The False Martyr (116 page)

He did not win. Slaps was
a game of reflexes and quick decision, and Teth was its very god.
Dasen sat back and looked at the cards before him. He had one
incomplete series. Teth had three nearly complete. She had a run of
ten. His longest was three. It was a massacre.

“
Try again?” Teth asked
with a smirk. “I’ll even close my eyes while you deal.”

“
Same terms?”

Teth cocked her head and
grinned. “Sure.”

It was closer this time,
but not by much. Teth identified and claimed cards with such speed
and precision that it was like she had an extra set of hands. As
soon as Dasen found a card he needed, Teth was claiming it for her
own. He had never seen anything like it, and if he needed any more
proof of how the Order had constructed her perfectly to be what she
was, it was encapsulated here.

“
It is hunting,” Teth
explained. “You find your prey and claim it before it can escape.
No hesitation, no thinking, just action. I trained my whole life
for this.” She smiled. “And I have really fast hands.” She held
them up and laughed.

Dasen could not help but
smile. This was as close, as comfortable as they had been in weeks.
“Let me try again,” he said. “You can’t always win.”

Teth laughed and gathered
the cards. She began to mix them, looking up at him as she did.
“The only way you’ll win is if I let you.” She closed her eyes and
began to throw the cards face-up around the table. Dasen tried to
follow them, to find the cards he’d need to make sets.

A knock at the door nearly
sent him from his skin. Teth jumped as well, dropping the cards.
“It’s just me,” Mrs. Tappers familiar voice said from the hall.
“May I come in?”

Holding his heart, Dasen
rose and opened the door. “Mrs. Tappers,” he cooed. “What a delight
to see you? Is there some way that we may be of
assistance?”

“
You’re safe,” Mrs.
Tappers said as she walked through the door. She patted Dasen on
the arm with her fan and closed the door behind her. “This whole
wing is empty. Last night’s visitors are gone and Kian and his boys
are too busy to worry about what we’re saying.” She smiled, but her
eyes were sad, face, even covered with cosmetics, old and tired.
“May I sit?”

“
Of course,” Dasen moved
over a seat, leaving the chair by the door for Mrs. Tappers. She
eased herself into it.

“
My old legs are not used
to all this bustle,” she said. She reached across the table,
placing a big hand tipped with thick, red nails on Teth’s then
Dasen’s. “My dears,” she continued with a sigh, “I think you know
that tomorrow is the day. Kian has everything planned. He’s holding
the details close to his vest, but Mark and I have figured out the
basics.” Again she sighed, seeming older by the minute. “Tomorrow,
Lady Esther will venture out, will be met by the governor, and will
be killed. Just the lady, my dear,” she added at Dasen’s obvious
concern. “He’s figured some way to make it look like she’s been
killed without hurting you. In any case, he’ll use her death to
start a riot. I don’t know what happens after that, but it’s safe
to say that the city will look like the Maelstrom itself. He will
have to remove you from that.” She squeezed Dasen’s hand. “My guess
is that Garth will be in charge of getting you back
here.”

“
That’s basically what he
told me a few days ago,” Teth confirmed. “He wants Garth to protect
Dasen while the city is in turmoil.”

“
Perfect!” Mrs. Tappers
focused her attention on Teth. “Then we were right to seek his
help. I don’t know what he has planned for you, my dear. Our hope
is that he’ll keep you with Dasen and Garth. If that’s the case,
the rest should be easy.” She looked around the room as if for
spies then raised her eyes to the ceiling as if in prayer. “Mr.
Tappers found a boat. Not here, as every boat has been seized by
the army and the docks will be the last place you want to go. There
is a small village about six miles south of here. We buy fish from
a man there. He is a long-time friend, and we trust him. He’s wary
but has agreed – for a sizeable sum – to leave out a boat for you
to ‘steal’. Mark has already loaded it with food and supplies, so
all you need to do is find it and take it down the river.
Unfortunately, you will have to run to the village – there isn’t a
horse to be found in the entire city – but at least, you’ll have
Garth to protect you. What do you think? Do you have any
questions?”

