At that moment, all I wanted to do was stay beside him until his breathing evened and I knew he was safe in the land of dreams. I wanted to curl up next to him as his body healed what was broken.
But now wasn’t the time.
I finally faced the Wen soldiers again and said, “If you must ask questions, then ask them here. He’s in no condition to travel back to Wen.”
“Convenient,” the female soldier said, frowning. But as she studied Ren, I could sense her hesitation. “You’re Prince Renshu, yes?”
He smiled crookedly. “I’d like to know who’s interrogating me before I answer any questions.”
She narrowed her eyes. “My name is Anshi.”
“Are you a member of the Wen military?”
“Something like that.”
“Anshi is the governor’s most trusted assistant,” piped up the soldier on her left.
She skewered him with a stern look, then returned her focus to Ren. “Enough about me. Confess who you are now.”
“Prince Renshu, as you clearly already know.” He continued smoothly, “What is your goal here? To finish what you started in Ninghe?”
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t try to have me killed back at the ambush?”
Raw confusion crossed Anshi’s face before she replied, “I’ve nothing to do with that battle, or ambush, as you called it. That’s not my purpose here.”
I observed her carefully. “So you’re not intending to kill us?”
She raised a brow. “Only if I must.”
“If it isn’t me you’re after,” said Ren, “then what is it? The overthrow of Sian?”
Anshi bristled. “We aren’t a bunch of renegades. We just want liberation from a neglectful monarchy, so we can be an independent state. We’re sick of losing our money and resources to Sian while getting nothing in return.”
“And you think kidnapping a prince will get you that independence?” I asked.
She glanced between us, her jaw tightening. “Silence, both of you. I’m doing the questioning from here on out.”
I started to snap back, but Ren placed his hands on my knee to stop me. Surprisingly, he nodded at Anshi and said calmly, “Very well. Ask away.”
“What were you doing in Wen?”
“My unit was sent there on assignment,” he replied honestly.
She cocked her head dubiously. “You were an actual member of the army?”
“Yes. I’ve no reason to lie about that.”
Anshi turned to me. “And what was your role in this?”
I looked at Ren. He smiled encouragingly. I didn’t know what he was thinking, being so truthful with the enemy, but I decided to trust him, as he’d trusted me so many times before.
“I was hired to guide his corpse back to Hulin,” I said.
“But he isn’t dead.”
“He was.”
