Page 29 of Warrioress

Uma nodded as Katiera marked quickly on the paper in her hand. “Meril. That would make you a relative of warder Ava Meril, who you were seen with?”

He glanced up at her petulantly but nodded. “She’s my cousin.”

“I see.” Uma folded her hands behind her back as she pinned the male with a hard stare that might have given Laro a moment of concern if it had been directed at him. “And is it every day that you attempt to poison Ragoru?”

A sly smile stretched across Adrin’s face as he leaned forward against his constraints. There was something within his eyes, however, that disturbed Laro. He wanted to strike, to swipe the male back away from Uma to put distance between her and the stark glee in his expression. He had enjoyed it, that much was obvious.

“Poisoned a triad? Are you speaking of my brief time at the Lucky Bull? But didn’t you know? I was merely a server there. It was that triad there behind you that gave me coin to poison them.”

“Lies,” Vrin snarled. “We never would have asked you to poison them! It is far too cruel for any circumstance between rivals to justify.”

Laro glared down at the pitiful human and inclined his head, knowing that all the eyes of the guardswomen were upon them. Although some had heard of the situation already from encountering the other triad on the street, he knew he needed to make the situation clear at that moment to all of the guardswomen gathered in the room. Holding up a hand in a silent command to Vrin to control his anger, Laro spoke directly to the restrained human.

“Vrin is correct. More than that, you know I did not ask you to give my rival poison. I approached you to make the male sick so that he would wish to leave, that is all. I even gave you an herb that is a mild purgative to add to his food. Poison was never involved.”

Adrin smirked at him, unrepentantly. “That may be true, but poison is a lot more effective, and much more fun.”

“And were you put up to this by the gentlemen’s club? And why would they wish to harm Ragoru?” Uma demanded. “Is this more of their sick support for the Order? Or are they under orders from the disbanded huntsmen? If so, you should know that collaboration with them to attack Ragoru is not only illegal but will call the entire club into question for treason.”

“Will it?” Adrin’s brows flew up as he gave her a mocking smile. “You seem pretty confident of that despite the fact that most of the members are spouses and sons of prominent families on the Council.”

“That may be true,” Uma admitted, “but they will find a way to take control of the club’s activities. They do not wish for the return of the Order.”

The male shrugged. “I am not admitting to any affiliation, but I am aware that the club does not wish for the Order to return and regain power.” He ran his tongue against the roof of his mouth thoughtfully. “They just find them useful to keep certain unsavory elements under control.”

Laro knew exactly what those unsavory elements were—any nonhuman male who dared to draw a human female to himself. All four of his hands curled into fists, but no one seemed to notice, least of all the idiot chained in the chair.

Uma shook her head as she took a threatening step closer. “The club thinks to control the Order, but they do not respond to what you desire. The Order of Huntsmen serve no one but themselves, and the moment anyone or anything has fulfilled their usefulness and will no longer be a tool for them, they get rid of them,” she spat.

The male cocked his head as his gaze raked over Uma in a manner that offended Laro to the point of wanting to pluck his eyes right out of his skull. Although there was no hint of lust on his face or in his scent, the icy speculation as his gaze moved over her threatened far worse.

“Such hostility.” He chuckled quietly. “I would expect that from you, Captain Uma Stacy. After all, wasn’t the Stacy family closely entwined with the Order? Most of the men in the family, if they didn’t become trained in the family trade, became huntsmen. Or is it because your father was branded a traitor and died ignobly for it as he deserved?” he hissed with a wide smile.

Laro narrowed his eyes at the male. Was he trying to provoke her? For what purpose? Thankfully, his female was far too smart to be baited by an inferior creature.

Uma’s brows rose, her expression closing entirely as she regarded him like a predator sizing up her prey. “Interesting that you say that. You certainly do know a lot.”

“Uma,” Katiera whispered. “Don’t let him distract you into forgetting what you should be doing. If you wait too long, you won’t be able to leave before the gates close for the night.”

Laro’s ears pricked toward his female, but she waved the guardswoman’s comment away and nodded.

“Fortunately, I have many excellent guardswomen under my command who know exactly how to get ‘interesting information’ out of our prisoners. As it happens, we just had a special cell open up.” She glanced over at a smaller guardswoman that Laro vaguely remembered accompanying them around the citadel. “Jesse, has the special cell been cleaned up?”

The female in question balked for a moment, then nodded with a tiny grimace. “It has been but it really needs to be aired out and another cleaning or three to remove the harder stuck-on... stuff.”

“That will work,” Uma replied dismissively. She smiled down at the male. “Please enjoy your stay in the lower district station. The ladies here will keep you company until I return from my little errand. I do hope you enjoy our hospitality.” With that she turned to leave but stopped at Katiera’s side. “Do not allow him to leave. I don’t care if you get instructions from Renny herself. He is to remain in our custody until I return.”

“Understood, Captain,” Katiera replied coolly before turning a cold smile on the male being hauled to his feet. “Right this way, Mr. Meril.”

Uma watched them go with a chuckle before turning to their triad with a smile and waving them forward. “Let’s go. I think they have things under control here and we have a date with the border.”

Laro fell into step behind, excitement stirring within his chest. Finally they were leaving, and soon he would have her far from the citadel where she could no longer hide from him behind her duty.

Chapter 22

Uma’s eyes shifted warily over the land stretched in front of her. The open plains around the citadel were heavily capped in snow, and just beyond the border mountain rose like a protective and foreboding specter. With the growing season over, there wasn’t the usual bustle of farmers tending their crops or wagons making their way into the citadel loaded with goods and livestock. There wasn’t even the sound of birdsong to break up the icy air.

Blessed Mother, it was so big and far quieter than she had expected. And unnerving. Within the eerie silence, she was suddenly aware of just how much she didn’t belong out there. She had never even left the citadel before, why had she thought it would be so easy? And why hadn’t she thought of that and better prepared herself mentally for this beforehand?

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