Lisa Shearin - Raine Benares 01 (29 page)

“I
want to put you under protective custody,” Eiliesor said.

There
was a lot of that going around.

“That
would involve me locked in a room with a bunch of Guardians outside, right?”

One
corner of his mouth tipped upward. “I believe two would be sufficient.”

“I’ve
made other arrangements.”

“The
same arrangements you had last night?”

“No,
these are new and improved arrangements.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it’d
have to do until I came up with something else.

“I
should hope so,” Eiliesor said. “As long as you wear that beacon, I can’t allow
you to remain unprotected. I can’t risk Nukpana capturing you.”

“You
mean capturing the beacon.”

“Unfortunately,
you and the beacon are one and the same.”

“Unfortunate
is right,” I muttered.

“Nukpana
knows what you’re capable of now. He was caught off guard once.” Eiliesor gave
me a level look. “He won’t be caught unawares again.”

He
was right. I didn’t want to admit it, but I certainly couldn’t deny it. I just
nodded. A couple of Guardians to watch my back might not be all that bad. The
blond one I had met last night seemed like a nice, homicidal sort. And it
wasn’t like Eiliesor could act immediately on any impulse he might have toward
keeping me prisoner. Since my body was still onboard the
Fortune
, he
couldn’t keep me here against my will. At least I didn’t think so. Then again,
a lot of what I deemed impossible two days ago had turned out to be all too
possible. The way my luck had been running, this would turn out to be one of
them. And if I looked in those blue eyes for much longer, I might decide house
arrest was a simply wonderful idea.

“I’m
not opposed to a little extra protection,” I said. “The only way I can protect
myself from Nukpana and his like is by running or using the Saghred, or more
accurately, letting it use me. It happened last night, and I never want it to
happen again.”

“Then
we’re in agreement. I’ll have a few of my men keep you under surveillance.”

“A
tentative agreement,” I clarified, like I could stop him from having me
followed. “I have family and friends who I won’t endanger any longer. Some are
capable of protecting themselves; some are not. Nukpana wouldn’t hesitate to
use them to get to me. I can’t allow that to happen, either.”

“The
young spellsinger?” Eiliesor asked.

I
nodded. I didn’t like the way Sarad Nukpana had looked at Piaras last night. I
liked it even less knowing what I knew about Sarad Nukpana.

“I
can provide protection.”

“Thank
you,” I said, and meant it. “My family is taking care of it. But I do
appreciate your offer.”

“I
appreciate your cooperation.” His voice was oddly gentle. At least he seemed to
realize that he had just turned what was left of my life upside down. I think
he expected a fight from me. I would have liked to have given him one, but the
truth was I needed to save my fight for when it was really necessary. Sarad
Nukpana was out there.

“I’ll
meet you tonight at a nightclub called Sirens off Heron Row in the Sorcerers
District,” I told him. “Do you know it?”

“I
do.”

“I’ll
be there at nine bells.” I managed a grin. “With a few family members, of
course.”

“Of
course.”

I had
one more question, but was more than a little embarrassed to ask.

The
Guardian sensed my dilemma. “Yes?”

“How
do I get back to where I am?”

I
heard voices talking.

At
first there was one, then I could distinguish two. Thankfully, I knew them. It
meant I was waking up in the same place where I had fallen asleep. I liked it
when that happened.

“Let
me get this straight,” Phaelan was saying. “You tackled Chigaru Mal’Salin,
kicked his guards, and later decked a sentry?”

I
slowly opened one eye. The other side of my face was still firmly buried in the
pillow. Phaelan was grinning from ear to ear. From the other side of the cabin,
Piaras’s own expression was a perfect match as he nodded.

He
was sitting cross-legged on Phaelan’s bunk. The bruise was fading nicely, the
swelling all but gone. It looked like Phaelan’s ship’s healer had been in while
I slept. Considering what had happened last night, he looked amazingly calm.
While I still had the urge to keep him safe, I no longer felt as much of a need
to protect him, if that made any sense. The Piaras who woke up on the
Fortune
was a more mature version. He wore it well.

So
much for the kid being scarred for life.

Then
I remembered where I had been, whom I had seen, and how I had seen him. I sat
up, gasped and pulled my own covers up under my chin.

“What
is it?” Phaelan wasn’t sure whether he should be alarmed or not.

“Nothing.”

“It
doesn’t look like nothing.”

I
glanced under the blanket, and breathed a quick sigh of relief. At least
I
wasn’t naked under the covers.

“Determined
Guardian?” Phaelan chuckled, misinterpreting my reaction entirely.

“No.”

“Didn’t
he try to contact you?” Piaras asked.

“He
didn’t have to.”

Phaelan’s
eyes went wide. “
You
contacted
him
?”

“I
didn’t mean to, but I did.”

“Well,
was he expecting you?”

I had
an entirely welcome flashback to the sight of Mychael Eiliesor naked in bed. I
felt myself flush. “I don’t think so.”

Phaelan
noted my reaction and his grin turned wolfish. “Sounds like you had yourself
some fun, cousin. Good girl.”

“Did
not.”

The
grin grew wider. “Liar.”

“Well,
are you meeting him?” Piaras asked.

“I
suggested tonight at Tam’s club. It’s public enough. I told Eiliesor I’d be
there at nine bells, but I’ll be there earlier. After last night, I want to
have a little talk with Tam about Ocnus and a certain goblin spellsinger.”

I
looked out the porthole next to my bunk. It occurred to me that I had no idea
how long I had been asleep. The low clouds outside didn’t help my guesswork
any.

“What
time is it?” I asked Phaelan.

“Just
past two. You slept through lunch.”

