to expire with his secret.” She drank again and licked the corners of her mouth.
“But he did tell me where the women were sold. That’s why I was late coming
home, Father. I made a side-trip to Scavengers’ Island.”
Lowan squeezed his eyes shut and muttered a quick oath.
“I can take care of myself!” she snapped before he could say anything. She
didn’t need his lecture on what a hell-hole Scavengers’ Island was reputed to
be. She’d seen for herself, had walked among the scum of humanity that dwelled
there. “I hired a boat to take Reyk and me across. For anyone who asked I
claimed to be a fugitive from one of Theron’s purges. That wasn’t hard. After a
couple of fights most of the rowdies left us alone.” She winked. You know how
mean that falcon looks.
“It took days to find her,” she continued after another swallow. “Turned out she
was a special attraction at a particularly nasty brothel that catered to, shall
we say, deviated tastes.” She paused and smiled a malicious little smile,
remembering. “Tempus Thales would’ve loved it.” She shook her head and let the
smile fade, wondering vaguely what had happened to that butcher. She looked up
at her father and handed him her empty cup to set on the mantel. “You’ve known
men, I’m sure, who could only get excited by violent rape. Well, the proprietor
sent those to Daphne.” Chenaya wrapped her arms about herself. Despite the
fire’s warmth, lingering memories of Scavengers’ Island sent a chill through
her. “They kept her locked in a room. Father, she was a mass of bruises and