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.She kind of selfishly wished it really was Yori haunting her.And isn’t treachery a pretty thing, handing you the shiny bauble you think you covet, instead of the brilliant gem it knows you need?Shig nearly sighed annoyance.Because if she was going to talk to herself in spirit voices, she could at least—Are you really talking to yourself? Yori asked, and she was there again, just for a second, standing in front of Shig with a smirky look to her that was too much like Yori.Or are you afraid that you’re not? She faded out then right back in again.You’re smarter than all of them, you always have been.Don’t believe everything they tell you.She held out a hand.I miss you.Why don’t you just come with me, love? They won’t stop you.Don’t you want to be together again?Oh.Oh.Well, shit.Shig went very, very still.She shut her eyes tight then blinked them back open again, guiltily relieved when Yori was gone.That wasn’t Yori.Her own voice, thank all the gods, and thank them all even harder, because Shig had no doubt in her mind that she could tell the difference.Damn it.She needed to talk to Samin.She needed to talk to Samin really soon.“… weeks, perhaps,” Naro-yi was telling the others.“No more than that, I’ll wager.”Only half-listening, but Shig met the sharp glance Samin snapped at her with a grim set of her mouth and a lift of her chin.She didn’t even have to look at the Fen brothers to know they were in agreement.No way were they all just going to sit here and wait for bloody weeks.Especially not if what had just occurred to her turned out to be anything close to provable logic and not mere hopeful conjecture.Or not so hopeful.Crap.She really needed to talk to Samin.“But I expect,” Naro-yi put in before Joori had even finished his angry, “Weeks?” and taken a somewhat panicked step forward; Samin stopped him with a firm hand to his arm.“I expect,” Naro-yi continued smoothly, “that you will not be sitting idle while you wait.” He paused, making sure he had everyone’s attention.His smile this time was somewhat sly.“Owl and Wolf have always enjoyed an accord.I have not been instructed to assist you.But nor have I been instructed not to.”There was a pause while everyone turned to look at Samin, who only stared back for a moment before he rolled his eyes.“Right,” he said, his tone resigned, though Shig didn’t think it was because he wasn’t eager to do what needed to be done—he just preferred to follow orders rather than give them.He caught Morin’s eye, and… hesitated.Shig had no idea what Samin saw in Morin’s wide gaze, but whatever it was, it set Samin’s shoulders straighter and infused his tone with command, rather than resignation.“Then we could do with—”“I have, however,” Naro-yi overrode him, “been asked to keep you all safe.” Again, his sharp blue gaze made the rounds, peering at each one of them steadily before moving back to hold Samin’s.“Perhaps you’d like to tell me how I might best do so?”Samin’s eyes narrowed, but with alertness, rather than hostility.“Perhaps you should first tell me what your definition of ‘safe’ is.”“Ha!” Naro-yi grinned this time, a surprisingly young-looking thing.“In this case,” he answered readily, “I should think ‘alive’ will do.”“Then in that case,” Samin returned, mien lightening, “I should think the best way to honor your promise would be to follow along and stay out of the way.” He looked at Joori and Morin.“Go pick a room and stow your things.We’ll be heading out shortly.” He set a big hand to Shig’s elbow and tugged.“C’mon, lovie,” he said, low and gruff in Shig’s ear, “let’s see what’s got you dancing about like someone put spiders in your shoes.”Despite that unsettling mental image, a weird bit of relief washed through Shig as she let Samin lead her out through a heavy screen the size of an actual wall beyond the little dining area that turned into a kitchen on the other side of yet another screen they passed along the way.People didn’t look at Samin and think “observant,” but you only had to be around him for a little while—and be on the receiving end of it once or twice—to know he saw pretty much everything.He didn’t always interpret what he saw exactly right, but he was at least within throwing distance of the mark more times than not.Shig wasn’t surprised he’d twigged to her sudden almost-revelation at nearly the same time she did [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]