CHAPTER

TWENTY-SEVEN

Six days. I did not see Commander Asan again during that time, although I knew that she had visited at least twice at night. She left food in the kitchen, and once woke Osan to check his stitches and replace his wound dressing. He was recovering well; he moved more easily and appeared cheerful enough, although I suspected that some of his good humour might have been put on for my benefit.

I, on the other hand, could not keep Finn from my mind.

“Saskia is doing what she can,” said Rhyanon, not taking her gaze off the balance sheet in front of her. In the early hours of the morning, Asan had delivered a stack of files from the Civil Obligations offices, and Rhyanon had been scouring them for suspicious activities in Reverends’ financial affairs, any evidence that could be used to incriminate Celane or her associates.

“But on what grounds are they still detaining him? It doesn’t make any sense.” I stood up. We were in the western study, a light, airy room on the second floor of the mansion. Through the windows, I could see the long sweep of the yellowed lawns, the red-brick perimeter wall in the distance. “And Millie was supposed to be here already.”

“I’m sure both of your friends are fine.”

I paced to the windows and back again. “And you’re certain the Commander didn’t say anything else?”

“Only that the inquiry is moving slower than she expected. Celane and Verje are being obstructive.”

You told me that they would be too afraid to cause any trouble. I drummed my fingers against my thigh. As uneasy as I felt, I didn’t want to drive Rhyanon away. It hadn’t escaped my notice that my visions had been absent since the attack, and I suspected that the lull was mostly due to her company. She made me feel safe.

I mumbled something about stretching my legs, and left her to work.

Outside the study, Jaylen sat cross-legged on the floor. She had been intently focussed on a math problem written out in her notebook, and jumped when I opened the door.

“Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

She blinked at me owlishly. For a ten-year-old, Jaylen didn’t speak much, although I had the distinct impression that her silences weren’t a product of shyness. She just seemed very self-contained, as if she preferred to keep her thoughts to herself.

“Did your mother set you that work?” I asked.

She nodded. “If I improve my mathematics, she said that I might be able to help her with the ledgers.”

“That seems reasonable.” I crouched. “May I check your calculations?”

She handed across the notebook. While I scanned the page, she fidgeted, pulling on the end of her plait.

“Do you know how long we’ll have to stay here?” she asked.

“I don’t, although you could try getting an answer out of Commander Asan.” I pointed to a subtraction error. “That’s close, but check it again.”