Repentance stood panting. What was wrong with the man? Ah. She remembered. He was playing that part. Whiney overlord letch. He played it so well it was unnerving.
"Stop acting," she said. "We need help! They're after us."
Lord Carrull gave her a hard look, his eyes going from stupidly amused, to dead serious. "Who is after you?"
"Troopers."
"And you've led them to my door? Selfish girl."
"No one saw us come here," she said. "We need a place to hide."
"Don't be ridiculous," Lord Carrull said. "Do you not remember what happened the last time you ran away? I captured you and took you back to Madam Cawrocc."
Sober looked over at her. "The last time you ran away?"
Repentance sighed. She and Sober didn't know each other well at all. There hadn't been much time for talking. That would have to come later. If they managed to survive. For now she needed to deal with the overlord standing in front of them.
"Lord Carrull," she said, "This is my friend Sober. He's assured me that this time it's different. He says my family is safe." She took Sober's hand. "My family is safe. Right?"
He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to himself. "They're fine. Everything is taken care of."
She pushed back far enough so that she could look at his face, "How do you know they're safe?"
He shook his head and threw a glance at Lord Carrull. "This is not the place to speak. Come away with me, and I'll tell you all as we go."
"Yes, that is an excellent idea," Lord Carrull said as he strode to the door and yanked it open. "You go back out in the streets. I'm sure some trooper will come along straight away and give you a ride back to the palace."
"Stop!" Repentance said to him. "Why are you being so mean?"
The overlord opened his eyes wide in surprise. "Two slaves, with troopers on their heels, show up at my door. One is a man completely unknown to me. And you think I ought to invite them in for dinner?"
"That would be a start, yes."
Sober pulled Repentance toward the door.
She resisted, locking her gaze on Lord Carrull. "Sober won't turn you in. If he wasn't trustworthy, I wouldn't have brought him here. We need your help."
"You've been on the mountain, what? Three or four months? And you've run away twice. That I know of. You aren't wise, Repentance. I can't afford to help you. I've heard that you are concubine to the king. I can't get involved with you."
Tears sprang to her eyes. "I had no choice. I had to run."
"You always have a choice."
"I'm sentenced to the frame," she said softly.
The lord's eyes flared open in surprise. His expression softened and he shut the door. "Come sit down. I can put you out as easily after I hear your story as before." He motioned them into his great room.
They took seats before the fire.
Lord Carrull rang for his servant. "Cakes and wine, please, Compassion."
When she left, he turned to Repentance. "Now tell me. Why are you sentenced to swing?"
"For trying to assassinate the king."
Lord Carrull pulled back in his chair. "You're having a joke on me. Not even you could be so hotheaded and stupid."
"I do not jest. I'm accused of trying to kill the king."
The lord gave Sober a long, hard look. "And who are you? Assassin's apprentice?"
"I am her friend." He put his hand on Repentance's shoulder.
She melted under his touch and words. Of course she knew he was her friend. He'd risked his life to save her. But to hear him say it—to have him claim her—sent a flood of warmth spreading out from his hand on her shoulder.
"Well, I won't be able to help you. But you might at least tell me why you did it before you go. Couldn't stand the thought of the king having her so you decided to kill him?" He challenged Sober with his look.
"Stop accusing us," Repentance said. "I didn't really try to kill the king. I was blamed for it, is all. Besides, you're the one who owes some explanation. The last I saw of you, I was jumped from behind and whacked over the head!"
Sober took Repentance's hand. "We're leaving."
Lord Carrull gave him a cold look. "Where do you plan to go?"
"Sober, please," Repentance said. "Lord Carrull can help us."
"Did this man capture you and hit you on the head and return you to Madam Cawrocc?"
"Not exactly. He returned me to Madam Cawrocc and then he hit me on the head." She turned to Lord Carrull. "Why did you hit me?"
"I hit you to keep you from dying with Cawrocc's gnarled fingers wrapped around your tender neck. But I must admit that I rather enjoyed hitting you. There are few selfish, unthinking, hysterical girls whose skulls I'd rather crack. You were screaming like a hog at the slaughter."
"Cawrocc was threatening to kill my sister."
"Which, of course, she couldn't do, since she didn't own you. Jadin did."
"You knew that?"
"Oh, please!"
"You could have told me, instead of almost killing me."
"I should have simply explained it all, so Madam Cawrocc would have known what good friends you and I were, hmm?"
Sober sank back into his chair. "The two of you are friends? Repentance, could you not have simply made friends in school like other girls? Must you do everything the hard way?"
Lord Carrull broke out in hearty laughter. A moment later Sober was laughing with him.
Repentance did not see the humor of the situation.
Before she could
