“That’s a yes, or...?” He wriggled his eyebrows at her.
Sardelle walked over to join him, actually to swat him.
Vann stood quietly, watching everyone, especially Bhrava Saruth, his arms still folded across his chest. He seemed tense. Just because he didn’t care for these people? Or because the sword made him tense in the presence of a sorceress and a dragon? Lilah was tempted to hold his hand.
“I remember when the fossils were discovered,” Sardelle told Lilah. “Word was sent to the university in the capital, since my people didn’t have any experts in archaeology at the time.” She smiled. “I don’t think paleontology was even a separate science back then. We actually believed that a dragon burial ground had been found and that it might be haunted. You see, there were some strange things happening even back then to travelers who passed near them. Since we were worried about that and also about the ramifications of walking in and out through a potential burial site, this exit to the complex was completely closed down. I’ve recently learned—” Sardelle waved toward Bhrava Saruth, “—that dragons don’t bury their dead or have anything like human burial grounds.”
“Not that we’ve ever discovered,” Lilah said.
“You said you gained some insight into what happened here?” Sardelle asked. “I know that there were soldiers with explosives, but there wasn’t time to figure out how they got in or how to stop them before the mountain started crashing down around us.”
“Vann,” Lilah said, “do you still have that journal?”
“Yes.” He made no move to reach for his pocket or pack or wherever he had stashed it.
“Would you like to share it? Cordially?”
Vann gave her a flat look. Lilah could see why he wouldn’t want his family history shared, especially when Major Therrik’s role had been unflattering, but if Sardelle was truly an heir to the Referatu society, then she would want a look. She would deserve a look.
“That thing you mentioned,” Vann said, tapping his ear. “How many times?”
Ridge tilted his head, a perplexed expression on his face.
“No less than three, I should think,” Lilah said, smiling at Vann.
It was amusing to see a big, strong army colonel heave a dramatic sigh worthy of a teenager, but after he did so, he removed his pack and handed Sardelle the journal. She opened it, and Ridge stood next to her, reading over her shoulder. Vann’s jaw tightened. He was probably even less enthused at the idea of Ridge learning about his family’s past. Lilah eased closer to him, her arm brushing his, as if she could lend him some of her calmness. Nobody should blame him for what had happened in the past.
“Your assistant president seems to have been instrumental in the fall,” Lilah said, “even if what happened wasn’t quite what she wished to happen. I assume that is her lab back there?”
Sardelle lifted her gaze from the book, her eyes grave. “It is. She was a scientist and an animal speaker.”
“Animal speaker?” Vann grunted. “That what it’s called when you make creepy, scaly wolves that live for centuries and kill intruders?”
“The sashpur, magical guard dogs essentially, were more a result of her science interests. I’m not sure what species were originally crossed, but my people didn’t let them out of the mountain, and they aren’t fertile. I hadn’t realized they were so long-lived.” Sardelle rubbed her head, fiddling with one of the clips that held her hair back. “Why would Mistress Jyalla have been instrumental in the fall?”
“You’d have to ask her. Her skeleton is that way.” Vann pointed his thumb over his shoulder.
“We believe she instigated an assassination plot against your president,” Lilah said. “Would that have been likely?”
“I had no idea Mistress Jyalla had such aspirations,” Sardelle said, “but I was aware that she disagreed with Tiyarda on some matters. And our leadership positions were long-term, ten years, so almost like a monarchy. It wasn’t easy to remove a president from office once instated.”
“So she invited some soldiers in to help her with her problem,” Vann said, “maybe wanting to keep her hands clean of blood.” His lip twitched, and Lilah wondered if he was thinking of the way Nia had asked him to help kidnap the king.
“And then, she was taken advantage of, I suppose,” Lilah murmured.
“By the soldiers who came into the mountain with explosives?” Sardelle asked.
“By a Major Therrik, it looks like.” Ridge had kept reading over her shoulder, and he stabbed his finger at the page, then arched his eyebrows at Vann.
Vann clenched his jaw again.
