Page 89 of The Winner's Curse
“They’re in every Herrani house,” Cheat said. “Your villa, too. Or rather, mine. You know, there’s no need for you to stay here against your will. You could come home.”
Kestrel splattered oil onto Cheat’s feet and smeared it into the rough skin. “No. There’s nothing there I want.”
She felt his gaze on her bowed head, on her hands moving over his feet. “Do you do this for Arin?”
“No.”
“What do you do for him?”
Kestrel straightened. Her palms were greasy. She rubbed them into her skirts, not caring that disgust was at least one of the things Cheat wanted to see.
Why, why would he want that?
She turned to leave.
“We’re not done,” he said.
“We are,” said Kestrel, “unless you’d like to see how much my father taught me about unarmed combat. I’ll drown you in that fountain. If I can’t, I’ll scream loud enough to bring every Herrani in this house running, and make them wonder what kind of man their leader is, that a Valorian girl so easily snapped his self-control.”
She walked away, and he didn’t follow, though she felt his eyes on her until she turned a corner. She found the kitchens, the most populated place in the house, and stood by a fire, listening to the metal clatter of kettles. She ignored the strange looks.
Then she was shaking, as much with fury as anything else.
Tell Arin.
Kestrel waved that thought away. What good would telling Arin do?
Arin was a black box hidden below a smooth tile. A trap door opening beneath her. He wasn’t what she’d thought he was.
Maybe Arin had known that this would happen, or something like it.
Maybe he wouldn’t even mind.
33
Arin bounded across the threshold of his home. He raced through the lit hallways, then drew up short when he saw Cheat glaring into the atrium fountain.
Suddenly, Arin was a twelve-year-old boy again, hands caked with white dust from quarrying as much rock as he could to prove his strength to this man.
“I worried we’d miss each other,” Arin said. “I went to your villa first, but was told you had come here.”
“Where’ve you been?” Cheat was in an ugly mood.
“Scouting the mountain pass.” When this deepened Cheat’s frown, Arin added, “Since that’s the path the reinforcements will probably take.”
“Of course. Obviously.”
“And I know just what to do to them.”
A glimmer stole into Cheat’s face.
Arin sent for Sarsine, and when she came, he asked her to bring Kestrel. “I need her opinion.”
Sarsine hesitated. “But—”
Cheat wagged a finger at her. “I’m sure you run this house well, but can’t you see that your cousin’s bursting at the seams with a plan that might save our hides? Don’t bore him with domestic details, like who’s squabbling with whom … or whether your special charge isn’t feeling social. Just get the girl.”
She left.
