LITMIR.BIZ

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carefully laced vest. Orel put his left hand onto Nikto's face, covering this unbearable gaze of grey eyes. He felt Nikto close his eyes under his palm, tickling it with his eyelashes.

      "Don't" Orel said thickly. "Don't do it to me, Nik."

      The blade was lowered slowly.

      "Don't do it to me!" Orel screamed and in helpless rage chopped off one of Nikto's braids that stuck out of his mane of tousled hair and lay on the elbow rest of the chair. A heave thick braid fell on the floor, only silver clamps chimed pitifully.

      Without looking at anyone Orel quickly left the table and nearly ran upstairs. The door slammed loudly making them flinch. Orel locked the door.

      * * *

      For a while they stayed frozen; then Squint-Eye got up, walked up to Nikto who sat in some kind of stupor, picked up his braid from the floor and came up to Asa.

      "Take it," he said in Unclean and tossed the braid at Asa's face. Asa who sat on the floor started back instinctively, looking at Squint-Eye askance with her eyes full of hatred. "You've earned it."

      Asa turned away.

      "It was my fault," Tol said gloomily. "I shouldn't have…"

      "Asa and Nikto are together," Lis said, "and you're a fool, Tol."

      "No," Tol shook his head. "I don't believe it. Asa always hated Nikto."

      "She did it for us to believe it!" Lis continued. "She acted for our sake but today she's given herself away. Bad girl, Asa, how could you?"

      "But she saved her life," Squint-Eye said. "Orel really was shocked. I wonder whether Nikto would have helped her if she hadn't screamed. Huh, Nikto?" Squint-Eye turned to him. "Would you?"

      Nikto kept silent.

      "I think he wouldn't," Squint-Eye smirked.

      "No one could help Asa at that moment," Enriki said. "Orel has gone too far."

      "Noo," Squint-Eye drawled, "you're wrong. Something would have definitely happened. Something that wouldn't let Orel finish her off. But the bitch has lost her nerve. She let you down so much," Squint-Eye shook his head, "didn't she, Nik?"

      "How could Nikto help her?" Tol objected. "When Orel goes crazy, no one can help."

      "Tol, listen to me," Lis said, "you were cheated and so were us. Nikto chose you to go to the Lower City for mercenaries. He chose you because you are self-confident and dumb. Quiet, quiet, don't interrupt me! Listen what clever people have to say. There, in the military school, Borgan was waiting for you to give you that Asa."

      "How could he wait for us if we didn't know ourselves we'd go there!" Tol interfered.

      "You didn't know," Lis said coldly. "But Nikto and Borgan knew. Nikto knew everything about us, even before the moment we dragged him to the castle so carelessly. He chose Orel a year ago, when he fought in the 'damned' detachment under his command. He found a way to catch Orel… it's difficult not to catch him, he likes everything shitty!"

      "Exactly," Nikto said looking straight at Lis.

      Lis turned to him.

      "Shut up, I'm not talking to you! When we asked you, you kept silent – now stay silent again."

      "Why should I keep silent when you say these nasty things about me?"

      "Afraid I'll tell the truth about you?"

      "It is not truth but your fantasies!"

      "You are afraid, Nik, you are!"

      "I'm not afraid, I'm just tired of it!"

      "If you're not afraid, why don't you let me speak? Come on, keep arguing with me! Shut me up!"

      "Go to hell! Say whatever you want," Nikto pressed his hand to the cut on his neck and turned away.

      "That's better!" Lis turned to Tol again. "After Nikto had chosen Orel, he planned to meet us again. I'm sure he was gathering information about us just like we gathered info about him. He found out about our fight with Bey, our difficulties, he knew we'd need soldiers sooner or later, because Orel would never give up on his streets, whatever it cost him. Since the Upper City is practically closed for Orel – if he loses the Lower City, he won't be able to come out of his castle at all. Nikto knew it and agreed with Borgan to find an ally for Nikto, assistance for him in the enemy camp. They couldn't choose a man, Orel wouldn't accept him, so, they did better. They chose a girl – who'd take her seriously? Very clever, they managed to deceive me, too. I admit, I didn't pay attention to Asa's appearance in our team. But don't you think it's strange that a half-blood who doesn't speak Black suddenly replies with such fervor at our Tol's advances – Tol who is completely alien to her? She is ready to go anywhere after him, what a strange passion! I would have understood it if she were just a wench, but even then it seldom happens – the Unclean don't like humans. I know that their kin turn away from such apostates like Asa, considering them traitors. But she is not a wench, she is a warrior, she was learning how to fight and hate humans for all her life, and now such a thing! But she keeps going back to her place as if nothing happened and no one minds, no one says her a word. Too good to be true! She loves Tol, he loves her, and everyone around love them," Lis paused evaluating the impression he made, then continued. "Then she pretends to hate Nikto but they are really allies. And I'm sure, Tol, she fucks him secretly while you and Orel are none the wiser. And now Nikto put her to be paired with you because it's safer for her this way. Well done, nothing to say. And it is just the beginning, soon he'll do away with all of us, one by one, and Orel will be in his full power, a scion of royalty, entitled to the throne, he will become a hostage of the Unclean. It's a conspiracy. Their aim is to open the Upper City for the Unclean with Orel's help."

      "No," Tol whispered. "I don't believe you. You're crazy, Lis!"

      "I don't like to believe it myself," Lis said quietly, "but look at their actions."

      Tol swallowed hard. Enriki kept sitting still, somewhat grey and silent. Poor Vil looked in such a way as if the only thing he dreamed about was to vanish in the thin air now. Only Squint-Eye appeared undisturbed; it seemed no conspiracies could frighten or bother him. Very calm, he stood not far away from Asa, indifferently waiting for what would happen next.

      "What shall we do now?" Enriki asked.

      "We have to tell Orel about it," Tol said. "Let him decide what to do."

      "What can Orel do?" Lis answered. "Orel can't do anything, he is in their power."

      "But you can," Nikto said turning to Lis. "You're the cleverest, the most inquisitive, the most cunning – but not the boss for some reason!"

      Squint-Eye grimaced smiling, watching Lis who did his best to keep a neutral expression.

      "I don't mind telling Orel," Lis said, heroically coping with his wounded pride.

      "So why are you still here? Go and share your discoveries with him!"

      "You're mocking me! He dares mocking us, he isn't afraid of anything, he feels he's the master here!"

      "Perhaps we give Nikto a chance to explain himself."

      Everyone turned to this quiet voice. Vil, very tense, sat at the table and looked at them.

      "Ooh, you have some more allies here!" Lis could barely control himself.

      "You know, Lis, I would also like to listen what Nikto has to say," Enriki interfered.

      "Come on, Nikto," Squint-Eye winked to him happily, "do Lis away!"

      "Bert, stop with your foolish jokes," Enriki said quickly. "Don't add fuel to the fire."

      "What do you want to hear?"

      "Truth."

      "If I say that I'm not in conspiracy with the Unclean or with anyone else… will you believe me?"

      "We need a proof," Enriki said. "Can you prove it?"

      "I didn't know Asa. I saw her for the first time when Tol brought her to Orel's castle, just like you did."

      "Why is she attracted to Tol? Perhaps Borgan sent her to watch you?" Enriki suggested.

      "If

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