Page 112 of A Tower of Half-Truths
“Go on, lad, tell her,” Declan said. He also put his cards aside in favor of tea.
Alain sighed, then turned to Mavery. “Leona was his last assistant and, briefly, his wife.”
Mavery choked on a mouthful of tea. “You weremarriedto your assistant?”
Declan nodded. “For about a month. We eloped in Maroba, thought we could keep it quiet from the High Council. As you can guess, something like that doesn’t keep quiet for long. The High Council let me keep both my job and my rank, on the condition that I divorced Leona and never hired another assistant.”
“When did that happen?”
“About twelve years ago.” He shrugged. “It’s not so bad. The ‘no assistant’ part, I mean. I’ve always favored teaching over research, though it would be nice to always have someone to help with exams and such.”
Alain and Mavery exchanged a knowing look. While Declan gulped down his tea, Mavery drew a Lord of clubs from her hand and placed it in the center of the table.
“Ah, ah, ah!” Declan cried. Tea sloshed over the rim of his cup as he set it aside. “Didn’t you just say you had nothing higher than a nine?”
“Er, yes, but then you offered me a Lord.”
“I know for a fact it was a Lord ofdiamonds.”
“No, it wasdefinitelyclubs.” She glanced at Alain, who raised his brows. Surely she didn’t expect him, of all people, to corroborate her bluff?
“Leave him out of this!” Declan said, then narrowed his eyes. “You’ve been keeping a Lord from me all this time. We show our hands now, or you lose by default. Your choice.”
Mavery sighed, then laid her cards face-up. Declan did the same and, after quickly tallying the cards beneath his breath, clapped his hands and laughed victoriously.
“Gods damn it,” Mavery groaned, crossing her arms.
Alain peered at her cards. “You have two Lords, whereas he has only one. Shouldn’t that make you the winner?”
Mavery shook her head. “One is black and one is red. That means they cancel each other out, so they’re worthless.”
“Durnatel rules,” Declan said as he gathered up the cards. “And trying to offload one half of an unmatched pair is the oldest trick in the book.”
“Sorry, Alain. I guess my Tribute skills have gotten a little rusty.”
“If that was ‘rusty,’ I’d hate to play you after a few more rounds,” Declan said. “Color me impressed. So impressed, in fact, I’ll offer a compromise. Instead of all three days, what if you assist me only on Onisday? You can’t argue that first-year exams, while maybe not the most painless, are definitely the most straightforward.”
Alain looked to Mavery. “But your appointment—”
“Is at midday,” she said. She reached beneath the table and gently touched his knee. Alain fought to maintain a neutral expression, though it was a miracle Declan didn’t notice his heart pounding against his ribcage. “You help Declan. I’ll be fine going alone.”
Alain cleared his throat. “If you’re certain…”
“Er, beg your pardon, but what appointment?” Declan asked.
“At Mother’s. Mavery needs a dress for our presentation.”
Declan chuckled, shaking his head. “Lad, if anyone can handle your mother, it’s this woman right here.”
Of course,Motherwas the least of Alain’s concerns. He’d agreed to accompany Mavery to the boutique and keep watch outside, just in case that scoundrel, Neldren, was still sniffing around the city. But Aumbremancers preferred nocturnal schedules, and men weren’t allowed at the boutique during business hours. Alain hoped both of those factors would be enough to deter him.
“Well, this has been fun, but I must be off.” Declan’s chair scraped across the flagstone tiles. “Mind if I use the facilities? I’m about to piss like a racehorse.”
“Yes, go ahead,” Alain said. As Declan tottered out of the kitchen, he pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, “And thank you for thatlovelychoice of words.”
Mavery laughed. “I don’t know why you complain about himso much. Yes, he’s a handful, but—”
“Him being a handful ispreciselywhy I complain.”
