The Danger with Allies

by Meagan Hurst

  “Oh? And how do you expect to gain entrance to Midestol’s lands without it resulting in your immediate death?” Hinyark demanded to know.

  “As his granddaughter,” Z answered. “He seems to be interested in playing family for the moment.”

  A sharp silence fell over the table. “I am not certain that is wise…” the Mithane began.

  “I second that,” the Islierre added.

  “I, as well, find fault with it,” Misteki murmured as other voices joined him. “It would do us no good if you died.” His eyes went to the Dragon. “But Nivaradros—who should be voicing his say against this the loudest—does not appear to be concerned.”

  “When she visits Midestol in that fashion I am not worried,” Nivaradros informed the Nialtian. “He is still trying to win her to his side and, as Zimliya said already, he does seem interested in playing family. She is of his blood and he does like her. He will kill her if he can, but only on the battlefield. I once worried he could cause her to change sides, but that is no longer a concern of mine; she will not be swayed by his words. Not, at least, a second time.”

  Z glanced at the Dragon in surprise. She hadn’t suspected he would know of her brief time working for Midestol. She had never spoken of it in his presence.

  Nivaradros didn’t dwell on it. “And I wouldn’t allow her to—or I should say I would try to convince her not to—stay longer than a month in his presence. But she is correct in both her suggestions; they would both buy needed time. I am not fond of either idea, but she is who she is and even I have little chance of winning the argument to make her come up with safer plans. In war she will be a target regardless…” He glanced at her this time. “And I refuse to lose her. To anyone.”

  His words were soft, gentle, and yet filled with a promise that was so undeniably a threat, Z noticed a subtle shift among some of the immortals even though she believed none of them present wanted her out of the way. At least as long as the fate of their kingdoms was uncertain. What happened afterward would depend on the moves the immortals felt they needed to make..

  Silence. It was favorite pastime of the immortals no matter if they were nervous, furious, bored, or just wanted to remind mortals they had all the time in the world to wait. This silence, however, was not to drive Kitra to her breaking point, and it wasn’t because anyone was bored or furious. Z kept her peace as well, determined to let someone else end the standoff, but the break arrived without words.

  The Mithane caused a small display of images to appear in the air before him. Due to the protections in the room, it was a small surprise. She hadn’t known the magic of a seer was permitted in the chamber. Whatever he called forth flickered too fast for her to pin down, and once the Mithane was certain everyone was paying attention to him, he let the images fade.

  “I believe it would be best to resume this discussion at a later time, unless Zimliya has anything more that needs to be handled this morning?”

  Z frowned. “No, I do not, nor do I feel we need to resume this discussion until after the Alantaion lands are back in the hands of their rightful ruler. Thank you for your time,” she added to those gathered before standing as everyone else also rose.

  She didn’t take note of the order everyone departed in, but when just Crilyne, Nivaradros, and the Mithane remained, she turned to the Alantaion leader as the door once again closed, sealed, and vanished.

  “You wished to speak with me?” she asked in a cool tone as she once again took a seat.

  Nivaradros resumed his seat as well while the Mithane moved to sit on her other side. Crilyne, however, chose to be the only one not seated and took up a position one would have expected from a guard behind her, but several steps back.

  “I did. I am not sure Crilyne’s presence is required, but that is your call.”

  “And the Dragon’s is?” Crilyne inquired with ice encasing every syllable.

  “Nivaradros is Zimliya’s chosen…actually they don’t seem to have a term yet, but he has a right to be here. Not to mention that if she intends to kill me, I’ll need someone who will protect her no matter what, and she expects you to be more neutral, Crilyne.” The Mithane’s gaze held her. His eyes were obsidian, and she tried to keep her immediate reaction of going to a weapon under wraps. “I did not wish to bring this on you so suddenly,” he told her as his voice softened.

  “Oh? And when did you intend to inform me?” she demanded of him.

  “I planned on informing you after the meeting—in this very conversation—but with the way the discussions were going, I thought it would be prudent to inform every one of my decision. I am not planning on committing suicide, Zimliya; you should have little to worry about for some time.”

  “It’s not that,” she snapped through clenched teeth. “It has nothing to do with your kingdom, Mithane.”

  He stared at her with incredibility. “Then what is bothering you?” he asked in a tone that told her he was handling her with care.

  And that made it impossible to speak to him, which was embarrassing. Closing her eyes for a moment, she struggled to gather all the words that had twisted around each other so she could make the attempt to separate them and chose which ones she wanted. The immortals waited with their usual patience.

  “It suggests that, despite your more recent words, you believe your immortal lifespan is drawing to a close,” she forced herself to say in a tone that didn’t imply death threats.

  “And that bothers you…?” the Mithane pressed when she fell silent again. She knew he had patience in abundance, although she was certain she often pushed it to the limit. But if he felt pushed, he showed no sign.

  “I’ve played this game with her before,” Nivaradros interjected when the silence extended and grew a distinct chill. “I would advise you to reconsider your choice of words, Mithane, it does not end well.”

  “As my goal is not to achieve what you sought; I feel it is worth the risk,” was the Mithane’s even reply. “And I require her answer.”

