Log In
Or create an account ->
Imperial Library
Home
About
News
Upload
Forum
Help
Login/SignUp
Index
PROLOGUE
1Herezah slapped away the ministrations of her slave. “Stop fussing! It’s hot enough without your feverish activity.”The attendant was saved further criticism by the arrival of an Elim, who bowed. “Valide.”“What?” Herezah’s brow creased with annoyance. “Can you not see I have taken to my bed?”Annoyingly calm, the man simply blinked. “Grand Master Salmeo wishes to see you, Valide. May I show him in?”“Oh, do what you will. It’s like the bazaar here today anyway. I can see that I shall have no peace.”The Elim withdrew and moments later the doorway was filled amply by the chief eunuch, giving his best gap-toothed smile. “Valide,” he began, bowing more extravagantly than his size could comfortably permit. He’d brought her delicate ferlise blooms, fragile bells in the palest of mauves and pinks found only in the alpine regions of the very far north.She couldn’t imagine how he’d amassed so many. And they were beautiful but she wasn’t going to let the fat eunuch know how exquisite she consider
2Boaz glumly leaned against the balcony of his private salon. His personal servant, Bin, interrupted his thoughts, his expression a mask of worry at his Zar’s sorrowful mood.“It’s hot out here, Majesty. I’ve brought you some chilled apple tea. The Grand Vizier is here to speak with you as well. May I show him in?”“Yes, why don’t you,” Boaz answered, his tone detached. At his servant’s urging he took the goblet of tea and sipped, feeling the fruity but slightly bitter liquid cool his mouth and throat as he swallowed greedily, realizing he hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since the previous afternoon. Food held little interest for him these days. He saw Tariq enter and bow, and rallied himself from his gloom. “You look better,” he said in greeting his senior counselor, wiping his lips with his fingers.“The sea air helped after our time in the desert. But you look older, Majesty. The mustache suits you.”“This has only taken the four weeks of your absence. I shall wear a beard by year’s end.
3Ana stepped into the chamber with trepidation, afraid of what ghoulish event she might have to witness next. To her relief, all that confronted her was a sparsely furnished room consisting of a shallow clay basin with pails of water nearby and a wizened man who was waiting to offer her some drying linens.The man bowed slowly, reverently. “You are to bathe,” he said in the ancient language she had heard spoken earlier that day, “and then Arafanz will see you.”She looked around, fearful. “Where is he?”“Not here. He awaits you but he asks that you feel free to take your time.”“Where does this water come from?” she asked, perplexed, as she gratefully reached for the towels.“A fresh spring feeds the fortress. We do not squander it but Arafanz has commanded that you have access to it. Three pails are warmed, the other tepid.” The man shrugged. “It is all for you.”“But why? Just an hour ago he was–”“I am a servant only. Save your questions for him alone. Bathe, please. Do you need any assist
4Ana sat, feeling nervous as she watched Arafanz reach for the carafe of whatever he was drinking. Despite his seeming relaxation this evening, she realized that Arafanz was not a man who was ever tranquil in thought. His gaze was restless and his hands were rarely still. He didn’t sit, preferred to stand.“We have no ability to chill our food or wine, but this is Dorash, a sweet and mellow blend from the north,” he explained as he poured. “It can be served cool rather than cold.” He blinked. “Ah, Dorash is a grape from the region where one of your companions came from–the one who perished in the desert.”“Jumo? You knew about it?”“We watched.”“But you did not help,” she admonished, a gust of pain rippling through her, reminding her of Lazar’s despair.“It was not our place to interfere and we had no intention of disrupting the special surprise we had planned for later.”“What else did you see?” Ana asked, suddenly fearing that his men had also shared her night of love in the Lazar’s arms.
