“Are you sure you won’t come to dinner?” Commander Enys asked as he and Martin took midday meal in the commander’s office.
“Who is she?” Martin asked, picking at his roast chicken. One thing to be said for officers—they ate better than the men in the barracks.
Enys gave a sheepish smile. “My mate’s cousin, so a brunette this time, for variety.”
Exactly as Martin feared. Now to be diplomatic. “While your mate is a wonderful woman, I’m sure her cousin could only be a pale shadow in comparison.”
“Yes, true, but how will you know if you don’t meet her?” Enys shoved a bite of bread into his mouth, the touch of pleading in his eyes nearly comical.
Martin laughed, shaking his head. “You’re never going to believe that I don’t need a bond mate, are you?”
”As my Esmerla tells me often, men have no idea what they want, so they need mates to tell them.”
Something had been on Martin’s mind. Now that he held rank, he felt more at ease talking to Enys as a friend. They’d also known each other long enough that, no matter what he said, Enys wouldn’t take offense or become suspicious.
“What do you know of the Father and the Lady?”
Enys stopped, a forkful of potatoes halfway to his mouth. “Now, that’s an abrupt change of subject. Yes, I get it. No more talking about the never-ending line of unattached women in my family. What do you want to know? Esmerla attends the Father’s temple and spends some morns helping the poor.”
“What about the Lady?”
Enys barked a laugh. “Worshipping through pleasure? Let some stranger fuck you till you’re divine?”
Wow. Enys was even less reserved than Martin hoped. “You’re against it?”
“Don’t get me wrong, the temple brings a lot of visitors to our city, who in turn bring coin they leave behind. If they’re going to the Lady’s house, they bringlotsof coin.” Enys leaned in and whispered, “And also their bodies.”
“So, youdoobject. I never took you as a follower of the Father.”
“I’m not, but don’t tell my mate. She might question why a man of my rank always seems to be working during worship services.”
Now came Martin’s turn to laugh. “You do use your position to full advantage.”
Enys sobered. “My great-grandfather lived here when something changed.”
“What changed?”
“Until then, the Father and the Lady were worshipped together, though most called her the Mother then.”
“Did anyone see her? What does she look like?”
“No one has seen her. One day, the hill began to glow. Every day changes came. All the powerful mages seemed drawn there.” Enys paused a long moment. “Like my great-grandfather. He went up the hill and never returned. The Lady’s followers said she’d instructed them to build a great temple. The larger the temple grew, the more mages disappeared.”
Prickles of unease trailed across Martin’s skin. Had the Lady used the mages’ power? “Are there any more mages?” He held his breath.
Enys shook his grizzled head. “None with any great power. Occasionally the Chosen will come into the city and drag some poor soul back, usually someone they were paid to make disappear.” He sighed. “You have no idea how many reports we’ve received. The reward you collected from finding that lady’s father? None were more shocked than me that he hadn’t been forced into the temple.”
“If they kill people there, what happens to the bodies?” Surely someone would notice. Why wouldn’t the city guard intervene?
“My great-grandfather said that some high priests can conjure fire that destroys them. I think he drank too much.” Enys returned his attention to his meal.
Conjuring fire.
Not so farfetched after all.
“Why is this allowed? What about laws against killing?”
Enys sighed. “They don’t apply to mages.”