Dasen looked at Teth, who
turned to the table before her. “And if I’m not with Dasen when the
riots start? If Kian has me somewhere else?”

Mrs. Tappers looked at
both of them then let out a deep breath. “You’ll have to find your
own way to the boat.” She found Teth’s hand and stared again at the
ceiling. “My dears, I pray to the Order that is not how it goes,
but you’ll have to do whatever Kian asks tomorrow. We can’t have
him suspicious or none of this will work. You just have to
disappear. If Garth goes with you, we can blame the whole thing on
him and no one is the wiser.”

“
So where is this
village?” Dasen asked, looking at Teth, surprised she wouldn’t have
asked that herself.

“
Of course,” Mrs. Tappers
gasped. “You’ll need to know that, won’t you? You just go south.
Every road in town will eventually dump you onto the main road
along the river. It isn’t much of a road, and you probably won’t
see anyone on it, but if you do see soldiers coming north, just
step to the side. We’ll make sure you’re dressed so you won’t draw
any attention – Garth will probably have to hide, but that’s his
concern. The road will lead you right to the village. It’s small,
only a couple dozen houses with a single dock. To find your boat,
keep going past the village until you find a grove of low trees
just outside. The boat is tied up there, hidden in the
brush.”

“
Okay,” Dasen said,
looking at Teth. “Sounds easy enough. And if we have trouble? If
Teth isn’t with us or something happens?”

Teth sighed long and deep
at that, drawing Dasen’s attention. The look in her eyes was making
his heart hammer, but his questions went unanswered.

The door slammed open,
sending all three of them jumping nearly to the ceiling. “What’s
going on here?” Kian asked from the doorway. He panted, looking
nervous and overwrought.

“
We’re praying,” Mrs.
Tappers answered smoothly. She squeezed Dasen and Teth’s hands.
“May the Order guide and protect you through these next few days.
And may It show us all Its will so that we may align ourselves to
Its magnificent plan.” She nodded and stood.

“
A prayer from you,” Kian
scoffed. “The Order shudders.”

“
We are all as the Order
has made us.” Mrs. Tappers stared Kian directly in the eye until he
ceded.

“
Teth, I need you,” he
said, stepping around the inn’s matron. Teth jumped at the mention
of her name, her breath quickened so that even Dasen could feel it.
“I thought I had enough boys for today, but we’re overwhelmed. And
I need to know how many more men are coming through here. You can
be both messenger and spy, so come along.”

“
How long?” Teth
asked.

“
As long as I say,” Kian
snapped. “Now come along. I was supposed to be back by
now.”

“
Alright,” Teth sighed
then turned to Dasen. “Save the game for me? Maybe you’ll win one
yet.”

“
Of course,” Dasen
sputtered through the sudden lump in his throat. He was not sure
why after weeks of nearly dreading her presence, but he could
hardly bare to see her leave.

“
Isn’t that sweet,” Kian
mocked. “Don’t worry, I won’t keep her long. We all need to be
ready for tomorrow.”

“
Be careful,” Dasen said
as Kian ushered Teth from the room.

Teth did not answer. Mrs.
Tappers watched them go then turned to Dasen. “She loves you. No
matter what happens tomorrow, remember that.” Then she left,
closing the door behind her, leaving Dasen alone just when he
wanted nothing less.

#

Dasen was still playing
cards when Teth eased the door open and walked back into the room.
She was wearing only her long cotton nightshirt, hair still damp
from washing the grease from it. Dasen, likewise, had removed his
disguise and was in his nightshirt, sitting at the table snatching
cards as quickly as he could manage. He had clearly been practicing
all day and still looked slow. Teth smiled sadly at
that.

“
That was quick,” Dasen
said as he plucked cards from the table and put them in ordered
stacks before him. “Usually, you take a lot longer to get cleaned
up.”

