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Empire of Night Ch16
Alex elbowed his way through the door to the tavern and made his way up to the counter. The red of his cloak mostly concealed the bloodstains, but he could tell the woman behind the counter could smell it on him.
“Sir,” she said, “are you well? Have you been injured? I-”
He reached into a pouch concealed beneath his cloak and drew out a coin, about the size of a silver dollar, only it wasn’t silver, nor was it plated; this coin was cast of solid gold. The woman gaped at him, and he spoke in a low tone.
“Three of my wives were set upon by ruffians not far from here,” he said, “I think at least one was injured and thought they might come here to rest; have you seen anyone like that?”
The woman looked around, unsure, “I-” He added a second coin to the first. “I gave them the Imperial suite,” she said.
He added a third coin. “Show me, bring me something to eat, and strong drink.”
“Ah,” the woman nodded, “yes, sir.”
She brought him up the stairs and to the suite and opened the door for him. Rosslln sitting alone on the bed, arm wrapped up tight in bandages, looked up when they entered.
“Alex!” she cried, standing, but she hesitated and sat back down, looking away from him.
His stomach twisted; she couldn’t even look at him.
He went to her, knelt at her feet, “I’m sorry,” he murmured, “I’m sorry I said those things, acted that way; I didn’t mean it, I would never let anyone hurt you.”
He reached out for her hand and squeezed it tight. “I can’t expect you to forgive me; I just wanted you to know that.”
She looked down at him with watery eyes. “Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who failed."
"Failed?" he shook his head, “Rosslln, you risked your life for me.”
“I was captured. I let those- those.” Her shoulders slumped. “I let them use me against you. Better to have died.”
“Don’t say that! I don’t ever want to hear something so terrible from you again.”
He sat down next to her, taking her hands. “Rosslln, Sweetheart, I never want to see you hurt for my sake.”
She shook her head. “I’m supposed to protect you.”
He kissed her. “You did, and on Earth, we men are supposed to protect women, so I stepped up.”
She frowned. “What would you have done if those women hadn’t run away?”
He shrugged. “I was about two steps from giving myself up.”
“Alex!” she cried, “you can’t do that!”
“I can, and I would,” he said.
She shook her head. “I’d die before I’d let you.”
“Then I’m glad it didn’t come to that. I’d hate it if you went and left me.”
She curled her hand in the fabric of his cloak as though afraid he’d disappear. “You’re a strange man,” she said.
He wrapped his arms around her. “Sorry.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” she said, “Lisril’s furious with me.”
“No, she’s not,” Alex said, “if she’s angry with anyone, it’s me. But honestly? She just takes too much responsibility upon herself, so she’s sensitive to things going wrong.”
“If you say so.” She rested her chin against his chest, and he squeezed her tight against him. “I brought something for you.”
He pulled a little spray can from beneath his cloak. “I saw you were bleeding earlier, so I bummed it off some marines.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“It’s called staunch,” he said, “we use it for bleeding. Can I see your arm?”
She looked down at her bandaged limb. “I guess.” She offered the arm, and he gently unwrapped it.
He grimaced at what he saw; it was long, deep, cut. It looked painful, but more importantly, she must have lost a lot of blood. She was already starting to bleed again, without the pressure of the bandage. The staunch would help with all those problems, though, and clean the wound out.
“Hold still.” He shook the aerosol can and held it six inches from the wound, “this will sting.”
Before she could get second thoughts, he let loose with the spray. She hissed but didn’t jerk too much. Even before he finished applying the spray, the flow of her blood had noticeably diminished. He set the can down and reapplied her bandage. It wasn’t necessary for the bleeding, but compressing the wound would help the staunch accelerate the healing process.
She rubbed her arm. “It’s kind of numb….”
“It’s the anesthetic,” he said, “it’ll pass, and you’re not in pain anymore, right?”
“I guess not,” she said.
The door opened and admitted Iiandere. “The innkeep said you’d wandered in,” she said, “where were you?”
“I had a promise to keep,” he said, “and I brought a present for you.”
He drew out a rolled-up parchment, offering it to the inquisitor.
She took and unrolled it, reading the contents. Finally, she sighed. “Then I take it that woman is dead.”
“Yes,” he said, “I can show you her hideout if you like.”
She shook her head. “We could have used her, you know.”
Alex’s jaw clenched. “She threatened my woman.”
Iiandere eyed him, seemingly really looking for the first time. “Too late now, anyway. That was rather canny, convincing those brigands their hostage wasn’t valuable, despite evidence to the contrary.”
He shrugged. “I figured men and women are valued differently here.”
“And if you had been wrong?”
He glanced at Rosslln. “I think there’s an echo in here. Like I told Sweetheart, I would have given myself up in exchange for her life.”
Iiandere stared. “and let them kill you?”
“Better me than her,” he said.
