Enari lay in the dark, eyes squeezed shut, and listened. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the tale of what had transpired while they were in the city unfolded and her heart ached for the royal family. Losing Brinon had devastated them in a way only death could accomplish, and would cast a pall of uncertainty over the entire kingdom.
It was Kylan who’d found him as afternoon faded to dusk, when Enari and Jex sat drinking tea around his mother’s kitchen table. The torina had thought him asleep, as it wasn’t the first time he’d nodded off over decrees and letters before supper, and wasn’t suspicious of his slumped posture and closed eyes. Thinking to wake her father with a kiss, she crept into the room and made her way to where he sat, lit by a stream of reddened sunlight.
It was only when she clambered into his lap and put her lips to his cheek that she’d known something was wrong. His skin was cold and he just didn’t feel right, his ribs ‘all spongy and soft’ against her hand, she’d said, and his heart was still. When she shook him, his head lolled from side to side but he didn’t stir.
Her screams had brought the tora running and as soon as she touched her husband, she knew he was gone. Anya, who’d followed her mother as far as the doorway, rushed in when she collapsed beside the chair, sobbing into Brinon’s lap. She’d sent Kylan to fetch her uncles and so it was that the hysterical child flew through the door to Eryk’s study and into his arms, startling everyone present. It had taken him nearly five minutes to calm her enough to tell him what had happened and less than half that long to race to his sister’s side.
He found Anya crouched beside her mother, crying and stroking her hair. Aelani lay curled in the fetal position, her cheek resting against Brinon’s boot. Fighting tears of his own, Eryk had lifted his sister gently and carried her to bed while Jordin had drawn the girls from the room containing their father’s body. Kylan, however, had refused to be parted from her mother and Aelani allowed the girl to climb into bed with her, holding and rocking her until they’d both fallen into an exhausted sleep under Eryk’s watchful gaze.
In the meantime, and unaware of the tragic event, Vasi had started the hunt for Jex and Enari. After searching the palace from top to bottom, she learned from the reluctant Master Librarian that they’d gone into the city near noonday.
“She is my apprentice, Battlemage Xander, and you should have checked with me first before taking her into the city. Look what happened!” Vasi was distraught and angry, though she and the High Mage were trying to be quiet.
Jex was making no attempt to do so.
“And how would checking with you have helped?” he demanded hotly, “We’d have been jumped regardless, Kvinna.”
“Jex,” Eryk said. “Her point is one of principle. Enari is not your apprentice, nor are you her guardian. I know you meant well, but you should have obtained the kvinna’s permission first.”
“She’d have said no.” Jex pointed out.
“You’re damn right I would have said no!” The profanity was unusual for Vasi. To Enari, at least, it was a truer indication of her fury than her tone of voice.
“Why would you have forbidden it, Vasi?” Eryk queried, clearly trying to act as a mediator.
“Because she doesn’t like me.” Jex stated before Vasi could speak. His voice had gotten a little quieter.
“I—” Vasi stammered, “It has nothing to do with whether or not I like you. You were irresponsible with a child and she was injured in your company.”
“That brings me to my point,” the young mage sighed, “Well, two points actually. One, Enari isn’t a child. That was part of the trouble, actually. Two, and I say it with all due respect, Kvinna, but this was inevitable. If not today, than tomorrow, or a month, or a year from now. She has no idea how to defend herself and it’s dangerous.”
“You said she killed one of those men,” Vasi said tightly.
Jex laughed, short and mocking, “It was lucky. She isn’t going to get any bigger, and a lot of men will look at her as an easy target. If she doesn’t learn, she risks becoming a victim every time. That can be just as deadly for her companion as for her.”
“Why, that’s—”
“He’s right.”
The statement was calm, authoritative. Silence descended for a moment.
“Eryk, no,” Vasi protested feebly.
“Yes. You may not like it, but he’s right. Enari must learn something of how to defend herself. Just like today, you won’t always be around to watch over her.”
“I can teach her everything she needs to know,” Jex offered.
“Absolutely not! While I understand the logic, you’re still the cause of all this. I can find someone else to teach her.”
“You won’t find a better teacher,” Eryk pointed out, “Jex is…extremely skilled.”
“Oh I’m sure you are, shadow runner.”
“If you know about that, then you know I speak the truth,” Jex retorted. He was calm now.
“Fine, fine! But I’m warning you, if you hurt her, I will come down on you faster than you can run. Do we have an understanding?”
“Yes, Kvinna. Of course, you’ll have to get in line. The guards who arrested me tonight will probably want the first go after the trouble I gave them.”
“Arrested you?” Vasi asked, bewildered.
“Haven’t either of you heard?”
No answer.
He proceeded to relate the story of his detention for Brinon’s murder and subsequent interrogation by the overzealous Reginold, though he glossed over the details of the latter. Perimos had ridden in shortly before and had been near the western gate purely by chance as the arrest was taking place. Even now, no one seemed to know where the captain had gotten his information or his evidence.
There was an appalled silence when he’d finished. As angry as she was, Vasi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity. Not even the cheeky popinjay deserved such treatment.
* * *
She is mesmerized by the light as it shimmers off lines on the floor, lines that cast reflections as she slowly tilts her head from side-to-side. The Other had told her not to move, but the flickering, sparkling diamond shape is so pretty, she can’t help it.
Fingers dance across the pages of the big book, pages that slowly turn to the cadence of the steady chanting. It makes her ears itch. She rubs her hands on her swollen, naked belly and feels little kicks flutter against her palms. The Other had made her take off her dress and now she’s getting cold kneeling here in the dark corner, and her knees are starting to hurt.
