play by the rules either.” Her eyes darted toward Darla, who rode a short distance behind them. “No one would miss him if something sudden and unexpected happened to him.”
Will looked at the arkeshi for a moment, surprised Laina would suggest something so underhanded. Darla had been an assassin before becoming Laina’s bodyguard and secret lover, but as far as he knew, the arkeshi had never practiced her fatal art since leaving Faresh lands. Before he could stop himself, he asked, “You think she could do it?”
“They would know it was done on purpose, but they’d never trace it to her—or you,” affirmed Laina.
Will still remembered the shock and horror on Laina’s face the day he had slain the soldiers that the king had commanded his sister to kill. It hadn’t weighed easily on his shoulders, and it would have been even worse for her. “You’re making suggestions that your conscience isn’t capable of accepting,” he told her.
Laina jerked her head in denial. “Lustral is different. He’s scum. I wouldn’t lose much sleep over it.”
“You’re the leader of Terabinia’s largest charity. This seems a bit out of character.”
Her eyes were hard. “I try to help those who need it. I didn’t get the position by being afraid to dirty my hands.”
Will wondered just how much he really understood about Laina. In the beginning, he had thought her simply spoiled, then he’d learned of her charitable works and realized he hadn’t truly seen her. Now he was learning that even that wasn’t the final layer. She’s got more layers than an onion, he thought wryly. Try to peel them all away and she’ll make you cry. “Have you ever had to give an order like this before?” he asked seriously.
She hesitated. “No, not like this precisely. But I’ve had to deal with rough men before.”
“If you’re ever tempted again, come talk to me,” he told her. “This isn’t something you want lying in the back of your mind. Trust me.”
Laina’s lips tightened into an incongruously girlish pout, considering the dark deed she had just suggested. “Then what do you intend to do?”
“I’ll wait for evidence.”
“People will die while you wait. A traitor at that level could cost you half the army or worse,” she warned.
“That isn’t all I’ll be doing.”
“Are you going to share your plan?” Her eyes were intent and challenging. Laina didn’t enjoy being kept in the dark any better than his subordinates did.
Will pulled off his glove and reached toward her with his right hand. “Not here, not out loud, but if you want to know…” He left the rest unspoken, but she understood immediately. The last time they had made direct contact she had felt the draw. Their souls had been fused for a short time the previous year, and now both of them were left with a constant feeling of incompleteness. A small touch and an even smaller effort of will and they would begin to fuse again, enabling them to share their thoughts.
She started to reach for his hand before abruptly putting her hand firmly down against her riding trousers. “That’s probably not a good idea,” she said reluctantly.
“Sorry, you’re right.” Will felt guilty immediately, for he had known it was a bad idea. He had let his own impulse get the better of him. “You’ll just have to trust me for now,” he told her bluntly.
The rest of the day passed without incident. That afternoon, First began setting up camp while the following divisions trickled in behind them and Will began reviewing the reports from the advance scouts who were already beginning to return. They’d found no sign of any significant enemy force in the region, although there were definitely smaller units still moving about.
Will ate with some of the senior officers from First and Second, then retired early to catch up on his personal practice as well as to have time to do a brief bit of astral spying. He didn’t learn anything new, so he went to sleep at a reasonable hour, grateful for a chance to catch up on his sleep.
He was destined for disappointment.
Will woke in darkness to the sound of something sharp cutting through tent canvas nearby. Adrenaline shot through him, and as he started to sit up, he heard a grunt and a sharp release of breath, as though someone had taken a hard blow to the stomach. There was no time for armor, but Will summoned his falchion to hand while simultaneously readjusting his vision to see