5Pez saw Boaz burst through the courtyard doors, and watched his friend cross the distance in four strides to lift him hugging him tight, laughing and weeping at the same time.“I thought I’d lost you,” Boaz gushed.“What a welcome. I should obviously get lost in the desert more often, Highness.”Boaz laughed, wiping at his eyes. “If you tell anyone I wept, I’ll have you impaled.”It was the dwarf ’s turn to smile, his features going through that curious change that made him lose all the ugliness for which he was famed. “I’ll write a song about it and sing it loudly everywhere.”“Not that anyone would understand your gibberish,” Boaz followed up.“No, but I’d make sure you did, Highness.”“Oh Zarab! Pez, I’ve missed you,” Boaz said, squeezing Pez again before setting him down. “You are well, not hurt?” he asked, spinning the dwarf around to be sure.“I am unharmed, as you see.”“You look so thin.”Pez couldn’t explain that it was from the long flight.“I could say the same for you, Highness,” he
6Ever since the night that Arafanz had told her of his connection to Ellyana, Ana had felt a lessening of the strict rules that governed her care. She had been moved to a different chamber in the fortress, one that was closer to the suite of rooms that Arafanz inhabited. Previously she had ignored her jailers but knew they were constantly rotated; now she noticed a single guard took care of her immediate needs. As his face had become familiar to her, she tried to be friendly.“Thank you,” she said as the man, no more than eighteen summers, replenished her water jug and the tiny basin that served for cleaning herself.He nodded but didn’t smile.“I wonder if I might be permitted to take a walk today?” she asked in the ancient tongue that Arafanz used with his men. She didn’t expect an answer, just the usual dark-eyed stare. It was simply something to say.“I shall ask for you,” he surprised her by murmuring before turning to leave.“Oh, wait, please,” she begged, leaping up from the cot on w
7Five moons later…Lazar stared out toward the hills and the desert that he knew lay beyond. “Ironic,” he commented to Pez. “Seventeen moons ago I was looking longingly toward the Stone Palace, desperate to be here. Now I gaze out from it with equal longing to be gone.”“You are over the worst, are you not?”The Spur nodded wearily. “Well enough. I must make ready to leave.”“Boaz can’t wait to see you on your way.”“This time I go with no one in tow. Just us.” He swung around to face the dwarf. “I wish you had made that trip once more so we can be sure.”“But I’m not sure I could survive it, my friend. It was a perilous journey last time. If I took the chance and succumbed to the heat, to loss of direction, to any one of the many hawks that want me for a meal, we would lose our only chance of finding Ana. No, we do it once and we bring her home. We know she is being cared for, I’m sure of it, so this wait has been wise. In fact, I’ve had this niggling feeling that all of this somehow has to
8Herezah was fuming, unable to settle down. She’d snapped at everyone who’d ventured near her in the harem and had finally sensibly retired to her own wing, banishing all callers.Elza appeared not long after, looking understandably nervous.“You certainly have a death wish, woman,” Herezah hurled at the cringing servant.“The Grand Vizier has sent a message that he needs to speak with you, Valide. I have told him you are not seeing anyone today but he insists that it’s vital.”Despite her mood Herezah could not tolerate any matter of importance slipping by her. She banged down the cup she had been drinking from. “Very well. Get me dressed.”Shortly afterward she had moved beyond the harem proper to a private salon where she accepted guests. The Grand Vizier was shown in, escorted by one of the Mutes.“Your own personal guard, Tariq?”The Grand Vizier bowed, smiling. “I’m sure you’ve heard the news, Valide. I’m just taking precautions. You don’t mind?”“Why would I?”“Indeed. You look flushed,
9Maliz was fuming. He slammed the door behind him as he entered his official chambers in the palace. Pez back! How could that be? How could the dwarf have survived alone in the desert, when three people of sound mind barely returned in one piece? He had hoped they were well rid of the freak, who seemed to have a curiously strong friendship with the Zar, the Spur, and the Zaradine, even though he spoke such gibberish all the time.Maliz had been suspicious of the dwarf for a long time now but he had watched him carefully for more than a year and not once had Pez given him any reason to believe that he was involved with Lyana’s rising. At first he’d thought the dwarf might be Iridor, and certainly Iridor had come into being again or Maliz would not have been called from his slumbers, but the dwarf was too stupid, too frustrating with his moods and idiocy, to have anything on his mind except his own lunatic thoughts. No, Iridor was wily and cunning. Lyana’s messenger paved the way for her
