“SO THIS is the future king of Ummana. I greet you, Prince Regulon.”
Lady Evienna of the Murreano family tickled the newborn under the chin. He had the same expressive blue eyes as his mother and uncle, but his hair was of a deep black, just like his father’s and her own. Evienna turned to Queen Anesha, who looked rather pleased with herself, although giving birth had taken its toll. Rumor had it, she had only survived because of the skills of Cassia, the best midwife in all of Ummana.
“Let’s not waste our precious time, Evienna. Are you going to back me up, or do I have to look for other allies?”
Evienna shot her bastard brother and father to the future king, Captain Aktan, a short look. He had warned her about the queen’s straightforwardness, and after the initial shock, Evienna found it kind of refreshing. She managed a smile that even reached her eyes.
“Of course I’m going to back you up, Your Highness. I had planned to do so even before the happy news. To be frank, none of the possible candidates to replace you has my consent, and I don’t like the way Medelina is acting up. We already endured five bad years. I want to see my businesses thriving again.”
Says the second-richest woman in Ummana, Anesha thought. Aloud she answered: “I appreciate your take on the situation, Lady Evienna. I, too, think Medelina needs to learn its lesson. Let us work together to reach this honorable goal.”
Both women smiled at each other, each thinking a union with the other was not a bad thing indeed.
IN THE guild house of the smiths, Aries listened to the rantings of Desdon, Hellwar, and Irr’es. He already knew what their problem was and wondered when they would finally admit defeat and let the matter go. Given how stubborn and greedy the men were, probably never.
“We really feel you, as the master of the guild, Aries, should intervene in this matter. This concerns us all.” Desdon tried his best to sound as if he had the greater good in mind, but Aries had known him for long enough to see through his act. The man was distantly related to the Krapati family, and their ingrained greed was showing.
Aries sighed. “I’ve already explained it to you, Desdon. More than once, I might add. It is Master Sic’s decision with whom he wishes to work, and he has chosen Jago.”
“Only because Jago had him in his home. Sic is timid and easily influenced. Of course he will do as Jago says. As his fellow smiths, we have to protect him.” This time Hellwar had spoken, and his self-righteousness was almost sincere.
It took Aries a moment before he was able to answer such a blatant statement. When he spoke, he didn’t even try to keep the sarcasm from his voice. “First of all, Sic is friends with King Castolus, and I’m pretty sure not even you think the king would allow anybody to get the better of Sic. Second, Jago was the one who took Sic in and fought for him when all of us were determined to refuse his request to become a member of our guild.”
Aries still felt shame every time he remembered how vehemently he had opposed Sic undertaking the master exams. “Face it, my brethren. There is no way for you to get a piece of this particular business unless Sic decides so. Now if you would please leave me to my work?”
The three men didn’t like how Aries dismissed them, but he was the leader of the guild and they knew better than to anger him.
“This is not over yet, Aries.” Desdon tried to sound intimidating and failed miserably. Aries only raised a brow, and the men hurried to get out of his office. With a sigh, Aries sank back in his chair. This situation was getting ugly, and he had no clue how to solve it. When Sic had left Ummana to be with his gods, he had made Heljia, Jago’s and Cassia’s daughter, his beneficiary and her parents the trustees of the money. Even though he had been in the city only a short time, Sic had made quite a fortune. Combined with the villa he had received from King Castolus, it was enough to give Jago and Cassia the monetary leverage to indulge in the higher politics of Ummana. Only they didn’t. Neither of them cared about wealth, and the only reason they were living in the villa was because their original home had become a little cramped with Heljia and Arelo, the young apprentice Cassia had taken on. As head of the royal smithy, Jago already had a great deal of influence on the politics of the guild, one he rarely exerted, but still, it was there. Sic did all of his dealings in Ummana via Jago, and since he stated that he had no use for money in the Valley, the profit remained with Jago. Aries knew Sic had decreed half of his earnings should go to Heljia’s trust. The other half went into another trust Jago had set up in Sic’s name. And both trusts were growing, which made many people nervous. To top it off, Cassia was now the personal healer of Queen Anesha. Jago’s small family had risen to power in the blink of an eye, and their refusal to use said power had more and more people in the city gnashing their teeth. The only reason nobody had taken drastic measures yet was the queen’s announcement that anybody who laid a hand on Jago or those close to him would answer to her. Aries shuddered. Anesha may be young, but she was her mother’s daughter through and through. It was a lesson the citizens of Ummana had learned almost instantly after King Castolus had left. The queen was as calculating and scheming as the best in Ummana, but she also had no problems reverting to drastic, highly violent measures when she had to. It was a dangerous combination, and so far, nobody had been brazen enough to really test her. Unfortunately, it was only a question of time, and Aries could only hope Jago and his family wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire. He genuinely liked the big man, who never talked a lot but let his actions speak for him instead. Perhaps it was time for a long conversation with his friend.
