Another thing to ask Baselanthus about. She shook her head and dressed—thankfully, the palace staff had cleaned her other uniforms—before rushing to the suite door. Beq, framed between the two Legionary guards, was carrying a tray with breakfast, for which Maya was suddenly ravenous.
“Let me put this down,” Beq said, depositing the food on the table and closing the door behind her. Then, to Maya’s surprise, Beq wrapped her in a tight hug. “Chosen defend, Maya. Are you okay?” She pulled back and put her hand against Maya’s forehead. “You’re burning up.”
“I’m all right,” Maya said. She was more aware than she wanted to be of the shape of the other girl’s body pressed against her. Idiot. She’s trying to be a friend, something you badly need, and you’re thinking about … that. “Really. A night’s sleep helped a lot.”
“You must be starved,” Beq said. She was also dressed in a fresh uniform and looked considerably better than Maya felt. “Please, eat something.”
Maya didn’t need more urging than that. She sat down at the table, guzzled water from the pitcher, and started in on the vulpi bacon and toast. Beq sat down opposite her and watched with a faint smile.
“Sorry to eat like a thickhead,” Maya said. “I just didn’t realize how badly I needed this.”
“It’s all right,” Beq said. “But maybe wait a moment. I have news, and I’d rather not get a face full of half-chewed bacon.”
That doesn’t sound good. Maya washed down the toast with more water. “Let me hear it.”
“Raskos is gone.”
“What do you mean, gone?”
“No one can find him, as of not long after Tanax put you under arrest. The palace is going mad. Rumor is that he’s fled the city because of what you found at the warehouse.”
“That plaguing rat,” Maya said. She wasn’t sure whether to be furious or relieved that she’d been proven right. “So now what?”
“The Forge is putting together a temporary governor and a Legion detachment to keep order.” Beq hesitated. “Their messenger said that your arrest stands, though. We’re all to report back there today.”
“I imagine it will take the Council a while to sort out what happened,” Maya said, forcing a note of confidence.
“I hope so,” Beq said. She lowered her voice and leaned forward. “There’s something strange going on. Varo says that Tanax got a message from the Forge before you went to the ambush. He saw him going down to the Gate chamber. But Tanax didn’t mention it to anyone.”
“He is the senior agathios,” Maya said. She leaned back, head spinning a little. “No doubt he has many secrets.”
“Maybe.” Beq glanced around, then shook her head. “Never mind. I’ll tell you later.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Fine.” Beq swallowed. “Well. They’ve got Sarah in the cells.”
“Is she going to live?”
“Maybe. They had to take off her arm.” Beq shuddered. “I just … I don’t know.”
“What happened in the tunnel is on Raskos’ head,” Maya said. It has to be. When she closed her eyes, she saw the rebel burning away into ashes and bones. “And he’ll get what he has coming to him.”
“What about Nicomidi?” Beq said, very quietly. “If he’s involved …”
“The Council will sort it out,” Maya said firmly.
Beq gave a weak smile and got to her feet. “Finish your breakfast,” she said. “Tanax will send for you before long. It’s time to go home.”
*
The Forge had never been home, not for Maya, but she couldn’t say she was sorry to be seeing the last of Deepfire. The knowledge that Gyre was still out there, somewhere, only made it worse.
When I’m a centarch, maybe I can find him. She could come back here on her own, with no one to question her authority. Though I don’t think Jaedia would approve.
No point in visiting the farm, though. Maya probed at that thought as she waited, pack at the ready, for Tanax to summon her. Mom and Dad … Thinking about them tugged at something in her chest, but it felt distant, as though it belonged to another life. Does that make me horrible? My parents are dead. Have been dead, for years, and I didn’t know. She felt like she should feel more.
Maya shivered and wiped sweat from her forehead. The Thing itched, and she rubbed at it with the heel of her palm.
I wish Jaedia was here.
Eventually, the door opened. Tanax had washed and changed as well, into his dress uniform instead of his traveling clothes, and he looked every inch the aristocratic young agathios. Maya drew herself up to attention.
“Agathios Maya,” he said.
“Agathios Tanax,” she replied with a slight bow.
He glanced over his shoulders at the pair of Legionaries, still standing at the ready. “We are returning to the Forge. You will accompany me and be given into the Council’s custody.”
“I understand,” Maya said. “I’m not planning to resist.”
“Good.” Tanax paused, as though on the point of saying something else, but quickly turned away. “Follow me.”
Out in the hall, Beq and Varo joined them, along with another pair of Legionaries. Varo gave Maya an encouraging smile and fell in beside her as they walked.
“Had a friend who was accused of treason once,” he said without preamble.
“Why do I feel like this isn’t going to be encouraging?”
“The centarch looked into it and found him innocent!” Varo protested. “Said he was free to go.”
“That’s something.”
“It’s just that the next night, he got so drunk celebrating that he fell in the swamp and got his—”
Beq sniggered, and Maya rolled her eyes. Even Varo, to everyone’s surprise, chuckled.
“I know this has been a … difficult conclusion to our assignment,” Tanax said without looking around. “But I have faith in the Council’s judgment. Perhaps we will be assigned to work together again someday.”
Maya didn’t know if he was talking about her, but she found herself thinking of Beq. This is the end of our assignment. Presumably, that meant Beq would go back to her workshop duties at the Forge, or be assigned another centarch or agathios to support. Either way, Maya wouldn’t see her again unless the duty roster happened to bring them together. That thought was more wrenching than she cared to admit.
I have to talk to her. It was, given that Maya was currently under arrest for treason, perhaps not the most rational set of priorities, but it weighed on her mind as they descended the long spiral stairs, moving from the human-designed part of the palace to the ancient architecture of the Chosen. Maybe it was just that she didn’t know what to expect from the treason charge, and whatever happened, for the moment it was out of her control. Whereas trying to talk to Beq, to express what she wanted to say—that you’re smart and funny and brave and also I’ve wanted to kiss you basically since the moment I first saw you—was all too easy to picture, and no matter how she tried to phrase it in her mind, everything went horribly wrong.