When he finished, Tallis removed the oversized cloak-wearing his green Lyrandar coat beneath-and wrapped the inquisitive in it. “Time to retire this thing anyway.” Tallis pushed the unconscious inquisitive into the bushes and out of sight, tossing his weapons into another bush.
Soneste pitied the older man such indignities, but she hadn’t liked Jotrem since the moment she met him. The next time she met him, things were sure to be ugly.
Tallis stepped back out, brushing off his coat. “Sorry about that,” he said with an awkward smile. “I like to be early for meetings, though I admit I imagined our secret tryst would be more romantic than this. And I didn’t think you’d bring your boyfriend.” Tallis winked, but Soneste didn’t appreciate the joke.
Soneste wanted to yell at him, but the news she bore hung over her like the storm clouds above the city. “How am I supposed to explain this later? You’re driving a wedge between me and the Ministry. This will only hurt us both.” Her words lacked conviction. Her relationship with Jotrem was hardly a concern right now.
“What’s wrong?” Tallis glanced up at the Tower of the Twelve, frowning. “You learned something, didn’t you? Something bad.”
Behind him, Soneste saw Aegis approaching them on the path. A small crowd of children trailed him, some of them pelting him with small stones and litter from the streets.
Tallis rolled his eyes. “It’s a good thing we’re not worried about drawing attention to ourselves.”
A larger stone rebounded off Aegis’s steel-armored back. The loud noise made Tallis wince-and drew the attention of several passersby, who eyed the construct suspiciously.
“Cannith trash!” the oldest boy jeered, as if daring the tall warforged to attack him.
Aegis stopped and turned to face the children. “You are very astute, young master Karrn,” the warforged said to the boy. “I am, indeed, cobbled together from the dust and dross of a Cannith forgehold. It is a wonder I can move at all.”
Soneste wanted to smile, but Lady Erice’s words had frozen in her mind. She called out to Aegis. The children began to slip away, one by one, as the warforged approached the safety of two adults.
Soneste slipped her haversack free. “Tallis, let’s take a walk.”
She explained what Lady Erice had told her about nimblewrights and the nature of their possession. Aegis walked behind them, listening without comment. As they neared the far side of Wollvern Park, she handed Tallis her copy of the arcane contract. When he finished reading it, the Karrn stopped. His expression was dark, more confused than worried.
“What is this supposed to prove?” he said, turning to look at her as they walked. He looked calm, but his tone was hostile.
Soneste sighed. “Nimblewrights obey only the orders of their master. This particular one-our assassin-was given to the Malovyn family. Lenrik’s family. Only a Malovyn can command it.”
For the first time since she’d met him, Tallis was speechless. Anger and denial warred in his quicksilver eyes.
“Tallis,” she said with a whisper, not wanting to be overheard. “Don’t dismiss this out of hand. Your emotions will mislead you.”
“No, this just isn’t right. Lenrik isn’t … I know him-better than anyone else on Eberron.” He looked back at her. “Better than I know you.”
Soneste wished for something else, some hidden clue to disprove her own fears and substantiate her doubts. She’d only met Lenrik this very morning. She felt like she’d gauged the elf’s character fairly well. She’d enjoyed his company and had understood why Tallis had confided in him.
The Aerenal tapestry came unbidden to mind. What if her earlier supposition about that had been right? Tallis had known the elf most of his life, but the deepest deceptions were personal.
“Does he have any other family in Khorvaire?” she asked.
“No. He’s the only one. His father is dead. The rest … are still in Aerenal or someplace. No contact.” He shook the paper in his hand, looking as though he would tear it up. “Even if this thing is accurate, the thing’s master could be someone else. In Aerenal. Some relative.”
“Commanding the creature here in Korth? That’s a very big coincidence.”
Tallis shook his head. “If this was true, why didn’t Lenrik try and stop us from identifying the nimblewright’s hand if it could implicate him? If he was involved somehow, why would he allow us to find out more? We’d find out the truth eventually. He’d have held onto it to be safe, promising to find out more in the Archives of Aureon. It’s all a lie.”
“I don’t know. I know it doesn’t make perfect sense, which is why we need to approach this carefully.”
“You don’t need to approach this at all. I’ll talk to him.” Tallis glared at her then began to outpace her.
Soneste hurried to keep up, the heavy footfalls from behind reminding her that Aegis was still with them. “Listen, you can’t just confront him about it.” Tallis kept moving, as obstinate as Jotrem had ever been. “Damn it,” she said. “You’re such a Karrn!”
When they exited the park, a squad of White Lions tore past them on the street, responding to some emergency. A sergeant barked orders to his men, and Soneste heard only the words “lightning rail.” She watched them as they disappeared around a street corner, desiring to know what errand demanded their presence so urgently. She could follow them or find out at the Justice Ministry, but she couldn’t let Tallis go to the cathedral alone. Things had become entirely too dangerous.
“Slow down,” she demanded. “You’re going to attract attention. I’m coming with you. Just slow down!”
Tallis said nothing, brooding as he walked.
“Tallis,” she said quietly. “Before you go barging into the cathedral, we need to learn more-”
The Karrn stopped sharply, snatched one of her hands, and pulled her close to him. As her body pressed against his, he looked into her eyes-then bent her arm behind her back. He applied pressure just so, sending a wave of agony through her arm. She gasped from the pain.
Still Tallis held her gaze. He’d chosen his moment well. They stood out of sight of most foot traffic, and those who passed by could easily take their posture as a lover’s embrace.
Soneste heard Aegis stepping close behind her. “Unhand her or die,” he said, his tone deadly.
“Another step,” Tallis warned the warforged without shifting his gaze, “and this arm will break.”
“Aegis … just wait,” Soneste managed through her pain. She tried to think. The sleightest movement of her arm in any direction sent a surge of fire through her nerves. She considered a psychic attack, but she wasn’t sure she could muster the concentration for it.
“Remember our truce!” she said to Tallis. “For your king and mine.”
He leaned in close, his lips close to her ear. “Kaius and Boranel don’t know about any of this.” Tallis’s voice was pure scorn. “They wouldn’t care if they did.”
“I’m here to help,” she said softly. “I don’t want to believe Lenrik is involved in this any more than you do.”
“You’re here for your case.” There was a long pause. Soneste could feel the tension in his body, the anger in his grip. “Leave me-leave us-alone, Brelish.” He released her arm then shoved her away. Hard.
She would have fallen to the cobbles gracelessly, but Aegis’s strong hands caught her and held her upright. She composed herself, mind astir with both rage and sorrow. She looked back to see Tallis already some distance away, his pace quickening into a run. Soneste turned to the warforged.
“I have to follow him.”
“But Mistress, he will-”
“He won’t.” She pointed in the direction the White Lions had run down the street. “I need you to find out what’s going on. Follow the White Lions from a distance if you can. They’re headed to the lightning rail station, I think. If anyone questions you, just give my name and the Civic Minister’s, Hyran ir’Tennet. Then wait outside the cathedral. That’s where I’ll be.”