Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 221
looks like quite a fight happened here. That being the case,
brother," said Sheia, "wouldn’t you agree we should be hunting
for Chan?"
Linden appeared to have regained his poise. He snapped
his fingers at two sergeants, who came to attention and hurried
from the room. "There," he said. "Now let us get back to the
question at hand: namely their connection to you." He nodded
to two more men. They moved forward to flank Brendan
Sheia.
"Before you make an ugly mistake," Sheia said,
"consider your options. Who are you going to put to the
question here? I did not kill Yuri. With him gone, the family
needs us united--it is imperative to our survival. If my men
hear you’ve imprisoned me, there’ll be a bloodbath, and
nobody wants that. You can find out for sure who killed Yuri.
Ask her."
Linden laughed humorlessly. "We will. But you’re not
going anywhere until we’re done. Bring her." He turned to
leave.
"Wait!" August jumped between Calandria and the
Boros’. "She is no assassin. I can vouch for her."
"And bring him too!" Linden cried. He flipped his cloak
about himself angrily as he stepped from the room. Sheia
laughed richly as he followed.
"Wait!" August shouted. A soldier clouted him on the
side of the head, and he went down on his knees. Another man
took Calandria’s arm and pushed her roughly toward the
doors.
She had just turned to snap something rude at the man,
when the ceiling caved in.
Turcaret laughed spitefully. "You are too late. The