Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [153]
‘Come, lad. We’ll share a meal and you can tell me what old Caspian’s been up to.’
I’ll be back for you, Kali. Don’t try to shift. You’re in a cage.
A cage? This is your idea of a rescue?
It will be. Gather your strength. I’m not leaving.
There was no response, but her wings lifted slightly, then folded neatly behind her back.
Teg sat at the dining table, shoulders squared, his hosts firing questions at him one after the other. They were both curious, Lily especially so. She gave him nothing but smiles and sweet laughter—maybe that explained Jago’s increasing interrogation. It seemed he was stirring up old memories, reminding them of someone else. It was just his luck to have to deal with this as well as think of a way to get Kreshkali out—a way other than violence. These were sound people and he didn’t want to hurt them. The rescue would have to wait until she recovered enough strength to fly, or shift, in any case. Would that be hours or days? He stared at his plate, wondering where his appetite had gone.
The table was laid out with a magnificent midday meal—enough for more than the three of them by triple. Bowls of salads and garden vegetables sat next to fresh apples, citrus and berries, and there was meat. The scent tantalised him, his mouth watering when a platter was brought in—a huge white porcelain dish holding a dozen golden-roasted pigeons. They were stuffed with rice and glazed with sweet orange and ginger sauce.
‘Are these from today?’ Teg asked, steering the conversation away from his personal connections in Morzone, of which he actually had none. He’d never even been to the place. His generalisations were starting to run thin on that topic and he needed a new one, quick.
‘It was a good morning’s hunt.’ Lily smiled at him with more enthusiasm than he thought necessary. Couldn’t she sense the tension in Jago? Was that why she was doing it? He gave her the briefest of smiles in return.
‘Hungry?’ she asked.
He held his plate up and she piled it high with a choice selection. ‘It looks amazing.’ He moved his fingers aside when she brushed them.
‘So tell me, Teg.’ Jago’s voice cut through their private exchange. ‘Have you spent much time near the plateau of Los Loma?’
He choked, swallowing hard to keep from coughing. Lily handed him a glass of water, her eyebrows raised.
‘Some,’ he said, clearing his throat. ‘That ginger sauce is full of chilli, isn’t it? Delicious.’ He stuffed his mouth again so he wouldn’t have to speak.
‘The Temple guards were around early this morning,’ Jago said. ‘Seems there’s trouble at Treeon—the High Priestess’s consort’s dead. Murdered, apparently.’
Teg swallowed again, keeping his expression bland. ‘Do they have any clues?’
‘A few. They’re looking for a covey of witches that escaped in the night.’
The food went cold in his stomach. He drank again from his glass. Kali, we’ve got trouble.
‘They might have been the ones who trapped the black falcon, eh, Teg?’ Jago asked. ‘Seen anyone in your travels?’
Teg wiped his mouth. ‘Not ‘til I found you.’
Jago poured himself a deep red wine and shook his head. ‘Of course not. You’ve come the other way, haven’t you?’ He chuckled, not a contagious laugh. ‘Witches’ business anyway. Isn’t that right, Lil?’
She frowned at her husband. ‘Witches’ business, I suppose, but tell us, Teg, do you know anyone from Los Loma?’ She leaned closer, lowering her voice. ‘Do you know a man named Hotha? He’s from Los Loma, the heart of the mountain.’ Her voice was soft but the question razor-sharp.
‘I never said I was from Los Loma.’
‘But you certainly aren’t from Morzone,’ Jago said.
Teg didn’t deny it. There was no point. It was also clear who he reminded them of. Hotha! That Lupin, on any world, was a lover of women. It didn’t surprise him that he’d been this way before and stirred everyone up, particularly Lily. They may not realise he was a Lupin too, but they were onto his connection. What now? Stick as close to the truth as possible, lie outright, or make a run for it? Running was looking like a most attractive option,