Kip's chest tightened. "No!" he almost shouted. The room slaves shot looks at him. He lowered his voice, embarrassed. "Liv, swear to me you won't. I-"
What were you going to say, Kip? I've been in love with you since I can remember? Right.
"I couldn't bear losing my last anchor to Rekton," he said instead, all the words tripping over each other. "You're the only one who knew me before all this."
Great, good job making it seem like it's totally impersonal. I don't care about you, I just care about Rekton.
"I mean… Liv, you know me, you're-" You're my friend? That sounds a little presumptuous, doesn't it? What if she's never thought of you as a friend?
"You're from Rekton, too," he said instead, lamely. Impersonal again. Damn! "I need someone to talk to, and I've always… admired you."
Admired? Like she's a painting?
"I mean, I appreciate-"
Appreciate. Kind of the same as admire, isn't it? Like she's a good cook?
Orholam's balls, this is agony! Ah, a way out! Not appreciate her, but appreciate how she does something.
"I appreciate how you-" How she whats?
How she looks in that one too-small green shirt she used to-shit!
"-have always been so nice to me."
Now you're the pleading, awkward child again. Well done. Kip Silver Tongue, they ought to call you.
I'm never going to speak to another woman again.
Kip could barely stand to look at Liv after that performance, but she waited until he met her eyes, leery.
"Why, Kip, are you flirting with me?!" she asked.
It was like Kip had stepped into that nightmare where he walked to the Midsummer's Dance on the green, barely registering the curious glances until he stepped up on the stage and the music stopped, every dancer missed their steps, and everyone turned to look at him. And then he noticed he was naked. And then everyone started laughing. Pointing. Making jokes.
No, this was worse. He wasn't going to wake from this. All the blood had drained from his face. Evernight, it had drained from everywhere. He had no idea where it had all gone, but it had taken his ability to speak with it.
"Kip, I'm kidding," Liv said.
His mouth moved. Blood coming back. Thoughts slower.
"Not often that you're left with nothing to say," Liv said, poking him. His thoughts on that must have shown, because she smirked. "If you don't watch it, I'll ruffle your hair."
"That's it, I'm shaving my head!" Kip declared.
Liv laughed. "Enough, enough! No more digressions! I'll never teach you anything if we keep on like this."
"So," Kip said, "will. Not the bad man. See? At least I remember where we got off track."
Liv shook her head, amused. "Not so fast. First, Kip, you've got a deal. I'd love to be your friend. Maybe we can remind each other every now and again where we came from."
Kip felt his ears getting hot. As if they'd ever cooled. "I'd like that a lot," he said.
"Now, finally, will. Will covers a multitude of flaws, just as-"
"Love covers a multitude of sins," a familiar voice declared from the door.
Both Kip's and Liv's heads snapped around. It was Master Danavis, Liv's father, alive.
"Father? Father!" Liv literally shrieked. She jumped up and ran to her father and threw herself into his arms. Corvan laughed and squeezed her hard.
"I heard you were dead!" Liv said.
Um, yes, that was me. Kip, bringer of false bad tidings. "I didn't believe it, but I was so-" Liv started crying.
Corvan closed his eyes, just holding his daughter. Kip wondered if there were some way he could escape.
And go where? This is my room.
But after a few moments, Corvan gently pushed his daughter back. "I am surprisingly durable. You look more lovely than ever, Aliviana."
"I'm all cryey," Liv protested, wiping her eyes.
"Perhaps even a smidge more beautiful than your mother. A claim I'd not have tolerated until this day, seeing the truth with my own eyes. She'd be so proud of you."
"Father," Liv said, her cheeks coloring, but pleased.
"Don't you think she's beautiful, Kip?"
Kip spluttered, making some kind of sound like he was drowning. Seriously, if embarrassment were a muscle, I'd be huge.
"Faather!" Liv said, horrified.
Corvan laughed. "My day wouldn't have been complete without my daughter thinking I was embarrassing. Your pardon, Kip."
"Erm," Kip said eloquently. So he hadn't been the target after all. Liv had. Kip was seeing where she got her wicked sense of humor.
"It's wonderful to see you well, Kip… Kip Guile." Corvan shook his head, astounded. "Liv, Kip, I'd love to catch up with you both, but the Prism has just given me work."
"Work?" Liv asked.
"I've been put in charge of the defense of Garriston, under only the Prism himself."
"What?!" Liv said. "You're a general again?"
"Not as enviable a position as you might think. A softer bed doesn't make for easier sleep when ten thousand lives rest in your shaking hands. King Garadul's army will be here in about five days. They'll attack the day after Midsummer's. If we're to hold this city, I'll have to devise a more brilliant defense than I've ever seen. I need to go set some things in motion now, but Liv, I'll come find you sometime after midnight. Kip, maybe tomorrow?"
"I'd like that, Master Danavis. General Danavis?"
Master Danavis smiled. "Yes. Hadn't noticed how much I'd missed that. Despite everything. Say, Liv, do you know anything about Karris White Oak?"
Liv shrugged. "Only Blood Forester Blackguard, astounding fighter, bichrome who was nearly a poly, maybe the fastest drafter on the Jaspers. Why?"
The new general said, "She was captured by King Garadul. The Prism won't admit it, but I know it's going to drive him to distraction. He cares a great deal about her. I doubt it will be possible to rescue her, not with the limited assets I have, but I'm going to learn all I can to see if there's any hope at all."
And just like that, a stupid, mad, impossible idea took root.
Chapter 62
"Wake up, Kip," a voice said.
Kip was usually a heavy sleeper, but he sat upright instantly at that voice. "My Lord Prism?" he asked, blinking. It felt like it had barely been ten minutes since he went to bed.
Gavin said, "Get dressed. We're going for a walk." He turned toward Commander Ironfist, who was standing by the door. "You're invited."
A grin flashed over Ironfist's face, visible only because his teeth were so starkly white against his ebony skin. He would have accompanied them regardless.
Kip pulled on his clothes. Within minutes, they were walking the streets of Garriston. Kip was playing his part of the gawker once more, still a little overwhelmed by being in a city of this size, despite that it wasn't nearly as impressive as the Jaspers. The construction, of course, wasn't all towering minarets. Like back home, the buildings were square, with flat roofs where people could relax in the evenings or sleep during the unbearably hot nights. Even with the sea breezes, it got stiflingly hot here. But the buildings here weren't solely the stone construction that was used in Rekton. Interspersed with the stone, often on the same building, were mud bricks and date palm wood, all stuck together with gypsum mortar. Even the whitewash, helpful in cooling homes and preserving the mortar and mud bricks from the sun, was applied haphazardly. The buildings were, however, three and four stories tall. Only a few buildings in Rekton rose to three stories. People in the streets looked dirty, and there was garbage everywhere.
Gavin, Kip noticed, was wearing a worn, faded cloak with a single button holding it closed in front. Disguising his status? Indeed, Commander Ironfist was getting more stares than either Kip or Gavin.
"Hey, Ironfist, you think you could be a little less conspicu-" Gavin started, then traced his eyes from Ironfist's feet up, until he had to tilt his head back to take in the huge, hugely muscled man. "Never mind."