IN THE darkness, the cat of prey yowled angrily. Something oppressing and terrible was forced on it, trapping its mind, binding it with invisible, painful chains. It felt its mind slipping away, drowning under the stream of words of ancient magic, locking it in a place without sun and air, without earth and trees, without freedom and the rapid heartbeat of prey. The cat knew instinctively that fighting this magic was futile, that it had to retreat and wait for a chance to get revenge. The last thoughts before it was lost to the darkness were of bones crushing under the pressure of its powerful jaws and the sweet taste of blood on its tongue.
Ellewinn opened his eyes, disoriented, knowing that something had been taken from him, something so important he couldn’t afford to lose it, and yet he couldn’t remember what it was. He looked around the small tent he was in, wondering how he got there. A man stepped into his line of view. He had a nasty, overly smug grin on his face, one Ellewinn wanted to wipe out with his claws—why would he have claws? He was human, so he would do it with his hands. The man bent down to the bier Ellewinn was on, the grin stretching wider when he touched his chest. It felt like somebody had burned him with a torch or a glowing red knife. In pain, Ellewinn gazed at the hand and gasped when he saw the dark markings on his chest. Nobody had to tell him they were bad; he could feel the evil dripping off them, seeping into his skin. While he looked, the markings started to fade, the black color vanishing into his body, where whatever it was took root, binding him with chains more powerful than anything he had ever seen. The stranger straightened again. With narrow eyes, he addressed Ellewinn. “You are mine now, slave. You will do as I say.”
Ellewinn shuddered. As much as he would have liked to choke the man with his bare hands, a voice inside him, maybe his instincts, told him to wait, not to rush things. If the pain the man had caused him by simply touching his chest was anything to go by, Ellewinn would be in agony if he tried to contradict this man. No, he would play along, at least for the time being.
LOST IN thought, Elua played with a strand of Lukan’s mousy-brown hair while she watched him sleeping. Like so many times before, she wondered if she had made a mistake when she had given in to his wooing. It was not that she doubted the depths of Lukan’s feelings or that she didn’t love him herself—she was crazy for him. Still there was a tiny voice in the back of her mind that questioned the wisdom of having taken a man ten years her junior as a husband. Sometimes she felt like an old hag next to him. Until recently, they had shared a stable relationship with clearly defined roles. She had been the superior one, the better fighter and the more experienced. Then Lord Sic had changed it all.
Right after Lukan had come back from the dead, Elua had felt nothing but relief and gratitude. Things had changed, though. Because she knew him so well, she was aware of all the changes going on inside Lukan, his ability to recover from lethal wounds being the least profound. That was just part of being an Echend’dim. Elua was more worried about the emotional baggage Lukan was carrying these days. He had always been an easygoing character, one who took life in stride and never worried too much about anything. At the moment, he still refused to tell her what had happened when Lord Sic had brought him back, but Elua was sure it was the reason for his strange behavior. Dying was most certainly not easy, and she understood that Lukan was trying to deal with a stressful situation. Unfortunately, the way he distanced himself made Elua uncomfortable. There was something going on between Lukan and Lord Sic—and Lord Daran, come to think of it—that he couldn’t tell her about. Elua knew she was acting childish, that her jealousy was immature and stupid, yet she couldn’t help herself. Her husband had suddenly become part of something a lot greater than she could grasp, and it irritated her to see him change while she was left behind.
Lukan stirred in his sleep. With a broad smile, he took her hand in his and pressed a reverent kiss to her palm.
“Good morning, my lady.”
Elua forced a smile on her lips while she bent down to reciprocate his kiss.
“Good morning to you, too, my lord. I hope your sleep has been refreshing?”
The formal talk was a joke between them, one she usually enjoyed, but not today. Lukan furrowed his brows.
“What’s the matter?”
Elua cursed in the privacy of her thoughts. She had forgotten how perceptive Lukan could be.
“It’s nothing. Just ignore me. I’m being stupid. Probably a sign of old age.”
Lukan slung his arms around Elua, pulled her close, and kissed her sand-colored hair with the first streaks of gray.
“Don’t worry about your age, my lady. First of all, it doesn’t show yet, and second, once Sic manages to recognize an Echend’dim before they die, you’ll be immortal.”
