Page 55 of Suffer No Fools
"Thank you."
"I would have done it whether you'd talked to Allora or not, you know."
"Aye." He patted her hand at his elbow. "It's good to be bribed into helping the elderly every once in a while."
"You watch who you're calling elderly, young man."
Despite her age, Gulde had no trouble setting a brisk pace along the trail. Tovey took a moment to catch his breath when they reached the sentinel oak, and then they continued into the caves.
Allora stood at the door to her cavern in a long robe with the same silvery shimmer as her hair. She'd had it up in a braid when Tovey had met with her the day before, but now it hung in waves to her waist. She leaned against the wall with one shoulder drooping under the strain of a heavy leather bag.
"Nice to know the seeker enchantment Fanidra gave me works," she said. "Disgusting how it was made, though." The bauble was so large, she had to lift it from the bag with both hands. "It's very short range, though. Maybe to the corner." She pointed up the path they'd come, where it veered off to the east.
"Come with us to speak with Elder Beatrice," Gulde said.
"She'll be in the conference room." Allora set the ball in a marble holder with four clawed feet. "I don't need a seeker to tell me that, this time of day. The others will be with her. Frost. Vadim. Efren."
The way she said Tovey's mates' names made his skin crawl.
"Aye," Tovey said, "and Emperor Hugo." He left Stan's name unspoken. He didn't think Allora had any issues with Stan, but he would have said the same for the rest of his crew.
"He won't believe me," Allora said. "Vadim especially. I was there when Martiz cut out his eye. He made me leave the room, but I knew what he intended." She inhaled a shuddering breath. "I should have fought for him. He wasn't a child, but no one deserved that. Martiz claimed it would heal him somehow."
"Martiz was a monster," Gulde said. "If they're going to punish you for looking away, they should punish themselves first. Martiz stayed because Beatrice allowed it."
Allora nodded. She gripped her bag tighter to her body and motioned for them to leave her home. She locked and warded the door and then pushed past them to lead the way. Soon, they arrived at the back door to the conference room. Vadim's voice echoed in the tunnel, followed by Hugo's.
"Hi!" Hugo said when his gaze met Tovey's over Allora's head. "Ahem. I mean, hello, Elder Allora."
Allora turned to Tovey and smirked before taking her usual seat at the table. Tovey guided Gulde to Jermain's vacant seat before crossing to the open spot beside Hugo.
"Hello, young Emperor Hugo," Allora said. "I apologize for being absent when you arrived. I have been too embarrassed to speak to you." She glanced around the table at Frost, Beatrice, Efren, Stan, and the rest of the crew, and finally Vadim. "All of you."
"We're happy you're here now," Hugo said. "And Gulde. How may we help you today?"
Gulde laughed. "See? Always so polite. I'm here to vouch for Allora. What she's about to tell you is the truth. I know because the bastard did the same to me, too."
Vadim's elbow bumped Tovey's as he rubbed his forehead. "Go on."
"I'm so sorry, Vadim." Allora bowed her head. "I didn't remember what he'd done to you until you mentioned it at your trial."
He frowned, and then he cradled his head in his hands. "You were there. That fucker stole my memory of it, too. I remembered everything else, but not your involvement."
"He didn't want you to know," Gulde said. "That's how he kept his secrets."
Allora flinched back from the table. "That man. That fucking man stole our memories to keep us complacent!"
Vadim rose from the table and walked around to Allora's seat, dropping to a knee beside her. "May I examine you with healing?"
She nodded, and he placed his hands at her temples, an inch from her hair.
"I sense his healing weaves. I can't say for certain what kind of healing ... yes, I can. There are some memories you haven't uncovered yet." He dropped his hands and staggered to his feet.
"What did you see?" She stared up at him with fear in her eyes.
"One I hope you never remember." He sagged against the table with his head in his hands. "Now I know what happened, at least."
"Oh, Vadim." Allora blinked, and tears fell from her eyes. "I see it now, too. I'm so sorry about your mother." She touchedhis arm, and he flinched away from her. "He killed so many on the island with that horrible dagger."
