“He said, You're welcome.”
Again with the you're welcome. Was it still about the Eljaffna or had he done something else he viewed as beneficial to me? It would have to be in connection to Kun-lo, wouldn't it? It all came back to how far ahead he was. Perhaps he had a seer working with him. Or maybe he was the one who could see the future.
That would explain a lot.
But to say “you're welcome” to me twice. That was odd. It had to be for something else. Maybe he was referring to sparing Katai. But he had tried to kill Katai. I had never been so baffled and by two words, no less.
“Tekhan?” the King called.
I lifted my head.
“Sir Vasren asked if you had any other questions for Katai.”
“Oh,” I murmured and met Katai's stare.
Katai cringed and looked down.
“Uh, no. Thank you, Katai. You've been very helpful.”
“Have I saved lives?” He glanced up at me.
“You may have helped, yes. Now, it's up to me.”
Katai snuggled back against his lover and sighed. “Good luck, Claw. Gods’ speed to you.”
Yes, I was wrong again. Katai was not a criminal. Gods damn it, I hate being wrong. It meant the Chelli and Brujai were probably innocent as well. And that fucked with my new perspective on Hallaxgral. Who was this man in the hood with the kind and fervent stare? Kind. He hadn't meant to kill Katai! But the bomb. What about the bomb in the brooch? Ugh! My mind was starting to hurt.
I stood up. “Thank you, Katai. We're leaving now. Get some rest.” I nodded at the King.
“You've done well, Katai. Thank you,” King Tor'rien said. “You may stay with him for as long as he needs you, Sir Vasren.”
“Thank you, sire.”
I looked one last time at the little human who I had thought was a criminal and then left, mentally shaking my head. What an idiot I was.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“The clue is in the case,” I muttered.
I was with the King in his carriage. Again. And he was trying to talk to me. Again. This time I heard him.
“What did he mean?” the King asked.
“That's what I'm trying to work out.”
“Not the message about the clue.” He grabbed my hand. “The 'you're welcome.' What was that about? He's said it to you twice now.”
“I don't know.”
“Tekhan!”
“I don't know! It has me baffled, and I don't like this feeling.”
The King narrowed his eyes at me.
“I need to go home. I have to look over Kun-lo's case again. Lay it all out and search it for whatever I've missed.”
“The last time you went home, you were abducted.”
