Free Successio by Alison Morton Page A

Michael said as we made our way to the mess area.
    ‘Sure, I’ll—’
    ‘Carina! Where’ve you been? I get back and you’d vanished. Oh, congratulations, by the way.’
    Daniel. Now unit deputy, he’d been my buddy since we were junior officers together. Well, apart from a really frosty period seven years ago after the final Pulcheria operation. That had lasted a whole uncomfortable year. Eventually, he’d thawed and we’d mostly regained our friendship, but with a tentative note still hanging there.
    The teasing expression in his dark eyes now was matched by his infectious grin.
    ‘Good morning, sir,’ I said formally, locking down my answering grin and switching to English. ‘May I present Captain Michael Browning, of the British Army special forces? Michael, this is Colonel Daniel Stern, the deputy legate.’
    ‘Oh. Morning, Captain. Good to meet you. You’re with us for a couple of weeks, I believe?’
    ‘Yes, I am, sir. We’re scheduled to meet tomorrow, at 11.00 hours.’
    The two men assessed each other. Daniel broke first, smiling, took the Brit’s arm and pulled him along. ‘Let’s grab a beer then, before lunch, and get to know each other.’ He turned his head over his shoulder towards me and winked. ‘You can run along now, Lieutenant -Colonel,’ he said. I said nothing, but smiled to myself as I walked back to my office, pleased the two men had gelled so quickly. I glanced at my watch. Half an hour before lunch. I’d quickly check my desk and join them in the bar.
    ‘Colonel,’ a sombre-faced Sergius greeted me. He had a naturally solemn expression, but now his features looked pinched in. ‘Something unfortunate has occurred.’
    Not my grandmother. Please Juno, no.
    ‘What? Is it the Countess?’
    He shook his head, but looked as if he was eating stale field rations. He shuffled his feet and looked away. Sergius’s carefulness was starting to annoy me. Didn’t he ever take a risk?
    ‘Then what?’
    ‘The DJ Custodes XI Station rang through. They’ve arrested a female juvenile. Drunk in a public place.’
    ‘And?’
    I didn’t particularly care about some stupid kid pissed out of her head. Strictly one for the custodes . Then fear stabbed me in the gut. Please gods, not Stella. Silvia would be mortified. Good thing they’d rung me, not the palace, if it was her.
    Sergius looked down at the el-pad in his hand as if to find some help there. He looked up at me and said in a totally expressionless voice, ‘The name on the arrest sheet is Mitela, Allegra.’

VI
    ‘Here, Bruna, drink this.’
    A strong, masculine hand bearing a chipped mug came into view, interrupting my study of the skirting in this dismal room. I was crouching over with shame and tension.
    Lurio had greeted me at the station house entrance, dragged me into the nearest interview room, thrust me down on a hard plastic chair and told me to stay there. When he came back, I took the mug automatically, sipped and nearly lost my ability to breathe at the fiery spirit he’d poured into the tea.
    ‘Juno, Lurio, how much have you put in this?’
    ‘Enough to wake you up out of drama queen mode.’
    ‘Well, screw you.’
    ‘Much better,’ he replied and grinned at me. Cornelius Lurio, currently Department of Justice Custodes Senior Urban Cohorts Commander, had been my boss on my first ever undercover operation fourteen years ago. I’d been Senior Justiciar Bruna then, with a minus intention of going anywhere near the PGSF. The false name had stuck, although only used now as my nickname. We’d briefly been lovers during that year Conrad and I had parted. Lurio was one of my oldest and most acerbic friends.
    ‘Look, Bruna, it’s not a big deal. Kids are always doing stupid things. Be grateful it’s nothing worse.’
    ‘But she’s so young. Allegra’s different, she doesn’t—’
    ‘Don’t be so bloody naive! Your fluffy little bunny is like anybody else. We’re always scraping them off some pavement