Lindsay Buroker - Beneath the Surface

Sicarius said nothing, but Sespian straightened his spine and uttered a hasty, “No.”

“ You’ve agreed on a point before?” Amaranthe asked.

“ No, I meant we’re not agreeing now. We’re just spreading our tiles on the board. Everyone is. Isn’t that what one does at meetings like this?” Sespian peered about the cabin, seeking support.

“ I don’t know.” Maldynado pointed at Sespian and Sicarius. “Your tiles do look similar to me.”

Sespian frowned at him. Amaranthe supposed Maldynado had given up on greasing the kid’s lube points when he realized Sespian was in no position to grant him a statue. Or maybe he thought everyone appreciated his ribbing.

Amaranthe patted the air in a placating gesture. “Maybe you’re all right. Maybe this is all nothing and we blew up an absolutely lovely door for no reason.”

“ Being trapped on the wrong side of it was reason enough for me,” Yara said.

“ But we don’t have anything else to do until we reach the capital,” Amaranthe said. “We might as well-”

“ Train,” Sicarius said.

“ Er, what?”

“ We can train. Whatever awaits us in the capital will be taxing.”

“ I’ll… keep that in mind,” Amaranthe said, “but we may find it’s worth having a couple of people go out to poke around.”

“ In maid outfits?” Maldynado gave Yara a speculative look, as if disappointed he hadn’t seen her in the disguise.

She flushed, but was quick to counter with, “Only if you’ll be the one wearing it.”

“ That would certainly alarm those old Forge ladies,” Sespian said.

Akstyr snickered. “Imagine returning to your cabin after dinner to find a big muscle man in a skirt and slippers.”

“ There’d be screaming involved, surely,” Books said.

Maldynado sniffed. “I assure you, I look good in any thing. If there were screams, they’d be screams of delight.”

“ No more maid outfits,” Amaranthe said of the groans of protest. “For anyone. Security will be on alert after the first incident. Those of us with notorious faces will stay in our cabins.” Unfortunately, that probably included her.

“ And those of us working on more important tasks as well?” Books asked.

“ Yes, yes, you can continue concocting your new-government paradigm,” Amaranthe said. “I do want someone with a gift for stealth to roam around and see if any more Forge people are aboard. I also want someone to find out where the circus troupe is staying and see if they acquired any interesting items on their Gulf stopover.”

Basilard glanced at Sicarius and, when he didn’t volunteer for the stealth mission, signed, I will look for Forge people.

“ Thank you, Basilard,” Amaranthe said.

“ I’ll look through the troupe’s belongings,” Yara said. “I’m… responsible for our earlier discovery. You might have found more if I hadn’t dropped my knife.”

Amaranthe’s first instinct was to wave the notion away and alleviate any guilt Yara might be feeling, but maybe she could use the moment to her advantage. She sensed that Yara was undecided as to whether this was her fight anymore, now that Sespian wasn’t who she’d thought. But Amaranthe would need every hand she could get once they returned to the capital. Giving Yara some responsibility might be a good way to get her thinking she was an integral part of the team.

“ Thank you for volunteering, Sergeant,” Amaranthe said. “I’ll put you in charge.”

“ In charge? Of… what?”

“ Are you sure you should be roaming around the ship after nearly being caught by security?” Maldynado asked before Amaranthe could assign someone else to go on the mission.

“ I think the troupe is staying on the lower deck near the staff and servants,” Yara said. “Better for me to be down there than up where I might run into Forge people.”

“ Or better for you to stay in your cabin instead. We can find some in-room recreational activities for you to engage in if you get bored.” Amazing that he could say that with a straight face. Only his eyes twinkled.

“ If you’re worried about my safety, you can come with me.”

Amaranthe blinked, surprised that she’d invited him.

Maldynado sat up. “Really?”

“ Er.” Ah, maybe Yara was surprised she’d invited him too.

“ That’s a good idea,” Amaranthe said before the other woman could back out. “Akstyr, will you go with them too?”

“ What? But my face is notorious, and I’ve got as much research to do as Books.” Akstyr thumped his magic tome.

“ Yes, but nobody else here will recognize magical doohickeys if they chance across them,” Amaranthe said.

“ They’re called artifacts,” Akstyr said. “Fine, I’ll go. Do I get to keep what I find?”

“ That depends on the explosive potential of the items.”

Yara snorted, probably thinking Amaranthe was the last one to chastise someone about explosives. Amaranthe shrugged. She’d see for herself how things went if she had to command those two.

“ What will the rest of us be doing?” Sespian asked.

Amaranthe’s gaze slid toward Sicarius. He lifted his chin, and though his eyes wouldn’t think about twinkling with so many people in the room, his voice held a hint of satisfaction when he said, “Training.”

“ I’m glad I’m going with you,” Maldynado whispered to Yara.

The next night, Evrial leaned against the railing on the lower deck, using Maldynado to block the snowflakes blowing sideways down the river. Having a big, broad man around might have its uses after all.

“ I think we should go into the show.” Maldynado pointed to a poster hanging next to the double doors leading into the dining hall. It announced the circus troupe would be performing that evening, and couples were streaming inside. “We probably look suspicious loitering here.”

“ We’re not loitering, we’re standing purposefully,” Evrial said.

“ Huh?”

“ Never mind.”

“ It’s cold enough to shrivel the balls off a donkey,” Akstyr said from the other side of Maldynado. “I say we go inside too. I can let you know if their show has any unusual features, if you get my meaning.”

“ That’s a good idea,” Maldynado said, “don’t you think?”

Both men were looking at Evrial. How had she let Amaranthe put her in charge? “As long as nobody recognizes us.” She had her hood pulled up, something that was quite natural out on the snow-dusted deck, but which would draw attention inside. “Maybe we can stand in the back.”

“ Whatever you say, my lady.” Maldynado bowed and offered his arm.

Evrial decided it wasn’t worth arguing over hand holding when it was a ten-foot walk to the door. She linked her arm with Maldynado’s. He beamed.

Akstyr’s lip curled up. “Are you two going to pretend you’re engaged again?”

“ Yes,” Maldynado said at the same time as Evrial said, “No.”

“ Uh huh.” Akstyr’s lip curled up further, and he left them to stride into the hall.

Evrial was about to follow when two men approaching the door made her pause. She hadn’t been scrutinizing the flow of people, but almost every other pairing had been male-female. These two men had short hair, clean-shaven jaws, and Emperor’s warts, they were enforcers. Enforcers she recognized.

Evrial spun about, drawing Maldynado with her, and stepped back to the rail. She pointed at the bank. “Look, the snow is starting to stick. Do you think there’ll be enough on the ground to make a decent snow gladiator when we reach Stumps?”

Maldynado leaned close, shoulder-to-shoulder, and lowered his head to whisper, “Don’t you listen to any of the outlaw-enforcer drinking-house stories? You’re supposed to kiss the fellow you’re with when you’re trying to avoid someone’s notice. You know, to look like an amorous couple too engrossed in each other to be up to anything suspicious.”