“It very much isn’t you know,” Iiandere said harshly, “setting aside the fact that it is, of course, a greater tragedy when a young man dies, your death would have placed her Magnificence in a very tenuous position.”
“I wouldn’t have let that happen,” Rosslln insisted, “I would have made her kill me before letting them have him.”
Iiandere examined his Sweetheart and smiled. “It seems I owe you an apology.”
“For what?” Rosslln asked.
“I took you for a fool and incompetent,” the inquisitor said, “but I see now, you lack only for temper.”
Rosslln ducked her head. “No, I’m not really….”
Alex pulled her close. “You’re too hard on yourself.”
The door burst open, and Lisril stormed into the room. She locked eyes with him and, ignoring the other women marched up the bed, hands on hips. “What were you thinking?”
He shrugged. “Not much,” he said, “just sort of went with my instinct.”
She growled and dragged him to his feet, hands on his shoulders, as though afraid he might evaporate. Her hands ran down his arms, moved to his hips, and up; she recoiled and pulled away, looking at the wet stain in her hand. “You’re hurt!”
He bit his tongue; he’d been hoping for a little more time to heal before she found that. “I’m fine,” he said, “it’s just-”
“Show me.” She sat him back down and removed his cloak, revealing a large wet blob of blood staining the shirt underneath.
“Alex!” she shrieked.
“I’m fine,” he said, “it’s not even bleeding anymore.”
She pulled her shirt off and crouched down at his side; she used her own shirt as a rag, wiping away the blood so she could see the wound itself.
She swore, and he put a hand on her shoulder. “It looks worse than it is,” he said. It was true; the cut was long and jagged, running over his ribs, but it was only flesh deep. He had an auxiliary chest plate, thin and flexible but very tough, not unlike modern reactive armors, running between the muscle and skin. It had turned the blade and left him with an ugly but, ultimately, superficial wound.
She glared at him. “I’ll decide how badly off you are,” she said, one hand gently prodding his sensitive flesh, the other squeezing his calf in a painful white-knuckled grip.
He laid his hand on her’s. “Kitten, I’m okay.”
She rested her forehead on his leg. “Why do you have to worry me like this?”
He ran a hand through her hair. “I didn’t ask to be attacked.”
“But you knew it would happen, didn’t you?”
He paused. “Know is a strong word,” he said, “but I figured it might.”
She looked up at him reproachfully. “You used yourself as bait.”
“And I landed a fish.”
“You could have gotten yourself killed!”
He scratched his head; he could have. “It was a calculated risk.”
Her eyes flashed, and her lips thinned. She paused, thinking, then said, “and Rosslln nearly paid the price for it.”
He flinched, looked away from her, bit his lip, tasted blood. His wife was a vicious one; he’d know that when he’d proposed, hell, he’d proposed because she was vicious. But it still wasn’t fun being on the receiving end.
“Lisril,” Rosslln said, “he’s not-”
“Shut up,” he said. He wasn’t going to let her fall on his sword twice in one day. He looked up at Lisril, face blank. “I didn’t ask any of you to come with me.”
She blinked, stunned, and he pressed on. “If any of you are here under a mistaken impression I’m some soft Dyrantisa half-man, you’re welcome to go. I won’t stop you.”
Lisril gaped and slowly began to shake her head, “I didn’t mean-”
“Then stop your bitching.” He turned to Rosslln, gently cupping her cheek. “I’m sorry for the things I said. But not what I did; I wish to heaven things had gone differently, but I’d do it again.”
She shook her head, and his heart sank. “Like I said.” He pulled away from her. “If you don’t want to stick around, I-”
She snatched his hand in both of hers and pulled it back to her cheek. “No! I didn’t mean it like that!” She hung her head. “If I had been stronger….”
“Sweetheart….” The bed shifted, and he turned to find Lisril sitting by his side.
“I shouldn’t have said that,” she murmured, “I’m sorry. I know you’d never want any of us to get hurt. I just- I worry for you.”
“I’m sorry I made you worry,” he said, “I didn’t mean to.”
“Regardless of any hurt feelings or consternation,” Iiandere said, “his gambit was fruitful. He might have denied us a chance at their leader, but the Imperial Guard picked up several of her conspirators. Hopefully, they’ll be able to give us whoever it was that hired them.”
Lisril glared at Iiandere. “Don’t encourage him.”
“More importantly,” Alex said, “we know there’s a mole in the servant's quarters.”
They all turned to him. “Someone had to tip them off, and they didn’t seem to know about the Imperial Guard presence, or else, why even try?”
“The guard didn’t help when we were attacked, though,” Rosslln said.
“We were only fighting for,” Alex shrugged, “fifteen seconds, maybe. Thirty tops. Then they happened to have a hostage; once you were safe….”
“They were rounded up like animals,” Iiandere finished for him, “in any case, he’s correct. Had they known of the guard presence, they likely wouldn’t have risked the attack.”
