The Empty Ones (Fantasy Romance)

74. Measured actions

"My concubine attempted to murder me."

Sahib Aldam tries to keep his face expressionless. People who don't know him might be deceived that he is suffering, or that he has feelings to begin with.

"And I would like to seek the justice of the Emperor."

He can't be serious.

"In what way?" asks my husband who seems just as dishonest. "A public execution? To set an example?" he adds. His mimic is contained but by the way his eyes sparkle, the idea appeals to him. "That would be appropriate."

They cannot be serious. My blood is boiling. It a magicless girl half his size and he is an army general controlling powerful magic.

This is so outrageous, I want to scream. And at the same time I want to run to her and take her hands; take her away from here and from them.

She is thinner than I had her in memory and small bruises and cut wounds are littered all over her body.

"What's wrong? Do you know her?" whispers Laini. "You look pale as the dead. Are you going to vomit? Wait... Are you with child?!"

I do feel like vomiting.

"No! No child," I mutter. "But I do know her. She is my friend."

"Friend? You have friends?" She looks at me a tiny bit amused. "You, who couldn't even keep handmaids."

"Yes. And now I feel sorry for telling you." It isn't at all funny. Chioma is going to die.

"Then again I brought my handmaids with me from Tajir. Your friend, you say? Then better don't tell them that."

I look at her a bit confused.

"Zaretha, when you spoke up at Paisa's funeral you weren't doing her and yourself any favors."

"Laini, you are acting strange."

"What do you mean?"

"It almost feels like you are looking out for me."

"I am. If you die, nobody can prepare that potion anymore."

"Which we don't even know if it helped..."

"We don't know if it helped with pregnancy but it helped with making my night with my husband bearable."

Oh. Gods. But I cannot think about it right now.

"I need to help her!"

"You can't."

"But I have to try. Else he will kill her."

"If you put on a show here as you did at the funeral he kills her just to spite you and makes you watch. Accept it. She might get a clean death if you just stay put."

I cannot. Mairi would never forgive me. I would never forgive myself. But she is right, I cannot do it here.

"Why is he doing this? It's just a harmless girl." My lips start trembling.

"Don't do this. You can't cry now. It will draw attention and you don't want that. Besides, she is not harmless. If she survived so much time with him and even made such a move she isn't a little lamb. She is even comely and what she did, makes her truly attractive."

"What?" This conversation took a strange direction.

"Hmm... Yes."

"But, Chioma is a girl," I state somehow confused then stunned. But yes, people from Tajir seem to not care about this.

"Yeah. So?" Laini smirks. I turn purple if I touch men, but..." She smirks.

Luckily I cannot pay too much attention to her because otherwise I would sink in the strangeness of her words.