Elua froze. There it was again, this huge, unspoken wall between them. Not only did she not share Lukan’s optimism regarding her being Echend’dim material, she also wasn’t sure if she really wanted it. She loved her life and did her best to enjoy it to the fullest, but somewhere deep inside her soul, she knew she didn’t want eternity, and she felt like the worst kind of traitor for not telling Lukan upfront. To distract them both, Elua cupped Lukan’s face with her hands, a seductive smile on her lips.
“Let’s not ponder things in the future. I’d rather get a taste of your newly acquired stamina. According to Aegid and Kalad, the Echend’dim have unrivaled perseverance.”
Chuckling, Lukan sat up, a speculative grin on his lips.
“How about we try to find out, my lady? But don’t come complaining to me when I wear you out.”
SAR’REFF WAS sprawled on his favorite branch high up the old oak tree and watched the snow melting. It was a highly meditative exercise that kept his mind focused while his thoughts went wandering around. He didn’t know what to make of his current situation or what his next move should be. The fiery god had lost his mate. Sar’reff could feel the man’s pain like a sword cutting the air. Apparently the demon king was shielding his anchor, thus keeping the fiery god from finding them. Sar’reff could still feel Lysistratos because of their kinship. It was a hazy connection, nothing conscious or even wanted, but it was undeniably there, and he could find Lysistratos and his anchor if he had to. Because the demon king had saved Sar’reff, he would not expose him to the fiery god if he didn’t want it. The question was how he should react when the two gods asked him. They hadn’t done it yet, though it was surely just a question of time until they would decide to use him. They were not fools, after all. Perhaps it was best to leave the Valley now that his powers and mental state had stabilized. With some luck, he may even find his anchor, or at least the pull. Then again, life was easy in the Valley. After all the hardships Sar’reff had endured, he felt he had earned some peace and quiet. The only question was if the gods would grant him what he wanted.
“DARAN! THIS is the third time you tried to block thin air! If you don’t pull yourself together, you’ll be killed on a daily basis once we’re in the field!”
Daran shook his head in confusion. He could have sworn Aegid was trying to get to him from behind when he was truly coming from his left side. He didn’t understand how he could have been so wrong. In less than two weeks the Pack would ride for the Dark Forest, and Aegid and Kalad were determined to teach Daran as many of their fighting tricks as possible before their departure. As first of the Echend’dim, there was no way they could prevent Daran from fighting, so they wanted him to be perfectly prepared. Unfortunately, something seemed to be wrong. Daran lowered his sword.
“I swear you were behind me, Aegid. I don’t understand.”
Aegid dropped his sword and embraced Daran, trying hard to hide his concern.
“It’s okay, little thief. You’re probably just tired.”
“If he were just tired, he wouldn’t see opponents where there are none.”
Kalad’s voice was a little too sharp. He wasn’t very good at hiding his worries—at least not where Daran was concerned. “What is wrong with you, Daran? You’ve been acting a little strange lately. We are your mates. There shouldn’t be any secrets between us.”
Daran cringed at the reproach in Kalad’s voice. He didn’t have to look up to know Aegid wore a frown as well. And they were right. There shouldn’t be any secrets between them, but he still didn’t know if he was ready to talk to anybody about his connection to Sic and Lukan. Judging from the determination he could feel coming from his mates, he had no choice. Daran took a deep, calming breath and started to confess.
“After Sic brought me back from death, I felt a strange connection to him. Nothing conscious, more like an undercurrent that is stronger the closer I am to him. When Sic called Lukan back, I started feeling him as well. It’s unnerving and frightening. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I just don’t know how to handle this.”
Aegid’s arms tightened around Daran. He shared a long look with Kalad, who came closer and started caressing Daran’s back. Kalad’s voice was soothing.
“It’s fine, little thief. We’re not mad at you. Just a little disappointed.”
When Daran cringed, Kalad kissed him on his cheek. “I didn’t say this to make you feel bad, but I don’t want to lie to you either. Aegid and I understand that there is a lot going on for you. Your life has changed drastically, so it’s okay to freak out now and then. We do hope, though, that you know you can always turn to us for help. And we trust that you will do so. We live in dangerous, uncertain times. Given all the miracles happening, even the small things can prove crucial in our fight against the Good Mother. And if it’s something concerning the Echend’dim, you have to be open about it. We’re all new to this, and the sooner we can figure out what is going on, the better it is for all of us.”
Kalad patted Daran’s back.
“Now let’s get you back to our chambers. I say we clean you up and feed you; then we need to tell Canubis.”
Daran stared at his two mates, again wondering how he had gotten so incredibly lucky.
“Thank you. I really needed that.”
Aegid kissed Daran on the mouth. “You’re welcome.”
Together they left the training chamber and headed for the exit, when the door to another chamber opened.
