Lady Heiler gave Sithe a strange, searching look. “He prays
for, what, three hours each morning? What do you mean, he’s not a Son of
Vilaya?”
Sithe shrugged. “He would be able to tell you far better
than I. Suffice to say, I think the point’s been made. Just because he officially holds reign over his own
decisions doesn’t somehow absolve you from worrying for him.” A silence stepped
in for a long moment. “... I must ask, why have you come to me about this?
Why not speak to Captain Milford? Or ... Sister Ai herself. Surely she would
sympathize with your plight, and certainly she’d be much better equipped to
actually help.”
Lady Heiler smirked. “... Better equipped, but not better able. I’m looking for something more
discreet than that. You know discreet ... do you not?”
Sithe chuckled. “Hm.” She wondered why she wasn’t surprised
that this woman from a fishing villa somehow knew her ... secret mission. Why
not? She defied all other expectations.
Why shouldn’t she be the only rich
woman in the entire city to actually pay attention?
“Surprised?” Lady Heiler asked, as though she’d read Sithe’s
mind. Then she flinched. “My apologies. I shouldn’t be so flippant. We’ve all
our reasons for secrecy. Yours are more noble than most. Certainly more noble than mine.”
“I’ll admit that this is a first,” Sithe said. “Those few
who know what I do make a habit of telling me when they find children in need
of my ... intervention. However, your boy has the backing of the most
irretrievably powerful woman on this continent.” Lady Heiler’s face screwed up
into something derisive—clearly there was no love lost between this woman and
Ai Nan-Tamé—but it turned neutral again bare seconds later. “Surely he doesn’t
need my protection ... from anyone.”
“Will you help me or not?”
Sithe shrugged. “I can’t deny a certain curiosity. But ...
I don’t work for free. This is a unique case, after all, and there’s far more danger involved than usual. If this gets
back to me, I’ll have the feather-snakes on my ass faster than an Eastwharf gull during fishing season.”
Lady Heiler frowned. “Anything. What do you need? It’s
yours, if you’ll help my Loki.”
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