“We should talk to El- ah, her Magnificence,” Alex said, “where is she?”
“With Serra and two of her guards,” Iiandere said, “still out searching for you, she was beside herself when you ran off. She should be back soon, though; we agreed to reconvene here if you couldn’t be located.
He nodded, “maybe we should-”
“No,” Lisril said, “we stay here and wait, it will be quicker, and it will make her happy. Besides, you need to keep yourself still, or your side will never close.”
“Oh,” Rosslln said, “shouldn’t we use some of that stuff?”
“Stuff?” Lisril asked, “what stuff?”
He held up the staunch. “She means this.”
Lisril took it and frowned. “Where did you get this?”
“Off some marines,” he said.
Liril’s brow knit into a scowl. “where, and how much did you tell them?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, around here somewhere, I think they were on leave; they were with some lady friends. And just that my woman had gotten cut.”
Lisril sighed. “Doubtless, this will start rumors… but at least you didn’t give anything away. We should return to the palace as soon as Serra’s party returns.”
“Lisril,” he said, “we’re not safe in the palace.”
The room was silent for a moment then. “We could still return to Earth,” Lisril said.
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“You know what’s weird,” Rosslln said, “there are other Dyrantoro in the palace, and ones like those soldiers you mentioned, who would be easier targets. Why not them? In fact, why not Eli, if they’re already in the palace?”
“She’s quite right.” Eli entered at that moment; Serra and, he presumed, a couple guards a step behind. “It is most curious. An attack on my guest is still treason, yet, faced with his death or mine, they consistently choose his. If it were merely a matter of spoiling our relations with our brothers, there are more opportune targets, as Rosslln points out.”
He scratched his head. “Maybe,” he said, “they want to humiliate you.”
Eli and Iiandere shared a look. “parliament?” Eli asked.
“A ploy to weaken the monarchy?” the inquisitor spoke more to herself than anyone else. “Well, it’s an angle to look at; I need to renew my investigation; all of you should return to the palace, discretely. And he’s right, Lisril, allow the palace guard to keep watch over your room.”
Lisril sighed but nodded. “I suppose that would be a good idea,” she said, “good night, Iiandere.”
The inquisitor nodded and turned to Eli. “Your Magnificence,” she said, “I should like for the palace servants to be made available for interrogation on the morrow.”
“Then they shall be,” Eli said, “good night, inquisitor, and good luck.”
Iiandere bowed and left them.
Eli approached the bed; standing in front of him, she raised her hand as though to slap him.
He felt Lisril tense in her spot, but then the hand came down and gently cupped his cheek. “You’re hurt. Did that happen when we were attacked?”
“Rosslln got caught.” He squeezed the young woman’s hand. “Falling on the woman who did it to me. What about you, did you or Iiandere get hurt?”
Eli shook her head. “I think Rosslln was worst injured. But she should recover. That was a valorous thing you did.” Her hand left his cheek and came to rest on his shoulder. “But such things are best left to women, and you worried us greatly.”
He glanced at Lisril, and she scooted over to make room for the younger woman, who took the spot she’d vacated. He wrapped his arms around her’s and leaned against her.
“I know,” he said, “I’m sorry I scared you. I can’t promise I won’t do it again.”
“Alex!” Eli cried, and he shook his head.
“No,” he said, “Eli, this is just who I am; I can’t help but want to protect all of you.”
It hung in the air between them, then Eli said. “Lisril, you must allow him to go armed.”
“Eli-”
“If you won’t stop him,” Eli said, “and he won’t allow himself to be defended, then we shall simply have to fight as comrades.” She sighed/ “Alex, you must make an effort to stay with us. It’s clear to me we stand no chance of keeping up with you over any significant distance; that was a magnificent sprint.”
He nodded. “You’re right; I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have run off on my own like that.”
She licked his cheek. “So precious, in so short a time. I want to get you home, in front of the fire, and with ample seating for your women.”
He nodded, frowned. “I paid for food, but they never came.”
“I dismissed them,” Eli said, “and what did you pay with?”
He produced the pouch. “Our assassin was carrying a small fortune on her, probably….” He shook the bag. “Seven pounds of gold in here. There’s more in that safehouse too, probably enough to buy this place; come to think of it, I had meant to give the location to Iiandere.”
“Safehouse,” Lisril said, “where?”
“I could show you,” he said, “it’s not far; she only ran a mile and a half.”
“Only?” Serra sputtered, “you sprinted all that way?”
“Not sprinted,” Alex said, “she lasted longer than you guys but slowed down a lot as she went.”
Serra shook her head, went to a cupboard in the corner of the room, and produced a large scroll. “Here.” She handed it to him. “A map of the city, show me, and I’ll catch up to Iiandere.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“I know my womanly duty,” she said, “I will see you back at the palace.”
He nodded, marked the place, and Serra was gone.