10Ghassal of the Percherese Protectorate was providing the Zar with thrice-hourly reports. Boaz had just learned that all was quiet at the Isles of Plenty. The Galinsean fleet was anchored, the sailors relaxed, and there was still no sign of which royal of most interest was aboard the ship.The threat of war felt all-consuming and yet something more dire had been nagging at his mind for months. It was a matter he had given himself plenty of time to think on; to see it from every angle and to be sure that the decision he had secretly reached was the right one…the only one. “Send in my mother,” he said to Bin. “I shall take quishtar with her on the balcony.”“Yes, Majesty.”Herezah was shown into the chamber and dutifully bowed. Boaz took her hand. “I’m sorry to have kept you. I needed to bid Pez farewell. Not that he understands.” He gestured to the balcony. “Come, let us talk outside. I hear you wish to speak to me on a matter of importance.”“I do, son. Thank you for seeing me at such sho
11Boaz had summoned all of the Pecherese officials and dignatories–anyone of status who answered to the Crown–and now they were all crowded into the Grand Hall of the Stone Palace, their agitation evident, whispering amongst themselves.The young Zar realized that they were anticipating this to be his declaration of war and they feared the words that would almost certainly signify their own deaths. They believed that the Galinseans would prevail, that no Percherese male would be left alive–he could sense this notion in the room, see it reflected in their stricken gazes.Boaz bit his lip, vexed that the Grand Vizier was not present. At least the Valide looked stunning, and this gathering was primarily for her benefit. The announcement that Percheron was not going to war tomorrow would bring an equal measure of surprise and assurance for many present.At this thought his gaze fell upon the large, dark bulk of Salmeo. The eunuch looked smug, no doubt fully confident of his own safety. Boaz w
12Ana was leaning comfortably against Arafanz’s chest as he reached his arms around her to hold the reins, guiding the camel on its plodding journey across the sands.She had fully lost track of how long she’d been at the fortress now, but her taut, swollen belly told her that enough time had passed to be nearing the end of her pregnancy. And although the passage of time had been vague for her, she was aware of the subtle change that had washed over her during her confinement. Curiously, for the first time in her life she felt at peace. Since the day in the cave when the glittering pillars had welcomed her, Ana had felt as though she belonged–not to anyone in particular, but to this period in time, to this place…especially to the desert. If not for the quiet pain of losing Lazar for the second time, Ana would say she was happy…truly happy.That early, horribly insistent nausea of her pregnancy had passed and her baby had begun to move inside her a couple of moons earlier. Low in her body
13Iridor flexed his wings to let them dry. So this is me from now on?Yes. You can be only Iridor.I miss my old form already.But you are so beautiful as an owl.I was beautiful on the inside as Pez, too.She regarded him gravely before looking around them one last time at Star Island. This is a lovely, lonely place. I’m glad I could see it once more.Once more? He shook himself.I shall not return.Are we close, Ellyana?She nodded. I sense that we are drawing to the end. Have we done enough? I cannot tell you.But what have we done? he asked, surprised. I feel as though all we’ve done is hide.Ah, but you see all that hiding has nevertheless revealed so much. We know who our enemy is and now you must be very careful. Maliz has declared himself.Iridor instinctively looked down toward his clawed feet, talons sharp on each toe. All that was still Pez recalled in horribly clear detail how Maliz had savagely cut off each of his fingers, snapping them first for maximum pain before removing them with
14Herezah awoke with a start and a hammering heart. She had dreamed of herself laughing with King Falza, who looked very similar to Lazar. He had been enchanted by her witty retorts and gracious attention. She had impressed him with her hospitality and charmed him with her tinkling laugh and engaging personality. He had just leaned across to his general–although who knows what that fellow was doing in her dreams–to discuss the withdrawal of the Galinsean fleet and Herezah was imagining her son returning to a peaceful city because of her ingenuity, when the door burst open. In stomped a squattish, paunchy woman of indeterminate age but definitely well past her prime, with washed-out brown hair piled on her head and held in place by a clip studded with gems. The woman’s face was powdered, adding to her pale, floury appearance, but her skin was oily and she wore a light sheen about her forehead and nose.“Angeline!” Falza exclaimed.The wife? Herezah had smiled, for the woman reminded her o