“It’s hard to know exactly what happened with Major Therrik,” Lilah said, though those musket balls hadn’t left much doubt in her mind, “since that journal was written by one of his men, but we found its owner’s skull. With a bullet hole in the back of it. It’s possible Major Therrik turned on Captain Molisak when the officer questioned him about the mission. He also seemed to have turned on your assistant president. Once he had what he needed.” Lilah was making suppositions left and right and resolved to stop. There would be more time in the future to use evidence to piece together all that had happened back then.
“I have often wondered how our people came to be caught so unaware by the soldiers with their explosives,” Sardelle murmured, a haunted expression in her eyes as she turned them toward the page again. “And also how the soldiers knew to pick a day when almost all of us were here in the mountain, celebrating the president’s birthday.”
“Whatever Major Therrik’s plan was,” Vann said, “it must not have worked out completely, because he died here. If anyone else made it out, they didn’t speak of it to the Therriks, because this officer and this deed aren’t mentioned in the family history.”
“This deed.” Ridge shuddered. “Seven gods, do you think they’d have been proud of him over it?”
Vann did not speak or even move, but Lilah had the impression of a pot about to boil over.
“Many people feared the Referatu back then,” Sardelle said, resting a hand on Ridge’s forearm, a suggestion for him to stop glowering at Vann, Lilah hoped. “I do wonder how she allowed it to go from an assassination mission to genocide. I’m sure Mistress Jyalla would not have helped bring that about.”
Several sets of eyes turned toward Vann, even Bosmont and Kaika seeming to think that he had the answer, or maybe that he should stand accountable for his ancestor’s actions. Most of the looks were curious rather than accusing, Sardelle’s in particular, but Lilah stuck close to Vann’s side, worried he would feel that he was under attack.
“Someone must have taken it into his own hands to upgrade the mission,” Ridge said.
“We may never know if Major Therrik acted on his own or was under the orders of a superior,” Sardelle said. “From Captain Molisak’s entries, it sounds like he didn’t know of a superior, but that’s not evidence to the contrary. It does sound like Major Therrik was known for his hatred of sorcerers. If you can imagine such a thing.” Surprisingly, Sardelle smiled at Vann. It wasn’t exactly a friendly smile, rather being one that spoke of irony and a less-than-pleasant shared past.
Sardelle handed the journal back to Vann. He seemed surprised by that and stared down at her hand before accepting the book. “I would like to read the rest before we return home,” she said, “but perhaps you could see that the journal makes it back to the captain’s family?”
Vann continued to stare down at it. That was a hard thing to imagine him having to do, delivering it to the ancestors of the man his ancestor had shot. Lilah almost suggested that she could undertake the task, perhaps copying the tome for the university records on the way, but Vann nodded and spoke first.
“I will see to it.”
“Is the way to the lab clear?” Sardelle asked.
“I can help open it if necessary,” Kaika said, patting her utility belt.
“Haven’t you blown up enough today?” Bosmont asked her.
“Hardly. It?
??s been hours since I got to blow up anything. Bhrava Saruth has simply been waving his hands and melting huge piles of rocks. I’ve felt largely decorative on this rescue mission. I’m afraid we’ve disappointed Colonel Therrik by taking so long to get to him.”
“He’s probably too busy being disappointed that his ancestor killed everybody in this mountain,” Bosmont whispered, his voice loud enough that everyone heard.
“Not sure he’s disappointed by that,” Ridge muttered.
Vann glared at him, glared at Bosmont, clenched his fist, then stalked away, disappearing into the darkness that the others had walked out of earlier.
“You’re exceedingly good at offending that man,” Sardelle told Ridge.
“Who isn’t? He’s an unstable bastard.”
Lilah scowled at him. “He is not. He’s brave, honorable, and he’s protected me ever since we entered these tunnels.”
“Are you sure you would have needed protecting if he hadn’t charged in recklessly? How did you end up in this mountain to start with? Weren’t you just supposed to study those fossils?”
