The Dead Seekers by Barb Hendee

Author:Barb Hendee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2016-11-07T16:33:25+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

Still sitting with Captain Stàsiuo, Tris started to rise as he watched Mari walk past. She waved him off, and then she was gone. Somehow, he kept his seat.

Stàsiuo sat watching his face.

“Pretty girl,” the captain said carefully, as if waiting for a reaction.

Tris forgot whatever he was going to ask next.

“Maybe a little exotic,” the captain added. “So, what is she to you? And don’t tell me she’s just your servant.”

Tris did not respond—did not know what to say.

He worried she might be following some lead of her own, though he had no idea what. She was clever and resourceful, but she was not him. If she had begun considering herself a hunter akin to himself, that was worse. She had no idea what she might encounter from the living or the dead. She had been stunned by his story of a youngest noble brother killing his elder siblings.

Such things and worse did not shock Tris; they were or had been a part of his world.

Mari might know her own world’s darker side, but she did not know the same of his. She did not comprehend the darkest depths of the living, let alone the dead.

“She is a recent companion,” he finally answered the captain. “I needed assistance with translation, and she was willing.”

Whatever Mari was up to, Tris had to leave her to it. He had his own lead to follow and could not abandon it until he reached its end. The two sergeants in line for promotion—Cotillard and Kreenan—interested him the most. Though both had motivation to clear their paths to advancement, he did not see why either would have targeted Brianne.

Across the room, Sergeant Kreenan rose from among others now at his table, and his long tail of brown hair swung around one shoulder.

“Sorry, no cards tonight,” he said to the others. “I’ve got duty on the wall.”

“Pity,” Cotillard answered, light from the wall sconces glinting off his head. “I wanted to win back some of that coin you took off me last night.”

As Kreenan walked away, he called, “Soon enough, but not for the next few nights.” Then he was out the door.

Cotillard chatted a few moments longer with the others at the table. Then he rose and stretched. “I’m too tired for cards anyway,” he said with an exaggerated yawn and stretch. “I’ll find my bunk early.”

Tris could not help noting the expressions of relief on the faces of the other men, and he remembered what Stàsiuo had said about Cotillard having a temper and taking things too personally. Perhaps he was not a graceful loser when it came to cards.

“This early?” one of the guards said. “Bunks are a dangerous place these days. I hope you wake up tomorrow.”

A few of the other guards winced and glanced away.

Cotillard glared at the speaker. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” He sauntered out of the common room.

One of the other guards at the table looked at the man who’d spoken. “That was stupid. He may be our next lieutenant.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.