Traitor's Moon

half-breed.”
    â€œI know. Retrace your steps.” Before he could respond, she was gone, disappearing like smoke on the air.
    â€œRetrace my steps?” Alec grumbled. “What else have I been doing?”
    This time, however, it worked and he found himself back in familiar territory, near the Iia’sidra chamber. Having nothing better to do, he went in and settled in an inconspicuous corner, watching faces. He watched Torsin’s most closely of all.
    He managed to catch Seregil’s attention when the council adjourned for the midday meal. Motioning him outside, Alec walked him quickly into an empty side street.
    â€œFind out anything in Khatme tupa?” Seregil asked hopefully.
    â€œWell, no. Not there.” Steeling himself, Alec plunged into a hurried account of his findings in. Torsin’s room, what he’d seen between Nyal and Amali momentarily forgotten.
    Seregil stared a him incredulously, then whispered, “You burgled
Torsin’s
room? Bilairy’s Balls, didn’t I tell you to wait?”
    â€œYes, and if I’d listened to you we wouldn’t have this, would we?” Alec showed him the Virésse tassel. “What’s the matter with you? A member of Klia’s own delegation sneaks out to talk to the enemy and you say wait? Back in Rhíminee you’d have been in there last night yourself!”
    Seregil glared at him a moment, then shook his head. “It’s not the same here. This isn’t the Plenimarans we’re dealing with. The Aurënfaie are Skala’s allies in spirit if not in actual fact. It’s not as if they’re likely to be plotting her assassination. And Torsin?”
    â€œBut this could be the proof Klia was looking for, about his divided loyalty.”
    â€œI’ve been thinking about that. It’s not sympathy that would make Torsin court Ulan’s favor. He’s worried that we could lose all by offending the Virésse: not get Gedre, and lose our port in Virésse in the bargain. Still, if he did go behind her back to do it—?”
    â€œHow did he seem at the Iia’sidra?”
    â€œAny guilty glances or secret nods exchanged, you mean?” Seregil asked with a crooked grin. “None that I saw. The one possibility we haven’t considered is that he was acting on Klia’s behalf, and that it’s the rest of us who aren’t supposed to know.”
    â€œWell, that brings us right back to my original question. What do we do?”
    Seregil shrugged. “We’re Watchers. We’ll watch.”
    â€œSpeaking of watching people, I saw Nyal and Amali together again early this morning.”
    â€œOh?” This clearly piqued Seregil’s interest. “What were they up to?”
    â€œShe was upset about her husband and it was Nyal she turned to.”
    â€œThey were lovers once. Clearly there’s still a bond there,” said Seregil. “What was it she was upset about?”
    â€œI didn’t hear everything, but it sounded like this debate is taking a toll on Rhaish.”
    Seregil frowned. “That’s not good. We need him strong. Do you think Amali and Nyal are still secretly lovers?”
    Alec thought back over the morning’s scene: Amali clinging to the tall Ra’basi, the anger he’d seen in the man’s face at the mere hint of abuse. “I don’t know.”
    â€œI think it’s time we found out, and not just for Klia’s sake. Let’s see if Adzriel knows more than she’s been letting on.”
    They found Adzriel sitting with Säaban in her colos.
    â€œNyal and Amali?” Säaban chuckled when Seregil broached the subject. “Have you two been gossiping in the taverns?”
    â€œNot exactly,” Seregil hedged. “I’ve heard a few rumors, and Nyal’s been showing a lot of attention to Beka Cavish; if he’s leading her on, I mean to take steps.”
    â€œThey were lovers before her marriage to Rhaish í Arlisandin,” Adzriel said. “A sad story, the stuff of ballads.”
    â€œWhat happened?”
    Adzriel shrugged. “She chose duty over love, I suppose, marrying the khirnari of her clan rather than an outsider. But I know she’s grown to love Rhaish dearly; it’s Nyal who carries the pain of that decision. He strikes me as the sort of man who does not stop loving even when his love is turned away. Perhaps Beka can heal his