Double solitaire

ILLYANA!

Sekal looked at Tis for the first time, switched to the audible mode. “Your child is safe. The groundling and his woman were warned. They were away from the House when the killing started. But the wives…” The nobleman’s voice began to crack. “All the wives… my wife… killed.”

Mine too? thought Tis, giddy with relief at the news that Illyana was still safe. She blushed as she realized her imperfect shields had yet again sent the thought bleeding through the assemblage.

Taj stared at her from beneath his brows. “No, you’re still married.”

“Oh, grand,” Tis said.

“There’s some evidence it was the Lady Mon’aella who poisoned Blaise’s women,” Sekal said.

“Maybe she will make a decent addition to House Ilkazam,” Taj mused.

Zabb pulled the discussion back to reality. “So what do you want from us?” he asked. He was seated on an extruded desk, negligently swinging one booted foot.

“Return our House. Free us from this monster, this abortion,” Sekal replied in a voice gone ragged with hate.

“A monster of your own choosing,” Zabb said softly.

Tis stepped forward. She was out of line, she didn’t care. “Years ago you attacked my House, left my father in a living death. I think you deserve Blaise.”

“Cousin,” Zabb said placatingly.

“Now they want our help. I say it should cost them.”

“If we do you this little favor,” Zabb said, “House Vayawand becomes a cadet House to Ilkazam.”

They almost refused. Then they looked back out the doors of the ship at the burned devastation of what had once been a proud city. Sekal shuddered, and nodded.