you, Akila,” Rhiannon says, then turns to me as she leaves. “Come on. We’re going to see what else Haron has to say.”
Chapter 16 — Rhiannon
“Commander,” Olcan greets me with genuine surprise.
He’s standing by Haron’s bed. Her delicate wrist hangs in his hand as he examines her. Haron is awake as reported, but from the looks of it, just barely.
She’s lying there with her head to the side, her white-blonde hair splayed out on the pillow. Her face is covered in swelling purple and blue bruises to the point where one of her eyes is almost entirely swollen shut.
A hospital gown covers her, and one arm lies across her lap, bandaged completely from elbow to hand, covering two of her fingers. Goddess, help me, I can’t imagine how it must pain Stasio and Holden to see her this way. It’s no wonder they are so enraged.
I nod to Olcan. He lowers her other arm to the bed before turning to us. The man looks haggard. Deep lines cut across his face, and the gray at his temples seems more pronounced than usual. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days. I imagine this has been a long evening for him as well.
“Healer,” I acknowledge him. “How is the patient?”
“Fair,” he says, and the corner of his mouth lifts. “At least, as fair as we can expect. Forgive my surprise. I didn’t think you would be paying Haron a visit so soon after the attack.” His eyes flicker over to Ethan, then to me, then back to Ethan again. “How are you feeling, Ethan? I hope your ribs are not still giving you pain.”
“They aren’t.” He dips his chin in gratitude. “I’m doing just fine for now. Thank you.”
“Olcan?” I say, bringing his attention back to the matter at hand. He clears his throat.
“Yes. So.” He comes closer to us and lowers his voice. “Her left arm is fractured in two places, as are her ribs on the right side. The bruises on her face are clearly indicative of numerous instances of blunt force trauma . . . but those injuries are only superficial compared to the others. The lacerations across her chest and torso are frighteningly deep. It took me quite a while to stop the bleeding.”
None of that sits well with me, and I cross my arms to hide it. “That sounds a little far from ‘fair,’ Olcan.”
“She’s awake. That’s better than I expected,” he responds. “She’s suffered internal injuries to her organs as well. Now, despite her current state, I’d say that she’s improving. She is Shaman, after all, and a very important one at that. I suspect that she was placed under a protection charm to keep her safe.”