Lunch.
There was another wonderful idea. It ranked right up there with the promised
safety of a certain Guardian’s protective custody. Custody that I’d turned
down. I sighed and tossed back the blanket. While safety would be nice, I’d
settle for lunch.

“Do
you think you might be able to trust the Guardian?” Piaras asked. He sounded
hopeful. So was I.

“I
just might.”

Phaelan
and a few of his more socially presentable crew were my
chosen escorts for the evening. I knew they wouldn’t
be much of a deterrent if we ran into Sarad Nukpana, but everyone else we
encountered suddenly preferred to be on the other side of the street. When we
got to Sirens, Phaelan and two of his crew came inside with me and made
themselves at home at the bar; the others stayed outside and covered the exits.
Considering the way my luck had been running lately, it wasn’t all the
precautions I wanted to take, but it’d have to do.

I
thought I had arrived with plenty of time to have a heart-to-heart talk with
Tam, but apparently I’d have to get in line. A reunion was underway in my
favorite booth. Tam and a certain elven Guardian were chatting away like old
friends.

I
sauntered over. “I see you boys know each other.”

Neither
looked guilty at being seen with the other, nor did they look surprised to see
me. Normally, I’d smell a setup, but I was the one who suggested the meeting
place, and it definitely hadn’t been under compulsion. But something was going
on here, and I suspected it had everything to do with me.

“I
know Paladin Eiliesor tolerably well,” Tam said with an easy smile. “The good
Guardian helped me out of a sticky situation once.”

“And
Primaru Nathrach once assisted me with a minor inconvenience,” Eiliesor said.

“Tonight,
Mychael and I are sharing war stories,” Tam offered, his grin widening until
his fangs were showing. “Raine Benares war stories.”

“Though
Tam has more to share than I do,” Eiliesor said.

“But
yours hurt more,” Tam countered. He looked at me, his expression pained. “You
didn’t really kick him
there,
did you? I’m certain that wasn’t called
for.”

“It
was completely called for,” I assured them both, pulling a chair up to the end
of the booth and sitting down. And I was thinking about doing it again.

“I
have some questions for you,” I told Tam. “I was going to speak with you alone,
but since you and the paladin seem to be such good friends, I’m sure you won’t
mind if I just ask them here.”

Tam
knew I was not amused, and I was rewarded with a flash of uncertainty in his
dark eyes. Seeing them here together had thrown me a sharp left hook. The least
I could do was return the favor.

I
pushed on, not giving either one of them a chance to respond. “Has Paladin
Eiliesor told you how I spent last night?”

“No,
he hasn’t,” Tam said, his eyes on mine. “And you left before I returned. Kell’s
explanation of your whereabouts was hardly enlightening.”

I
looked at the stage, even though I already knew what was there—and who wasn’t.
The musicians from the day before were playing, but one of them was conspicuously
absent. I wasn’t surprised.

“Your
new spellsinger isn’t here,” I noted.

“It’s
early yet,” Tam said.

“Then
he’s performing tonight?”

The
goblin’s dark eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Of course. It’s the busiest night of
the week.” He paused. “Why wouldn’t he?”

I
shrugged. “I just thought he might have somewhere else to be. A second job,
perhaps.” I watched Tam’s face carefully. “He didn’t show up last night, did
he?”

The
goblin’s uncertainty was blooming into something else, something darker. “No,
he didn’t.”

“Did
he tell you why?”

“I
haven’t seen him—or you—since yesterday afternoon.”

“I
was unavoidably detained, thanks to your missing spellsinger.” I kept my voice
low. I wanted answers, but I didn’t want everyone in the place to know my
business. “We were in an alley last night. He had a dagger aimed at Piaras
Rivalin’s ribs.”

Tam
went utterly still. “Perhaps you should tell me about your evening.”

“Perhaps
you should tell me what the hell you’re trying to pull.” My voice was just
above a whisper. I didn’t have to shout to attract attention. I already had it.
Lorcan Karst had moved to stand a few feet behind his boss. A good manager knew
the signs of trouble, and I wasn’t bothering to hide how I felt. Out of the
corner of my eye, I spotted a pair of Guardians. I recognized the overeager,
blond ax-wielder from last night. I didn’t recognize the equally large,
dark-haired Guardian with him. Phaelan and his boys had left the bar and spread
out to cover the Guardians.

Unless
anyone sneezed, there shouldn’t be any fatalities.

Tam
still hadn’t moved. “Piaras was harmed?”

“You
care?”

He
flinched as if I’d slapped him. “I do.”

I let
out a breath, and leaned back in my chair. I released the edge of the table. My
knuckles had clenched themselves white. I didn’t believe Tam was directly
responsible, but when a Mal’Salin asked a favor, saying no wasn’t an option.
They were Tam’s family. They were in town. And they probably had asked.

“He’s
black and blue today, but he’ll heal.” The edge faded out of my voice. A
little. “No thanks to your spellsinger. Or Ocnus Rancil. Or the Mal’Salin
prince they’re both working for.”

That
got the Guardian’s attention. “Tam, perhaps we should take this into your
office.”

“I
agree.” The goblin started to stand.

I
stayed where I was. “I don’t. You have more than one exit from your office,
Tam. I’d rather not be near any of them. I value my safety over anyone’s
feelings right now.” I looked from one to the other. “I’m sure you gentlemen
understand.” I gestured to the seats they just vacated. “Please, make
yourselves comfortable.”

They
sat.

Tam
spoke first. “I had no part in whatever happened to Piaras last night.”

He
didn’t mention me, just Piaras. A good sign that he wasn’t up to his neck in this,
but it didn’t mean his hands were clean.

“But
you knew about it,” I said.

“No,
I didn’t.”

“I’d
really like to believe you,” I told him. “There aren’t too many people I can
trust right now. I’d like for you to still be one of them.”