  “Are you willing to deal with the consequences that forcing such an answer from her will bring?” Nivaradros inquired. “I am offering you firsthand knowledge of how a similar attempt to force Zimliya into being more open failed miserably. It damn near cost me everything. While your goal is not mine, you are risking what you have.” Nivaradros glanced at Z, and she could see he was reading her as he would a foreign spell, although he did it with more affection.

  The Mithane watched the Dragon with something Z couldn’t quite pin down—as his face was flawless. To her dismay, the Mithane didn’t heed the Dragon’s warning.

  “I will take the risk,” he told Nivaradros. “Because she needs to be pushed this way.” His eyes, mostly black with concern, turned to meet hers. “Zimliya?” he pressed.

  “Because I care, damn it,” she hissed at him after a long pause. “I’m not willing to lose you. Your words imply I will—time shouldn’t matter, but it does in this case, Mithane. You’re…” she fell silent and glanced at a wall. “You’re something closer to family than I would care to admit. You and Crilyne. I never had to worry about losing either of you. Both of you were always going to outlive me unless something major happened. Now the possibility that I will outlive you is present, and I don’t like it.”

  The Mithane lost all semblance of life as he froze at her words. His eyes shaded from solid black to their black and brown mixture as he regarded her. His gaze flickered—briefly—to Nivaradros before turning to her, but that small exchange of silence with the Dragon spoke of much.

  “You’ve changed,” he breathed as he leaned back in his chair. “You are willing to admit that you care for others. But yes, Zimliya, you understand the burden of immortality when it comes to the lives of others. There is nothing you can do but try to turn everything you can into what you desire it to be.”

  “Hence the reason immortals are so manipulative?” Z teased, trying to lighten the discussion.

  “It probably adds to it, yes. At a certain point,
you will realize it is one of the only things to do.” The Mithane tapped a finger on her table. “Though there is always new, or old, knowledge to gain.” He once more glanced at Nivaradros. “Her ascension to the Alantaion throne—if it happens—may cause some outrage since you are part of her. You gained respect looking after Shevieck when Z decided to torture him with the human kingdom, but you need to do more if you plan on staying beside her.”

  Nivaradros, to Z amazement, nodded in agreement. “I plan to,” he admitted. “The past I do not, fully, regret, but I see the ramifications my actions could have on my—and more importantly, Zimliya’s—future, so I am well aware of the fact I will have to work to limit what falls on her shoulders.”

  “You have changed as well,” the Mithane murmured. “Zimliya, is there anything else you wish to discuss?”

  “Will Arriandin recognize me the same way he did with you?” she wanted to know.

  “I suspect he will; he is rather fond of you,” the Mithane said with a warm smile. “He is quite often willing to bypass the security he normally puts up for most others, myself included. I cannot say that for certain, but he does prefer your Ranger roots.”

  “My immortality?” Z asked.

  “Shouldn’t be an issue, if anything it should put him further on your side. He respects you and knowing I have placed his castle in your hands upon my demise should be something he hoped for.”

  “’Should be?’” Nivaradros asked.

  “I am not going to swear how an awareness will respond to her, Nivaradros. He is, after all, neither a true immortal nor Alantaion.”

  “And in your opinion, is it safe for Zimliya to breach Arriandie through the Arriandin?”

  The Mithane hesitated. “Yes, but she has to reach him first. I am certain security will have been changed in my absence, but she shouldn’t have too much difficulty, considering how often she gets in and out of everyone’s kingdoms unnoticed.” His amusement was that of a fond, but exasperated parent, and Z had to offer him a smile.

  “Then she will leave whenever she deems it wise,” Nivaradros remarked. He stood and moved to where he wanted the door to appear. “Zimliya?” he called as he turned to raise a brow at her when no door appeared before him or anywhere else on the wall.

  “It appears I have my orders,” she joked to the Mithane as she stood. “I’m not…pleased, but I haven’t been pleased with anyone’s reaction regarding their kingdom and my immortality, so I suppose I shouldn’t hold this against you any more than I hold it against them. If you get yourself killed though, I will never speak to you again.”

  The Mithane chuckled—as it was something all the immortals had said to her at some point—and bowed to her as he rose. “I promise not to disappoint you unless the situation is one I cannot foresee. I ask that you likewise be careful.”

  “Always,” she replied in a flippant manner before glancing at the wall in time to see the door appear three feet to the Dragon’s right.

  “I swear this happens on purpose,” the Dragon grumbled as he moved toward the door.

  Crilyne beat him there. Z watched with care as the Shade and Dragon fenced with stares before Nivaradros snorted and stepped back, allowing Crilyne to slip through the door first. Wondering if the two of them would ever be able to be in a room together without her wanting to strangle them, she sighed and took a position behind the Mithane as the ancient ruler headed to the door as well.

  The Mithane left without another word to her or the Dragon, and once Z left the room with Nivaradros at her side, the door vanished.

  “What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Nivaradros wanted to know a few minutes later as they walked through the halls once more.

  “Nothing specific,” Z admitted with a small smile. “I expected the meeting to take more time.”

