Page 10 of Skinwalker's Bane
“You have no idea what I’m thinking.” His voice was a low rumble.
“I’m better than you know at guessing what’s on a person’s mind.”
He smiled. It wasn’t a happy expression. “Surprise me, then.”
“Lincoln Amos was your friend and he was in your crew, too. He was your deputy. You two were close. I know Lincoln never mentioned me to you, just as he didn’t talk about his friends to me and that bothers you.”
“You got that from the Forum,” he growled.
“Only the first half,” she said. “You’re wondering what the relationship was between us, why he didn’t tell you.”
Adam Wary scowled. “Yeah, I am,” he admitted. “No offense, but you’re not exactly his type.”
“Did he have a type?” she asked, genuinely curious. “Unless you’re defining ‘everything that moves’ as a category.”
Adam laughed. It was yanked out of him, as if he was laughing despite himself. “Sounds about right,” he said. His gaze met hers. “Guess you know him better than I thought.”
“I had no illusions,” Devin said in agreement. “We were lovers, on and off, for nearly six years. No one knew. Absolutely no one.”
“Why all the secrecy?”
“It started that way. It was a purely chance encounter. There was drink involved. It was simply a moment. We both knew that. The fun was uncomplicated and we could make each other laugh, which is why that one encounter repeated itself, over and over.” She shrugged. “Then I got into politics. The people who sponsor me would not like their Palatino candidate fooling around with a Plebian skinwalker, so the relationship stayed dark. We didn’t even discuss it. Lincoln simply knew. I think he was just as embarrassed about seeing a Palatino on a semi-regular basis. In bed, of course, that hardly mattered. Public appearance is a different issue.”
“That’s why you lied?”
“You ambushed me. When I said no one knew, I really mean that. It was a shock, to realize you had connected us together.”
Adam considered her for a long moment. “You’re here to ask me to keep it dark.”
“You are direct, aren’t you?”
“There’s no room in my life for dancing about the point. I leave that to politicians like you. You’re setting up for an election?”
“Yes.”
“Which one?”
“The Captain’s chair, of course.”
“Of course,” he echoed, frowning. “How Plebian of me.”
“I meant only to point out why the stakes are so high,” Devin told him. “Also, why Lincoln’s association with me should remain secret. I don’t think you’re ignorant at all. How could you know I intend to run for Captain? No one else knows.”
Adam raised a brow. “Why not? Doesn’t getting elected involve telling voters who to vote for?”
“My official sponsors have not been finalized, yet.”
“You could always run for yourself,” he pointed out.
“No one in the history of theEndurancehas ever won, running for themselves.”
“Jonah Solomon, the first captain to ever be elected, ran without sponsors.”
Devin was impressed. “You know your history. That is unexpected.”
“In a skinwalker?” he asked gruffly.
“No offence intended,” she assured him. “Skinwalkers are known for spending their spare time pursuing…other things.”