“If you don’t get your act together, Lukan, you’re in serious trouble. I’ve never seen you fight so badly. Even when we first met, you were better than today. I don’t understand.”
Elua’s voice was sharp with a worried edge. Kalad squeezed Daran’s hand.
“Seems you’re not the only one.” Then he turned to Elua. “Problems?”
Elua’s eyes narrowed. “You could say so. I just wanted to do some light training with Lukan today. Xi’an and Raffal”—she gestured toward the door to the chamber where the two men were standing—“joined us and we did some three-on-one sparring. Normally Lukan is really good at this kind of fight, but today, he kept blocking blows that weren’t there. I’m really worried.”
Lukan opened his mouth to say something, but Aegid stopped him with a gesture of his hand. He stared from Lukan to Daran and back, a frown on his face. Kalad nudged his desert brother.
“What are you thinking, Aegid?”
The giant closed his eyes, concentrating to get his thoughts in line. Whatever idea had occurred to him, he wasn’t entirely sure of it yet.
“Both Daran and Lukan have the same problem when fighting. Daran told us he can feel Lukan and Sic when they are close. Lukan was close. What if they were blocking blows the other would have suffered?”
Stunned silence followed these words. Elua turned to her husband, a hint of anger in her eyes. “You can feel Daran?”
Lukan raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture.
“Not always. As Aegid said, only when we are close. And I didn’t tell you because Daran and I both think it’s creepy.”
“We’re going to talk about this later.” Elua’s words didn’t bode well. “Now let’s test Aegid’s theory.” She pushed Lukan back into the training chamber. The other men followed. Kalad looked around.
“Now, how do we find out how their connection is working? Oh, I know! Daran, come here.”
Kalad took a piece of cloth normally used for cleaning the weapons and blindfolded Daran.
“It stinks!”
Kalad grinned when Daran complained.
“It’s not exactly fresh from the laundry, but there are no bloodstains on it either, so we can use it. You could see it as your just punishment for not telling us about this connection thing.”
Daran huffed. “That’s plain cruel. And this thing is itching like crazy.”
“Then stop complaining and get ready to fight.” Aegid tried hard to keep from laughing.
Kalad nodded at Lukan.
“You stay here and watch. Xi’an, Raffal, and I will attack Daran.”
Understanding dawned on Lukan, and he nodded. The three warriors surrounded Daran, who was still rubbing at the cloth.
“Get ready, Daran,” Aegid barked. The young man lifted his sword to show he was good to go.
Kalad made the first attack. He confronted Daran directly with his sword at hip level. At the last moment, he raised his hand and aimed at Daran’s head. Daran blocked the blow gracefully, spun sideways to let Kalad’s own momentum carry him past Daran, then swung his sword to prevent Raffal from hitting him from behind. Xi’an surged forward, aiming for Daran’s leg. The young man jumped, turned, and met Kalad’s blade midair.
Kalad, Xi’an, and Raffal attacked three more times, each time unable to break through Daran’s defense. Then Kalad stopped the exercise and made Daran and Lukan change places. The same thing happened again. Now Daran was watching the fight, and though blindfolded, Lukan was able to fend off his attackers as if he were seeing. Once Aegid, Kalad, and Elua were satisfied with their experiment, they started questioning Daran and Lukan.
“Do you still think the connection is only on a subconscious level?”
Aegid looked at the two men. Daran and Lukan shared a long look before Daran answered.
“It is not conscious. It’s not like I’m thinking ‘Oh, Lukan, you have to turn left to duck under Raffal’s sword.’ It feels more like I have an additional set of eyes. Or senses. I’m not really seeing as Lukan sees the scene, but I feel what is coming. That sounds stupid, doesn’t it?”
“No, little thief. Actually, it makes a lot of sense. It’s like a hive mind. Or in your case, a pack mind. You act as individuals but are linked like a pack. Once you get the hang of it, this ability will no longer distract you, but make you stronger. The Echend’dim will be able to fight like a pack of wolves. This is great. Canubis will be pleased.” Pride shone through Aegid’s voice. Daran and Lukan eyed each other warily. Then Lukan suddenly grinned.
“I see a lot of ruthless training coming our way, Daran. Are you ready for that?”
Daran grinned back. “What choice do I have?”
“None and you know it.” Lukan grabbed Elua’s hand. “I wish you fun telling Lord Canubis about this.”
Daran’s eyes narrowed.
“Don’t think you can get away so easily. You will come with me. We have to tell Lord Sic as well. So get cleaned up and then meet me at my chambers.”
Lukan bowed to Daran. “As you wish, Daran.” He winked. “I think I liked you better when you were just a little slave.”
Daran laughed. “You don’t, and you know it!”