Then the man appears, and all discomfort is forgotten. He is lovely and terrifying all at once.
Her eyes are seized by the beautiful lights on his armor. They speak, the Other and He, but she doesn’t understand the words. Her head feels heavy, fuzzy, like someone stuffed cotton in it, and her mouth tastes bad. Did her tongue have fur on it? She hoped not. The men wouldn’t kiss her anymore if her tongue was furry and she liked the kissing. But then, that’s what got her full of a baby and now that she’s big, only a few of them want to kiss her anymore. She’s thirsty again, too, and wonders if the Other will give her more of the sweet golden stuff to drink.
The Other turns toward her. In the pretty eyes, she can see reflections of the candle flames, but they’re green, not yellow like fire should be. A hand beckons and she shuffles forward on her knees, bowing her head to watch as her passage scuffs the nice lines, wondering if she’ll be slapped for making a mess. Cook slapped her sometimes, when she was clumsy or dropped things. But the Other didn’t hit her and she was glad. Fingers, cool against her suddenly hot skin, grasp her chin and lift her face. Was the Other going to kiss her? The men that kissed her touched her face like that. She keeps her eyes downcast. She knows she isn’t to meet the eyes of her betters when she serves them.
Something shines in the Other’s hand and she is captivated.
A line of heat is drawn across her belly.
Pain. Terrible, burning, awful pain in her head. She smells something nasty, like an overfull chamber pot.
Then there is only the dark.
* * *
“Nani? Nani!”
Someone shook her shoulder roughly and she jerked upright, panting in terror and trembling. Her hands flew to her belly, only to find it flat and whole as it should be, and she nearly cried in relief. Strong arms slid around her, pulling her close, and she could hear a fast pounding under her ear.
Jex.
It was Jex who woke her and he sounded almost as afraid as she felt. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep in his room and rather than wake her, it appeared that he’d simply put a blanket over her and let her remain where she was.
He’d want to know about the dreams now.
“Was,” he licked his lips and tried again, “was that yours or mine?”
It took her a moment to make sense of the question, but then she remembered; they didn’t need to touch anymore for the link to work. Just being in close proximity to one another would do and the space of the bed was apparently close enough.
Then it occurred to her that she didn’t actually know whose dream it had been, and the more she thought about it, the more uncertain she became. With the exception of that first time, she’d been touching Jex in some way every other time she’d seen the violent and gruesome visions. So, were they hers? Or were they his? Did it even matter?
He seemed to come to the same conclusion.
Throwing aside the bedclothes, he got up and began hunting for a tunic and boots. Enari winced when she caught sight of his back. The entire upper portion was a mass of black and purple bruises, but thank the Goddess none of his ribs were broken.
After the two men had retired, Enari waited until she was certain her Sura was sound asleep before creeping out of her room and going to Jex. She’d found him asleep in the bath, head tilted back against the rim and breathing with his mouth open. He hadn’t stirred when she closed the door, which was unusual. Only when she touched him did he startle awake.
“You’re going to boil yourself,” she admonished.
He passed a hand over the water’s surface, using a touch of magic to heat it further. “I like it this hot. Feels nice on sore bits and pieces, and boiling yourself is something you only accidentally do once. There’s room in here for two, if you’d like to join me.”
Enari folded her arms and scowled. “Oh no you don’t. You’re going to get out of there and let me look at you.”
“You’re awfully bossy.”
It had taken quite a bit of sweet-talking, and he refused to actually leave the hot water, but he’d finally let her look at his back and shoulder.
She’d been horrified at what she saw and angry that anyone could be so cruel as to inflict such injuries on purpose.
“Vasi says they’ll heal on their own, remember?” he groused, climbing stiffly from the tub at last. Enari averted her eyes until he’d donned trousers.
When he tried to pull a clean shirt over his head, he found himself unable to raise his arms enough to do so. She’d taken it from him and made him lay down on the bed on his stomach. Knowing how suspicious he could be, she held the little vial of oil she’d brought with her in front of his face to let him have a good look before breaking the seal. He took an experimental sniff and seemed satisfied. Craning his neck, he watched her climb onto the bed and straddle the back of his thighs.
“Where did you get that?”
“Babirye sent it up for you.”
“Ah, rumor certainly travels quickly. What are you—ohhhhhhhh. That’s lovely.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “Mmm, a little harder if you don’t mind, but watch the shoulder.”
She’d complied, leaning her weight into the motion of her hands as she’d seen Babirye do for Gaylan once after an especially rough go in the practice yard. He made noises of contentment as she worked, sounding like nothing so much as a cat being petted to its satisfaction.
“I do not sound like a cat,” he mumbled into the pillow, “and I swear, if you try and scratch me under the chin, I might just bite you.”
In moments, he’d been asleep again, but she continued to rub and knead at his back and shoulders, trying not to hurt him as she worked the healing oil into his contusions. Babirye had said that it wouldn’t achieve full potency unless it was completely absorbed, which took longer than she’d anticipated. He was snoring soundly by the time she finally finished.
Careful not to wake him, she moved onto the bed and curled up against his side. She should have returned to her own room rather than risk more of Vasi’s wrath, but after the night’s events, she couldn’t bear to sleep alone.
It seemed her ministrations had helped.
As he dressed now, she observed no stiffness in his movements and he seemed to have forgotten about his injuries altogether. His shoulder didn’t even look swollen anymore.
“We need to see Eryk.”
She glanced pointedly at the darkness beyond the window, but he shook his head and beckoned to her. “I don’t think this can wait.”