Free The Hero Strikes Back by Moira J. Moore

no.”
    â€œSo it’s the fault of the person, not the activity.”
    â€œNo. It’s much more than that.”
    I shrugged. I wasn’t going to argue about it. But I couldn’t imagine risking all my money on a horse, and it was so easy to avoid doing it. Just don’t do it. Don’t make the bet. Don’t play cards. Or, stop before you risk losing more than you can afford. It seemed to me that blaming gambling for losing your money was like drinking too much and blaming the alcohol for being drunk. Just stop.
    I took my first taste of the mulled wine. Rich flavor filled my mouth. I usually didn’t like hot wine—it often just tasted sour—but this was gorgeous. I’d have to take better note of the location when I left.
    Erin stared down at his tankard, suddenly appearing ill at ease. I imagined it was an uncharacteristic look for him. “You have a great deal of influence over Risa.”
    That was news to me, but he stated it as though it were an established fact. “I don’t think so.”
    â€œShe talks about you a lot.”
    â€œOh.” How very uncomfortable.
    â€œShe feels you are much wiser than your years would normally dictate.”
    â€œI see.”
    â€œIn fact,” he suddenly chuckled, “she sometimes complains that you are a little too sensible.”
    So it seemed she and Karish had something in common.
    Erin sobered. “She seems really, well, not herself. Have you noticed?”
    â€œI’m afraid not.” Should I have noticed? Was I being too self-absorbed again? “She seems as she always has to me. But you know her much better than I do.”
    â€œI’m not sure I do. There’s almost twenty years between us. I’d left our mother’s home when she was very young, just a small child. Since she’s grown we’ve seen each other more, but . . .” He waved a hand as though physically cutting off his words. “It doesn’t matter. It just seems to me that there’s a carelessness about her now. It worries me.”
    â€œThe way she’s spending money?” Because he wasn’t the only one to mention it, and I wasn’t a complete idiot. Usually.
    â€œThat’s part of it. But it’s her work, too. She seems to feel driven to work as long as possible, and she seems to be trying to find the most dangerous routes.”
    That wasn’t something I’d noticed or heard about, but I didn’t see Risa every day. Still, “I’m not sure what I can do about any of that.”
    â€œTalk to her?”
    â€œAbout what, exactly?” Tell her not to spend money? What did I know about that? Not to take on dangerous assignments? That was the very nature of her job. How could she tell her captain she would take only the safe routes?
    â€œJust that she should, you know, calm down. Be more like you.”
    I nearly choked on my wine. “Are you mad? Sit her down for a lecture on how she should act like me? How arrogant is that?”
    â€œI don’t expect you to say it exactly like that. Shields are supposed to be diplomatic, aren’t they?”
    I didn’t think there was enough diplomacy in the world to make that message palatable to anyone. But Erin still looked uncomfortable, and I didn’t want to give him the impression that I didn’t care. I did care. I just didn’t think there was anything I could, or should, do. “If a good opportunity comes up to say something, I will. That’s the best I can promise.”
    His shoulders lowered in his relief. I had to like someone who showed such concern for a sibling. “I feel your promises are worth a great deal.”
    Oh, no, that didn’t make me feel uncomfortable. “Just because I talk to her doesn’t mean I’ll have any sway over her.”
    â€œPerhaps not. But it can’t hurt.”
    How very optimistic of him. And here, I had thought, solicitors were