Harlequin Nocturne May 2016 Box Set Page 9

  “Daniel!”

  He looked down in surprise. Bes stood before him, smiling, his broad hands on his hips. He looked like a doll, his clothing of many mismatched colors and his beard and hair entwined with ribbons. It was as if he wanted to appear the clown.

  Was he playing a part assigned him, ineffectual and harmless?

  “Visiting my people?” Bes said cheerfully.

  “Did I break a rule by coming here?” Daniel asked.

  “Well, newcomers are not generally permitted to run around Tanis without a guide.” Bes rocked on his heels. “Does Isis know you’re here?”

  “I left her not long ago,” Daniel said.

  “Ah.” Bes’s dark eyes shone. “She likes you very much.”

  “She seems to like everyone.”

  “She has a big heart.” Bes grinned, revealing the pointed tips of his cuspids. “I knew her when we were both caretakers in Egypt. She is as generous now as she was then.” His smile faded. “Did you come to find out what happened to the protesters at the depository?”

  “They were released, weren’t they? You made sure of that. In fact, after you spoke to them, they seemed to have forgotten why they were there.”

  “They had concerns. I listened, and eased their minds.”

  “But their grievances haven’t been addressed, have they?”

  “I like your boldness, Daniel. But there are matters you can only understand when you have truly become one of us.”

  “So Isis has told me.”

  “Follow her lead. She will look after you.” He glanced past Daniel. “I always join my people for a beer at this time. You should return to your quarters and take your evening meal.”

  Join them for a beer, Daniel thought. Would he spy on his own people, or did he genuinely enjoy socializing with them?

  Either way, some version of the brief fight was bound to come to his attention. His loyalties would become very clear then.

  Bes nodded pleasantly and strode away on his short, slightly bowed legs. Daniel watched him until he had rounded a nearby corner and started back for the administrative complex.

  Isis was waiting for him in the lobby of the Immigrant Center. Her eyes were angry, but she projected her usual serene, cordial demeanor.

  “Daniel,” she said, “you should not have gone out without telling me.”

  “I apologize,” he said.

  “Where did you go?”

  He saw no reason to hide the truth. “To Bes’s ward.”

  “Why did you go alone?”

  “I wanted to see how the humans here behave without the presence of an Opir guide.”

  The anger in her eyes faded. “Did you expect a change in behavior?”

  “I didn’t know what to expect.”

  “And what did you learn?”

  “That the people there enjoy their beer.”

  Suddenly, she smiled. “Yes,” she said. “Bes’s people are very good-natured.”

  Daniel felt deep regret that she’d eventually learn what had happened in Bes’s ward. In less than forty-eight hours he had come to desire her, respect her, admire her for her kindness and dedication, in spite of his suspicion of her natural powers. Now, absurdly, he felt that he had to protect her.

  “I would hear of your visit,” she said. “Will you dine with me?”

  “As long as I’m not on the menu.”

  He spoke before he thought, but Isis only smiled, closed-mouthed. “Only if you wish to be,” she said. The words were laced with innuendo, and Daniel thought she wasn’t entirely speaking of blood.

  Considering how he’d behaved before, it was a brave thing to say, putting her pride at risk again. She’d forgiven him his previous rejections, but he couldn’t give her what he sensed she wanted now: that he surrender himself, accept her help in matters too personal to share with anyone.

  “I think I should stay here tonight,” he said. “I have a feeling you’re neglecting other work because of me.”

  “Perhaps I am,” she said, her voice soft with disappointment. “But I have a proposal for you, and I must speak to you in private.”

  “Come to my room,” Daniel said.

  Isis followed him to his room and leaned against the door. Carefully avoiding the bed, Daniel stood close to the opposite wall and waited tensely for her to speak.

  “We have not yet completed your tour of the city,” she said. “You cannot judge us without seeing all of it.” She took a deep breath. “I wish you to visit the towers.”

  Daniel’s heart beat a little faster. She’d said that visiting the towers wasn’t encouraged for newcomers, but how often did the Opiri welcome human visitors of any kind? The Opir gang had claimed that any citizen could, by law, visit any area of the city.

  But he suspected that, except for the servants, humans very seldom went to the towers Hugh had mentioned. If they did, they’d leave with information the Opiri might not want spread throughout the human wards.

  Of one thing Daniel was certain: Isis still hadn’t heard of the incident with the Opir gang, or she’d surely never have made the offer. And she’d only encourage such a visit if she believed that Daniel’s opinion of Tanis would only improve as a result.

  “What do you want me to see?” he asked.

  “You clearly still harbor many doubts about the Opiri here,” she said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, “and I know that that doubt extends to those like me and Bes as well as Hera and Ishtar. Several of my peers would be glad to speak to you in a private setting.”

  If he were to believe Hugh’s warnings about facing repercussions from the fight, Isis was essentially suggesting that he walk right into the lion’s den. It was certainly a quick way to find out how Tanis’s justice system worked...or if it worked at all.

