“That isnotwhat I meant to say, my lord!” Sir Ulrech sputtered.
“And yet it is still true. Make a show of my staying with my ‘mistress’ in the west wing for any spying eyes. That will give you an excuse to avoid the staff and keep the deception of my absence intact.” Estevan unpinned his insignia, then offered the knight his cloak. “Please refrain from making another Jaqhenso soon after the first one. Give the poor woman some rest, my friend.”
Glowering, Ulrech ripped the cloak out of Estevan’s hands. “As. You. Command.” He draped it around his shoulder, muttering curses under his breath.
The inquisitor looked around. “Any questions?”
“Yes,” Themas said. “What’s the lead we’re—?”
The inquisitor motioned for the young knight and the witch to follow him out of the room without answering.
“WhereisPagan?”Estevanlooked around. “Sin’Sagar, where is my Void-taken horse?”
When they stepped outside, only one chestnut-coloured horse stood next to the mansion’s front gate. A stable boy with a brown cap and rolled-back sleeves was securing the straps of its saddle under the careful watch of the steward.
Sin’Sagar greeted them with a polite bow. “Pagan has escaped to the backyard pond, my lord. As I was unable to persuade him to return to shore, I deemed it more prudent to leave the task to you,” he said before returning his attention to the stable boy.
His task finished, the young man waited for a nod and a coin, then thanked the steward profusely as he left.
“I have packed in the bags all the items you requested, my lord,” Sin’Sagar continued. “I wish you luck with your steed, and bid you all goodbye.” He bowed before walking back to the mansion.
Estevan shook his head. “In all the times that damn stallion could have gone for a swim … You both wait here for me. I will not be long.”
Mumbling a litany of curses about kelpies and sources of water, the inquisitor disappeared behind the back of the house. Only Semras and the young knight remained by the horse.
It twitched its ears.
Themas gazed at the front door. “I … I need to do something before we leave. I’ll be back quickly. If Inquisitor Velten returns before I do, could you cover for me?”
“Wait,” Semras said. “There’s something I must tell you.”
The knight flashed her a shallow smile. “I believe I already know.”
“It’s about—”
“Velten? I know.” He looked down at her gloved hands. “I’m not blind.”
Frowning, the witch examined them too. “Whatisthe deal with—oh, let me guess. It’s like the cloak, isn’t it? An act of courtship?”
“Oh, yes …” Themas gave her a tight-lipped smile. “Very intimate. Did he also touch your bare hands with his?”
“Bare—?” He had, she remembered. And his ears and neck had been flushed too while he had done so. “This is getting ridiculous. He just gave me these to … to cover my hands. The witch-shackles didn’t leave me unscathed, and my fingers can’t weave as well now as they once did. He just tried to help.”
Scrutinizing the mansion’s facade, the knight shuffled on his feet. “Why would he? He did that to you, Semras. What made him change his mind? What made you change yours?”
“I …” She searched for words. “I made a deal with him. We’re getting this murder affair wrapped up, and then he leaves me alone. For good. So, I assure you, Estevan gifting me his gloves means nothing.”
“Velten is religious gentry. He knows exactly what that gesture meant—and it’s not nothing.” Themas let out a sigh. “Given his reputation, though, this is not surprising. You can’t blame me for being worried for you, Semras. If you’d heard of the scandals he has caused before, you’d—”
“It would change nothing. I can think of other things far more scandalous than mere hand touching that …” Her voice trailedoff as the memory of a bloody kiss in a glade of hot cinders and icy rain filled her mind. Then another one supplanted it, and Semras frowned. “… thatyoudid. You kissed me, Themas. In front of him. How is that not more scandalous?”
His chuckle dug dimples around his mouth. “Oh, it was scandalous; you heard Sir Ulrech’s reaction! I should not have, I know, but … I saw the gloves, and I wanted … I wanted you to forget him.” Themas kicked his feet in the dust. His gaze turned wistful as his smile slowly fell. “Do not mistake me. I am not bitter. I knew it couldn’t last. My … my profession would have gotten in the way sooner or later.”
“Delightful.” Semras scoffed. “Your words earlier were just a feint, then? You never intended to leave the Venators.”
He smiled sadly. “No, I meant it. Acting like the perfect knight becomes a bore after a while.” Taking a deep breath, he turned away from her. “If that’s all, I really need to—”
Semras lunged in front of him, cutting off his path. “No, that’s not all. There’s something I wish to clear up.”
