Remaining behind her desk, Hedda clutched her knife. Her informant from the garrison sidled next to her. The young pup brandished a sharp dagger. Valek would have been impressed if the man’s arm wasn’t shaking.

“If the Commander sent me, Hedda, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” he said, showing her his empty hands.

She didn’t relax. “Then why are you here?”

“I followed your man, hoping he planned to warn the Storm Thieves about my presence.”

“I didn’t see him,” the man said in his defense.

“Of course you wouldn’t, you idiot. Valek was my best student. The only person to come close is Onora.” Hedda’s frown deepened as she gazed at Valek. “You killed her.” It wasn’t a question.

“Actually, no. Do you still keep a bottle of blackberry brandy in your desk?”

Hedda’s knife disappeared. “I do.”

Valek turned to the idiot. “Report back to the garrison before you’re missed.”

“Yes, sir.” The man paused in the doorway. “Sir, are you...?”

“Going to discipline you?”

He nodded, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

“Let me guess. You’ve been exchanging information for instruction from Hedda, right?”

His grip on the knob tightened in surprise. “Yes, sir.”

“Do you wish to become an assassin?”

“Oh, no, sir. I just wanted to improve my skills. The garrison’s master of arms is...old, sir.”

“I’m not about to punish ambition, but I suggest you work on spotting a tail.”

“Yes, sir.” He bolted.

Hedda settled behind her desk and produced a bottle of brandy. She poured the deep red liquid into two glasses as Valek sat in the chair facing her.

“You’ve changed,” Hedda said, handing him a glass.

“Oh?”

“The old Valek would have made him suffer for a few days, waiting to find out if you’d inform his commanding officer or leave him one of your infamous black statues.” She downed her drink in one gulp, then poured herself another. “The old Valek would have killed Onora for getting so close to the Commander.”

“I’ll admit, I was tempted to get rid of my competition, but she’s proven to be quite the puzzle. And you know me and puzzles. That hasn’t changed.”

“Good to know.” Hedda sipped from her drink.

“And while I’m truly glad you’re alive, I’m wondering why Onora informed us of your unfortunate demise.”

“I’ve no idea.”

“No?” Valek swept his arm out, indicating the shabby room. “Perhaps it’s because there wasn’t a client. You probably haven’t had a client since the takeover. And after years of resentment, you finally had a student you could send after the Commander. And what better time than when I was in Sitia.”

“You always did have such an active imagination, King Killer.”

“Then how about this? When the Commander ordered her to murder this...er...shall we say mystery client, she returned. But Onora couldn’t kill you. You took her in after she’d been abused, taught her to fight, to stand up for herself, to no longer be afraid. Instead, she reports your death and you agree to go into hiding.” He drank his brandy, savoring the burn of the spicy blackberry flavor.

She raised her glass. “That was an entertaining tale, but you of all people should know I don’t ever divulge the names of my clients.”

“But you are training new assassins, even though you’ve claimed to have closed the school and retired.”

Pressing her lips together, she gave him a shrewd look. “I have to keep my skills sharp.”

That was more information than he’d expected. “And if I sent you a promising student or two in the future, would you turn him or her away?”

Surprise flashed in her light green eyes. “No.”

“Then I’ll add you to my payroll.”

“What about the Commander?”

“I’ll handle the Commander.”

“Are you going to report me?”

“No need.”

“You have changed.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “For the better?”

“I think that your blind loyalty to the Commander is no longer so...blind. And I think the change is due to your heart mate.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He finished his drink.

Swirling the liquid around her glass, she stared at it. After a few moments, she met his gaze.

“Since we have an agreement, you should know your story has one error,” Hedda said.

“Really?”

“Remember how I helped you find the men who murdered your brothers, but I never sent you after the King as you desired?”

At the time, he’d been making her too much money assassinating targets for paying clients, and she believed he’d be caught trying to get close to the King and executed. “Yes. What’s this—”

“I also didn’t send Onora after the Commander.”

Valek kept his expression neutral as his thoughts whirled. He didn’t like what they dragged to the surface. Straightening in his chair, he leaned forward. “You’re saying Onora wanted the Commander dead?”

“Yes.”

And you’ve left Onora with the Commander, you idiot. His heart thumped. But he ignored the panic. Onora had had multiple opportunities to kill the Commander. Plus, she wore his mark, given when she’d sworn to be loyal.