“It’s helpful to a blaster,” Jenna said, “or a baker.”
Karn gripped the chain that bound Jenna’s wrists and jerked her in close, so they were eye to eye. “Do you think this is some kind of joke? I don’t think you understand just how precarious your situation is,” he hissed. “The empress is hunting you, and we need to know why before she finds you.”
As it sometimes did, the truth tapped Jenna on the shoulder. “Who’s ‘we’?” she said. “The king doesn’t even know you’re down here, does he?”
Karn stared at her for a long moment, his face gone stony as the Fellsian escarpment. He pushed to his feet, reached high, and pulled down one of the torches. “You’re resistant to flame, are you?” He thrust the torch into her face and she flinched back, startled. “Prove it.”
Jenna raised her manacled hands to shield her face. “I don’t know what you’re trying to—”
“I said prove it!” He jabbed at her again, and this time she closed both hands around the flaming head of the torch and held on until she smothered it out. By then, the end of her sleeve had caught fire, and she had to bat it out against her side.
“Look what you did,” she said, examining the charred cuff. “I only have the one shirt, and you—”
“Blood of the martyrs,” Karn whispered. “I never meant you to—let me see your hands.” Karn gripped both her wrists and examined the palms of her hands. He sucked in a breath and looked up at her, eyes wide with relief or surprise or both. “They’re not blistered—they’re not even red.” He tapped her hand with his fingertip. “It feels like they’re armored.”
“That comes and goes,” Jenna said, pulling free. “I don’t know why you keep asking me questions when you don’t believe any of my answers.”
At that moment, the door banged open and they both turned, startled. It was the healer, Adam Wolf, his arms full of packages. He froze in the doorway, staring at the two of them, apparently clasping hands.
“What the hell is going on?” He spoke quietly, but his voice was laced with steel and there was a darkness at his center that she’d not seen before.
“Freeman,” Karn said. “This is a surprise.”
“Obviously,” Adam said. He set his packages down at the head of Jenna’s bed and turned to face Karn, his body balanced and ready for action. He did resemble a wolf in a way—one who had chosen his prey and was considering the kill. “Well? What are you doing here?” He took a step toward Karn. “I told you that she needed rest. You couldn’t let this wait for even a day?”
“Careful, healer,” Karn said with icy calm, though one hand found his amulet. “Don’t lose your head and do something you’ll regret. I needed to question Jenna today, because I’m . . . it was now or never. She may be your patient, but she is our prisoner.”
“But I’ll get the blame if she has a relapse.” Adam sniffed the air, then took another good look around the room. “What’s burning?”
“One of the torches went out,” Karn said, shooting Jenna a warning look as he relit the torch and set it back into place.
Ah, Jenna thought. The lieutenant doesn’t want the healer—or the king—to know what he’s been up to. Well, then. Her da always said that when somebody offers an unexpected gift, it was bad manners not to take it.
“Don’t be too hard on the lieutenant, Wolf,” Jenna said. “He came to tell me that he’s arranged for a bath, some books, and a transfer out of the dungeon into an actual room.”
Jenna couldn’t say who looked more surprised, Karn or Adam.
“Really,” Adam said, looking at Karn narrow-eyed. “That’s . . . difficult to believe.”
By then, Karn had his sharp’s face back on. He smiled crookedly, acknowledging the deal. “The bath and the books are no problem. But the transfer may not happen until after I get back.” Karn scooped up the dagger and got off a bit of a bow. “Jenna. We’ll speak again.” With that, he went out the door.
30
SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
As soon as Karn walked out, Adam pulled the door shut and swung back around. “Are you all right, Jenna?” he said, his eyes glittering in the torchlight.
“I’m all right.”
“He didn’t hurt you? When I walked in, I could’ve sworn that Lieutenant Karn was threatening you.”
Jenna decided not to share the part with the torch. She saw no good coming from it. “No,” she said. “Not really. Karn seemed eager for answers, but he didn’t get rough, if that’s what you mean. Maybe he’s been told not to hurt me.”
“It’s hard to imagine King Gerard coming up with a rule like that,” Adam said, claiming the stool.
Jenna hesitated. “I got the feeling that Karn was down here on his own account, like the king didn’t know he was interrogating me and . . .” She trailed off, distracted by a delicious smell. “Is that food in there?” she said, eyeing the healer’s packages.