13
Adelaida lay in Mirnían’s battle tent, on Mirnían’s bed, wide awake. It was the middle of the night after Derzhava’s death, but she couldn’t sleep. The face of the warrior who accused her of killing Derzhava seemed to hang in front of her, accusing. Even when she closed her eyes, she still saw it, as well as Derzhava’s emaciated form and bulging eyes, which Adelaida herself had closed. They had refused to close all the way, leaving Derzhava with a confused expression that horrified Adelaida. Batuk had finally covered her with a blanket.
Batuk had immediately acted. He had taken the soldier who accused her into custody of the Gumiren, separating him from his fellow Ghavanites. Mirnían had cautiously approved of it, but Adelaida suspected that Batuk had a short leash only.
There would
