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The men all swear fealty to Aron, and one by one, we learn a little about them. There's Markos from Aventine, who comes from a sailing family. Solat, who hails from Katharn and has the most beautiful, fine black curls. Kerren, who has darker skin and comes from Mephis, and Vitar, who is a farmer's son and also comes from Katharn. They've been with the Aron of Lies for about two weeks now, and served him faithfully. They have three woale with them and took turns walking as Aron rode with the concubine and the wizard. The men ask to have an evening to bury their fallen dead, and while Aron doesn't look as if he wants to do so, he turns to me and I nod. I want an evening off, too.
So I sit by the fire and clean my face and arms of mud while the men dig in the forest and Aron hovers, watching them. The concubine sits with me, and I learn her name, too—Yule
"You don't have to be a slave any longer," I tell her. I was a slave and I hated it. "I'm sure Aron will free you. Heck, you're free now."
She frowns, as if this makes her unhappy. "It is a great honor to serve one of the Aspects. Being his slave will be one of my life's true joys."
"Aron doesn't need slaves."
"You see to his pleasure, then?"
Well this conversation just escalated to eleven. "That's a bit personal and I don't have to tell you."
Yule
"You mean you knew what the Aron of Lies liked. This is a different Aron."
"They are all Aspects of the same god," Yule
"It's not the same, and you won't touch him unless he asks for it. No volunteering, either."
"But, my lady, I just want to please him." She clasps her hands in front of her chest, eyes beseeching. "I'm a bed slave. How do I earn my keep if I don't please him?"
"You could try cooking?" I gesture at the camp fire. "Or like I said, we could set you free. We can give you money and you can go to the nearest town and start over."
Her eyes fill with tears. "If I go to Katharn with no papers and no male guardian, I will be captured by the first slaver who sees me and sold on the cheap. Please, do not do this. I have served my Lord of Storms faithfully." She drops to her knees and prostrates herself, weeping.
Well, shit. "Yule
The words stick in my throat.
She beams at me, her face full of relief. “I can service both of you if needed. Just tell me what is required and I’ll do it.”
“Er, no, I’m good, thanks.” I hastily move away from her before she can start offering to demonstrate. I’ve gone from hating Yule
Before I can take more than a few steps into the trees, Aron is there before me, glowering. “Where are you going?”
“Oh. I was coming to talk to you.”
He scowls at me. “I told you not to stay by the fire.”
It takes a moment for me to process that. “Right. Well, I was just coming straight for you—”
“Faith.” Aron takes me by the arm, sending tingles up and down my body. If anything, the electric shocks seem to be stronger than before. Maybe they’re doubling up because he’s two Arons now. “I do not want you by the fire where I can watch over you. I trust these men. They have proven themselves.”
Ah. He’s worried we might still be betrayed. Of course he is. Haven’t we been betrayed by everyone in this land so far? “I’m sorry, Aron. I just needed to talk to you. I’ll stay by the fire…but do you want a bed slave?” I rush the words out before he can scowl at me again.
Aron cocks his head, amusement on his handsome, arrogant face. “You are volunteering?”
“What? No!” I can feel a hot blush on my face. “You wish!”
“Do I?”
I…can’t tell if that’s a lie or not. He’s still casting that slow smile in my direction, the one that makes my belly flutter, and I don’t know what to think. “Yule
“And what do you think?”
Okay, now his questions are getting on my nerves. “I think you’re in charge of your own damn dick. You tell me.”
He studies me for a long moment. “Because I have defeated Lies…it means that I am him. The thought of having her in my bed is appealing.”
I open my mouth to snap at him for being a pig—when I realize that I’m supposed to read the opposite from his words. Right. It’s still taking me some getting used to. I can’t help but preen a little. “So you don’t want her in your bed? She’s going to be disappointed.”
“And I care?” He arches one arrogant eyebrow at me.
“Hey, you know what? That’s kind of neat—if you ask a rhetorical question, we can get around the lies thing.” I give him a little poke in the chest with my finger. “Remember that, because talking to you now is confusing.”
“Is it?” His grin is practically flirty, and my pulse hammers in my throat. “Again, should I care if you’re confused since you are here to serve me?”
Good ol’ Arrogance, rearing his head again. I give his chest a little pat. “I’m going to ignore that. So what’s the plan now?”
Aron studies my face, and then glances down at the hand I have on his chest. I leave it there, just to be obstinate, and I get the distinct impression that he expected that and it amuses him. He puts his hand over mine a moment later, and then I’m trapped against him, little shockwaves of lightning skittering through my skin. “Nothing has changed, has it?”
“Everything has changed,” I whisper. “You’re different now.”
“I am,” he tells me.
Oh sure, he can pretend nothing is different, but I’m having to interpret every word he says now. “I’m just glad you won,” I admit. “I don’t like to think of ending up like the wizard.” I shudder, still picturing him as the last time I saw him, his slender, robed body tossed atop the pile of fallen soldiers. “Promise me you’ll win against the next two, also.”
“I can promise nothing, Faith,” he says in a low voice, and his thumb brushes over my trapped hand. “You think I would let harm come to you?”
I smile faintly at him. “I have to admit this puts a kink in our plans. Soldiers and a bed slave?” When he snorts, I shake my head. “I don’t feel safer. You’d think with extra people around, it would feel like we’re less vulnerable. And yet…” Now I’ve seen what happens when a god’s anchor is killed. I watched Liar Aron fade out before my eyes.
Fade into nothing.
I’m not sure which image disturbs me more—that the wizard was slain to get rid of Liar Aron, or that Liar Aron could just vanish into nothing. I think of that happening to my Aron and impulsively, I move forward and give him a hug, pressing my cheek to his leather-armor-covered chest.
He strokes my hair, and for a change, Aron is quiet. There are no lies coming from his mouth, no arrogant bullshit. He just smooths my hair and holds me close, and I tremble against him, full of worry.
“You think I would let anything happen to you, my Faith?” he murmurs again, and I feel warm and relaxed at those words.
“I just worry I won’t be enough to help you,” I whisper.
“You aren’t.” And he strokes my hair again.