15Iridor flew. He was not ready to consider himself entirely Iridor, even though he had to accept that from here on the owl shape was all that was left to him. There would be no more cartwheeling in palace corridors or belching at opportune moments to achieve the personally amusing silence his bad behavior could provoke. There would be no more accidentally on-purpose treading on toes or screeching so loudly that he could terrify the Elim guards. Pez the dwarf no longer existed, other than in his mind.No body would ever float to the top of the sea and alert the palace to his fate. Neither would the body, as Maliz had planned, sink too deep or be pulled out to deep sea. There was no body; it had disappeared in the single instant that he had transformed into Iridor and then, with strength he didn’t know he possessed, lifted himself free of the water, and despite soggy feathers flown far enough to dry out on a rock. Later he had flown to Star Island, amazed that his bird form had suffered
16The beaming men of the Khalid had arranged cushions around a central large square of sand, with the fire burning in the middle. Lazar chose the spot farthest from Tariq, his mind racing as to how he might now use this situation to escape. He prayed the owl was paying attention because they wouldn’t have long.A drum sounded in the darkness, becoming more insistent as out of the night, illuminated by burning torches, came a dozen women in the traditional festive dress of the Khalid. They wore bright colors of crimson, scarlet, purple, emerald, and ultramarine, their midriffs exposed and gauzy fabric veiling their faces, hung from chains wrought in gold. Around their wrists and ankles they wore bells, which they jangled now in perfect synchrony to the drum’s rhythm. As unwelcome as this disturbance had seemed moments earlier, Lazar couldn’t help but be fascinated by the sudden explosion of color and sound and movement. Some of these women were young, many just girls, but others were cle
17Arafanz was sitting by her side. “Should I fetch someone? The old man who took care of your bathing has delivered babies in his time.”She recalled old Soraz with a soft smile as she took Arafanz’s hand. “Don’t look so worried. Lyana will take care of me. It is too early. These are warning pains, that’s all–at least I think they are. And if the baby comes early, he will come with or without anyone’s permission. Let us face that when it happens. He knows what to do and my body will guide me.” He bowed his head and Ana felt her heart go out to him. When he was like this–so tender, so caring–he was irresistible. “It is kind of you to bring me to your room.”“I want to be able to watch you. You scared me today.”“Are you sure you want to give up your bed? I could easily–”He lifted his gaze to hers. “Ana, I could sleep on the hard ground for all the difference it would make to me! I am mindful, however, that you should be in a real bed, not this desert pallet.”“Perhaps you forget that I, too
18“Lazar has been a long time,” Maliz said sourly.“You can’t rush these things,” Boaz replied with annoying calm. The Grand Vizier grimaced. The youngster had certainly rushed his copulation with Ana and still managed to sire a child. “Besides, it’s good for him,” Boaz confirmed.“And how do you think your mother will feel?” Maliz asked.“I can’t say. But what she doesn’t know can’t hurt her, eh?”Maliz could hear the edge of disdain in the youngster’s voice, as if he were speaking to the old Tariq. Why would the Zar be pleased about this situation?“So you’re happy that the Spur has left his Zar alone and unguarded whilst he attends to his own carnal needs.”“Oh, Tariq, please,” Boaz hissed. “Firstly, I am not alone. Secondly, we have not left Khalid territory yet and Arafanz presumably has no gripe with the tribe; if he did, they’d already all be dead. I see no reason that I need a guard right now. Thirdly, what Lazar does with his nights is his business, not yours.”“I just think we shoul
19Herezah was restless but thoroughly enjoying the newfound freedom of her new suite of rooms beyond the harem. An Elim guard moved with her at all times, which heightened her sense of importance. Since her new status had been declared, she had ensured that she was veiled, conservative in her dress, and guarded in her movements. She would give no one any ammunition at this point; she would be the model regent. But she knew her absence from the harem and her superior status would be galling to Salmeo, hopefully even frightening him.She intended to make him pay for his indiscretion and his quietly spoken but not very well-concealed threat. Had he not disturbed them, things might have turned out differently between her and Lazar.A bell jangled softly. “Come,” she said, and Bin entered. “Ah, Bin, what news?”He crossed the floor and bowed. “We have heard back from the Isles of Plenty, Crown Valide.”“And?” she asked, impatient.He took a breath. “King Falza of Galinsea is aboard one of the sh
