The Curse (Belador #3)(60)
Brina flapped a hand at him. “Do not worry. I’ll make good on my part as well, an’ you’ll have your year to travel away from Treoir even if I have to ship your cold body ’round the world in a casket,” she teased, wantin’ to lighten his somber mood.
“That’s not what I meant.”
She frowned at Allyn’s suddenly serious tone. What was she missin’ in this conversation? “Speak your mind.”
“What will happen if, once everyone is convinced of our relationship, Tzader walks away rather than interferes?”
The look on Allyn’s face said he had considered the possibility of failure and Brina losin’ her bid for Tzader. If that happened, Macha would demand a wedding. Allyn and Brina would be honor bound to marry.
That could not happen.
“It won’t be comin’ to that, Allyn.”
He shrugged. “You may not be able to stop what you’ve set into motion today. Only time will tell, but there’s no going back at this point. Not without breaking your word to Macha.” His dark blue eyes met hers with an intensity that surprised her. He added, “As I said, I will stand by you until the end. No matter what.”
Brina listened to his tone more than his words, tryin’ to decide what else he was not sayin’.
But he was right about one thing.
She could not go back now that she’d started this campaign without risk of losin’ time and ground she could ill afford to give up. Allyn appeared unconcerned about that, but a warrior such as he would not allow fear or any similar emotion to show on his face. Still, he had to believe she would never put him in a corner where he’d be forced to marry her.
But as she thought about Tzader’s exchange with Allyn … what had Tzader seen in Allyn’s eyes that caused his rigid control to snap?
Allyn’s face eased back into his blank, polite-guard look. “If you have no further need of me at the moment, I’d like to check our perimeter patrols.”
“Of course.” Brina shook herself mentally, dismissin’ her ridiculous thoughts as Allyn strode away. He had no true interest in her. She’d chosen him based upon appearance and loyalty. No, he was merely a young man ready for female company, which was why Brina had refused to allow his participation in her plan without his receivin’ compensation. Allyn had claimed he deserved no extra consideration for doin’ his duty, but Brina would not ask so much of him without a well-deserved reward. She’d agreed to give him a year of travel. Somethin’ she knew he’d secretly longed for since childhood.
Aye, that would provide him the chance to find a woman for himself. She laughed at her unexpected vanity in imaginin’ the guard’s desire. Just went to prove what a grand performance they had given today.
Allyn might need to take care in the future and not be too convincing, but she couldn’t fault him. Not when she’d made it clear that she would do whatever it took to win Tzader.
But doubt poked at her in spite of her resolve.
Would Tzader fight to keep her or, after what he’d seen today, would he walk away?
NINETEEN
“… preventing my bounty hunter from performing his duty, which in turn has cost me not just the bounty but a client—”
Tired of Dakkar’s nonstop drivel on how he’d been wronged and was due justice, Macha shifted her simmering anger toward the Slavic god Varpulis, the entity called in as arbitrator over this Tribunal meeting. Varpulis wore only bright yellow shorts and ran in place. Skinny, pale and no muscle.
A god of wind or some such.
She’d had enough. “Dakkar is not a member of the Coalition and, therefore, is owed no compensation for any loss not committed as an act of intentional aggression by a member of my pantheon.”
“I may not be a member, but the Coalition calls upon me when they have a need that requires my resources.” Dakkar paused, his face reflecting undisturbed emotions. He had the chiseled lines, blunt nose and smooth, nut-brown skin of a man born under the rule of Genghis Khan. He’d been addressing Varpulis as if Dakkar actually cared about the Tribunal arbitrator’s opinion in this discussion.
And this certainly ranked no higher than a discussion.
Macha appeared here only out of respect to the other gods and goddesses who supported the Coalition, but she would not tolerate another minute listening to Dakkar’s ridiculous grievances.
As if he really cared about losing a bounty hunter? To Dakkar, that was merely a cost of doing business in his field.
His kohl-black eyes shifted from Varpulis to her. “As I understand it, Goddess, you have filed a charter for Alterants to be accepted as a recognized race … though it appears an unwise move on your part.”
She’d grind the little peon into the dirt. “You are not much of a judge of what is unwise if you dare to criticize any choice I make. If you have nothing new to add, I suggest we dismiss this meeting and stop wasting the time of deities.” She’d come up against this mage more than once over the decades and had no intention of repeating a mistake she’d made the last time they’d met.
Undeterred, Dakkar pressed on. “I don’t repeat what’s known to merely hear myself speak. I bring up the charter you’ve filed for a specific reason. You have offered sanctuary to Alterants. They are not hunted as the dangerous beasts they are known to be, now that you’ve opened the charter, which would indicate a certain level of responsibility.”