My mouth now formed the ‘Oh’ of comprehension.
“It’s kind of hard, though, being perfect.”
“Uhm—”
Groskin gave a rusty laugh. “Yeah, the cat said as I was nowhere near perfect, I should have no worries about disappointing anyone by giving it up.” I felt a twinge of concern at the thought of seeing Groskin’s true self.
Groskin’s wry smile was back. “And he offered to work with me on that, one cat to another, so that—he said—I could stop making the same damn mistakes over and over in my fear of being seen a failure.”
The twinge became a full-blown spasm and Basel leaned against the ladder, staring at the lieutenant.
“I reckoned that at this point it couldn’t hurt, might even help.” Groskin’s smile turned into a fair approximation of Captain Javes’ silly ass grin. “Should be interesting, what?”
Chapter Fifty-one
It was a quiet evening. The moon was risen with the stars covering the sky, all the way down to the water. The Dauntless moved in a soft rocking motion as the swells gently lifted her up and put her down again. I had heard the return of the vice admiral’s guests and was waiting for Laurel Faena at the gangway. However, the first person I saw was Captain Suiden.
“Is there a problem, Lieutenant?” he asked, as he got off the bosun’s chair.
“No, sir. I’m just waiting for Laurel.”
“I see.” His eyes shifted to where Jeff, looking a little wan in the just lit lanterns, stood behind me. “You spoke with Groskin?”
I blinked at that. “Yes, sir.”
Suiden nodded and started to walk away. “With me, Lieutenant.”
“Sir?” I said, obeying.
“Please have the ambassador see me in my cabin when he comes on deck,” Suiden said to Jeff. “Then go fetch Javes and Groskin.”
“Yes, sir.”
Basel and I followed Suiden into his cabin. “Sir?” I asked again.
“This is the first time since Sro Cat joined us that I’ve seen you actively seek out his company,” Suiden said, sitting down at his table. “What has happened?”
At his gesture, I joined him. “Nothing, sir. I mean, at least not now—”
“So this does have something to do with what Lieutenant Groskin told you.”
“Uhm—”
There was a tap on the door and, at the captain’s command, it opened to reveal Laurel. “Honored captain?” the Faena asked as he entered the cabin.
“Please have a seat, Ambassador,” Suiden said, “as we wait for Javes and Groskin.” Laurel gave me a look as he sat down and I gave him a furtive shrug.
“The vice admiral sends his regards, Rabbit, and was very sorry that the press of your duties kept you from attending dinner,” Laurel said into the silence. “The cook also was very sorry you weren’t there, but he made up a basket. Lord Esclaur has it—” Laurel broke off as we heard steps, and a moment later Groskin and Javes were ushered in. Suiden had Jeff stand guard outside the cabin door.
“With Slevoic gone and Ryson fighting seasickness, I doubt we’d have anyone foolhardy enough to try to eavesdrop,” Captain Javes remarked as he sat down.
“There’s always a new fool ready to take the old one’s place,” Suiden said. He shifted in his seat to look at me. “Well?”
Laurel gave the captain his slow blink; then, as his brows crooked and his ears pressed forward, he turned his head to look at me.
“I was just going to ask Laurel Faena some questions, sir,” I began.
“About what Lieutenant Groskin had told you?”
I shot a glance at Groskin, then looked back at the captain. “Yes, sir.”
“Why?”
“It was a brutal crime, Suiden,” Javes said, when I remained quiet. “Perhaps he was just looking for someone to talk to about it.”
“Rabbit has just experienced brutal things himself, and he hasn’t had the need or desire to ‘talk’ to anyone about them” Suiden replied, still looking at me. He began to frown, the light in his eyes starting to flicker. “Not answering isn’t an option, Lieutenant.”
This time I glanced at Laurel and met his amber gaze. I then sighed and looked at the table. “I was going to ask Laurel, sir, why no one was taken by the Faena that strode Veldecke.”
Suiden opened his mouth but Laurel beat him to it. “What do you mean, they weren’t taken?”
I raised my head. “Groskin didn’t tell you?”
I frowned, trying to remember if the lieutenant had said that he had. I looked at Groskin but he shook his head.
“He said that there had been a rape of a fae, yes,” Laurel said at the same time. “He didn’t say, though, that no one was brought to justice for it.”
“They claimed that they were too drunk to do anything—and too drunk to remember who had,” I replied. “Groskin said that they were all let go.”
“They all’?” Javes asked, frowning. “Only Groskin was involved in the assault—there wasn’t anybody else.” He turned to Groskin. “What did you tell Rabbit, Lieutenant?”
“The truth, sir,” Groskin said.
“Groskin wasn’t sent to Freston for rape, Javes,” Suiden said, still watching me. “Unofficially, he was sent there because he dared to name Commander Eanst’s and Lord Gault’s sons, among others, as—participants. Officially, it was for drunkenness while on duty and failure to control men under his command.”
“But the Faena touched Groskin, sir,” I said and regained both captains’ attention. “He knew who had done what. If he needed further proof, he could have touched the others and they would’ve talked right quick.” I looked back at Laurel. “Yet he didn’t and they were let go.”
“I didn’t know that, Rabbit,” Laurel rumbled. “Truth, I didn’t know.”
I felt the rune on my palm warm.
“I told the ambassador just what had happened to me,” Groskin said, his voice hushed.
“What the bloody hell is going on, Laurel?” I asked. “A rape and murder—”
Groskin shifted in his chair and I snarled at him. “It was murder, no matter that she did it herself. And those who raped, then murdered her are allowed to go free.” I looked back at Laurel. “Then there’s the poxy smuggling. I once asked you how was it that no one could find a ragtag bunch of runners.” I leaned forward at the cat. “It doesn’t make sense, Laurel. It also doesn’t make sense that you would waste months and weeks looking for me while our people are being slaughtered. Why didn’t the High Council send you to Veldecke to stop it?”
“I told you why—”
“Because you would’ve been killed?” I asked, cutting Laurel off. “Then you could’ve come in force, bringing friends. Veldecke is one Iversterre town that does know ‘magicals,’ honored Faena. A fire salamander called on the commander there.” I felt my mouth twist. “Can you imagine one of those in the Royal City? Yet, from what Groskin said, the commander took it in stride.”
“I was told not to go to Veldecke,” Laurel said, looking worried, “because my safety would be at risk.”
“With the damn treaty? If the garrison commander had allowed you to be harmed, it would’ve led to war.”
“I was also told that King Jusson was being urged to repudiate the treaty by certain of his nobles,” the cat said.
“But that’s not true,” Javes said. “Jusson has never had any intention of repudiating the treaty or starting a war with the Border. He knows we barely survived the last one.”
Laurel’s ears pressed for a moment against his skull. “Yes. I realized that.”
“Did you also realize that Dragoness Moraina was one of the treaty’s signers?” I asked.
“What?”
“You heard me. The king mentioned it during his—discussion with Uncle Maceal.” I looked at Captain Javes. “You were there, sir.”