20Word had come back from the Galiseans but it was not as Herezah had anticipated.“They said what?” she demanded.Bin swallowed. “Crown Valide, it is difficult for us to comprehend precisely what the Galinseans are communicating. You understand that we are working through interpreters on both sides.”“Don’t be fooled, Bin. King Falza, I’m assured, speaks Percherese, no matter how haltingly he might convey it. He is toying with us if he wants us to believe he needs to speak through vague translation. Don’t believe it. Tell me again what was said.”“The messenger reports this message, Crown Valide: King Falza will meet with the Crown Valide of Percheron via another party. They wish this meeting to take place within the Stone Palace complex. I am taking our own interpretation now, Crown Valide, when I say that they understand that you may prefer not to have a Galinsean war delegation in the palace proper. Thus the King has agreed for the parley to occur on the Daramo River aboard barges.”“Ab
21As early as it was, Herezah winced at the ferocity of the day’s warmth as she squinted out toward the sea from her balcony. Today was the single most important day of her life. How she handled herself during the course of the next few hours would shape how she, the first Crown Valide in almost two centuries, would be remembered by history.She was already daydreaming of her triumphant smile as her son returned to a Percheron that had been secured by her negotiations. People would laud her courageous, single-handed effort to broker a peace for the realm whilst the Zar was engaged in an equally brave hunt through the desert for his abducted Zaradine. It would make inspiring reading in the history books. Herezah fed off this notion of grandeur and respect as a means of quelling her increasing nervousness. Her meeting with the Galinsean Queen was in three hours.That the Queen’s name was Angeline was all Herezah knew about her; she had no idea about her personality or how best to play to h
22Lazar had been following Iridor’s directions implicitly and they were on course for Arafanz’s fortress. As the night of the seventh day set in, the group had fallen into an almost constant but relatively comfortable silence as Lazar remembered what had happened on the previous journey. Ultimately everyone settled into the routine. The desert alone was in charge; all of them, royal or peasant, had to kneel to the might of the sands and its ferocious sun.Maliz had certainly left him alone but he was still puzzled by Boaz, who seemed sulky and uncharacteristically withdrawn. Ganya was animated, however, and was certainly exacting her price for helping him to stay in touch with Iridor. She had no shame and it would be no different tonight after his talk with Iridor. They awaited the owl now.“The man you call Tariq observes you closely.”“Do you think he wants my body?” Lazar asked playfully despite his mood. He enjoyed hearing her throaty laugh.“I know I do,” she replied, rubbing herself
23Ana’s pains had become a distant rumble, reminding her that the birth of her child was near. By her calculations she was past eight moons, but she had no say when the baby was coming—it alone was in control of her body now and she would just have to pray that Lyana made this newborn strong enough to survive not only its early birth but the hostile desert into which it was being born.She rubbed her taut, swollen belly and smiled. She herself had survived the Samazen. It eased her troubled thoughts that if she had lived alone through such a vicious event, her child had a fighting chance with the fierce protection she was ready to provide.Arafanz came up behind her and hugged her gently. “Are you all right? You’ve been looking wan.”“I’m fine,” she said, shrugging deeper into his arms.“I’ve brought you some broth. Old Dazeel is fretting for you. Don’t refuse it, or he’ll use my guts to belt his robes.”She allowed him to guide her to a small table and stool, both of them sharing gentle am
