Hemmit threw back his glass of wine and stood up. “Then what are we waiting for?”
“Wait,” Dayne said. “This is an illegal trespass.”
“Dayne,” Jerinne said. “We’re talking about missing children. Who’ve been gone for days. And we don’t have a better lead. Shouldn’t we try?”
Dayne hesitated. “Maresh, you’re certain you can get in there safely?”
“Absolutely,” Maresh said.
“All right,” Dayne said. “And you’re willing to guide me?”
“Guide us,” Hemmit said. “You shouldn’t go alone.”
“I’m in,” Lin said.
Jerinne just smiled. Of course she was committed.
“All right,” Dayne said. “Though I don’t have a—”
“Stop,” Jerinne said, going under the table. She came up with a shield, and Dayne knew exactly which one it was. The shield he had done his third-year trials with. The shield she had when she faced Tharek Pell. She handed it to him. “You’ve got a proper Tarian shield now.”
“But—”
She pulled another one out. “I may have been instructed by Amaya to be properly armed. And she might be covering for me at the chapterhouse for the rest of the day. So you’re stuck with me.”
“Thus I asked the question,” Hemmit said. “What are we waiting for?”
Chapter 8
THERE WAS AT LEAST ONE thing they needed to wait on: being properly dressed and equipped for a venture into underground tunnels. Hemmit was ready to head out straight from the Rabbit, but Maresh quickly corrected him about that notion. They needed water, lamps, and oil at the very minimum, and Hemmit’s soft shoes were probably ill-suited for the journey. Lin insisted she go home to change as well, so they had agreed to each get what they needed and meet back at RCM campus in half an hour.
Hemmit raced to his flop to change to something appropriate, wondering what exactly he had that would fit the bill. He had the boots and the heavy canvas slacks he wore for his Wissen disguise. That and a work shirt, a canvas coat, that should do it. Was it cold in the tunnels? Hot? He had no idea.
When he got into the flop, Amaya Tyrell was waiting for him, out of her usual uniform. He almost didn’t recognize her in civilian clothes.
“Did we plan to meet?” he asked.
“No,” she said. “I just—I’m not here for that.”
He had been taking off his clothes.
“Oh, no, I—sorry. I came here to change quickly.”
She laughed. “Right. What’s going on?”
“Briefly, Dayne is hunting a giant abductor of missing children, and Maresh knows where to look, and Lin and I will go along, in part because it’s a great story.”
Amaya raised her eyebrow. “Is Jerinne with you all?”
“Yes,” he said. “Should she not be?”
“No, she . . . she should,” Amaya said, a bit lost in thought. “Stay close with her. All of you, watch each other’s backs.”
“That’s the idea,” he said, finding the pants and shirt he wanted. “So what did you want?”
“Kemmer,” she said. The surviving Haltom’s Patriot, who had supposedly learned the identities of the Grand Ten. He had reached out to Hemmit months ago, but had since gone quiet. “No more tiptoeing around it. I need to find him.”
“I haven’t had any luck,” Hemmit said. “I think he’s gone to ground.”
“Well, I need to try. What can you tell me?”
Hemmit scratched at his beard. “Braning. He and Kemmer were tight, and he also got away from the Parliament without being arrested. He was a brick and pipe man with his brother, and their father before. So maybe you can ask around those circles to find him—”
She nodded. “Yes. I can work with that.”
“What’s the urgency?”
“I’ve got a hunch,” she said. “I think there’s more connecting the Grand Ten to the missing kids and everything else you’re looking at. But the only one with answers—”
“Is Kemmer. If you need, I could stay with you—”
“No, go,” she said, almost too quickly. “I’ve got this. Try to keep Dayne out of trouble.”
The way she said Dayne’s name there, filled with affection and concern. He knew they had been lovers, and he never cared about that, but for a moment her obvious strong feelings for Dayne were so plain and raw, it stung. He knew there was no emotional bond between him and Amaya, and he accepted that. Even though he had not been taking their liaison too seriously, it was suddenly very clear where the depths of her heart still lay.
He wasn’t surprised, or even jealous, but yet it stung. He would have to live with that.
“All right,” he said. “If you don’t hear from any of us by tomorrow, though—”
“I’ll call out the whole Order,” she said. “Where do we start looking?”
“The Necropolis of Saint Terrence,” he said. “And then deeper into the catacombs.”
“Exciting.” She blushed a little.
“What?”
“It’s nothing, just—” She sighed, looking away in embarrassment. “I got you something for Terrentin.”
“You did?”
“It’s nothing. Little thing. Silly—”
“No, I’m touched,” he said. “I should—”
“You don’t need to as well,” she said, kissing him as she went to the door. “Just try not to get hurt.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“See you soon,” she said, and left.
He sighed. She was far more woman than he was worth. He was lucky to have any time with her.
But for now, he needed to find his boots and get to campus.
Asti still had a room at Kimber’s, where he kept some of his gear. For some reason he had felt more comfortable with it here, away from the shop, away from Verci and Raych and the baby. It felt like a way to keep his promise to keep them away from a life of danger and violence. That was why he wanted Verci out of this action today. Perhaps dredging through the tunnels would be nothing. Perhaps it would be the death of him. Verci shouldn’t take the risk. Shouldn’t take any more risks. He had a family to care for.
Asti put on some good solid boots, a decent heavy coat, and Pop’s set of knives at
