Shadows Return - Lynn Flewelling [127]
Alec felt betrayed. Hadn’t there been signs enough that Khenir had lied to him? But deep down inside, he was also sorry to have his worst suspicions about the man realized.
When Khenir began to lag behind, however, it was Seregil who fell back and took his arm to support him.
“Are you going to kill me now?” Alec heard Khenir whisper.
“Shut up and keep walking,” Seregil growled back.
They’d gone another mile or so when he heard the sound of moving water. Veering to the right, he soon found a small spring. Alec put Sebrahn down to the ground and stretched, easing his stiff shoulders. Ilar collapsed where he was, shaking with exhaustion.
The spring water was sweet and cold. Each drank his fill, then sat a while to rest. Seregil settled beside Alec and hugged him close, obviously not caring what the others might think. Alec hugged him back. Khenir watched them with an almost hungry expression.
Alec glared back at him. “All that time, you knew, and you lied to me.”
“I—I didn’t dare tell you,” Khenir stammered. “Not while we were still in that house. Once Ilban had freed me, I would have explained.”
“I’m sure you would have, and enjoyed it, too,” Seregil said, in that dangerously calm tone that always boded ill for someone. “There’s a lot you didn’t tell him, isn’t there? Alec, I’d like to introduce you to an old friend of mine. This is Ilar í Sontir.”
For a long moment Alec felt numb. Then the pieces began to fall into place. “Then…why is he still alive?”
Seregil sighed. “When I figure that out, I’ll let you know.”
Alec barely heard him. He jumped to his feet, sword drawn, and advanced on the cowering slave. “Ilar? Ilar? You bastard! The spoon, and those walks…You played with me and lied to me, and all the time…”
Seregil caught him before he lunged at Ilar, locking his arms around Alec’s chest as he fought to get loose. “Listen to me! Right now we need to find somewhere to hide before the sun comes up.” Seregil held him fast and brought his lips close to Alec’s ear. “Trust me, too, talí.”
Alec lowered his sword, but any compassion he’d felt for his false protector was gone. Ilar was now his betrayer, too.
Seregil took Alec by the arm and drew him away from the others.
“Let it go, talí,” Seregil whispered. “Ilar’s a silky customer, and always was. Whatever happened between you—”
“You think something happened?” Alec sputtered, stung by the notion.
“I saw you two down in the garden, by the fish pool,” Seregil told him, sounding pained to have to speak of it.
Alec took his hand. “He tried to seduce me. Even though I trusted him then, I wouldn’t betray you. I wasn’t even tempted.”
Seregil raked his fingers back through his shorn hair, the way he did when he was particularly uncomfortable or exasperated. “It’s all right. But I remember what he was like—what he’s still like.”
“And yet you didn’t kill him?”
“You stopped me, remember?”
Alec clenched his fists in frustration. “And now we have to anyway, or keep dragging him along so he doesn’t betray us.”
Even in this light he could make out Seregil’s strained little half smile. “I’ve never been much for killing in cold blood, and neither are you. I suppose we’re stuck with him, at least until we’re far enough away from Yhakobin that it doesn’t matter.”
“I still don’t understand. You always said you’d kill him on sight!”
Seregil shook his head. “I’ve seen his scars, talí, and what’s been done to him all these years. He’s not the man I remember. He’s—broken.”
“You pity him?”
“You’re no more surprised than I am. But what could I do to him that his life here hasn’t done already?”
Alec paused, trying to take that in. “Were you with him, all the time we were apart?”
“No, not for the first part. There was an old woman who looked after me while I was sick.”
“I saw you, on the ship. At first I thought you were dead.”
“I damn near did die from the magic they put on me. I