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“Why? Because you’re best friends?”
“No, because she’s in love,” Lila answered simply.
Camille shook her head, her face paling. “No, I’m not like that. I’m not. I’m—”
“That’s why your parents gave you up as a child, isn’t it? That’s why you had so many injuries. The empire believes that it is wrong for men to bed men and for women to bed women. Your parents tried to beat it out of you. The army tried too.”
“I told them I’m not like that, but they wouldn’t listen. Now you don’t believe me either.”
Lila waved her hand. “You’re not in the empire anymore, Camille. It’s a trifle here, a quirk, like red hair or being left-handed. No one cares.”
“I don’t care what it is here! Stop saying it! I’m not like that.”
“You’re more bothered by that than being called a mole?” Kenna asked.
“She’s not a mole,” Lila said. “If what she’s saying is true, she’s an asset. If the La Verde team died at the warehouse, then she’s the only mole still in the country. You can use her. If she continues to tell her people that Olivier isn’t dead and that the oracles are real…”
“Then they might think twice about attacking.”
“Exactly. If I were you, I wouldn’t waste this opportunity. As you’ve said, war is brewing whether anyone wants it or not.”
Chapter 29
The hem of Lila’s purplecoat slapped at her calves as she trudged downstairs into the basement, each stair jolting her abdomen, each step afterward a proud refusal to use the limestone walls as a crutch. Dixon and a purplecoat walked beside her, ready to catch her if needed.
Lila refused to need them on principle.
The mercs inside the cells peered through their windows as she passed, watching warily. They’d seen Olivier brought in the day before. Perhaps he’d even managed to spread the story of his chase through the cells, gloating about the gunshots that had laid Lila and the others so low.
Lila wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of a bent back. She looked each merc in the eyes with practiced highborn haughtiness, then turned sharply into the interrogation room.
The purplecoats remained outside, guarding the entrance.
Mòr and her sister broke off their conversation. “How was your nap?” the oracle asked as Lila plopped into a proffered chair with a grunt. Dixon settled in behind her, hovering.
“Unnecessary and overly warm,” Lila said. Dixon had piled several blankets atop her on the cabin’s couch. He’d fussed with the fireplace as well, stoking the flames in the middle of the day. She’d only slept because of exhaustion and her pain medication. When she woke, her tropical nurse had brought her a fresh tray from Chef Annag, upon which sat a bowl of lentil soup and a bowl of strawberries.
“I trust Dr. McCrae,” Mòr said. “If she says you need to rest, then you need to rest. You got shot yesterday, Lila.”
“I remember. Did Camille finish her sketches of the La Verde team?”
“Yes. They matched the pictures of several mercs who died in the warehouse.”
“You’ll need to contact the La Verde oracle, then. Her network personnel should go through her systems and make sure the moles didn’t leave any surprises behind.”
“I already have. Kara’s started the same thing on our network too,” the oracle said. “Blair’s box checked out, by the way. She wasn’t very happy about being woken up in the middle of the day to fetch it, but the site of every bomb is listed on the plans inside.”
“Where’s Connell?”
“Preparing Olivier for the interrogation room. He’ll be along shortly. After we’re done with him, Connell and a few of the purplecoats will question him about the explosives. Then we’ll evacuate the compound and disconnect the bombs.”
“If he proves Camille is telling the truth, will you allow her to stay?”
Mòr’s eyes drifted to Kenna. “She’ll stay. Whether she stays in the basement or in a guest cabin is not strictly up to me.”
“I don’t want that woman around my daughter,” Kenna said.
“If Camille loses her best friend and she’s deemed a criminal, what inducement does she have to keep helping?” Lila asked. “She doesn’t have the empire’s hellfire and damnation to keep her in line.”
