Page 56 of This Monster of Mine

Sarai drank more soup. Nowthis, she understood. Cisuré’s religiosity, Harion’s condescension, Anek getting straight to the point. It was only Kadra she couldn’t pinpoint.

Anek looked pained. “Cisuré, my parents’ souls and mine are our concern. It isn’t like we’ve ever seen a god.”

Harion seized a chicken thigh. “Regardless, we’ll all have to make our rounds of the Temple if we’re to keep ourselves in the public’s graces.” He wiggled the thigh at Sarai. “You too, if no one’s knocked you off.”

She gave him the finger, and he bowed, sauntering off to demand another amphora of wine. Anek fled the table when Cisuré continued proselytizing, and the other girl inched her chair closer to Sarai.

Cisuré dropped her voice. “No rush, but have you found anything?”

Sarai’s spoon froze halfway to her mouth. Visions swam before her of dead Guildsmen and freed debt-slaves. Tongues lying in dirt. Sunlight arcing off the blade coming down on Red Tunic’s arm.

“He’s been the same as usual,” she whispered.

“What about in his tower?”

Searching it was impossible with Cato there. She shook her head. “I don’t know what wards he could have placed around his room, so I need to be careful.”

Cisuré drummed her fingers on the table. “You could always pretend you’re ill. Wander around the tower and pretend you’re sleepwalking if you happen to trigger one of his wards.”

Kadra’s raised eyebrows flashed in Sarai’s mind. She shook her head. “He’d know.” The man really didn’t need her. During trials, he seemed to know who was lying before she spoke.

“Well, it wouldn’t be a lie.” Cisuré reached out and surreptitiously adjusted Sarai’s cuffs. The worry in her eyes said she’d seen thatnihumbwas covering only the visible portions of Sarai’s skin. “You’ve been draining yourself every day.”

“I’m managing.” Her head throbbed with exhaustion. “The past two weeks have been a whirlwind.”

“I’ll say.” Amphora in hand, Harion plunked himself down. “I hear you royally pissed off the Metals Guild.”

“What?” Cisuré bolted upright, shooting Sarai an accusatory look. “You never mentioned that.”

“Come now, Saint. If you’re going to mingle at the top, you need to have ears across Edessa.” He gave her a worldly smile. “Honestly, the Metals Guild reigns supreme as the magically–poor man’s greatest ally, so sending one of their own to the mines was aterribleidea.”

“Then he shouldn’t have forced children into servitude. Debt-slaves were abolished centuries ago.”

“Tell that to the everyday Urd working themself to the bone for coin.” Harion waved a hand. “Irrelevant. What I want to know is whether Kadra really swept in to rescue you from the ignominy of a punch to the face.”

Shit. Her eyes flew to his in surprise, and he choked on his wine.

“He did?” Sputtering, Harion wiped his chin. “I thought my man was lying.”

His sources are good. A look at Anek’s unruffled features confirmed that they’d also heard about Red Tunic’s case. A few sidelong glances told her that at least half the tavern was following the conversation.

“Well, tell us the secret.” Harion’s stupefied look melted into an ugly smirk. “How’d you get the ice man besotted?”

She snorted. “It wouldn’t reflect well on him to allow his Petitor to get walloped. He was protecting his reputation. I benefited. That’s all.”

“What, so nothing goes on in that tower? A man and a womanalone.”

“Enough, Harion. We’re in public,” Anek interjected coolly. “I’d rather not have us be the talk of the city tomorrow.”

“The voice of reason, ourneutralis. She’s got a point.” At Anek’s glower, Harion snickered. “He’s got a point?”

Their features tautened.

“We’ve known each other for four years, and you’re still acting like what you’ve got between your legs is some big secret. Are you ashamed of being a woman or something?” He tipped his head back with a squint. “Or a man?”

Red climbed up Anek’s cheekbones, flags of fury risen to full mast. “I said. Enough.”

“We’re all thinking it. You don’t get to pronounce that you’re something unnatural and whine when you’re questioned on it.”

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