Free Pleasure's Offering by Moira Sutton Page A

stopped, suddenly going red, and Zoa smiled. He hadn’t meant to say that much in front of the captain. But Izar looked very touched. He reached up, grabbing Jeric’s arm. “Thank you, Jeric,” he said sincerely. “But much as I’d love to keep you forever, you’re not mine anymore. You just showed me, didn’t you? You’re the Moon’s Own. You and Zoa both.” His eyes roved over the two of them and his face grew almost wistful. “I really am ruined for life, you know,” he said softly, and then he pursed his lips. “When do you leave for the Capital?”
    “Today, if possible,” Zoa said, reaching out to stroke his cheek. She’d grown attached to the clever captain over the last few hours. Suddenly, she wasn’t so eager to go home anymore. Even with Jeric, it felt like something was missing. From the way Jeric was staring at the bed, she could tell he felt the loss far more than she. Izar was his captain, after all. But Izar had reminded Jeric he was following a new commander now and Jeric was too much of a soldier to abandon his post. Still, Zoa’s heart went out to him. She was trying to think of something to say when Izar spoke again and surprised them both.
    “Well,” the captain said. “If you can wait until tomorrow, I’ll escort you there myself.”
    Zoa blinked and Jeric looked up in alarm. “Sir?”
    “It’s winter, season’s over,” Izar said with a shrug. “Someone has to go report to the emperor that, despite five years of pouring his money into this northern sinkhole, we’re no closer to defeating the tribes than we were when I arrived. I usually leave that bit of unpleasantness to someone I don’t like, but this year I meant to do it myself. I’d been putting it off, but you’ve just given me an excellent excuse. Besides,” he said, giving them a sly look. “How were you going to get to the Capital anyway? It’s dangerous countryside around here, even for two Avatars. It would be a blasphemy against Dezira if I let her Chosen go through such danger unprotected.” He paused, like he was considering this, and then firmly shook his head. “No, I can’t allow it. You’ll ride down with my squad and I will not listen to any opposition.”
    Jeric shook his head. “I guess we’ll have to accept, then,” he said, sliding an arm around Zoa’s waist. “Isn’t that so, Avatar?”
    “It seems that way, Avatar,” Zoa replied. “A very gallant offer.”
    “You have no idea,” Izar said. “I’ll be lucky to get away with my head once the emperor hears my report.”
    Jeric grimaced. “If that’s the case, shouldn’t you just report to the Legion office and let it go up the chain?”
    “Gods, no,” Izar said. “They’ll dumb the message to bland, inoffensive mush and nothing will change. I’ve held my tongue for years waiting around for someone else to speak the truth, and all I got was more of the same. I’m sick of seeing my men die for nothing in this icy waste. It’s time for me to step up and tell the truth myself. And if the emperor really does take my head for it, I’ll count it a glorious death for my country.” He said this last bit with a roll of his eyes. “See what I meant when I said I was a little sad you didn’t kill me here?”
    Jeric sighed. “You’re impossible, sir,” he said, but his voice was indulgent.
    Zoa smiled and reached out to pull a blanket over Izar. “Rest and recover,” she said, kissing his pale forehead. “I’ll go tell Rosa the bad news.”
    “Bad news?” Jeric said, his eyes following her as she stood.
    “Very,” Zoa said. “She’s about to lose her best customer and her best whore at the same time. If she hadn’t just made enough money to run this place for a year, I’d be worried about her throwing herself in the river.”
    Jeric laughed at that, and Zoa ducked down, kissing him deeply before she pushed him down on the bed beside the captain. “You sleep too,” she whispered. “Your body still needs to