Traitor's Moon

still very angry with you, and rightly so. I never took you for a stupid man.”
    Seregil managed a weak chuckle. “You just don’t know me well enough.”
    Nyal frowned down at him, suddenly devoid of sympathy. “If that little night encounter had happened so much as a pace outside the boundaries of Sarikali, your talímenios might be
mourning
you right now.”
    Ashamed, Seregil looked away.
    â€œWhat, no laughter at that? Good.” Nyal produced a steaming sponge from somewhere below Seregil’s line of vision and set about cleaning him.
    â€œI didn’t know you were a healer,” Seregil said when he trusted himself to speak again.
    â€œI’m not, really, but one picks up all sorts of skills, traveling.”
    Seregil studied the other man’s profile. “We do, don’t we?”
    Nyal glanced up from his task. “That sounded almost friendly, Bôkthersa.”
    â€œYou’ll get into trouble calling me that.”
    Nyal gestured sloppily with the sponge. “Who’s to overhear?”
    Seregil acknowledged the barb with a grin of his own. “You’re anosy bastard, and an easterner. Not to mention the fact that you’re the lover of a young woman who’s the closest thing to a daughter I’ll ever have. The combination makes me nervous.”
    â€œSo I’ve noticed.” Nyal gently turned Seregil over to spread fresh salve on his back. “A spy, am I?”
    â€œPerhaps, or maybe just a balance to my presence.”
    Nyal eased him back down, and Seregil looked him in the eye. Incredible eyes, really, clear and seemingly guileless. Strange that he hadn’t noticed them before. No wonder Beka—
    He was wandering, he realized. “So are you?”
    â€œA balancing factor?”
    â€œA spy.”
    Nyal shrugged. “I answer to my khirnari, like anyone else. What I’ve told her is that what your princess says in private is no different than what she says to the Iia’sidra.”
    â€œAnd Amali ä Yassara?” Aura’s Fingers, had he said that aloud? Nyal’s potion must be having more of an effect than he’d thought.
    The Ra’basi merely smiled. “You’re an observant man. Amali and I were once lovers, but she chose to accept the hand of Rhaish í Arlisandin. But I still care for her and speak with her when I safely can.”
    â€œSafely?”
    â€œRhaish í Arlisandin loves his wife very much; it would be unworthy of me to be the cause of discord between them.”
    â€œAh, I see.” Seregil would have tapped the side of his nose knowingly if he could have raised his hand that far.
    â€œThere’s nothing dishonorable between Amali and me, I give you that on my honor. Now come, you must get up and move before your muscles stiffen any more. I expect it will hurt.”
    Getting out of bed proved to be the worst of it. With Nyal’s assistance and considerable cursing, Seregil managed to slip on a loose robe and stagger woozily around the room several times. On one pass he caught sight of himself in the mirror and cringed—eyes too large, skin too pale, expression too nakedly helpless to be the infamous Rhíminee Cat. No, here was the frightened, shame-laden young exile come home again.
    â€œI can walk by myself,” he growled, and pulled away from Nyal only to find that he couldn’t, not by a long shot.
    Nyal caught him as he staggered. “That’s enough for now. Come, you can do with some fresh air.”
    Seregil surrendered himself back into the man’s capable handsand was soon settled more or less comfortably in a sunny back corner of the balcony. Nyal was just tucking a blanket around him when a brisk knock sounded at the door.
    Nyal went to answer it, but it was Mydri who returned. Seregil hastily checked the neck of his robe, hoping no telltale marks showed. It was a futile effort.
    â€œA fever, is it?” she said, glowering down at him. “What were you thinking, Seregil?”
    â€œWhat did Alec tell you?”
    â€œHe didn’t have to tell me anything. I could see it in his face. You should tell that boy not to bother lying; he’s got no skill for it.”
    He does when he wants to
, Seregil thought. “If you’re here to scold me—”
    â€œScold you?” Mydri’s eyebrows arched higher, the way they always had when she was truly angry. “You’re not a child anymore,