The Drowning City - Amanda Downum [58]
“You’re too kind. But no, I’d rather stay and learn who’s responsible. My master wouldn’t wish me to leave with an old friend’s death unsolved.”
“Of course. You may explore the grounds as you wish—the guards can direct you. The gardens are quite lovely—” Even as he spoke, the light dimmed and grayed and rain rattled the leaves. Asheris glanced at the fat raindrops rolling down the windowpane and sighed. “But perhaps not this morning. We’re having a ball tonight, however, safely indoors. I’d be delighted if you would attend.”
“A ball? After what happened?”
He shrugged. “The Khas always holds one to celebrate the rains. I imagine it will be more subdued than usual this year. Will you come?”
“If my luggage arrives.” She tugged at one too-short sleeve. “I’m not very presentable like this.”
“I’m sure we can find you something.”
The pigs were a long time in dying.
Of all the sounds of Sivahra, that was one Xinai hadn’t missed. She lay curled on the floor of a hunter’s blind, trying to concentrate on the snores of her companions and the rain on the roof, while pigs died shrieking in the valley below.
Cay Xian had emptied overnight; elders and children and women too pregnant to fight slipped away to neighboring towns, while warriors scattered into the forest. By now the village stood empty as Cay Lin.
Selei slept beside her, snoring softly, and Riuh drowsed on the far side of the room. He hadn’t spoken about last night, thank all the small gods. Shaiyung hadn’t spoken of it either, hadn’t spoken at all, though Xinai occasionally felt the cool draft of her presence.
Bad enough trying to keep your living mother from meddling in relationships, let alone a ghost.
A birdcall sounded in the trees outside, was answered a moment later. No real birds, but Xian warriors keeping watch.
One high squealing shriek faded and another began. Xinai winced and tugged her blanket tighter around her shoulders. As a child, she’d wondered if men screamed like that as they died. Funny how inured she’d become to the sounds of a battlefield, but animals being slaughtered could still upset her so.
As the sky paled to a gray ceiling behind the lattice of leaves, Xinai gave up on sleep. She slipped outside to relieve herself, and when she returned Selei was awake and folding their blankets.
“What’s the plan?” Xinai asked.
“I’m going to talk to the village. We need food and supplies, safe houses. But I have another task for you two.” She gestured them closer, tsking when she looked at Xinai. “I hoped you’d at least get a good night’s sleep before I sent you off.”
Xinai and Riuh sat beside Selei, their knees not quite touching, both carefully not looking at each other.
“We thought people were disappearing in the ruby mines,” Selei said, “that the Khas was lying about accidents and deaths. It’s worse than that.” She pulled a pouch from her pocket, unwrapped it carefully. A stone lay on the cloth, rough and pale. It glittered in the light, color sparking in its heart.
“What is it?” Riuh asked.
“A diamond. They’re mining diamonds somewhere in Sivahra, using our people to harvest their soul-stones.”
Xinai reached out a hand, pulled it back again. “Where?”
“We don’t know. They’ve kept the secret well. We might never have known, but we found this stone in a raid on a government warehouse.”
“Part of the tithe?”
“I don’t think so. They were stored with the flawed stones, the ones the Khas sells. I don’t know what game al Ghassan is playing, but I mean to find out.”
“What do you want us to do?” Xinai asked.
“Find the mine. From the routes we’ve seen the soldiers take, we guess it’s somewhere to the west, between the mountain and the mines. I’ve charmed this stone as best I can to seek out others of its kind. Just be careful it doesn’t lead you straight to a Kurun Tam mage.” She wrapped the diamond again and handed the pouch to Xinai, who slipped it carefully around her neck. It hung quiet among her other charms.
Selei’s joints creaked as she rose and Riuh steadied her. “You need a proper bed,” he said.
She