CHAPTER 40
Cart sprang to his feet at the sight of Harkin, and Ashara paled, making Aunn wonder what had transpired between the two of them and Harkin since they left the Cannith enclave. 'What are you doing here, Harkin?' Ashara asked, turning in her seat.
'I thought we had agreed to help each other stop Jorlanna's madness,' Harkin said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Cart clenched his fists at his side. 'I thought I made it clear that we don't want you around anymore.'
'You certainly made your opinion clear, warforged.' Harkin's voice was ice. 'But you don't speak for Ashara.'
'He does in this case,' Ashara said. 'Leave us alone.'
'Ashara, listen,' Harkin protested, stepping back away from Cart. 'As much as I hate to admit it, I need your help. So does your House.'
'It's not my House anymore, remember?'
'For my sake then, for the sake of the love we had…'
'Is that what you call it?' Ashara's face had gone from white to red, and she stood to face Harkin. 'If you ever loved me, which I doubt, you could show a shred of respect for Cart.'
Aunn watched Harkin stammer, trying to come to terms with an idea that was obviously foreign to him and counter to everything he felt about Cart. At the same time, he realized that the argument was drawing the attention of the other patrons.
'All of you, stop,' Aunn said quietly. 'Sit down and stop making a scene.'
Ashara turned her back on Harkin and returned to her seat, but Cart and Harkin stayed on their feet. The question of whether Harkin was staying or leaving wasn't resolved, and there was only one more chair at the table.
'Pull up a chair, Harkin,' Aunn said.
Cart looked at Aunn as he settled into his own chair, and Harkin borrowed a chair from another table nearby.
'We should probably leave,' Cart said. 'We drew too much attention.'
'I expect the Sentinel Marshal to arrive within a few moments,' Aunn said. 'But I'm not sure that's a bad thing.'
'What?' Ashara said.
'You're the best chance we have to prove Jorlanna's involvement in all this,' Aunn said. 'You and Harkin.'
'Have we met?' Harkin asked, looking at Aunn for the first time.
'Yes, in your forgehold. I told you I was Kelas ir'Darren. My real name is Aunn.'
Harkin arched an eyebrow. 'Interesting,' he said. 'So what's your connection to all this intrigue?'
Aunn glanced at Cart and Ashara. Much like them, he realized, his connection to this mess was that he had played an unwitting part in Nara's plans and was trying now to undo the harm he'd wrought. And, he supposed, trying to imagine and live out a life that was less tangled and shady, more honest, more pure. Cart and Ashara might not express it like that, but Cart's comment about the Dark using fear as a gateway to enter the world resonated with Aunn's own thinking.
For Harkin, though, he decided on a simpler answer. 'I've been working with the Sentinel Marshal to investigate Jorlanna's plots.'
'Harkin, listen,' Ashara said, staring at the table and carefully keeping her voice low. 'I think you should leave. We might have common purpose, but I don't think we can work together.'
'Particularly after you threatened us,' Cart said.
'I can appreciate that,' Harkin said. 'I'll admit that when Cart threw me out of that bakery, I was furious, and I spoke in anger. But once I calmed down, I realized that I'd be a damned fool to throw away our chances of saving House Cannith because of my injured pride. I'm willing to put that unfortunate incident behind us for the sake of our common cause.'
Harkin had addressed Ashara, but her eyes went to Cart, waiting for him to respond to Harkin's overture.
'I also let my anger get the better of me,' Cart said. 'I apologize.' He extended a hand to Harkin, who at first seemed not to notice.
Then he half-turned to Cart, clasped his hand as he flashed a forced smile, and turned back to Ashara. Cart bristled, and Aunn began to understand how Harkin had stirred up Cart's anger.
'Well, Ashara?' Harkin said. 'Can I still count on your assistance?'
'Not until you find it in yourself to treat Cart like a person. He's not a tool, Harkin. He's the best and bravest man I've ever known. You owe him an apology.'
Harkin scoffed, and Cart drew himself up further. 'Man?' Harkin said. 'A man is born from a womb, not made in a creation forge. A man breathes and eats. A man has a soul, Ashara. And a man can sire children of his own. Your warforged might be a loyal companion, and I can understand that you have some affection for him. But he's not a man you can love and wed.'
Aunn gave Cart a great deal of credit. Cart must have been furious, but he showed no hint of it, sitting perfectly still, proud and tall in his chair. But Ashara's fists were clenched on the table before her, white-knuckled, her face was bright red, and tears lined her eyes.
'You had better leave, Harkin,' she said, her voice strangled.
'Grow up, Ashara,' Harkin said. 'I haven't said anything you don't know is true. You'll be happier in the long run if you face reality now.'
'Please go.'
'Ashara…'
'She asked you to leave,' Cart said. 'Don't make me carry you out again.'
Harkin slammed his hands down on the table and stood. 'When this is over, I'm going to be in charge of the forgehold as Baron Merrix's lieutenant. I could have asked him to reverse Jorlanna's ban of excoriation, to welcome you back into the family. Instead, I'm going to make sure your life is miserable. You should have listened to me, Ashara.'
Aunn watched him stomp to the door and abruptly stop. He backed away as the Sentinel Marshal and Ossa entered, and his shoulders slumped as they led him back to the table. With Mauren at his back, he sat back in his chair, avoiding everyone's gaze.
'Well, here's an interesting assembly,' Mauren said, sweeping her gaze around the table.
'We've been discussing matters of interest to you,' Aunn said. 'I understand you're acquainted with Ashara and Cart, and clearly you know Harkin.'
'Yes, we've all met before. Perhaps you'd like to explain why you're having a friendly chat with the mastermind responsible for the device that stripped the dragonmark from your friend Gaven.'
Ashara's knuckles were white again, but Cart put a hand on her arm to reassure her.
'Cart and Ashara have been helping me make more sense out of the plot on the queen. Those mercenaries from Droaam-did you know that Jorlanna armed them?'
'Kol Korran's beard, changeling!' Ossa grumbled, pulling another chair over to the table. She sat down and crossed her arms, scowling. 'You're not going to convince us to let another criminal go!'
Aunn's brow went cold. 'She can help us get Jorlanna and put a stop to all this.'
'So you've decided to cooperate now,' Mauren said, 'is that it?' Ashara glanced up at the Sentinel Marshal, then at Cart. 'I suppose I have.'
'You heard that I've made a few arrests already, and you got scared.'
'No, that's not-'
'Why didn't you come clean before?'
'I was afraid-'
'What about you, Harkin? Have you also decided to help in a desperate attempt to save your skin?'
