Empire of Night Ch 27

Iiandere sat in her office, shifting through a pile of paperwork. There came a knock at the door, and a moment later, it opened to admit her initiate.
She nodded to the younger woman, who offered a brief salute. “She’s here, Lady Inquisitor.”
“Good, bring her in, and have the decedents brought up.”
Another salute and her assistant went off to carry out her orders.
She tidied the desk, and a moment later, the door opened again to admit her initiate and a weathered matron who, according to the file she’d compiled, was entering her hundreds.
It was terrible news Iiandere had for her, but that was simply part of the job. 
The women sat, and Iiandere let silence prevail for a time, slowly flipping through the documents in front of her. 
The matron shifted, cleared her throat, and finally, Iiandere looked up and met her eyes.
“Name?”
“Ah.” The woman cleared her throat again. “Hiilia Carivier, Lady Inquisitor. May I ask why I’ve been brought here?”
Iiandere returned to her notes flipped through them for a moment. “My understanding is that one of your daughters works in the kitchens here in the Palace.”
She looked up, watching the woman’s expression, as she answered.
“Yes,” the woman said, glancing between the initiate and Iiandere. “Illia, is there something amiss with my daughter?”
She looked down again, shifting through her notes. “Madam-” there was a knock, and she looked up as a guard poked her head in.
“At your leisure, Lady Inquisitor.”
Iiandere nodded. “Bring them in.”
The guard bowed her head and backed out of the room, and Iiandere turned her attention back to the mother. “Madam Carivier, Miss Illia is dead.”
The woman’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “No,” she said, “no, you must be mistaken.”
“No mistake.” Iiandere returned to her notes. “Have you noted any absences among your other daughters?”
The woman shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “No,” she said, voice choked, “no.”
The guard returned, bringing two pairs of litter-bearing assistants with her, carrying the assassins, wrapped tight in linen, only their faces showing. 
A wail rose up from the matron’s chest, and she leapt to her feet. “Illia! Hassai!” She shoved her chair aside and stumbled toward the guards.
Iiandere stood, resting her hands on the cool hardwood, and leaned over its width. “Stop her!”
The guards intercepted her, and the woman spun around, eyes wild with sorrow and rage. “What is the meaning of this!”
Iiandere met her glare impassively. “Sit down, madam, and I will explain.”
The woman glanced over her shoulder at the guards as though considering her prospects in a fight and slowly returned to her seat.
“Madam,” Iiandere said, “your daughters were killed in the commission of treason and the attempted assassination of a foreign dignitary.”
The mother shook her head in denial, but Iiandere pressed on. “There can be no doubt. Miss Hassai was witnessed in the act by none other than the Empress herself, and Miss Illia was killed in the lord’s bed-chamber, standing over his bed, knife in hand.”
The woman cast her eyes down, and Iiandere turned to the guards. “You may take the decedents.”
The woman looked over her shoulder. “Where are they taking them?” She demanded, head snapping back to Iiandere. “Where are they taking my girls?”
“Peace,” Iiandere held up her hand. “Madam, once you’ve answered my questions, I will hand you over to the guard to make arrangements for them. But allow me to warn you, we have taken every effort to preserve the dignity of the deceased, but miss Illia particularly was dispatched with bare claw.”
The woman swallowed but nodded, and Iiandere nodded to the guards, who went about carrying out her instructions. “Madam,” she said, “when was the last time you had contact with your daughters?”
The woman shook her head. “Not- not long ago at all. I corresponded with Illia each week, and Hassai still lived with the family.”
“Did you note anything strange in the time leading up to the events of the past week? Anything out of the ordinary?”
“No,” the woman said slowly, “she would visit her sister often but-”
“Who would visit whom?”
“Oh, Hassai, she was close with Illia.”
Iiandere decided it was time to change tack. “Madam, if nothing out of the ordinary, then perhaps you noticed something new? Some change?”
The woman sucked on her lip, mulling the question over. “It doesn’t seem relevant….”
“I shall make that determination.”
The woman swallowed but nodded. “She- Hassai, was courting.”
“Courting? Courting whom?”
“We-” The woman hesitated. “Aren’t formally introduced. You can’t believe that a man-”
“Answer the question, Madam. How do you know she was courting if you hadn’t met?”
“I noticed she- Hassai, was spending more time away from the family than usual. So one day, I decided to see where she was going, just- out of familial concern and spied her with a man.”
“Describe him.”
“I don’t know; I didn’t think much of him. Southern, dark sin, harry neck and knuckles, you know the sort.”
“Unaccompanied?”
“No.” The mother shook her head. “He had women with him, of course.” She frowned. “Though….”
“Go on,” Iiandere prompted.
“They seemed aloof.”
Iiandere pursed her lips. “What do you mean?”
“I-” the woman chewed on her thoughts. “I suppose it seemed like they didn’t touch, the way you’d expect of a woman escorting a man. None of the women led him.”
Iiandere nodded. “Anything else?”
“He was monied.”
“What makes you say that?”
“He wore fine clothing, and rode in a coach.”
Consistent so far with what Iiandere had learned before, but still not enough. “Do you recall any other details about that?”
