Empire of Ashes

Chapter LXXX - Together

"Is it done?" I asked Saqui.

"You could say that. No one is watching anymore."

So he had killed someone. Maybe several someones. I did not even try to care this time. So many thousands of people had died in this war — what were a few more?

"You have my thanks," Tem said grudgingly.

"I did not do it for your sake," Saqui replied. He gestured to the table, where there was a spread of leftover food from the court dinner. "You have not touched it? Good. Don't. Drugging you was my task, but it is not a risk worth taking."

"I may be reckless, but I am not stupid. I have not eaten or drunk since breakfast."

"You can't fight the king half-starved," Saqui said. He paused, and the look in his eyes said he was coming to a decision. "I will see what I can find. No promises."

And then he slipped back into the hallway, silent as the grave, and I was left with Tem once again. It was a short-lived moment because, this time, the sound of the door closing had brought Fendur, Anlai and Melia out from the bedroom.

"I told you to stay put," Tem said without looking at them. He was staring at the closed door, chewing on the inside of his cheek, and I knew that meant he was thinking hard. The subject was anyone's guess.

"Strange. I must have misheard you. Cambrian can be such a tricky language," Fendur said, shaking his head. He did not put any effort into the lie, and I couldn't help smiling. "Ah, well, now we're out here ... might as well stay a minute, I suppose."

"Such insolence from you tonight, Fendur," Tem mused. "I should have you flogged."

"You should," Fendur agreed cheerfully, which made even Anlai grin. "But you won't, so instead tell me — who was at the door?"

"Never you mind."

"Was it Saqui?" he asked. "I could have sworn I heard his voice..."

And all of us looked at him. It was not intentional, but there was a knowing smile on every one of our faces, and the Iyrak took a literal step backwards.

"What?" he demanded. "What is it?"

Tem laughed at him. "He'll be back in a minute. I'm sure you will get a chance to speak to him — never fear."

"I... Oh, go to hell."

"I'll go when I'm good and ready," the warlord retorted. "Now, if you bastards won't leave us alone, you might as well make yourself comfortable."

They needed no further invitation — they came straight to the divans closest to us and settled themselves upon them. Melia was almost on her husband's lap, curled up in the crook of his arm. Fendur sat opposite them, and Tem sat beside him with a long-suffering sigh.

I picked the seat next to Melia, and she buried her cold toes under my legs happily enough. It was the perfect position to glower at Tem. He and Anlai were incapable of sitting so close without sporadically kicking each other. I was accustomed to that by now, but I still couldn't understand how they managed to keep their faces so completely deadpan while behaving like children.

"I've missed you, Lyra," Melia hummed, breaking the silence. "I've been locked up with these animals all day."

"Yeah, because Lyra's so civilised," Anlai muttered under his breath. That earned him a particularly vicious kick from Tem and a rebuking pinch from his wife.

"At least I know how to use a knife and fork," I said snidely.

"Cutlery just slows me down," he retorted.