“Do no such thing!” Heydar countered in a clear, steady voice.
“He is a Dohrag. An enemy to all.”
“He ishalfDohrag. And he is a good man. I am crown prince of the Nimenni, and I vouch for his character personally. To attack him is to attack all Nimenni. And as general of the Bohdzi Guard, I assure you, this is not a fight you wish to pick.”
The guards looked at the chancellor, then at the warriors standing in their midst, the general and his men utterly relaxed. Relaxed but ready to unleash immeasurable violence if so ordered. The guards stood down, to the elites’ shock.
“Thank you, Heydar,” Valin said quietly, the former Dohrag commander standing quite still so as not to appear threatening.
“You have more than proven yourself, my friend.”
“No!” Chancellor Vinchi shouted. “This cannot be allowed!”
“No, it cannot!” Heydar replied in a booming voice.
“You agree?” the chancellor asked, clearly surprised.
“Oh, I agree that this cannot be allowed. There has been a gross violation of Dotharian law. But I am not referring to what you think I am.”
Vinchi’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell are you talking about? You’ve previously been a welcome guest in my city. What is the meaning of this betrayal?”
“Betrayal? Youdarespeak of betrayal?” he all but shouted as he turned to the Dotharian. “The most terrible violation of Dotharian law has taken place, Overseer. Willful. Illegal. A horrific act. And it was at the direction of Chancellor Vinchi himself.”
“You dare accu?—”
“Silence!” the overseer bellowed, his voice loud even withoutthe amplification device. “What do you speak of, Heydar of the Nimenni?”
“You heard the tale of the human, Maria. How she arrived on this world. How she was saved from death by the chancellor when he had his Skrizzit apply the runes.”
“Yes, we have heard the testimony.”
“But what was not told was that he ordered his Skrizzit to leave the Infala incomplete. To leave her runes unconnected.”
The crowd erupted in chatter. This was shocking. Appalling. The Infala was the most sacred of the runes, and to so much as tamper with one was unthinkable. And yet, if what he was saying was true, no one knew what the ramifications might be.
The overseer turned to Maria, still in her mate’s arms. “Come here. Show me your Infala,” he commanded.
Maria did as he asked, climbing up onto the dais and lifting her top for him to see. The man studied the rune, his face unreadable. Finally, he stepped back.
“The rune is complete,” he declared.
Chancellor Vinchi felt a wave of relief wash over him. He didn’t know how it had happened, but somehow he’d just been spared a particularly horrible fate.
“You see? Lies. All lies. And from one of this man’s standing, no less. It’s appalling. Shocking. And I will reiterate, this woman ismyproperty to do with as I please!” he declared. “And I wish for the execution to proceed.”
“No,” Heydar said flatly. “You lie. You lie and you shame your house. Your family name. It was I who completed the rune personally, connecting what the chancellor had left unfinished. I give my word as heir to the Nimenni throne.”
“It’s your word against mine.”
Heydar grinned. “AndI have documented visual proof from before and after I did my work,” he added, tapping a device onhis wrist, sending a series of floating holographic images through the air to hover in front of the overseer.
The Dotharian looked at them, then turned his angry gaze to the chancellor. He was in trouble, no doubt. How much remained to be seen. But the chancellor was a stubborn man. Arrogant and proud, and he would find a way to win even in defeat.
“It doesn’t matter how it was completed. She is still the property of my family, no matter what happens to me. It is the law.”
“Wrong again,” Heydar countered. “Zepharos, would you and yourInfala Mateplease show your matching runes to the overseer?”
The crowd gasped, watching in awe as the couple lifted their tops, revealing their matching Infalas, the designs identical and glowing strongly the closer they stood to one another, looking lovingly into each other’s eyes.
