Austin looked to Eloise. “Whose cousin?”
She startled and bloomed seashell pink. “Me? Char’s cousin. We’re from Asar; I’m visiting. Well, not exactly visiting. Requesting aid.”
An awkward beat passed as seashell pink turned crimson. A look akin to horror crossed the woman’s face, too close to humiliation for Austin to ignore comfortably.
“Asar’s where you’re from too?” Pretending not to notice her embarrassment, he looked to Tristan, who didn’t give the impression Austin’s attention would leave him cringing.
“I spent my early youth there.” Tristan’s attention jumped back to Austin’s wrist as he reached for his wine glass, tracking each of Austin’s fingers as they folded around the delicate stem.
“And you’ve decided to spend the rest of your days staring at me?”
Tristan twitched. Captain Inx snorted. Char cut Inx a scathing look. Eloise looked downright terrified.
“Forgive me.” Tristan finally took notice of everybody sitting in fear and, with a somewhat amused look, picked up a fork, giving everyone the cue to eat. Austin cast a second doubtful look over the richly scented food. Inx speared a hunk of red meat on his fork as Char and Eloise cut neat-sized bites.
“What did you say the numbers were?” Inx asked Eloise.
“Reports are hardly reliable when it comes to ghouls, but it’s thought there’s at least four that have progressed far enough to pass for human,” Eloise said.
Surprise stiffened Char and Inx, and Tristan’s eyes jumped to her.
“Four?” Char repeated. “Are you certain?”
“Surely Chancellor Desor sent word already? This can’t be the first you’ve heard of this.”
Char and Tristan exchanged a look. The merman sighed. “We thought he was exaggerating, as he usually does when trying to convince me to go north.”
“Your presence would be appreciated, I’m sure,” Eloise said. Her eyes flicked to Inx. “Or yours.”
Despite a troubled look, Inx smiled. “I’m managing quite the sizeable force. Rotas and district assignments don’t just write themselves, you know.”
“And who writes them?” Char asked pointedly.
Inx ignored the question.
“So you’re free,” Eloise pressed Inx.
“If there’s a ghoul problem, then the decision on whether to go and clear an entire nation will not fall to me.” Inx inclined his head toward Tristan.
“I’m not asking for the nation to be cleared; I need help with a very humanproblem that has come about because of the chaos. I’m not that far north. With all the Asar soldiers called up, the roads have become rife with opportunists, and our familyhas just brought in the harvest. I need guards to get as far as the docks. Once there, I’ll be fine, butgettingthere…” Eloise shifted in her chair, a tired and displeased look flashing across her face. “I didn’t take the long way on horse for the fun of it. Sir, I would like to formally request three guards. I’ll pay well and see that they have comfortable lodgings.”
“I’ll consider it,” Tristan said.
Disappointment flashed in Eloise’s eyes. She cast her cousin Char a pleading look, but the man didn’t come to her rescue, nor did Inx seem moved.
“You can’t afford to send three men?” Austin asked.
The ensuing silence prickled. Meaningful looks darted his way and away, except for Tristan, whose gaze locked and stuck. Staff ferried away the main dish, Austin’s untouched, and plates with little tarts that smelled ripe and sweet were set down. Austin thought only of spoiled centres, of hidden rot.
“I find that hard to believe.” Austin looked to the staff waiting at the walls. The merman was mean, then. Unwilling to help others.
Something shifted in the air. “I did not say no,” Tristan pointed out.
“Didn’t you?”
A beat passed.
“Who hasn’t gone out in a while?” Tristan directed the question at Inx.
