“Yes? Is this where you intend to threaten me to take care of her and promise not to hurt her?”
“No, there’s no need for that. I’ve liked you from the start—and even if I didn’t, standing outside her room for a week solid without moving was a pretty good indicator you will keep her from encountering any harm. I just want to make sure you know that it is okay for you to pursue her,” Phile said.
Farrin tilted his head and listened. “Thank you for your blessing?” he said, only half paying attention to the conversation.
Phile opened her mouth to say more, but Farrin silenced her, raising a finger to his lips.
Tenebris stormed from his tent, his face twisted with dark rage. A uniformed soldier followed him, cringing as Tenebris fixed his face so it no longer resembled the visage of a monster.
“The Second Regiment has disbanded?” he demanded.
The soldier nodded and leaned back—away from his leader. “The report from Colonel Grimick stated that the officers will arrive in several days, but all the mercenaries left.”
Tenebris clasped his hands together and squeezed them until they shook.
He isn’t just angry—he’s enraged. He never displays actual signs of fury.
Bunny—in her crow body—dropped from the trees and pecked at the dirt. She ruffled her feathers, but neither men took any notice of her as she hopped around until she found cover behind a pile of equipment. Hidden, she wriggled under the canvas side of Tenebris’s tent and disappeared.
Careful, Bunny, Farrin thought.If he finds you in there, he will know you are not a mindless animal.
Farrin shifted his gaze to the shadows, but none of them seemed to harbor Snorri.
“There is good news, though,” Tenebris’s lackey said. “According to the message, a southern village was wiped out. Colonel Grimick believes the resistance sustained major losses.”
Tenebris nodded. “Good.” His charm and smile were back in place. “That is more of what I wish to hear. Make it so.”
The soldier squirmed. “Which colonel do I tell this?”
“To whom would you normally report?”
The soldier dropped his gaze, and Farrin knew the man was thinking of him.
“Ah, yes. Colonel Graydim did a fairlylargeamount of structural damage when he turned traitor. I guess it goes to show that it doesn’t do any good to be humane to your guard dogs.”
Farrin winced. He thought Tenebris had been kinder when he first met him, and perhaps had turned less and less merciful with the passage of time, but he had to wonder…Did he ever care for any of us?
“Inform Kavon. It is time he took some of his mercenaries raiding again. Scouts found that Tana and a number of the other villages have been receiving supply caravans. Destroy them,” Tenebris said.
“Tana, or the caravans?”
Tenebris gave the soldier a toothy smile. “The caravans, of course.”
The soldier scribbled down Tenebris’s words and saluted him. “Sir.”
Tenebris adjusted his helm and watched the soldier go. When he was left alone, he took off the helm, smoothed his hair into place, and then repositioned it.
For a split second, Farrin thought he saw an oozing scab of crusted blood on Tenebris’s head, but he put the helm back on too quickly for Farrin to be sure.
Tenebris turned on his heels and stalked towards the medical tent. “Sunnira,” he called. “I received word from Grimick…” his words trailed off as he left the area.
“Timing,” Phile whispered. “Is everything.”
“The slaughter of the southern village does not bode well,” Farrin said.
“No, it doesn’t,” she agreed. “But we can hope the losses weren’t as bad as they claim.”
It’s possible, though not likely. His heart heavy, Farrin mimicked the whistle of a song bird.
