Her father laughed softly. “No wonder you think there’s another volume or two floating around out there. It appears that what you’ve read is about twenty years out of date.”
She agreed. “I’m going to check out the marketplace tomorrow. See if there’s another book or two I can get my hands on.”
“You’re not going to sit in the meetings with me?”
“Oh, please spare me. Who wants to listen to a bunch battle lords bragging about how the way they do things is better?”
“You’re going to need to know this information once you take over running the compound.”
“Father, you never intend on having me take over, and I wish you’d stop saying that.” Her anger was starting to rise again over the ridiculous notion she was to assume the reins. “You know as well as I do that if something should happen to you, Tanger will become the battle lord.”
“Where did that stupid idea come from?” he shot back, his own dander rising.
“I hear the men talking. I hear what’s being insinuated when you don’t think I’m paying attention.” They were long overdue having this conversation. It wasn’t that she was protesting not becoming a battle lady upon her father’s demise. The heavens knew she detested the politics and other nonsense that came with the title, and she told him as much. “If, by some miracle, I take control of Vega City, I’ll want to do itmyway. Not have some asinine blowhard like Tanger try and tell me how to run things. Or, worse, have him step in and start issuing orders and scripts, countermandingmyorders.”
“Tanger is a good man. I trust he’ll follow your edicts and do things the way you request.”
“That’s coon shit, and you know it!” she hotly argued. “I’m even willing to bet that he might do something to get you out of his way, so he can claim Vega City for himself.”
There. She’d finally gotten to say what she’d been wanting to tell him for months now, but had never found the right time or the right place to broach the sensitive subject.
As she’d expected, her father grew red in the face. “What makes you think you can make such accusations?”
She refused to back down. The time had come, and she wasn’t about to concede. Not after all these months.
“I make them because I see Tanger for what he really is. An opportunist. A snake who waits in the shadows for the right moment to strike. Him and his second, Arkon. They’ve been licking their chops like hungry Wolfen, just waiting.” She checked around them. “Where is he now? I didn’t get to see where he’d set his tent.”
“Behind our tent. Caralas…”
“No. I’m not going to remain silent on this. Not anymore.” Reaching over, she grabbed his wrist, but he jerked it out of her grasp. “Listen to me, Father. At leastlistento me. The man is only pretending to be your friend. But his true motive is to one day take over Vega City, and the thought terrifies me that he’ll try to do something to you to achieve that goal.”
“You and your conspiracy theories. That’s why you’ll never make a good battle lady, even if you do take over running the compound. You don’t have the common sense or stability to handle the job.”
She felt her mouth gape open at that last bit. “Tohandlethe job? What the fuck do you think I’ve been doing these past couple of years?”
Edge threw up his hands. “All right, all right. I take that back. You’ve been a big help when it comes to working with the populace, especially the shopkeepers and craftsmen.”
“The only thing I haven’t been a part of is the military. You made it very clear you didn’t want me to have anything to do with the defenses and training, and personally I resent it.”
“You resent it?”
“Do you honestly want me to assume leadershipcoldwhen it comes to your army?”
“There’s no sense in making you—”
“I haveevery rightto be right there alongside you when you talk to your commanders. I haveevery rightto know your battle plans and strategies. Most of all, I haveevery rightto discuss with you everything that has to do with the defense and protection of our compound. The only part Idon’tlike is the fucking politics.”
In the firelight, it was difficult to read what might be going on in her father’s mind. His eyes drifted away and back to her several times before he spoke again.
“Is that why you begged me to come with us? To learn whatever this battle lord can teach us about the Mutah?”
“No, Father. That’s not the only reason.” She placed her hand on his arm again. Thankfully, he didn’t jerk away from her this time. “I wanted to come with you to make sure nothing happens to you. Call me crazy. Tell me my head is full of conspiracy theories. I don’t care. What I care about is you. And if me coming along with you to this conference prevents Tanger or any of his men from trying to pull a fast one on you, then it’ll be worth it.” She gave him a loving smile. “I’m not a little girl anymore. In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve grown up, and I can hold my own when it comes to swordplay. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Not as long as I’m around to watch your back.”
Lorgon Edge stared at her in silence for a long time. His gaze swept over her, as if noticing her for who she was for the first time. After a while, he sighed deeply, removed her hand to place it in her lap, and got to his feet.
“I want you there with me tomorrow morning at the beginning of the conference,” he requested. Before she could respond, he ducked inside their tent.
7
