I took a gamble. “Why haven’t you married Pulan?”

He took a step back, nearly spilling the drink in his hand. “How did you…? Did she tell you?”

“Pulan told me nothing. I can see it on your faces.”

He took another drink, though his fingers trembled. “I shouldn’t keep inviting her to these things.”

“You wanted to see her.”

His lips pressed together. “I heard your father would do the same thing – just look right through a person. It isn’t exactly pleasant.”

Yes, though my father would have let a person sit in that discomfort and then used the information against them. “Apologies,” I said. “I caught you off guard. But perhaps I can help?”

He gave me a sidelong glance and barked out a laugh. “No one but the old gods could help me, I think. My father left debts behind, and I need to marry advantageously. Pulan’s isle isn’t valuable enough.”

“It has a witstone mine,” I said.

“A small one,” he said.

“I have resources. I can help develop the mine. It would give you leave to marry her.”

He looked at me, a bit incredulous. “And what do you gain?”

“Your support. A higher tithe of witstone.”

“I shouldn’t have led with that. There are other problems.” He downed the glass, his posture unsteady. “Pulan wants children.”

His words settled like a stone in my belly. “You can’t have them.”

He swirled the dregs and eyed me over the rim of his cup, his lips pressed together. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, his gaze fixed on mine. I could feel the weight of it as he judged me. And then he let out a breath. “I thought I’d have them when I was ready, when I wanted them. But I’ve had more than my share of philandering in my youth and not once – not once! – have I ever produced a child. Even when I stopped caring about preventing it.” He raised his eyebrows. “I thought to mock you when you came here and look, now you have ample material to mock me with.”

“I’m here to build alliances,” I said. “I’m not here to mock you. But perhaps you should let Pulan decide if that is a barrier.”

“She—”

A screech sounded from the second floor. My heart jolted. I’d know that voice anywhere.

Thrana.

16

Phalue

Nephilanu Island

Phalue would have liked to say that Ayesh cleaned up well. But all the first bath had done was to outline the painful way the girl’s skin stretched over her bones. The hair was a lost cause and full of nits, though Ayesh didn’t seem to mind when they cut it close to her head. She ate voraciously, and then vomited, and then tried again, more slowly. The second time she’d been able to keep the food down.