Because I can’t bear to be
around you
, she thought. “Usually, I’m so
sore I can barely move,” she said instead. “Running around the city
delivering messages is nothing compared to what Garth usually has
me doing.” She walked around the table sat in the chair across from
him. “I see you’ve been practicing.”

Dasen looked up and
smiled. “I’m getting pretty good. Want to test your
luck?”

“
Sure.” Teth watched him
as he gathered the cards. She was glad that he was out of his
costume. It was good to see him as he should be, to have this image
to remember.

“
Same terms?” Dasen asked
as he shuffled the cards.

“
Sure.” Teth smiled but
felt her insides tremble. She reached across the table and took his
hand. “I’m sorry, Dasen. You deserve better. The Order has played
us poorly.”

“
There is nothing, no one
better.” He paused then cleared his throat. “Now, are we going to
play this game?”

Teth could only nod. She
fought to keep from crying, wiped a lone tear from her eye, and
watched through a haze as Dasen scattered the cards on the
table.

“
Go!” he
called.

It took Teth several
seconds to gather herself enough to play. Dasen had already claimed
a half-dozen cards. It didn’t matter. Her hands moved like pouncing
cats, in constant motion, card, card, card. When the last one was
claimed, they didn’t even need to count to know the
winner.

Dasen sighed and looked at
her with a half-smile. “I thought you were going to let me
win.”

“
And give you anything you
want?” Teth tried to tease, to find their old humor. “How do I know
you won’t ask me to wear dresses and host teas?”

Dasen smiled. Teth could
not believe how old and petty those fights seemed now, how she
longed to be worried about having to leave the forest and live as
his wealthy wife. She waited for Dasen to reply.

It came in a far different
way than she expected. He stood, rounded the table, and kissed
her.

To say it was awkward
would be kind. In his haste, he tripped over the table. He caught
himself but nearly landed on top of her. Recovering quickly, he
bent in half to reach her, but his lips found her cheek as she
turned away. Undeterred, he went to his knees, caught her head in
his hands, and held her so that their noses were touching. He
stared at her for a long time, eyes locked. Her heart hammered,
quick breaths matched to his. His lips moved to hers.

She tried to resist, lips
closed, hands pushing his shoulder, but he just held her, lips
pressed together, eyes closed, hands on her head, and she
surrendered. Her lips opened and she was flooded with him, lips,
tongue, noses, breathes, hands. It was everything she had feared,
everything she had denied herself, everything she wanted,
everything she could never have.

“
Stop,” she mumbled
through a break in their embrace. Dasen ignored her, brought his
hand from her head around to her chest. His lips moved to her chin,
down to her neck, sending spasms through her. She groaned as he
touched her, feeling her through the cotton shirt. His lips moved
down her neck, warm and thrilling. His other hand found her leg and
began moving up, taking the hem of the nightshirt with it. She felt
her entire body aching, wanting. His lips rose back to hers, he
moved his hand from her breast to her rear and tried to lift her
from the chair as his other rose between her thighs.

“
No,” she said pushing him
back enough to create some separation. They panted together,
staring at each other. Dasen’s hand was frozen on her leg, her
nightshirt pooled around it. His other rested on her hip, urging
her still from the chair. He fought to kiss her again, but she held
him away. “No,” she said. “I . . . I can’t . . . it isn’t
right.”

“
What isn’t right?” he
whispered. “We are joined in every way but this. Tomorrow, it may
be all over. We might die, we might be captured. I don’t want to
face that wondering what could have been, knowing that I might
never be with you. Do you understand that, Teth? I don’t care about
the consequences. I love you, I want to be with you, and if this
might be our last chance, I won’t let that slip away.”

A tear formed in Teth’s
eye. Her nose crumpled and turned red. “I can’t,” she whispered.
She fought the despair that threatened to overtake her. Dasen
deserved better than that. He had done nothing to earn her tears.
“Not now. Not like this.” She kissed him, but he was frozen, barely
reacted.

“
When, Teth? The Order
help us, we are joined. There is nothing to stop us. It is what the
Order wants.”