Page 56 of The Last Slayer
“Have dinner with me after you return from the Mystic Forest.”
Okay, that wasn’t that difficult. Or was it?
“No,” Ramiel said, his tone implacable.
Nahemah raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?”
“Unacceptable.”
“But why?” She stretched her arms, palms up. It was a gesture of dramatic yet humble reasonableness, and somehow it fit Nahemah perfectly. “I’m not asking her to dine with me now. She doesn’t have to fulfill her end of the bargain until she comes back. And I promise I won’t drug the food or drinks. It’s just that Weston’s been dying to show off his new recipes, and you know how I love dinner parties.”
“Weston?” I said.
“My caretaker,” Nahemah said. “Speaking of which, how is your castellan, Ramiel? What was his name? Wishy…? Washy…?”
“Toshi,” he said. “Surely you remember him? Senility can’t have set in yet.”
“It helps me to associate names with certain of their owners’ characteristics. Makes remembering so much easier.” Her smile became a tinkling laugh. “Of course, I undoubtedly have a more difficult time of it, lacking as I do the benefit of the social limitations that come with being outcast.” She turned to me. “But we all fare as best we can. So. What do you say?”
Outcast? I glanced at Ramiel. His eyes were blank. His long nimble fingers continued to toy with his glass, but their movements weren’t as smooth as before.
And of course, Nahemah didn’t miss anything.
“You don’t trust me. How silly.” She waved a hand negligently. “I simply want to be the first to dine with Leh’s daughter and her champion. Is that so hard to understand?”
Without blinking even once, she took a long swallow of her wine and peered at Ramiel over the rim of her glass. He met her stare evenly.
“I hope you plan to join us,” she said to Ramiel.
He opened his mouth to argue, but I said, “We accept.”
His face turned a dull shade of red, then went absolutely white. A muscle in his jaw started ticking. Nahemah’s trilling laughter rang in the hall.
I had no idea what was between them, but I didn’t want to get involved. Especially over something that had happened over four fricking centuries ago.
Still, if looks could kill…
“The lady knows what she wants,” Nahemah said, still to Ramiel. “She doesn’t see any problem with my proposal, so why should you?” She gestured at the moon. “It’s going to disappear soon. Shall we wait for the next cycle?”
“No.” By then Valerie would be long dead. “Let’s do it.”
“You’re making a mistake,” Ramiel said.
I rose from my seat, ignoring him. I had no choice. “Show me how I can find Leh.”
The contented look on Nahemah’s face made my stomach clench. But it was too late to change my mind.
Nahemah signaled one of the liliths by the servants’ entrance. It was the same insolent girl who had greeted me and Ramiel. She was still naked and still beautiful. But next to Nahemah, she seemed as drab as a potato sack. I had to wonder what I looked like compared to those two. Maybe growing up in Valerie’s shadow hadn’t been so bad.
“India, take Lady Ashera to the Lunar Pool.”
“Yes, milady.” India bowed, then turned to me and bowed again. I liked her new and improved attitude. “Please give your weapon to Lord Ramiel and follow me.”
I glanced at Nahemah and then at Ramiel. Regardless of the promise she’d made, I wasn’t naïve enough to think Semangelaf and his buddies hadn’t tried to negotiate with Nahemah. She could’ve turned their offer down—hell, Semangelaf could be gay for all I knew—but I didn’t want to leave my sword behind.
“Don’t worry,” Nahemah said. “None of my servants will attack an unarmed guest, and I don’t want to add Ramiel’s blade to my collection. Besides, what do you suppose you’re going to do with that thing? Skewer your mother?” She laughed.
Ramiel’s knuckles tightened around the stem of his glass. Any stiffer and he might snap in half. He nodded at me. All right. If he thought there was nothing wrong with leaving the weapon behind… I handed it to him. “I’ll be back for it soon.”