  Not with Isis there to protect me, he thought ironically. He knew she’d step in if he got into trouble, and he didn’t want that. He didn’t want to put her in the position of opposing her own people if the Council decided to punish him.

  “There’s something I have to tell you first,” he said, getting directly to the point. “When I met with the humans in Bes’s ward, a group of Opiri came by the tavern to make trouble. One of them attacked a man there.”

  Her eyes darkened in shock. “Opiri attacked humans?”

  “And I retaliated.”

  “You fought Opiri?”

  “They had no reason to be there except to harass the people who live in the neighborhood.”

  He told her briefly what happened, and she folded her arms across her chest, shaking her head slowly. “I cannot believe such a thing has occurred,” she murmured. “You defeated two Opiri?”

  “Arrogant, overconfident Opiri who didn’t expect any resistance.”

  “Why did you not report this to Bes or the Lawkeepers?” she asked.

  “I was told that some blame might fall on the humans involved. I couldn’t risk that.”

  Isis straightened. “The Opiri were clearly at fault. I would never allow the humans or you to be—”

  “I didn’t want you interfering,” he said.

  “Why?” she asked. “You would not have been able to hide this from me indefinitely.”

  “You told me that if I committed any disturbance, you would be held accountable.”

  “I...overstated the case. I do not fear for myself—”

  “But you do think your people might do something to me?”

  “The Nine do not lay down punishment.”

  “They have no say at all?”

  Her gaze flicked back to him. “The testimony of the humans involved will hold equal weight with that of the Opiri. There is no separate law. You will have every chance to explain what happened.”

  “You accept my account?”<
br />
  “I believe that you defended the weak from those who would take advantage of them. I am ashamed that such a thing happened in this city. I assure you, it was an aberration.”

  “Then you don’t think I’ll be locked up.”

  “Nobody would dare,” she said, the mantle of her instinctive power flaring around her. “I know this will be dealt with fairly and properly. If the Opiri are guilty, they must face judgment.” Her brow creased, and she spoke as if she were thinking aloud. “My peers already know about your clandestine entrance into the city. Even before Ishtar came to question you, I told them that I did not believe you intended harm to Tanis. But it might help to let others among the Nine meet you and recognize for themselves that you would never commit a crime against Opir citizens.”

  Daniel knew she was playing a contradictory game with herself, wishing to believe the city’s justice system was fair, and yet recognizing an advantage in making Daniel known to the Opir powers that be. He couldn’t bring himself to call her out on her inconsistency.

  “Would I be meeting all of the Nine?” he asked.

  “I would take you to see those closest to me,” she said, “and then to Anu.”

  “And he might tilt the judgment in my favor, if I convince him that I’m...what? A properly deferential human in the presence of a god?”

  Isis stared at him in confusion. “Have I not made clear that we do not rule here as gods?”

  “Yes,” he said, “you’ve made that clear. If you think I should go, I will.”

  Suddenly she seemed uneasy. “Keep in mind that you would be one of only a handful of humans in the tower. Anu will have Opiri guests with him. The others may, as well.”

  “It won’t be the first time I’ve been outnumbered.”

  “And your memories of your past as a serf? Will they cloud your thinking?”

  “They won’t—”

  “Can you forget the scars on your back when you walk where Opir Bloodlords once kept their Households?”

  “Have you told them about my past?” he asked.

  “They know you were a serf from Vikos.”

  “Then why do you seem to be having second thoughts?”

  “I only want to make sure you understand.” Her sharp cuspids dented her lower lip. “What of Hannibal? What if you meet him there?”

  “Do you expect him to be with Anu?”

  “It is possible. Does he hate you as you hate him?”

  “I wasn’t his serf. Why should he stoop so low as to hate a human?”

  She cast him a probing look. “I would meet with Hannibal myself, but not if such a meeting would upset you.”

  “I’m not an animal, Isis. I can restrain myself. But confronting Hannibal now wouldn’t be a good idea.” He reached toward her, dropping his arm before he could touch her. “It’ll be all right, Isis. The only thing I ask is that you not interfere if any of the Opiri confront me about the incident with the gang.”

  “How can I make such a promise?”

  “If you trust the objectivity of your people, you have nothing to worry about.”

  Her beautiful face was tense with anxiety. “There is one other thing I should have mentioned before. You and I have been seen together twice, and some may think it odd that I give so much time to a newcomer. Rumors travel quickly in Tanis. It is very possible, even likely, that it will be assumed...that the others may believe...”

  “That we have a relationship?” Daniel said with a crooked smile. “That we’re lovers?”

  Isis lifted her chin. “Yes. And also that I am taking your blood.”

  “You said such private exchanges aren’t unknown.”

  “They are not. But among the Nine, only Ishtar regularly consorts with humans in that way.”

  “Will it shame you in front of your own people?”

  “I am not ashamed.”

  They gazed at each other, and the gentle defiance in Isis’s eyes warmed Daniel like a fire in the dead of winter.

  But he had an idea that the visit Isis proposed might be more complicated than she’d originally let on.