“I was curious. What kind of historian would I be if I didn’t take an opportunity to explore an archaeological site when it was discovered?”
“Archeological site,” Sardelle murmured, sounding dazed as she looked around.
“He shouldn’t have brought you in here until our engineer deemed it safe,” Ridge said.
Lilah clenched her jaw, annoyed that he immediately thought the worst of Vann.
“You know you never would have succeeded at keeping me out while you deemed something safe,” Sardelle chided him gently.
“Yes, but you’re special,” Ridge said.
“And your cousin isn’t?”
“Not in the I-have-a-glowing-sword-with-an-attitude-and-we-chew-up-shamans-like-dog-bones way.”
Sardelle waved away the argument and nodded toward Lilah. “I’m still confused about much, but at least this is more than I knew before. It illuminates what’s been a mystery to me since I woke up. I thank you for working on this puzzle.”
“You’re welcome.”
Ridge looked a little chagrined by Sardelle’s maturity—and the lack of his own—but not enough that he would go after Vann to apologize.
“I’m going to look at this lab now,” Sardelle said, frowning as she walked past Major Therrik’s bones and headed into the darkness.
“Do you wish me to accompany you, high priestess?” Bhrava Saruth called after her.
“Maybe in a while,” she said without looking back. The slump to her shoulders said she might not be as delighted to find that lab, and the mysteries explained within, as Lilah had been.
“Did someone mention that dinner would be served soon?” Kaika asked. “Because blowing up wolves is hard work, and I haven’t had a decent meal since I got here.”
“Nor have I,” Bosmont said dryly.
Ridge walked over and patted the engineer on the shoulder. “We need to get you reassigned somewhere tropical and nice, Bos.”
“If you have the power to make that happen, sir, I’ll kiss your toes. Maybe other things too.”
“It’s been too long since you were with a woman, Bos.”
“Oh, I know it, sir. Not everyone who works up here gets to have a sorceress wander out of the tunnels and fall into his arms.”
Ridge smiled in the direction Sardelle had disappeared. “She didn’t fall into my arms right away. That didn’t come until she attempted to use snowshoes.”
“The grumpy human did not allow me to heal his leg,” Bhrava Saruth said, his gaze toward the tunnel Vann had stalked up. He seemed oddly distressed.
“Let’s hope those guard dogs didn’t have rabies,” Ridge said. “We don’t need Therrik biting anyone in the outpost.”
“No more than usual, anyway,” Bosmont said.
“He usually only bites the people who deserve it,” Kaika said.
“Unless they’re sorcerers. Or pilots.” Ridge rubbed the back of one shoulder. Remembering a physical confrontation with Vann? He couldn’t have come out on top in that.
“Pilots deserve it,” Kaika said. “They’re uppity.”
“Really.”
Lilah wanted to defend Vann, but she was barely listening to the conversation, thinking instead of Bosmont’s comment that Ridge might have the sway to affect someone’s assignment. Was that true? Or wishful thinking from the captain? Maybe Lilah could talk Ridge into getting Vann assigned to a more appealing post. He had worked in the capital before. Perhaps it could happen again. And perhaps she could also apply for a position in the capital. There were two universities there with archaeology departments.
“Ridge?” Lilah said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “Can I talk to you for a moment? Before we head out?”
“Head out? Are you in a rush to leave this delightful graveyard? Have you seen all the skeletons yet? We passed three on the way down.”
Lilah waved for him to join her a few steps away from Kaika, Bosmont, and Bhrava Saruth. By the time he stopped beside her, a concerned expression had replaced his usual irreverence.
“What is it?” he asked quietly. “Are you truly all right? You look... rumpled. Therrik didn’t do anything, did he? I know he’s an ass, but I thought—”
Lilah stopped him with a raised hand. “He’s not an ass.”
Skeptical eyebrows rose. “No?”
“As I said, he protected me from a bunch of magical wolves, wolves that were impervious to my bullets.” Lilah looked down at her rifle, remembering that it wasn’t even hers. Vann had given it to her, keeping only the sword for himself. “I’d be dead if not for him.”
