Feeling slightly numbed, Yan Tovis rubbed at her face. She closed her eyes-then, at a ragged sigh from Varat Taun, opened them again, to see her second in command’s limbs slowly unfold, the fierce clutch of muscles on his neck visibly ease as the man, blinking, slowly lifted his head.
And saw her.
‘Varat Taun.’
A faint smile, worn with sorrow-but a natural sorrow. Atri-Preda. We made it back, then…’
She frowned, then nodded. ‘You did. And since that time, Lieutenant, the fleet has come home.’ She gestured at the room. ‘You are in the Domicile’s Annexe, in Letheras.’
‘Letheras? What?’ He struggled to rise, pausing a moment to look wonderingly at the Cabalhii monk; then, using the wall behind him, he straightened and met Twilight’s eyes. ‘But that is impossible. We’d two entire oceans to cross, at the very least-’
‘Your escape proved a terrible ordeal, Lieutenant,’ Yan Tovis said. ‘You have lain in a coma for many, many months. I expect you are feeling weak-’
A grimace. ‘Exhausted, sir.’
‘What do you last recall, Lieutenant?’
Dread filled his wan features and his gaze fell away from hers. ‘Slaughter, sir.’
‘Yes. The barbarian known as Taralack Veed survived, as did the Jhag, Icarium-’
Varat Taun’s head snapped up. ‘Icarium! Yes-Atri-Preda, he-he is an abomination!’
‘A moment!’ cried the Senior Assessor, eyes now piercing as he stared at the lieutenant. ‘Icarium, the Jhag Warrior? Icarium, Lifestealer?’
Suddenly frightened, Yan Tovis said, ‘Yes, Cabalhii. He is here. Like you, he will challenge the Emperor-’ She stopped then, in shock, as the monk, eyes bulging, flung both hands to his face, streaking across the thick paint, and, teeth appearing to clench down hard on his lower lip, bit. Until blood spurted. The monk reeled back until he struck the wall beside the doorway-then, all at once, he whirled about and fled the room.
‘Errant take us,’ Varat Taun hissed, ‘what was all that about?’
Forbidden laughter? She shook her head. ‘I don’t know, Lieutenant.’
‘Who… what…?’
A healer,’ she replied in a shaky voice, forcing herself to draw a steadying breath. ‘The one who awakened you, Varat. A guest of the Emperor’s-from Uruth’s fleet.’