I felt disconnected more than anything else. The network of intelligence and active personnel I had built up since the start of my career had been brutally taken from me.
I was alone.
I wanted nothing… nothing more than to see this Khanjar the Sharp face to face and make a reckoning.
I went то bed, the amasec untouched, and slept fitfully. In the small hours, I woke painfully from a dream I couldn't quite remember at first. As I lay in the darkness, the details slowly returned to me. I had been dreaming about the escape from Spaeton. Medea and Jekud Vance had been calling out to me, begging to be rescued. I remembered the sensation of taking Medea's hand, and clutching out at Vance, who couldn't quite reach me. The janissaries shot him down, cutting his body apart with las-fire. His psychic death scream had cut into my mind like a hot wire, and that's what had woken me. Hadn't it?
I woke again at four. The night was quiet except for the click of the mountain crickets.
Something was wrong. I got up, slid the autopistol out from under the mattress and crept out into the landing.
I could hear Aemos snoring in his room, and the distant sighs of Crezia in slumber.
Eleena's door was open.
I looked in. The bed was empty and the quilt cast off onto the floor.
I edged down the corridor with my back to the wall and my weapon raised in both hands, almost as if I was praying. There was a light shafting out from under the next door. The bathroom.
I heard water gurgle and light suddenly flooded me as the door opened.
I aimed the gun.
'Oh god! Golden Throne, sir! What the hell are you d-'
I slapped my hand across Eleena's startled mouth and pulled her into the shadows.
'You scared the hell out of me,' she whispered once I relaxed my grip.
'Sorry/
'I was just going to the bathroom.'
'Sorry. Something's wrong.'
'Gregor? What's the noise?' Crezia's voice floated down the landing.
'Get back in your room!' I hissed.
In a typically Crezia Berschilde manner, she did the opposite. She was pulling on her silk robe as she padded down to join us.
'What is damn well doing on?'
'For once, just shut up, Crezia,' I snapped.
"Well, excuse me all to hell.'
I pushed them both behind me and crept down towards the door of the box room.
'Nice rump/ said Crezia. I was only wearing a wrap.
'Will you be serious just for a minute?' I snarled back.
'Please, doctor/ urged Eleena. 'This is serious/
The box room door was shut and dark.
'See?' said Crezia. 'No problem.'
I felt the doorknob and realised it was loose. Crezia jumped as I kicked the door in, and aimed my gun at the bed.