24Maliz didn’t need to see Boaz’s face to know that the young Zar was struggling with his emotions and that something had happened to force his hand. His suggestion to the Zar had been nothing but a ruse—a stab in the dark to see what such wickedness could yield. He had no idea whether the Spur and the Zaradine had sneaked any time alone; he suspected not, given the close scrutiny under which they all lived during that time in the desert. But he had no doubt at all that the pair of them harbored unspoken desires for each other, perhaps even a forbidden love pact. Maliz believed the Zar would not find any possible forgiveness for a cuckolding. “You’ve brought me here, ready to talk. So tell me.”“The Khalid man unwittingly betrayed Lazar to the stupid youngster Fayid, who dreams of following in his hero’s footsteps and being a soldier in the Protectorate.”“Really?” Maliz could barely keep it from his voice. “What have you discovered?”“I shall tell you nothing until you tell me what it is
25They had come upon them with such terrible silence that Lazar had not even had time to reach for a sword—the best he could do had been to shout and warn Boaz. He had not even been asleep, simply standing over the embers of their small fire and giving the Grand Vizier the one final minute of agony. He had been happy to hear of the discomfort—the demon deserved all and more. But that distraction had been his undoing. Now men in black robes he recognized from many moons before surrounded them, others manhandled him to his feet, and he could hear Ganya shrieking.“Get away from her, leave her alone,” he yelled, straining to see the Khalid, knowing how helpless they all were.“My men do not understand, Spur,” said an all-too-familiar voice. “They do not speak your language. Frankly, I’m surprised that you risk yet another excursion into my land. I warned you once before—I am shocked after what you saw me do, you did not believe or heed that warning.”Lazar had been making guttural sounds as
26Lazar, Boaz, and Ganya had ridden uncomfortably strapped to the camels. Finally the beasts stopped and lowered themselves, knees bending neatly into the sand. Warm golden grit was stirring in small angry eddies around the imposing fortress walls and Lazar was glad of the shield of his headdress. The sky had already begun to lighten, and despite the precariousness of his situation, he felt his hopes surge that he would at last see Ana again.Arafanz walked up to him and Lazar refused to show how stiff he felt from the hours of ungainly travel. “Welcome to my home,” the rebel said. Although the words were gracious, his tone was anything but sociable. “You’d never have found me. You must admit, we blend too well.”“It’s certainly impressive…from a distance, yes, you’re right, the structure is easily missed. But don’t fool yourself, Arafanz, I knew precisely where we were going.”“I can’t imagine how.”“Nor will you ever know.”“You must be desperate to see her,” Arafanz baited.“I am desperat
27Iridor had not been able to hear most of the confrontation, but from the way Lazar hung his head and Ana’s body sagged into Arafanz’s, he had to assume their situation was hopeless. He had not understood the man unwrapping his headdress or the subsequent shock written across Lazar’s face but he could only see the back of the man’s head, so he could not even guess what Lazar was looking at. Boaz kneeling was also a mystery. Iridor felt helpless, trapped in the body of a bird, unable to communicate without magic he still dared not risk using.Why won’t you draw on your powers? Ganya demanded when he returned to tell her all that he’d seen. He had to trust her; she was his only protection now.I don’t trust that we are safe.This is connected with the Grand Vizier; I can feel his presence in your mind and yet I have assured you of his death. I saw his body, bloodied and lifeless and left to rot in the desert beneath the sun, fed upon by the hawks and buzzards and vultures.The vultures. Of
28Herezah could feel the tension in the city escalating. It unfurled from the crowded lanes of the bazaar and moved like a blanketing but invisible mist throughout the streets of Percheron, reaching up the hillside to the palace and the balcony where she now stood. Panic!It was nearing fifth bell, not even noon, but the day was already unbearably hot. She had insisted that the messengers spread word that the general population was not under any threat from the Galinseans, that although there was no need to flee, those who wished to leave the city should do so immediately. Even to her ears it sounded hollow. If she were an everyday Percherese, living beneath the Stone Palace, she would grab her family and head for the foothills as fast as she could.And whilst the city looked to be a roiling cauldron of activity, the palace seemed unnaturally calm. An hour ago all dignatories and senior members of the staff had gathered in the throne room as she had delivered them the news she had hoped
