“All right,” Rojer said stepping between them. “Everyone’s got big paps. Can we stop comparing them and sit down?” He reached into his multicolored bag of marvels, pulling out a tiny clay flask. “I’ve got couzi to take the edge off.”
“Night, that’s all we need.” Leesha had made some of the worst decisions of her life when she drank. “Please, have a seat. I’ll put on tea.”
Renna had already taken the flask and tipped it back hard. Leesha thought she would have spat fire after a gulp like that, but Renna gave only a slight cough, handing the bottle back to Rojer. “Creator, did I need that.”
Leesha’s head throbbed as she put the kettle on and set a tray of cups and saucers on the counter, but it was nothing compared to the pressure down below. She glanced at the privy, but could not bear to miss a word. Renna, like Arlen, had a tendency to vanish if one took their eye off her for even a moment.
“Glad you’re all right,” Rojer was saying as she joined them in the sitting room. “When new moon came with no sign of you, we all feared the worst. It’s a miracle we survived without you.”
“Minds weren’t coming to the Hollow last Waning,” Renna said. “They had other business.”
“What business?” Leesha demanded. “Enough vagaries. Where were you? Where is Arlen?”
“Don’t expect to see either of us again after tonight,” Renna said. “Hollow needs to stand on its own. We were the reason the mind demons came. We draw them.”
Leesha looked at her a long time. That would certainly explain Arlen’s disappearance. If he was drawing the minds’ attention to the Hollow, he would put himself as far away as possible. “Why?”
“Mind demons take this Deliverer business seriously as Tenders,” Renna said. “Scared as piss about it. Unifiers, they call us. Ones who get so strong they draw followings. Wern’t gonna rest till we were dealt with, and you ent ready for that kind of demon attention. Need time to fill the Hollow.”
“So Arlen killed Ahmann and went into hiding?” Leesha demanded. “What’s to stop them going after Thamos, next?”
Renna waved a hand so dismissively Leesha was offended on her lover’s behalf. “’Less he learns to shoot lightning from his arse, count’s beneath the minds’ notice.”
She looked at them pointedly. “You two, on the other hand, need to step careful. Minds know who you are. Strike at you, they get the chance.”
Leesha felt her face go cold. Rojer looked like he might slosh up. “How can you know that?”
Renna opened her mouth, but Rojer answered for her. “She’s right. Saw it myself at new moon. Stepped beyond the wards, and every demon on the field turned to me at once. Felt like I had a flaming bullseye on my chest.”
Leesha saw it in her mind’s eye, imagining hundreds of cold coreling eyes turned upon her and the vulnerable life she carried within. The child would barely be bigger than her curled little finger, but she could have sworn it kicked. Her bladder cried out to empty, but she clenched her thighs and ignored it.
“So you’re going to leave the Hollow at the mercy of the demons while you go off and … what? Take your honeymoon without a care?”
“Corelings ent got any mercy, Gatherer,” Renna said. “You of all people should know that. Don’t tell me I don’t care. Hollowers been good to me like no others. Just because I ent here don’t mean I ent fighting for ’em every corespawned night.”
“Then why’d you come back?” Rojer said. “Just to tell us you ent coming back?”
“Ay,” Renna said. “Owed you that much. Need to know help ent coming.”
“You could’ve just left a note,” Leesha said.
“Can’t write,” Renna said. “Not everyone grows up with a rich da and time to spend learnin’ letters. Expect you’ve got questions, so make ’em quick.”
Leesha closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Renna had a way of infuriating her past her ability to think. She might ask directly if Arlen was alive, but there was little point. She didn’t believe for one moment the woman would be so calm if he wasn’t.
“Just tell me one thing,” Leesha said.
Renna crossed her arms, but she waited on the question.
“Did Arlen kill Ahmann?” Leesha asked. Her hand went to her belly as if to shield the child from the answer.
“He ent comin’ back, either,” was all Renna said. “Hollowers ent the only ones need to stand on their own.”
“That’s not an answer,” Leesha said.
“Told you to ask,” Renna said. “Din’t say I would answer.”
Insufferable woman. Leesha eyed her. “Why do you and Arlen have powers in the day, when no others do?”
“Eh?” Renna asked.
“In the count’s throne room, you defeated Enkido,” Leesha said. “His blow should have paralyzed you, but instead you forced him back and threw him across the room. No woman your size could do that without magic, but it was broad day. How? It’s more than just the blackstem, isn’t it?”
Renna paused, choosing her words with care. The delay answered Leesha’s second question if not her first.
Just as the woman was about to answer, the front door slammed open. “Mistress Leesha!” Wonda cried.
Leesha only took her eyes off Renna for an instant, but when she looked back, the woman was gone.
“Creator!” Rojer cried, leaping to his feet as he, too, noticed the disappearance.
Wonda burst into the room an instant later. “Mistress Leesha!” Her eyes were wild and terrified. “You need to come quick!”
“What is it?” Leesha asked.
“Krasians,” Wonda said. “Krasians attacked Lakton. Cutters found refugees on the road. They’re bringing them in as they can, but there’s wounded, and lots still out in the naked night.”
“Night,” Rojer said.
“Corespawn it,” Leesha growled. “Send runners to catch the Gatherers and have them meet us at the hospit. The Cutters will be mustering, and I want volunteers to go out with them. You and Darsy go with Gared.”
Wonda nodded and vanished out the door. Leesha felt a gentle breeze, and looked back. There was a fog along the floor, barely noticeable an instant ago, but now it was pooling together, growing bigger, solidifying.
And then Renna stood before them again. Leesha should have been startled to see her dissipate and reform like Arlen, but for some reason it was no surprise. There were bigger matters at hand.
“You said the Hollow needs to stand on its own,” she said. “Does that include the Laktonians, too?”
“Ent a monster,” Renna said. “Every second we waste talkin’ is a second I’m not looking out for those on the road. Send the Cutters out quick as you can. I’ll see those farthest away last until help arrives.”
Leesha nodded. “Creator watch over you.”
“And you,” Renna said, vaporizing right before their eyes.
Rojer and Leesha stood silent a long time before breaking the silence as one.
“I need to use the privy.”
CHAPTER 13
FOUL MEAT