Allegiance (River of Souls 3)

Kathe silently cursed Raul Kosenmark. Of course. There were always more secrets with him. Even as a young man in Duenne, secrets had trailed after him.

Kosenmark, however, had departed. Her first concern was Gerek. “What is the secret?” she asked.

Another pause. Another visible swallow, as he collected his thoughts and commanded his tongue to fluency. “He loved her,” he said at last. “He n-n-never stopped. N-neither did she. It was a ruse to protect you all. To protect them. I-I-I only knew it at the end.”

No need to give any names. He meant Ilse Zhalina. The young woman, almost a child then, who arrived at Kosenmark’s doorstep three years ago, bloody and close to death. She had worked hard to prove herself in the kitchen, then as Kosenmark’s assistant and secretary. And as Kathe’s good friend. All that had unraveled in the strange affair of Ilse’s quarrel with her beloved.

For a long while, Kathe could do nothing. Even breathing came with difficulty. She always loved him. She lied to me. They both did.

Gerek stood solid and unmoving. Her ox. Her trusting, dependable ox. He expected her to rage. No, he expected worse. Kathe wanted to growl and shout. It was all Kosenmark’s fault, didn’t he see? The man seduced them all to secrecy, from Dedrick to Gerek to all his other friends. Including Ilse Zhalina.

She gripped his hair and pulled him close.

“You are both idiots,” she said. “You and Lord Kosenmark. But you, you, I love.”

His eyes went wide. Clearly this was not the reaction he expected.

“Even though I-I kept secrets from you?” he whispered.

“Even though,” she said firmly.

Gerek rocked back on his heels, but almost immediately he engulfed her in an embrace and buried his face in her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“Hush,” she whispered. “You do not need to be sorry. Not to me, beloved.”

Only when his breathing had steadied, and she knew herself to be under control, did she gently withdraw from his arms. “Come,” she said. “We have much to do.”

* * *

NADINE WATCHED FROM the high vantage point of the third story as Kathe played out a mawkish scene with Gerek-the-fool. They sat upon the lawn, oblivious to the dust and glaring summer sun. Gerek faced the outer boundary of the property. Yearning, Nadine thought. She could see nothing but his wide back, but his mood since the famous return of Lord Kosenmark and his minions had veered between irritating bliss and equally irritating gloom. Kathe sat beside him, slim and straight-backed.

There were no listening pipes outside the house that would allow her to hear the conversation itself, but she could guess its substance well enough. All the courtesans were awake and chattering about Lord Kosenmark’s sudden departure. Nadine had not shared any of the secrets she had uncovered for herself over the past six years. A little judicious spying. The practice of carelessly glancing over the envelopes the senior runner carried to Kosenmark or his secretary of the moment. All habits learned in previous houses, previous lives. And most effective, when she had discovered certain key listening devices scattered around the pleasure house. Nadine knew about Kosenmark’s political games. He might claim a higher cause for his actions, but in truth, they both wished to survive in a chance-riddled world.

Secrets are for learning, a lover had once told Nadine.

The lover had later attempted to murder her. A misstep, which he regretted, but his advice otherwise had proved to be good.

In the gardens, Kathe took Gerek’s hands in both of hers and spoke energetically. Talk, talk, talk, talk. As if words could alter their situation. Kosenmark had vanished to his fate in Duenne. Most likely he would commit some unpardonable act of honesty against the king. Had he even considered the fate of those in Tiralien?

Slippers trod the tiled floor behind Nadine. Even before the person spoke, Nadine recognized the strong scent of lily, Tatiana’s favorite perfume. She straightened up and laid her hands on either side of the window frame, making it more difficult for Tatiana to see past her.

“Do you think we shall open for business tonight?” Tatiana said.

“Of course,” Nadine replied. “That is our purpose—to bring pleasure.”

Tatiana laughed, a low, gurgling laugh that served her well with her clients. “Indeed. Speaking of pleasure, shall we go down to the baths together? We’ve a new supply of soaps carved in lascivious shapes. Johanna tells me they were most effective with Lord Gerhart.”

Kathe stood and held out her hands to Gerek, who lumbered to his feet. Nadine leaned closer to the window. More talk. More pauses and stares. Ah! Kathe gripped Gerek by the hair. She had lost her temper, then. Good. For all that Nadine had helped the fool to declare his love, she could not fathom why Kathe admired him. Perhaps she had underestimated his abilities in lo

vemaking.

“What are you watching?” Tatiana said.

“Idiots in lust,” Nadine replied. As Tatiana attempted to peer over her shoulder, she gracefully swung around and ran her fingers down the other courtesan’s arm. “Perhaps I shall come with you to the baths.”

Tatiana eyed her with a speculative smile. “Alone?”

“We shall have to bribe the attendants.”