29Lazar had kept his face lowered. He had cocooned himself in his own silence, not meaning to but using some of the time to think over his life, about the death of Shara and how his domineering parents had shaped his life and why he found himself now in this hopeless situation. He thought about Iridor and how helpless Iridor, despite demigod status, was going to be against all these men. He thought about the magic that Beloch and Ezram insisted he possessed, the magic he knew neither how to call nor what having it meant. He wished it could help him now, give him a glimpse toward a means of escape, but he knew this was a useless pathway to follow, and he was relieved when he heard the soft murmur that dragged his mind from his musings. He looked up to see Ana being escorted into the chamber. She looked pale but she walked unaided and with defiance. Always defiance.Their gazes met and locked and he understood that if his life amounted to anything, his purpose must be to save his yet unbo
30Ganya remained hidden behind the camels. She still wore her black robes and she was helplessly trembling. To be found now would mean instant death but she worried more for Ashar. He was taking such a risk and he had been babbling about getting the Zar out as well as Ana and Lazar. Could they all make it? The Samazen was in full roar outside. She knew from experience that it was impossible to see so much as a your own fingers in front of you. How were they to escape in this?She had no idea where Iridor was, or how he fared. She had even tried to discover the special magic pathway that was so easy to open up when she was touching him, but it eluded her and she had now lost track of time. She wondered if Ashar would ever come for her and what she would do if he didn’t. She had just decided she would wander into the Samazen and let its wrath kill her before she permitted Arafanz or his Razaqin to do so. She was of the desert; she would commit her body to it.As she was making this decisio
31He heard her cries, roused himself from the stupor, and realized with a fright that he was on top of Ana.“I’m sorry,” he slurred. “What happened?”“You collapsed,” she panted. “Are you sick?”“Yes,” he replied bitterly. “It returns.”“You were never really well, were you?”He shook his head. “Ellyana said the drezden sickness would never leave, would strike whenever I was vulnerable or my health low.”“Can you ride? It’s not much further.”“How can you tell? We’ve been following this rock face for a while.”“I learned to read the markings in the rock. Farim can have us there soon if you can stay upright on her.”“I can.”“I’ll ride behind you. That way I can see what’s happening to you.”“Some savior, I am.”She smiled, breaking his heart. He’d lost Jumo, Boaz, Pez even, if he looked at it a certain way, and he’d lost Salim. He would not lose Ana, not now. He struggled to his feet and clambered aboard the patient camel, turning to help Ana. She struggled up behind him, and without being asked,
32Herezah and Bin had spent what was left of the night together, staring out over the Faranel, and she was sure the servant could sense, as well as she, that dawn was on the rim of the sky. The killing would begin soon.“Have you counted?” she asked, as though they were waking from a long sleep rather than an interminable, sorrowful silence.“Forty, I think.”“Probably more,” she said. “Not that it matters.”Bin stood and, she noted, stretched surreptitiously, so as not to give offense. The polite servant to the end; she wondered again how she had missed not just so much about this young man but probably about so many faithful people around her. She regretted it. Regretted it all, in fact.“I will do one final check around the palace, Crown Valide, so I can brief you on its status,” Bin said, breaking into her thoughts as he bowed in farewell.“Bin, I can’t turn back time, although I would like to. For now let me just say a rather humble thank-you. I realize there have been too many times wh
33Lazar closed his eyes and rode the tide of Ana’s pain through the screams as she worked to expel their son.“Check him,” she begged, exhausted. “He is tearing me in two.”Lazar laid her back gently and moved gingerly around her, lifting her robes to expose the heart-hammering sight of the baby’s head. He remembered moments from his childhood during which doctors had rushed out to tell his father of his mother’s progress with her deliveries. So this is what they meant. “His head is crowning,” he murmured.“That’s appropriate.” She laughed bitterly through her agony. “I have to push again. He’s going to break me, so expect blood.”Break her? “Let’s get him out, Ana. Be brave.”“Be ready,” she gasped, “here comes a big one, make sure you catch him,” and then she was lost on another huge shriek as she used all her energy to push her son toward his father.“Push, Ana, push,” he called above her groans.Lazar watched the delicate skin tear as the baby’s head fully emerged.“Twist him slightly,” An
