Page 64 of Lake of Sorrow
~ Grandma Korbian
Kaylina should have carefully descended the dark stairs, finding her way out of ranger headquarters while she remembered Targon’s instructions on how to do so, but a fist pounded on his door scant seconds after he closed her in. She couldn’t help but lean her ear against the bookcase.
Not a true wall, it wasn’t soundproof. She could hear Targon grumbling to himself and then the fist pounding again. Without respect. Maybe the owner didn’t know Targon was a noble—or half-noble—and insisted on my lords and proper reverence.
Footsteps sounded—Targon walking to the door.
“Spymaster Sabor,” he stated. “You’re not who I expected.”
Spymaster? Kaylina remembered Vlerion teasing Targon about fancying himself a spymaster, but she hadn’t realized it was an actual position in the kingdom.
“Were the queen here to sate her needs,” a man with a low wry voice said, “she would have gone to your quarters instead of your office. Or so I presume. Your desk looks sturdy enough, I suppose, but royalty generally prefers mattresses.”
“I had no idea you spent time musing on the queen’s sex life.”
“I’m letting you know I’m aware of the role you recently played in it.”
“As the spymaster, aren’t you paid to be aware of everything?”
“Yes, and you’d best not forget it. Where’s the girl?”
A chill went through Kaylina. As much as she would like for there to be some other girl, she had little doubt that the man meant her. She might have been foolish not to dart immediately down the stairs and leave. If the spymaster knew about the secret door, he would check it. But, aside from their conversation, it was quiet in the building, and she worried that if she left now, the stairs would creak, and they would hear her.
“Not here,” Targon said.
“No? A recent report says otherwise. As you can see, I’ve got men checking the compound—they started with your barracks room.”
Targon’s grunt didn’t sound that concerned. If nothing else, he knew Kaylina wasn’t there. “Nice to know I’ve got spies among my rangers who report to you.”
“I wouldn’t be much of a spymaster if I didn’t have eyes all over the capital, as well as in the kingdom at large.”
“We’re on the same side, Sabor. You don’t need to spy on the rangers.”
“One would hope. The girl?”
“The girl helped save the king and queen. She didn’t poison anyone.”
Kaylina hadn’t expected Targon to stand up for her. She refused to reassess her opinion of him—he was still a dick—but she was relieved he had believed Vlerion. Targon might have seen her help out at the castle, but he couldn’t have directly witnessed anything to make him certain she hadn’t delivered poisoned mead.
“That’s what you believe?” the spymaster asked after a pause.
“I was there and saw the role she played with my own eyes. She hit the suborned guard who was feigning the castle gate wouldn’t open—pounded him with a lead round between the eyes—so my men could get in.”
“You have taybarri. They couldn’t flash through the gate?”
“They can’t pass through solid objects. You ought to be aware of that, all-knowing spymaster.”
“My knowledge is in the political sphere, not animal husbandry.”
“Go call one of the taybarri an animal, and we’ll see how the rest of your search goes.”
“No need to be testy, Captain. But as to the poisoning and the girl helping the royals… you know she’s allied with the Virts, right?”
Kaylina scowled at the bookcase. Why did the guy think that?
“What makes you believe so?” Targon asked.
“They’re claiming it. Oh, they haven’t printed it in that subversive rag yet, nor have they spoken the words aloud to any of our people, but they’re praising her attempt to poison the queen. A girl named Mitzy says they have a deal with Korbian and that they’ll retaliate if she’s struck down. My spies have seen the Virts out looking for her, to take her in and protect her.”