"You'll enjoy this," Caderi said as he led her, a hand on her elbow, to the door.
"Is that an order or a promise?" Qinda felt her face warm two seconds after the words slipped past her lips.
Caderi chuckled, enforcing her impression that he would enjoy a mental tussle. "That is a Caderi speaking. Most definitely." He thumped the door control with his palm and the panel slid aside. "When I was your age, if I had dared talk to my father like that, I would have earned a black eye."
"I should be warned then," she said softly.
"Hardly. I was a foul?mouthed, disrespectful child in a man's body." Caderi barely paused before the elevator opened. "You, my dear, have grown up too quickly." He settled down on the bench facing the door. "I welcome a show of spirit, but not foolish resistance, you understand. You need to try your boundaries, but any sign of resistance merely to hurt me ?" that'll get you my father's style of punishment." He smiled with irritating fondness. "You're a Caderi, and that means you are arrogant and independent, with a mind that works twice as fast as ordinary people. I do hope you and I have met our match in each other."
Qinda felt her face freeze into a neutral expression. What was she supposed to feel? What was she supposed to say and do? She suspected that no matter how she reacted, Caderi would say she was a Caderi.
The elevator opened and a gust of chill air, sweet with night freshness swept through the little car. She remembered her and Kayl's farm and ached for those days of solitary freedom.
Qinda stared out into charcoal gray dotted with flickering gold and red as Caderi led her forward. They stepped onto a wide stone terrace ringed by torches in tall, black metal stands on three sides. The hotel rose above their heads behind them. A long table with a white cloth, loaded with silver dishes and pitchers waited in a gap between the torches. A thread of breeze brought warm aromas of spicy meat and sweet herbs and warm bread. Qinda tried not to flinch when her stomach twisted and grumbled audibly.
"Long hours of thinking are just as hard on the stomach as long hours of hard work." Caderi chuckled and led her to the table. He settled her at one end and took the only other seat at the far end, with two meters between them.
Qinda had spread peach preserves on her warm bread and taken three bites before she stopped to wonder if the food was laced with mind-altering drugs. Someone as rich as Caderi could afford the expense, to change her entire way of thinking. But hadn't he just said he liked a good struggle?
She shook her head. That didn't matter ?" she was too hungry to struggle with such questions.
In the middle of dripping thick, sparkling honey into her purple morning tea, she felt a twinge of guilt and stopped short. With one hand, she touched her forehead; with the other she clasped her mistra coin.
Please, Fi'in, be with my love and our son. Guard them. Bless them. Be with my mother and sibs. Let us all be united again soon. Let me live in ways that please you. Help me, All?maker, to under ??
"What is that?" Caderi stood next to her, his voice a shock, breaking through her thoughts. His grip on her mistra coin was strong and Qinda held still, fearing the thin braided leather thong would break if she pulled away. "Not a very good job, breaking it." He ran his thumb over the warped, bent edge.
Kayl had worked himself into a sweat, bending the coin back and forth until it snapped. It was considered bad luck to use anything to cut the metal in the marriage ceremony. Qinda remembered how they had laughed and kissed when they finished their vows, and the taste of his sweat on her lips.
Caderi smiled and shook his head. "A love?token of some kind? Considering your vagabond life, I doubt the one holding the other half will ever find you." He let the coin drop, a tiny jerk on the thong, and went back to his seat. "You could find him with no problem, once you have free access to my data systems." He didn't look at her, but picked up a pitcher and poured steaming blue tea into his cup.
Is that a bribe, or a reward for cooperating and learning my lessons like a good little daughter? Qinda winced at the realization that she was all too easily accepting her fate.
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