Heroes Adrift Read Online Free Page B

the irritation out of him. “For how long?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œRight, you lot,” Doran said to his friends. “Out.”
    â€œDon’t make them leave.” I really didn’t want privacy. Saying farewell would be easier with an audience.
    â€œNever mind, love,” the older player drawled, picking coins out of the pot in the middle of the table. “I had a lousy hand, anyway.” The others picked out their wagers as well, and all of them squeezed past us to the door. The blond smirker was very tall, and he winked at me as he passed.
    â€œPlease be seated,” Doran said, swiping the cards off the table with one hand while moving the table into a corner with the other. “Would you like some wine?”
    â€œNo, thank you. I can’t stay long. We just got the orders today, and there’s still a lot I have to do.”
    Doran poured himself a glass from a decanter and sat in the chair across from mine. “What’s going on?”
    â€œI can’t tell you any more than I already have.”
    â€œWell, where are you going?”
    â€œI can’t tell you that, either.”
    â€œI could go with you.”
    I tried not to stare at him. “You don’t know where we’re going.”
    â€œThat doesn’t matter.”
    Gods. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Why would he offer something like that? “I can’t tell you what hearing you say that means to me.” Shock, and a bit of panic. Did he even understand what he was suggesting? “But we aren’t permitted to have regulars traveling with us. Not in these circumstances.”
    â€œTriple S business,” he said grimly.
    No, but it was an excuse I’d used often enough that I felt safe using it then. Doran was one of those people who felt they had no real right to understand how the Triple S worked. It was an attitude I’d never hold, if I were in his place, but it was convenient. “Aye.”
    Then we had one of those oh-so-awkward silences, where neither of us knew what to say. I, for some reason, wanted to apologize. Which was stupid. It wasn’t my fault we were being called from High Scape.
    â€œSo,” I said finally, rising to my feet. “I just wanted to thank you, for all your kindness.” I wanted to wince at that, how stiff and clumsy I sounded. A Shield was supposed to be diplomatic. Hell, we’d gotten classes on how to be diplomatic. But those classes, their purpose had been to enable me to placate regulars who might be offended by the weird uncomprehensible stuff my future Source would say. Which was a joke. Because while Karish had the Source trait of phrasing his thoughts in bizarre ways, and he often baffled people, he never caused offense.
    I did that.
    And while my manners were all right, Karish had charm. Real charm, not the smarmy, greasy kind. If he were bidding Doran farewell, it would end with Doran feeling disappointed but valued and cherished.
    I reached toward the door. Doran moved quicker, standing against it. “So that’s it?” he asked.
    â€œI’m sorry.” I couldn’t prevent that from slipping out. I was fouling up this conversation beautifully. “It has to be. I have to go.” I reached for the latch again, but his hand was already there. I shot him a look, and he quickly opened the door. “Farewell.”
    I did wince as I left, as no one could see me. That had been so spectacularly bad, clumsy, ham-handed, just stupid stupid stupid. Much as I would miss Doran, I was almost glad that I was leaving the next day so I wouldn’t have to face him again after making such an idiot of myself.
    When I got back to the Triple S house, I helped Karish write notes to all the people he had to inform that he was leaving. He simply didn’t have the time to meet all of them personally. He didn’t like letting me help; he thought it was arrogant. But it was that