Page 191 of Seven Oars
“Did you know that chief?”
“I knew who he was. Never had a chance to deal with him before he got killed in a raid.” He flexed his fist until the knuckles cracked.
Anske chose this moment to appear. She threw a venomous look at their group clustered around Fincros as she made a defiant progress to the food supplies. Her decisive stride and rigid posture dared the Cargo Hold occupants to stop her.
It had never occurred to Rosamma that they could bar a fellow woman from accessing food or water, but apparently, Anske allowed such a possibility.
“Hi, Anske,” Rosamma said gently.
Anske looked up in surprise.“Hi, Rosamma.” She took food items from her spot on the shelf and turned to leave.
“Are you taking food for Fawn, too?”
“No. Why would I?”
Rosamma disregarded Anske’s unfriendly tone.“Where is she?”
“No idea.”Anske paused to give Fincros a look that was… triumphant.“I’m glad this one is down for good. It wasn’t right what he did to Galan. Nearly bashed his head in.”
Gro harrumphed.“Galan’s head needed bashing. All of their heads, for that matter.”
Predictably, that set Anske off.“Now, Galan can’t concentrate. It’s hard to teach him anything.”
“That… is not because of Striker Fincros,” Eze said aloud what Rosamma was thinking.
“How would you know? And he’s not the Striker anymore! Got what he deserved. Phex was rightly incensed when I told him he smooched our saintly Rosamma right under his nose.”
Rosamma half-rose.“You knew?”
“Hard not to.” Anske shrugged.“Not much privacy in here.”
“And you told Phex? Why?”
Anske’s face twisted.“Didn’t seem fair that Alyesha ran away like she did with Keerym and didn’t give a flying jack about us. She’d also smooched Keerym in secret.”
“You thought I’d run off with Fincros?”
“Exactly.” Anske hefted her provisions.“Don’t tell me that thought never crossed your mind when you were with him.”
Rosamma just stared at Anske.
“Got nothing to say?” She gave Rosamma a cold sneer before walking away.
“What was she about?” Fincros asked after Anske left. He hadn’t been able to follow their conversation since they hadn’t been speaking Universal.
Rosamma lowered herself to the floor, stunned.“She was the one who told Phex about the Dome. He didn’t find us by accident.”
Fincros’clawed fingers were gentle when his hand found her hair.“Of course not. Someone tipped him off. Now we know who.”
“But Anske…”
The clawed fingers pressed against her lips.“It isn’t important now.”
Eze cleared her throat.“That bitch was afraid you’d run off like Alyesha. Stupid twat.”
Fincros turned to the sound of her voice.“She was right. Only Rosamma didn’t plan it. I did.”
Now Eze and Gro were stunned.