  “Isis,” he said, “I know you’re doing this for my sake. If it’s going to make things difficult for you among your own kind—”

  Her jaw set. “Let there be no more arguments. We will go. I will make the arrangements.”

  Turning abruptly, she left Daniel to consider the decision he had made. If he accomplished nothing else, he would make clear to the Opiri in authority that Isis had nothing to do with his behavior and that he had disregarded her warnings by walking the city alone.

  And if he was lucky, he might meet Opiri in the tower who knew more about Ares’s visit than Isis did.

  Isis returned an hour later with an attendant, who carried another meal on a tray. Isis held a shirt and pants over her arm, made of a finer weave and quality than the ones Daniel had been given before. The shirt had a high collar, as if designed specifically to cover the neck area, and the pants were closer-fitting. The shoes were low, cloth-and-leather boots with simple embroidery on the sides.

  “Aren’t my regular clothes and boots good enough?” Daniel asked.

  “It is only right that you should look...” She trailed off, glancing at the clothes in her arms.

  “Less like a serf?” he asked.

  “Like what you truly are. A man anyone must respect.”

  She was truly worried for him, Daniel thought. What did that say about the Nine? “I’ll do as you advise,” he said.

  “Eat first. They will not have much human food in the towers.”

  “Even though they can eat it themselves?”

  “It may not be available to—”

  “Human visitors?”

  “Do you intend to challenge every word I speak?”

  “I apologize,” he said, realizing that his sharp tongue was a way of dealing with a situation he believed could be extremely unpleasant for him and Isis. “I trust your judgment.”

  She nodded without meeting his eyes. After quickly finishing the meal, he began to dress. Isis turned away, but the familiar tension was there again, bringing with it images of Isis’s lithe body and her response to his. When he was finished, she turned around and looked him over with critical eyes.

  “You look very fine,” she said.

  He bowed. “I appreciate the compliment.”

  “Must you always—”

  He took her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles. “I’m not joking, Isis. If it made this easier for you, I’d wear a sack over my head.”

  Laughter burbled from her throat. “Please, do not cover your very attractive head.” She sobered and met his gaze. “We should not go.”

  He kissed the back of her hand. “It’ll be all right. I promise.”

  They gazed at each other, and Daniel found himself on the verge of kissing her parted lips. But now wasn’t the time for him to forget himself. This was a serious business, and he would have to watch his step every second...especially for Isis’s sake.

  CHAPTER 9

  The towers were dark under the looming shadow of the half dome, but Isis noticed that Daniel didn’t hesitate as he climbed the ramp to the elevators that would carry them up the tower. His back was stiff but his demeanor was cool and calm, and she wondered how he could be so detached.

  I never should have suggested this, Isis thought. Word of the fight would have reached Anu by now, and he might already prefer to believe the Opiri’s account of the incident. But even he had to abide by the laws that prevented the Nine from directly interfering in the Council’s work. He would certainly not suggest any punishment.

  Isis was more afraid of the anger Daniel so carefully tried to conceal. It was his well-being that concerned her.

  And when, she wo
ndered, had his welfare become so important to her...almost as important as the welfare and future of Tanis? It was both astonishing and dangerous, and yet it had come to pass without her fully realizing how it had happened. It was not merely physical attraction, though that was part of it, nor Daniel’s courage or determination. It was all these things, and she could no longer seem to remember that he was only a single human in a city that must care for every one of its citizens equally. As she should.

  It will pass, she thought. Daniel might choose to leave Tanis anytime. He could be exiled if he were found to have provoked the fight. Even if he cared a little for her, even if he desired her, he was not bound to her. Nor could he ever be.

  She knew that he would never allow anyone to bind him again.

  They stopped in front of one of the three elevators, each one clearly marked with the symbols of three of the Nine: a sheaf of wheat for Bes; the eight-pointed star for Ishtar; a peacock for Hera; a lion for Ereshkigal; for Hephaestus, a flame; for Anu, a bundle of twigs from the tamarisk; the owl for Athena; for Hermes, the caduceus, its serpents coiled about a staff; and for Isis, outstretched wings.

  “I will take you first to Hermes and Athena,” Isis said, gathering her own courage. “You may speak freely to both of them.”

  Daniel gave her a slight nod of acknowledgment, but his attention was on the House symbols. “Three of the Nine live in each third of the tower?” he asked.

  “There is ample room,” she said. “It is not as if any of us has true Households in the old sense.”

  “Your emblem is here, but this isn’t where you live.”

  “A suite has been set aside for me, should I choose to occupy it,” she said. “But I prefer to stay where I am.” She pressed the button. The elevator arrived almost immediately, and she and Daniel stepped inside.

  “If at any time you feel we should leave—” she began.

  “I’ll tell you, and you do the same,” Daniel said, still preoccupied. She wondered how much of that distance was acknowledging and defeating his own fears and memories, the ones he swore would not affect him.

  She had come to know him too well to doubt that it was a struggle, silent though it might be.