34Iridor flew after the riders, his keen night sight a boon. The Razaqin seemed to be filled with a fire in their collective belly with Arafanz leading the charge in the direction of Percheron.Iridor had never before seen camels driven this hard or fast. The beasts could only gallop for a short burst. The riders would have to slow them down very soon, he guessed. It was easy from this height to keep them in view, however, and he was not worried about losing them. With that security he allowed his mind to wander to what he had felt earlier.He was now convinced that Lyana had arisen but with that joyous feeling had come a sense of loss, and he believed now that something might have happened to Ana. The longer he flew toward Percheron, the more he worried about it, and the more convinced he became that Ana had died in giving birth to the Goddess.By the time he reached this conclusion, he had fallen into a deeply maudlin mood, one that resonated deeply, reminding him of something that had
35Alzaria cradled the infant under Harras’s watchful gaze. “He is beautiful,” she said, stroking the boy’s downy, golden hair.“Doesn’t look like he could be the son of our Zar with that coloring,” Harras admitted.“He’s not. It’s my understanding this is the Spur’s son with the Zar’s new wife and Absolute Favorite.”Harras’s eyes widened. “What blasphemy is this? Hush your mouth, woman.”“It is true. You can see it yourself. You know this child is no product of the Zar.”Harras flounced to her feet as someone called to her through the open door. “Hurry, clothe yourself. He is done.” She left to talk with the person just outside in the hall.Maliz looked down upon the baby, knowing it was time to leave. Alzaria’s role was finished with here. “You are not Lyana after all, are you, Luc? You are merely mortal. An illegitimate spawn of the lusty Spur. I could kill you now, snap your neck, throttle you, and they would be none the wiser. But I rather like that you are a delicious thorn amongst the
36Outside, whilst the proud “grandparents” admired their new royal, Lazar found Captain Ghassal waiting.“Spur,” he said, hand across his heart.“Captain,” Lazar replied, mirroring the gesture. “Get the Galinseans down to the shore. The King is going to speak with his men.”“It’s over?”“With Beloch and Ezram on our side, not to mention the other creatures, they have no choice.”“Spur, I’m still at a loss—”“I know. I suspect the giants and their companions will be gone from our midst soon enough. For now do not fear them. Calm everyone down, remove the dead, get help to the wounded. Get food passed out to the hungry. Everyone must be very confused and disoriented.”“Fortunately the majority who stayed are not hurt. They took refuge in the palace.”“Get word out amongst the foothills. Send riders in every direction and let people know it is safe to return to the city. Any news on Salmeo?”“No, sir. But we can return to the search now that a truce has been achieved.”“Someone knows something some
37She watched him pace, the quishtar she had ordered and elegantly poured with her own hand left untouched to lose its fragrance and to turn cold. It had been two days since Falza had nearly taken her head off. She still couldn’t prevent herself from touching her throat from time to time in some sort of lingering reflex. She had insisted on supervising Bin’s corpse all the way to the palace morgue and had personally commiserated with his parents at the loss of their brave son. She desperately missed his calming way and Lazar was not helping her nerves one bit as she tried to figure out this daunting, exciting new role of hers.“You know this wet nurse?” he suddenly said, startling her.“Yes, she’s not from the hospice. She’s a woman I’ve known from my days as odalisque, Lazar.” She saw his expression change. “No, she’s not feeding Luc, obviously. It’s her daughter, who seems to never stop giving my friend grandchildren.”“And you were there when she fed him?”“Yes, I’ve said it before. She
38Who is this boy? Beloch asked as he carried Lazar east, skimming the northern mountain range.His name is Teril. He was an inflictor’s assistant. After I was flogged and nearly died, he helped me. He also helped me when I needed to return to the city to see Ana, and he got a message to Iridor when I was hardly capable of supporting myself. He never got over the death of a young inflictor, named Shaz, who the boy maintains was murdered for his silence.And he knows for sure this is the right direction? We are headed well beyond the area I know.Apparently our prey hails from a place to the east. Teril overheard the whispered arrangements, spied on them. We keep following this river and then we head south. The place is called Komassee. All I know is that it has a cave network.Which suggests rocky foothills?Yes, I imagine so.Then I see them in the distance, Lazar. We shall be there soon.He couldn’t have made it that far in the time he’s had.Ah, wait. I see a smoke by the river. Three figur
← Prev
Back
Next →
← Prev
Back
Next →