Tam went utterly still. “Perhaps you should tell me about your evening.”
“Perhaps you should tell me what the hell you’re trying to pull.” My voice was just above a whisper. I didn’t have to shout to attract attention. I already had it. Lorcan Karst had moved to stand a few feet behind his boss. A good manager knew the signs of trouble, and I wasn’t bothering to hide how I felt. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a pair of Guardians. I recognized the overeager, blond ax-wielder from last night. I didn’t recognize the equally large, dark-haired Guardian with him. Phaelan and his boys had left the bar and spread out to cover the Guardians.
Unless anyone sneezed, there shouldn’t be any fatalities.
Tam still hadn’t moved. “Piaras was harmed?”
“You care?”
He flinched as if I’d slapped him. “I do.”
I let out a breath, and leaned back in my chair. I released the edge of the table. My knuckles had clenched themselves white. I didn’t believe Tam was directly responsible, but when a Mal’Salin asked a favor, saying no wasn’t an option. They were Tam’s family. They were in town. And they probably had asked.
“He’s black and blue today, but he’ll heal.” The edge faded out of my voice. A little. “No thanks to your spellsinger. Or Ocnus Rancil. Or the Mal’Salin prince they’re both working for.”
That got the Guardian’s attention. “Tam, perhaps we should take this into your office.”
“I agree.” The goblin started to stand.
I stayed where I was. “I don’t. You have more than one exit from your office, Tam. I’d rather not be near any of them. I value my safety over anyone’s feelings right now.” I looked from one to the other. “I’m sure you gentlemen understand.” I gestured to the seats they just vacated. “Please, make yourselves comfortable.”
They sat.
Tam spoke first. “I had no part in whatever happened to Piaras last night.”
He didn’t mention me, just Piaras. A good sign that he wasn’t up to his neck in this, but it didn’t mean his hands were clean.
“But you knew about it,” I said.
“No, I didn’t.”
“I’d really like to believe you,” I told him. “There aren’t too many people I can trust right now. I’d like for you to still be one of them.”
His expression softened. A little. “I am.”
“Then I need you to start being honest with me.”
“Honesty is dangerous right now.”
“So are secrets.”
Mychael leaned forward. “We really shouldn’t discuss this any further in the open.”
I didn’t like it, but I had to agree with him. I waved Phaelan over.
“Would you join us in Tam’s office? Paladin Eiliesor feels the need for a little privacy.”
Tam was sitting behind his desk. I think he felt the need to have a solid piece of furniture between us right now. He knew what I’d done to Eiliesor. Phaelan let the two crew members who had come with us into Sirens know we wouldn’t be coming out for a while. They stationed themselves near Tam’s office door. I was sure they’d have plenty of Guardian company.
Tam had offered the hospitality of his personal bar, and Phaelan was taking him up on it. “Can I get you something?” he asked me.
“Sure.” A drink sounded like a wonderful idea. I was perched on the edge of one of Tam’s plush, overstuffed chairs and was feeling a little tense. Wonder why. I didn’t really think Tam had ordered me kidnapped last night, or that Mychael Eiliesor was going to do the same tonight, but caution had never been a bad thing for me.
I took the glass and a sip. The tang of Caesolian port burned with a cool fire. I had to hand it to Phaelan. When invited to help himself to a connoisseur’s private stock, he knew enough to go straight for the good stuff.
My cousin and his drink made themselves at home in another chair.
“Kell told me you went out for dessert,” Tam said quietly, his hands folded on his desk. “Would you care to elaborate?”
I looked at Mychael Eiliesor, my question unspoken, but obvious.
“Tam knows why I’m here,” Eiliesor told me.
I blinked. “He does?”
Tam was wearing a similar stunned expression. It was a look I’d never seen on him before, and unfortunately, I wasn’t in the mood to enjoy it. Apparently my involvement was news to him, too.
“Raine and I will be working together on this,” Eiliesor told Tam. He glanced at me, his eyes unreadable. “At least I hope that’s still the case.”
The beacon picked that moment to wake up and say hello. Tam’s eyes widened even farther. There was nothing like having a secret that wasn’t so secret anymore. Actually, it was a relief. And since everyone in the room knew my hand, I might as well put my cards on the table. I pulled the amulet out of my shirt.
Tam’s dark eyes were instantly riveted to my chest. It was familiar territory for them. “No,” was all he could manage.
I smiled. There was no humor in it. “Ta-da.”
“That’s impossible.” Tam found more words.
“It should be, but it’s not,” Eiliesor said.
“You knew?” Tam asked Phaelan, who amazingly enough was sitting quietly through all this.
My cousin grinned. “It’d be difficult not to. I was there when she got it.”
I stared hard at Tam. “I might ask you the same.”
“What?”
“How you knew.”
“That depends on what you mean by ‘knew’?” Tam’s response to a question was very often another question. It wasn’t one of his more endearing qualities.
“Tam,” I warned.
He glanced at Eiliesor.
“Tell her,” the Guardian said.
I set my drink aside. “Tam, I’ll make you a deal. You tell me all about yours, and I’ll tell you all about mine.”
The goblin’s lips curved into a slow, wicked grin. “And in front of everyone.”
My lips narrowed into a thin, angry line. “Just spill it.”
Tam sat back in his desk chair. “About two weeks ago, my former teacher arrived in town. She asked to meet me for dinner. Since we hadn’t seen each other in a few months, I didn’t think much of it. During dinner, she asked a favor. She needed a safehouse, something isolated and easily defensible. My family owns property that I thought would fill her needs. The other morning she was here asking to extend their stay.”
“You really need to hire a cleaning service, Tam,” I said. “Other than that, nice house, very impressive.”
The goblin raised one dark brow. “I beg your pardon?”
“Piaras and I were guests at your out-of-the-way cottage last night.”
His expression darkened. “I suspected who would be staying there, so I thought it prudent to ask her a few questions. Apparently, I should have asked more. What she did tell me, I really didn’t like, but it wasn’t enough to refuse her request. I probably should have. Was she there last night?”
“Not that I know of,” I said. “But her wards were. She left her prince in a cozy, well-protected nest.”
Tam frowned.
“Did she mention what they were doing in town?” I asked.
“She was predictably elusive on that point. Knowing about Sathrik’s visit told me that the less I knew about Chigaru’s visit, the better.”
“Did she ask anything of you other than your house?”
“No.”
“So she didn’t mention the beacon or the Saghred.”
“Not a breath. I found that out from Mychael.”
“Thanks in part to you,” Eiliesor told me, “things have moved faster than we anticipated. We’ve had to catch up. Fortunately, the Khrynsani are still a few steps behind.”
“I’m sure my former teacher thought I’d refuse to help if I knew the entire plan,” Tam continued. “She would have been right. She’s honorable and would never knowingly harm anyone, but she has the misfortune of thinking that Chigaru Mal’Salin shares her morals. I’ve met the prince, and while he’s a far superior alternative to his brother, he’s still a Mal’Salin. My teacher has been known to turn a blind eye in some instances.”
“He told me he only wants to keep the Saghred from his brother,” I said.