said. “Better we speak someplace less enclosed by ears. And walking limbers the thoughts.”
“I did not ask for your interference.” Hiresha's skirt flowed back and forth over her legs as she tried to outpace him. “I make my own plans, and they mustn't include you.”
“Every plan should allow for the unforeseeable.” He was a few steps behind her now. “And I mean to talk about just that.”
A guard hailed her at the door leading into the daylight. “Enchantress, the priests will replace me with a baboon if I let you out. They're bringing someone to question.”
“We won't go far.” The Lord of the Feast nodded to a brass tower that shadowed the prison.
Hiresha stepped back into the building. “I will stay then. I have no wish to converse with Lord Tethiel.”
“The conversation you least want is the one that's most necessary.” He started toward the brass tower as if assuming she would follow. Over his shoulder he said, “You should know, my heart, being stuffed into a sarcophagus is the least of your worries.”
A draft from the prison disturbed the bare skin of Hiresha’s spine with a puff of chill. Is Tethiel threatening me, she wondered, or does he know something I do not? She reasoned if he had wanted to hurt anyone, he would have done it in the gloom of the prison. Is it right for me to turn up my nose at help that could save Chandur's life?
I will hear him out. She decided to be bold and strode out of the prison and past the guard.
The man with the sickle sword called after her. Several more guards with blades or flails started to follow. They had been speaking to Maid Janny, by the sedan chair. The maid started to go after the enchantress, too, but at the sight of the Lord of the Feast she turned away, muttering.
“Oh my, oh my! Not him. I just can't, can't, can't.”
The guards caught up to Hiresha as she neared the base of the brass tower. The Lord of the Feast waited for her, alongside three men with their faces concealed by turbans and veils. Their sword hilts twinkled with enchanted jewels, which she recognized with a pang. My enchanted swords, in the hands of Feaster lepers. With a shudder she wondered if they had lost anymore fingers since she last had seen them. The gloves they wore hid the disfigurement.
The Lord of the Feast snapped his gaze over the empire's guardsmen. As one, they stopped, took a step back and looked to each other.
“A moment of privacy for us, my hearts,” the Lord of the Feast said. “Past lovers, you understand.”
“We were most certainly not,” Hiresha said to the guards.
“I'm deathly jealous of her new fiancé.” The lord winked.
One guard laughed. Another started to say, “You know the fennec Incarnate has been—”
His captain gripped his arm and interrupted him. “Once the priests come back, the enchantress will have to come with us.”
The veiled Feasters motioned the guardsmen to follow. One masked leper drew an enchanted sword to show, and the hidden lepers and the guards began a conversation.
Hiresha moistened her dry mouth by swallowing. She was upset at the Lord of the Feast for implicating her. Yet, better they think him a philanderer than a Feaster.
He gave Hiresha a subtle smile. Not even the greasepaint could hide the new lines of worry on his handsome face. He slouched as if he dragged chains with each hand, and he had the look of a defeated king, except for those pale eyes. In them swirled a chilling confidence, a will that could cut through stone.
“Tethiel,” she said and stopped, uncomfortable at how much she enjoyed saying his name. “You do know that they won't appreciate me leaving the sarcophagus, once they put me there. They plan to—”
“Suffocate you, I can smell that.” He inhaled then breathed out with a sigh.
“Asphyxiate, to be precise.” Hiresha folded her lips between her teeth. She had deduced Feasters to have some skill in sensing the fears of those nearby. “You may not care what
“I did not ask for your interference.” Hiresha's skirt flowed back and forth over her legs as she tried to outpace him. “I make my own plans, and they mustn't include you.”
“Every plan should allow for the unforeseeable.” He was a few steps behind her now. “And I mean to talk about just that.”
A guard hailed her at the door leading into the daylight. “Enchantress, the priests will replace me with a baboon if I let you out. They're bringing someone to question.”
“We won't go far.” The Lord of the Feast nodded to a brass tower that shadowed the prison.
Hiresha stepped back into the building. “I will stay then. I have no wish to converse with Lord Tethiel.”
“The conversation you least want is the one that's most necessary.” He started toward the brass tower as if assuming she would follow. Over his shoulder he said, “You should know, my heart, being stuffed into a sarcophagus is the least of your worries.”
A draft from the prison disturbed the bare skin of Hiresha’s spine with a puff of chill. Is Tethiel threatening me, she wondered, or does he know something I do not? She reasoned if he had wanted to hurt anyone, he would have done it in the gloom of the prison. Is it right for me to turn up my nose at help that could save Chandur's life?
I will hear him out. She decided to be bold and strode out of the prison and past the guard.
The man with the sickle sword called after her. Several more guards with blades or flails started to follow. They had been speaking to Maid Janny, by the sedan chair. The maid started to go after the enchantress, too, but at the sight of the Lord of the Feast she turned away, muttering.
“Oh my, oh my! Not him. I just can't, can't, can't.”
The guards caught up to Hiresha as she neared the base of the brass tower. The Lord of the Feast waited for her, alongside three men with their faces concealed by turbans and veils. Their sword hilts twinkled with enchanted jewels, which she recognized with a pang. My enchanted swords, in the hands of Feaster lepers. With a shudder she wondered if they had lost anymore fingers since she last had seen them. The gloves they wore hid the disfigurement.
The Lord of the Feast snapped his gaze over the empire's guardsmen. As one, they stopped, took a step back and looked to each other.
“A moment of privacy for us, my hearts,” the Lord of the Feast said. “Past lovers, you understand.”
“We were most certainly not,” Hiresha said to the guards.
“I'm deathly jealous of her new fiancé.” The lord winked.
One guard laughed. Another started to say, “You know the fennec Incarnate has been—”
His captain gripped his arm and interrupted him. “Once the priests come back, the enchantress will have to come with us.”
The veiled Feasters motioned the guardsmen to follow. One masked leper drew an enchanted sword to show, and the hidden lepers and the guards began a conversation.
Hiresha moistened her dry mouth by swallowing. She was upset at the Lord of the Feast for implicating her. Yet, better they think him a philanderer than a Feaster.
He gave Hiresha a subtle smile. Not even the greasepaint could hide the new lines of worry on his handsome face. He slouched as if he dragged chains with each hand, and he had the look of a defeated king, except for those pale eyes. In them swirled a chilling confidence, a will that could cut through stone.
“Tethiel,” she said and stopped, uncomfortable at how much she enjoyed saying his name. “You do know that they won't appreciate me leaving the sarcophagus, once they put me there. They plan to—”
“Suffocate you, I can smell that.” He inhaled then breathed out with a sigh.
“Asphyxiate, to be precise.” Hiresha folded her lips between her teeth. She had deduced Feasters to have some skill in sensing the fears of those nearby. “You may not care what
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