“Lilah,” Ridge said, “are you telling me I’m going to have to be nice to him?” His exasperation did not sound very convincing, not with his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Not necessarily. I think he likes having you as an enemy. But I was wondering if you had the sway to get him reassigned. Perhaps to the capital. This duty station doesn’t suit him.”
“The capital? Where I’d have to see him and interact with him?” His exasperation was less feigned this time.
“Yes, I’m thinking of applying for a position at the university there.”
“That’s wonderful. We’d love to have you close by, but what does that have to do with Therrik?”
“It would be easier for me to have sex with him if we’re in the same city.”
“I—what?” The word came out squeaky and loud, and Kaika, Bosmont, and Bhrava Saruth all looked over. Ridge reached out a groping hand toward a boulder, the image of a man who needed support. He almost missed the boulder when he collapsed against it.
Perhaps Lilah should have been more subtle with her revelation, but she didn’t know how much time she had left up here with Vann. What if Ridge and Sardelle had come to pick her up and take her back? She’d barely gotten started with the fossils. She’d barely gotten started with Vann.
“Ridge?” Lilah shook his shoulder, feeling a touch impatient. “The sway? Do you have it?”
“I’m swaying all right.” He rubbed his hand down his face. “You should make friends with Sardelle and ask her. The king likes her more than he likes me. Hells, why don’t you ask Kaika? The king likes her a lot more than he likes me.”
“Kaika?” Lilah peered over at the tall woman, who was busy chatting with Bhrava Saruth. Judging by her expansive gestures, she was describing an explosion. Or perhaps some interesting move that could be performed in bed.
“Kaika,” Ridge said firmly.
“I don’t think I can ask her to intercede on Vann’s behalf. Perhaps I’ll write a letter to the king myself.” A letter or a paper, listing the reasons why another duty assignment would be better for Vann. She could include footnotes with references to recent psychological papers that might apply to him, making a persuasive argument.
“Good. Do that,” Ridge said, still sounding dazed. He pushed away from the boulder and walked in the direction Sardelle
had gone, his legs a touch wobbly. He did not seem to notice that he didn’t have a light.
“He’ll get over it,” Lilah said, shouldering her rifle and heading off to find Vann.
• • • • •
Vann sat with his legs dangling from the ledge as he looked over the trees and the trail below. Kasandral rested in its scabbard on the rocks beside him, the damning journal atop it. He planned to take that journal to the Molisak family when Sardelle was done with it, because it was the honorable thing to do, but he wouldn’t mind if it spontaneously burst into flame before he could deliver it.
Soft scrapes and thumps came from the narrow tunnel behind him.
“I didn’t think you would squeeze back through here again,” Vann said quietly, not looking back. He knew who it was. Nobody else would bother to come find him.
“It is claustrophobic, but I assumed you were here, and you’ve proven apt at distracting me from my fear of close, dark places.”
“How did you know I would be here?” Vann offered Lilah a hand and moved the sword so she could sit beside him.
“Kaika and Bosmont went back to camp, and Ridge and Sardelle went to the laboratory, and I think the dragon went with them. I figured you’d want to be alone.” It was dark, so he couldn’t see her face, but he sensed her looking over at him, silently asking if he would prefer to be entirely alone. “Do you?” she asked.
He rested his hand on her thigh, glad she had come looking for him, though he couldn’t fathom why she bothered.
“I’ve been alone for most of my life. It’s lost the allure.”
“Good.” Lilah laid her hand on his and threaded her fingers between his. “How do you feel?”
“Feel?”
“You didn’t already forget the definition of that word, did you?”
Vann looked out on the night, remembering sitting beside the fire with her and talking of his past. Had that been a day ago? Two days ago? He had lost track of time in the tunnels.
“I’m used to being hard, Lilah.”
“Hard? Is this going to be a different kind of conversation than I was imagining? Because I was hoping for a bed for the next time we discussed that.”