cousin’s face at the end took on new significance. “Damn Tresilian. She must have been long gone by the time I secured the citadel.” He paced over to the window and stared out. “Despatch another search party to cover the road east. And prepare the old woman for more questioning.”
“Tonight, sire?”
“Of course, tonight. No amount of sleep will render that one a beauty.”
“It seems unlikely she knows anything, sire.”
“I will oversee the interrogation in person.”
Hames bowed and backed out of the room.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Alwenna woke with a scream dying on her lips. She sat up in her bed, rigid with horror. Not Wynne. How could he? There was a hammering against her door.
“What is it? Are you hurt?” Weaver.
“No.” She tried to gather her wits. “I’m fine. Just a minute.” She drew a blanket over her shoulders, pulling it round to cover her shift, and padded barefoot to the door. The flagstones struck chill against her feet as she made her way across the unfamiliar room. She slid back the bolt and peered out.
Glowing embers in the dying fire gave off just enough light to see Weaver standing there in his shirtsleeves, fastening the ties of his leggings about his waist. “What happened? Another nightmare?”
“No.”
Weaver moved over to the hearth. “I’ll kindle the fire, else you’ll catch a chill.” He stirred the embers into life and added wood, setting the kettle over it.
Alwenna crossed the room and perched on the end of the table nearest the fire, resting her feet on the bench. “I think it was the sight.”
“You’re no stranger to nightmares, my lady. Why would this time be any different?” He straightened up and faced her once more, his expression guarded.
“Nightmares never make sense. But this… I saw Wynne. Vasic was torturing her, he…” She shivered.
Weaver folded his arms. “My lady–”
“This was real. You heard Gwydion – he knew what I’d already seen. Did you tell him? That I saw Vasic kill Tresilian?”
“Of course not. I heard Gwydion: those were the ravings of a crazy old man.”
“How can you speak so of the dead?”
“My lady, if you’d seen as many men die as I have you’d set less store by their last words.”
It was clear he still thought her a cosseted fool. “Disbelieve me if you will. Vasic’s torturing Wynne to find out where I am. There must be something we can do.”
“Would you have me besiege the citadel single-handed? She’d be beyond help long before I could reach Highkell.”
“We shouldn’t have let her go off alone.”
“She made her own choice.”
“You are so callous.” The man was impossible. “What if it’s a vision of the future? We might be able to save her.”
Weaver took a couple of steps. “You’d have me ride all that way because you had a bad dream? I swore I’d see you safely through this. That comes first.”
“Very fine, I’m sure, to hide behind your duty.”
Weaver planted both hands on the table beside her, leaning face to face with her. “I’m sorry, my lady, if you’re not best pleased by our situation, but right now we must play a waiting game. Goddess knows I’ve no appetite for such work.”
Alwenna resisted the urge to draw back. “Do you imagine I have? None of this is my choosing – trailing all the way out here with you, leaving Highkell, leaving Wynne – none of it. I know what duty is. Even my marriage wasn’t my choice.”
“You don’t seem to have managed the business so ill, my lady.”
“And in your eyes even that is a fault. It’s time you found work more to your liking, Weaver.”
His scowl deepened. “You sound as if you mean that.”
“And why not, when you disapprove of every word I say and doubtless every thought I carry in my head as well?”
Weaver withdrew to the fireside, rubbing the back of his neck. “If I do it’s no fault of yours.”
“Then I haven’t been imagining it?”
“It’s time you knew.” Weaver drew a
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