  “Than three days?”

  “Immortals are fond of silences,” Z remarked with a shrug. “And at least the war room is aware mortals need to eat; if it hadn’t fed Kitra on occasion, she probably would have snapped at someone.”

  “Ah, you got your temper from her?”

  “Oh, very funny,” Z grumbled as she swatted the Dragon’s chest.

  Nivaradros smiled but raised a brow. “She left with Sabaias,” he pointed out.

  “Yes, well they always were close that way,” Z remarked with a shrug.

  “Does Kitra have any human…mates?”

  “No. Few Rangers who take the warrior path at a young age like Kitra and I did have even casual relationships,” Z explained. “Warriors in general are less likely to marry unless they were married before they accepted the responsibilities of protecting an entire world and its races, and that would mean starting training at a later age and having Warrior as their second class. Warriors have a high fatality rate, after all, and we prefer to minimize the risk of orphans, though not all of us feel this way. It is a personal choice, not a rule.”

  “That is not what happened to her parents,” Nivaradros pointed out.

  “No. You burned down the village, Venai, where her parents were located. They were trying to rescue the people there from Midestol’s forces when you attacked.”

  A strange look crossed the Dragon’s eyes at the name of the village, but it was a flash she couldn’t identify before it was gone. “I do have my past deeds,” Nivaradros admitted with a smile. It was a dark smile, and bitter enough that it belonged more on a mortal than on an immortal Dragon.

  “She’s human, she’ll get over it,” Z said. “Your help in the wars lately has done much to change her mind on your overall position.”

  “She wanted to kill me?” Nivaradros’s smile was a cold and cutting one that hinted at a threat to Kitra if she wasn’t careful.

  “No, but she asked me to,” Z said with a shrug. “I declined.”

  “When did she ask?” Nivaradros questioned as a Syallibion rounded the corner at a run and almost collided with the Dragon. For a moment the two stared at each other—one pale and one looking peeved—before Nivaradros snorted smoke, jerked his head, and allowed the young immortal to head off without so much as a word.

  “About three months after she found out Veilantras had introduced you to me and you were interested in making me a snack.”

  “You were human, annoying, and Veilantras was determined to shove you down my throat.”

  “I stayed human and annoying for a long time—I am still human.”

  “Ah, but your annoying streak vanished rather quickly.” Nivaradros wrapped his arm around her shoulders then and drew her close as they continued to walk. “And you had saved my life a few times.”

  She leaned against his frame, which was warm enough to generate heat even in summer, and smiled crookedly. “As if I could have left you to perish any one of those times.”

  “So many others would have.”

  “I am not them. Besides you were…difficult, but I did like you, Nivaradros—even then. I have always found your personality refreshing, sincere, and likeable.”

  The halls began to get progressively more crowded as they strolled further into the heart of the castle. Though no one interrupted them, Z caught quite a few curious or astonished glances as the watchers realized she was letting Nivaradros touch her consistently without so much as flinching.

  “You are so strange,” Nivaradros told her as a smile worked its way over his features once more. “Only you could have found my threats to kill you likeable.”

  She turned to reply, but touch on her senses alerted her to danger. There was no time to warn Nivaradros. She tripped him, rolled to the ground herself, threw up a shield around him, and caught the arrow that would have pierced her heart had she had slower reflexes and no warning. Screams rang out around them, and Z felt several bodies speed by to avoid being attacked or threatened by whoever had taken a shot at her. There was little chance of a follow up, but it never hurt to be thorough. Sending out a sliver of magic to check for further danger, Z got to her feet and felt Nivaradros get up as well.<
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  The Dragon’s eyes were a blazing neon. “It seems Zyrhis was incorrect in the assumption his people would be pleased to see you here—pleased to be under your rule.”

  “It wasn’t a Syallibion who shot this,” Z remarked absently as she looked over the arrow.

  It wasn’t a decorated one by any means, but she was familiar with the styles and designs of each race’s weapons, and although they occasionally ventured outside of their classic designs, it happened rarely. Plus, there was a light magical touch remaining on the arrow that told her far more about her would-be-attacker than she probably wanted.

  “Then who just made an attempt on your life?” Nivaradros asked in an icy tone.

  Around them Syallibion servants, court members, and visitors began to get to their feet and move away or approach to check on her condition. Offering them a smile that both reassured them and demanded that they leave her alone, Z raised a brow at the Dragon.

  “It was an Alantaion, and not,” she added as Nivaradros’s hands curled into fists, “one of the ones here with the Mithane. Presumably their new ruler believes I am a threat that needs to be taken care of immediately.”

  Nivaradros snorted, but his eyes stayed dangerous and his hands remained fists. “Is he gone?”

  “She is,” Z corrected and confirmed. “But if I run into her again, I will know, Nivaradros. Come, the fact that I am now the target of immortal assassins implies we will have to move quickly to regain the Mithane’s throne, and I would like to spend some time with you before I leave.”

  “Boring me to death?”

  “Or beating you,” Z countered with a sly smile. “But come, Nivaradros, let us repair to our quarters; there is much to discuss.”