Free Forging Divinity by Andrew Rowe Page A

might be having guests that you need to murder.”
    Lydia nodded slowly. “You’re right. That would be a needlessly extreme measure, as well as careless. Taelien, you can bring us some of his food.”
    The dark-haired youth turned his head to her. “I appreciate your permission, but it’s not necessary. I don’t work for you,” he noted in a bemused tone. He paused for a moment, and then stood and added. “But I am very hungry.”
    Ah, the lad has some autonomy after all. That’s good, that could work to my advantage later.
    Lydia sighed as Taelien started walking to the kitchen. “Sorry to presume, Taelien. Please bring us all some food to eat. It’s been a long day for both of us.”
    Jonan watched Taelien go to the cupboard, nodding silently in response to Lydia.
    Good move, paladin. Remind him you’re human and smooth things over. Keep your game piece friendly.
    “Look, we don’t need to be at odds about any of this. While I recognize that our religions don’t always get along-“
    “And occasionally engage in holy wars against one another-,” Lydia added, folding her arms and smirking.
    “-We can still find common ground on these issues. Neither of us wants the Sae’kes in the hands of the local gods. Neither of us wants anything of importance in the hands of the local gods.” Jonan gestured to the ceiling with his bound wrists.
    “True,” Lydia confessed. “But I find the idea of the Sae’kes in Vaelien’s hands...or worse, his son’s, to be far more disturbing than losing it here.”
    Jonan deliberately kept his expression as neutral as he could, but the mention of Vaelien’s son sent a torrent of painful memories through his mind. A teenaged girl with a manic grin, the blood on her right hand illuminated by a globe of flame hovering above it. Oppressing heat everywhere, smoke thick enough to crush his lungs. The screams of the dying reverberating around him, while he hid, useless, praying that he would not be seen.
    No, he considered grimly, his son is not the one you need to worry about.
    “Well, while I am quite certain that I would be rewarded – immensely, in fact – for securing that weapon, you’ve made it more than evident that I will not succeed in doing so. Moreover, our good friend Taelien,” he gestured to Taelien, who was returning carrying a plate with a loaf of bread and a carving knife, “would likely be averse to either of us taking charge of the sword he carries.”
    “The sword stays with me,” Taelien said simply, setting down the bread plate on the nearby table with a loud ‘clack’.
    “Right,” Jonan said with a faint hint of laughter in his voice. “So, since that is settled, we can feel free to cooperate on other matters.”
    Lydia glanced at the bread that was now seated next to her, and then back to Jonan. Taelien began to cut the bread into smaller slices.
    “I see little else we could cooperate on. I appreciate you providing a place for us to stay for the evening. We will keep watches to ensure you do not try to kill us – or take the sword – while we rest. In the morning, if you have not betrayed us, I can escort Taelien out of the city.” Lydia shifted her gaze between the two men, scrutinizing.
    “I’d like to hear his proposal, actually,” Taelien said.
    Lydia frowned, turning to glance at Taelien. “You don’t know these Kesites. They can’t be trusted. Think back to the beginning of our conversation with him – he tried to mislead us twice before admitting who he worked for.”
    “What, you mean sort of like you dressing up like a court sorceress and helping a prisoner escape?” Jonan shot back.
    “I am a court sorceress,” Lydia growled. “I was hired legitimately.”
    Jonan nodded, putting on an impressed face. “So you actually infiltrated the government of a nation, rather than just putting on a costume. Well, that’s certainly a step up in scale.”
    Lydia glowered at him. “Yes, I’m capable of deception as well. Taelien