“The coach bore a device.”
Iiandere leaned forward. “What device? Can you recall what it looked like?”
“A bird of prey,” the woman said slowly, “with its wings spread and perched atop a round shield.”
“You’re certain it was a shield?”
“Yes,” the woman said, “quite sure.”
“What makes you think that?” 
“That portion of the device,” the mother explained, “was partitioned into eight wedges alternating green and blue, much like the cloth backing on a shield.”
“I think,” Iiandere said at last, “that’s all the questions I have for you. But I’ll have to trouble you a bit longer; I’m going to have someone come and render an image of the device you saw. So I must ask you to await them in another room and assist them to the best of your ability.”
“My daughters?”
“I will inform the guard they are to deliver them to the mortuary of your choosing. Inform them of your preference.”
The woman bowed her head. “Yes, Lady inquisitor.”
Iiandere stood and led the party to the door. “Thank you for your cooperation, Madam Carivier; please rest assured your daughter’s acts do not reflect upon your family.”
The woman swallowed. “Thank you, Lady inquisitor.”
Iiandere nodded and led the group from the room and turned to the guard to issue her instructions when a voice rang out over the still air. “Lady Inquisitor!”
She looked up to see Lisril, dressed in Nyxian finery, striding toward her. “May I have a word with you?”
Iiandere turned to her initiate. “Handle the details.”
The young woman bobbed her head, and Iiandere turned to join Lisril. “Captain,” she said softly, bowing her head respectfully.
“Privately, Iiandere.”
Iiandere recognized the tone; it always meant that life was about to become more complicated. “Very well, Ma’am. Come with me.”
She led her captain to a nearby room, a lounge, more comfortable than the office space she’d been offered, and warmed with a small fireplace.
She closed the door behind them and turned to find Lisril facing her, arms crossed over her chest.
“How may I help you, Captain?”
“My husband is upset.”
Iiandere flinched, and her captain glared holes straight through her. She tried to play it off. “Is that so? I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I think you upset him.”
Iiandere’s hands closed around her gown, tugging on the fabric. “He said that?”
“No,” Lisril said, “but I am neither blind nor stupid.”
“Captain-”
Lisril stepped across the distance between them, wrapped her hand in the fabric over Iiandre’s breast, and shoved her into the door. She dragged her face close, glaring into her eyes. “No excuses, Listen. I have been very patient with the two of you, out of respect and faith that you can handle your own affairs. But now, this is affecting the happiness and wellbeing of my husband, and that is very much my affair.”
Lisril gave her a little shake. “If we have to have this conversation again. It will be had before a panel of witnesses and end with my saber opening your throat. Am I clear?”
Iiandere swallowed and nodded, and the hand left her shirtfront and came to rest on her cheek. “It isn’t her fault, Iiandere.”
“She abandoned me!”
“I gave that order.”
“You couldn’t have known!”
Lisril fixed her with a cold, steely stare. “You think I didn’t know we were going to lose women in that withdrawal?”
Her words hit her like a punch to the gut.
“I sent you into those woods,” Lisril said, “I pulled our forces out. My orders, my responsibility. She did the right thing for the unit. She did what I would expect of you had your positions been reversed.”
Iiandere bit down on the inside of her cheek and tasted blood. She knew it was true, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
“Captain, I-” The hand on her cheek drew back and returned as a clenched fist, striking her hard about the right eye.
Her head snapped to the side with the force of the blow, and her fingers came up and gingerly touched the offending flesh, which she knew would soon turn from soft lilac to an ugly black. “Captain,” she gasped.
“There,” Lisril said, “that will satisfy his honor, now give me my lumps, and let’s put this whole sordid affair behind us.”
“Captain.” Iiandere shook her head. “I don’t-”
“Stop you’re whining and get on with it,” Lisril bellowed. “Hurry up, I don’t have all night.”
She clenched a fist and caught Lisril on the lip; splitting it open, she raised her fist again and found Lisril standing stoic, hands tucked behind her back, a thin trickle of blood dripping down her chin, and couldn’t bring it down.
She sighed, opened her hand, and lowered it. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
Lisril’s arms closed about her, pulled her close. And for a moment, they just shared their warmth, like in the old days, during the long, cold nights on campaign.
“You’re still family,” Lisril murmured, “if you want to be.”
Iiandere swallowed the knot in her throat. “Being a member of your family seems hazardous.”
“But the rewards are well worth it.” Lisril patted her cheek. “I want you to bury this grievance with Serra. It’s dead, you understand me? If anyone deserves your ire, she’s standing right here.”
Iiandere didn’t know if she could promise that. But she couldn’t really refuse, either. “I’ll try,” she said at last, “Captain.”
“See that you do,” Lisril said sternly, “and remember what I said, all of it.”
Lisril leaned forward, licked her lips, leaving behind the smell and taste of blood. “I’m waiting,” she said, “any time you’re ready.”
She left Iiandere alone, closing the door behind her.
Iiandere leaned against it, pressing her swelling eye against the cold wood.
Lumps distributed. Burry the grievance, Captain’s orders. Hell, if she could help dole out the lumps, why couldn’t she throw a spade full of dirt on it?

Next