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Desfan heard more than saw Razan drift away—to get assistance, he hoped. He didn’t want to upset the man, so he didn’t bother correcting him. He simply prompted, “Your report?”
“Yes.” Tension bunched in his shoulders. “You were right to send me. But no one could have guessed the horror I found.”
The man was clearly not stable, but something in his terse words made Desfan’s scalp prickle. “What did you find?”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “Her.”
The hairs on the back of Desfan’s neck lifted. His mind jumped to the first conclusion he could imagine. “Meerah?” he asked softly.
The man scowled. “No. No! She’s dead.Bothseraijahs died. Don’t you remember?”
Desfan set his jaw against the man’s harsh tone. “Yes, I remember. But who are you talking about?”
“Her,” he said again, more insistent than before. “You know. Yoususpected. That’s why you sent me!”
Certainly not Meerah, then; his father had suffered a seizure after learning his youngest daughter still lived. He hadn’t had time to send anyone to investigate—least of all this unstable man. Besides, if this man thought Desfan was his father, he probably hadn’t seen the serjan in many years—if he’d ever seen Saernon Cassian at all, of course. This man was in an asylum for a reason.
“Apologies,” Desfan said, hoping to soothe the man. His agitation was visibly growing. He was breathing harder, and his frame vibrated. His hands now twitched at his sides. Desfan gestured to the bench he and Razan had recently vacated. “Why don’t you sit?”
“I can’t sit,” the man huffed. “Not when I must give my report.”
Desfan bit back a sigh. “Very well, then. Give me your report.”
The man glared. “I’mtrying. You won’t listen!”
Desfan lifted a placating hand. “I’m listening.”
“Good!” he snapped. Then his tone lowered. “It was horrible. I can still feel the fear and panic. I can still hear the screams and cries. So many bodies . . . they burned them. Burned them all.”
From the corner of Desfan’s eye, he could see Karim looked unnerved.
In that, they were matched.
He focused back on the man and dared to ask, “Where were you?”
“Far away. In the mountains.” The man’s breath caught. His words were more strained as he said, “You told me to go and I went, but I won’t go back. Iwon’t. I barely escaped with my life.” He lifted one shaking hand and pressed his fingers to his left temple. “I fell. I . . . I don’t remember . . . I don’t know how I . . . But I did. I came back. I couldn’t give my report.” His hands trembled, more violently than before. “You needed to know. Youneedto know. It will be horrible. It will be a waking nightmare. What was done to them will be done to us—worse, even.” His eyes sharpened and his hand dropped. “You must protect us.Please.”
“I will,” Desfan said. “I’ll protect you.”
The sound the man made in his throat was torn between a pitiable whine and a formless curse. “Not just me. Everyone.Allof us. Please!”
Desfan stepped forward. Karim tensed, but didn’t stop him from catching the man’s trembling hands in both of his. He met the man’s manic gaze with steadiness and calm. “I will protect everyone,” he promised. “You have my word.”
The man’s breathing remained pinched. Frantic. “Your word as serjan?” he gasped.
Desfan dipped his chin. “Yes.”
The man’s shoulders sank and the panic fled his eyes, replaced by a sheen of tears. His fingers squeezed Desfan’s. “Thank you,” he breathed out. “Thank you . . . Don’t let her evil touch us. You must watch us . . . guard us . . . guard well . . .”
Rapid footsteps hurried toward them.
Desfan looked past the man to see Razan and two attendants approach. The first was a woman, the other a young man.
“I’m so sorry, serjan,” the woman said. “Vakesh wanders sometimes.”
The male attendant gently took hold of Vakesh’s arm. “Come now. Let’s go back to your room.”
“Guard,” Vakesh repeated weakly, still peering at Desfan as the attendant eased him away and back down the path. “Guard well . . .”
