To Seduce An Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2)(10)

Yavi shook his head. “We can’t expect the girl to spend her visit here working in our kitchen. She should be comfortable and at ease while she’s here.”

Jiandra chuckled. “Gracie’s a farm girl, like me. She’s never had a life of comfort or ease, especially after we lost our parents. She’s worked in our kitchen since she was seven, started baking bread at age ten.”

“Still,” Yavi frowned, “we can’t expect such a young girl to manage a palace kitchen. How old is she? Fifteen or sixteen?”

Jiandra laughed. “Oh, Yavi. It’s been awhile since you’ve seen her, hasn’t it? She’s just turned twenty a few weeks ago.”

His eyebrows raised. “Twenty? Little Graciella is twenty?”

Yajna spoke up. “It’s not a bad idea, brother. When Jiandra and I went to visit Stovy Farm last year, Gracie clearly enjoyed cooking for us and serving us her delicious meals.”

Jiandra leaned forward to emphasize her point to Yavi. “Gracie loves to be in the kitchen. Before I left home, she daily fed a household of seven, plus two farmhands and their families, efficiently and cheerfully. She knows how to make do with very limited resources, and she won’t need a lot of fancy meats or rare ingredients to feed us all very well. And give her a sack of flour and some yeast, and you’ll have the best bread supply you’ve ever had in your life.”

“It’s true, brother,” Yajna chimed in. “The woman can cook. I think it’s a great idea.”

Yavi studied them both. “I just don’t think it’s fair to burden our young sister-in-law with such an onerous task during her visit.”

“It would only be for a month or two, and I can promise you she’ll jump on the chance to come stay with us and lend a hand,” Jiandra assured him. “All I need do is say the word.”

Yavi released a sigh. “All right, let’s invite her to come for a visit, but don’t mention our need for a cook. When she arrives, she works in the kitchen only if and when she really wants to. I’ll wash the dishes myself if need be, and Yajna can peel potatoes and boil them. I would like for your sister to enjoy her time with us, not be our servant.”

Jiandra smiled. “I appreciate your consideration for her, Yavi. But I can guarantee that she will be more than thrilled to be of service while she’s here. You’ll see.”

§

The next morning, Jiandra finished writing her sister back, asking her to come for a visit as soon as she could. She summoned a courier to take the message along with a small bag of coin to help pay for Gracie’s journey north. The letter instructed Gracie to tell her hired coach that she would be meeting a palace guard escort at the border with Nandala who would accompany her the rest of the way to Darpan. Jiandra wasn’t taking any chances with the bandit gangs that had been plaguing the highways of Nandala, their attacks now on the increase since a few goods and meager coin were just starting to flow again.

Once the courier was gone, Jiandra joined the twins in the dining room.

They rose to greet her as she entered. Yajna grasped her waist and kissed her forehead. “Good morning, Lahdli. We found a bit of cold lentil stew in the larder for breakfast.”

“Yajna figured out how to boil water for tea,” Yavi added, toasting her with his cup.

“Wonderful,” Jiandra chuckled, taking her seat at the table. “I’ve just sent off a letter to Gracie. She should be here in less than a fortnight. With any luck, we’ll be dining on her delicious soups, pies, and baked breads soon.”

After breakfast, they headed out of the back of the palace, to the dungeon entrance. The guard on duty unlocked and swung open the heavy door to let them in. He led them down the steps, where they entered a darkened hallway. The guard lit a torch and took them to the block of cells where Terijin was being held, in solitude. He was the palace’s only prisoner.

“He’s in the last cell on the right, Mahajin,” the guard told the twins, handing Yajna a key.

“Good. Stand watch here by the entrance,” Yavi ordered. He motioned Yajna and Jiandra to follow him down the long row of cells.

Yajna motioned her to wait, out of sight, while he and Yavi unlocked the door to Terijin’s cell. Jiandra listened from outside the door as they strode inside and addressed the prisoner.

“One false move and you’re a dead man,” she heard Yavi say.

Terijin laughed. “I’m not afraid of you, usurper.”

Yajna’s voice interrupted brusquely. “Face the wall.”

Jiandra heard what sounded like a brief scuffle, then Terijin yelped in pain, cursing in Nandalan. His voice sounded muffled, as if he were being pressed against something.

Yavi appeared around the door to the cell and motioned her to come inside. She entered carefully, holding the Omaja in her palm. Yajna was twisting Terijin’s arm behind his back, forcing his cheek against the wall of his cell, face turned away from the door so he couldn’t see Jiandra come in.

Yavi went to place himself in Terijin’s line of sight. “We have a few questions for you before you stand trial tonight. The sentence for treason is death, and you’ll face your executioner on the morrow if you’re convicted.”

“I’m not telling you nothing!” the cook spat through gritted teeth.

Jiandra focused Knowing.