I might never see him again. The thought slammed into Terosh’s chest, and his steps faltered.
Tate smiled even as he pushed their pace faster still.
“Not exactly how I pictured our farewell, but if I’m right, your friend needs you more than I do.”
Urgency unsettled his stomach, but Terosh raced through the palace corridors behind his brother. It took them ten minutes to reach the entrance to the South Passage several levels beneath the palace prison. They paused at the door.
Terosh hugged Tate fiercely.
“Send a message when you reach Mitra.”
“You’ll be fine. You’re a good man, Terry,” Tate said, returning the hug. “If all goes well, I’ll be back in two decades. I expect to be greeted by several nieces and nephews and their pretty mother.”
A lump caught in Terosh’s throat. He stared at Tate, trying to memorize everything about him. He couldn’t remember how many years had escaped them while they were wrapped up in their own agendas.
“No regrets,” Tate admonished, reading his expression. “Forget what I said before, if she makes you happy, treasure her.” With that, Tate spun Terosh around and pushed him through the entrance to the South Passage out of Rammon.
Chapter 35:
Beauty and Strength
ALLEI (AUGUST) 15, 1538
Same Day
Archer Farm, Kevil Plains
Can you open the stuncuffs? Reia Antellio asked the anotechs.
Of course, descendent of the Chosen. Should we release you now?
Not yet. I will let you know when, thank you.
Upon spotting the farm house, Reia forgot to walk. Smoke curled lazily out of the chimney. The tiny place projected warmth and comfort, but awareness of her situation caused Reia to fight the illusion of safety. A shove from Keldor sent her forward again. From time to time, she sensed him studying her. She wanted out of the stuncuffs but refrained from complaining. Keldor’s men still held the farmer hostage.
As she crossed the threshold, Reia’s right foot caught the nearly imperceptible ledge. She tripped and landed in the middle of the room, centimeters from a solid looking couch. With her arms secured behind her back, Reia could only roll over and struggle to a sitting position, wincing as the stuncuffs shocked her.
Three new pairs of eyes stared down at her, and she sensed a fourth pair looking through the couch. A woman and a boy were both gagged and tied to chairs, and an annoyed man stood next to them.
“Einer, what in Riden’s name are they doing here?” Keldor demanded, tugging Reia upright.
“This is Vel Drisher and her son, Jaidir. The kid came to deliver corncakes, and the mother followed when the kid didn’t come back,” Einer reported. He waved at the package on the kitchen table between the people tied to chairs.
A cry from the woman on the couch cut off Keldor’s response.
Reia twisted around to get a good look at the distressed woman.
“Where’s my husband?” cried the woman.
“He’ll be back later,” Keldor replied.
Reia tried to get a better look at Airiel Archer who appeared ready to deliver the baby. Something in the woman’s expression spoke of more than normal labor pains. Reia sent anotechs to investigate, and they reported the problem.
Babies all twisted. Choking to death.
Reia turned to her captor.
“Something’s wrong. You’ve brought me here, Keldor. Now turn me loose so I can help her.”
The intense look of concentration on Ariman Keldor’s face told Reia his mind was far away from the woman’s plight. His face grew hard and unreadable as he drew some sort of conclusion about her.
“You’re related to that Ranger witch who saved my boy.” It was a statement of fact.
Reia nodded.
“Kiata. She’s my sister. We’re not related by blood, but we’re still close.”
“I let her go. That makes us even.” Keldor didn’t sound like he believed it.
Unsure how to answer, Reia nodded again. She might be able to exploit the sympathy later, but the woman needed immediate help.
Shaking off his stupor, Keldor stepped toward her.
“I’ll remove the stuncuffs, but if you—”
“I know my duty, Master Keldor, but I want your word that the woman, her son, and the children—”
“Children?” Keldor echoed.
“Yes, children, plural. Guarantee that they, the farmer and his wife, and their neighbors will be unharmed, and you’ll have my full cooperation.” Reia wanted to make sure the help wasn’t given in vain.
“I already command your cooperation,” Keldor pointed out.
“I can take my life at any moment.” Reia hoped the air of mystery surrounding Rangers would lend strength to her bluff. She sensed Keldor didn’t want to hurt these people any more than she did. “Guarantee their safety.” Reia kept her posture stiff yet tried to project serenity.
A strangled cry from Airiel and grunts from the gagged ones punctuated her statement.
“You have my word,” Keldor responded.
“Then you have mine as well,” she answered evenly.
Before releasing her, Keldor turned to the man standing next to the chair captives.
“Einer, go help the others capture the prince. Adrik took a bullet. If the prince doesn’t show up tonight, get a message to the palace tomorrow and follow the previous plan.”
Einer acknowledged the orders and headed for the door.
“Take the kid with you,” Keldor added.
Reia wanted to argue but another round of screams from Airiel filled the house. It would probably be good to remove the boy from the Archer house.
“If we’re not here when you get back, you know where to find us. Follow as quickly as possible. Oh, and take this.” He threw Reia’s shootav to Einer. “Mention that you know he has her banistick if he needs more convincing.”
Einer caught the weapon and tucked it into his belt. Drawing a dagger, he quickly slashed the bonds holding the boy to the chair. Then, he grabbed a fresh strip of rag and tied the boy’s hands behind his back. Yanking the child around and meeting his wide-eyed stare, Einer removed the gag.
“You’re going to follow every order I give you so I don’t have to hurt your mother. Do you understand?” asked Einer.
The boy glanced at his mother who tried to break free of her bonds. She stilled when Einer rested the dagger’s blade against the boy’s right shoulder.
Keldor finally released Reia from the stuncuffs and stepped back to cover her with his pistol and stay out of the way.
TEROSH JOGGED ALONG the South Passage beneath Rammon, knowing each step was a permanent one away from his family. The tunnel would only take him six kilometers into the Kevil Plains, but it might as well be the other side of the planet. He might never see Tate again, and Father would probably never speak to him for marrying so far beneath his station. If he wanted to marry Reia, he would have to do so before returning to the palace, or his father would guarantee that he never saw her again.
The thought of Reia lightened Terosh’s mood and quickened his steps. He held her banistick in his left hand so he wouldn’t lose it. His kerlinblade bounced lightly against his right thigh. He considered using the kerlinblade for light but decided to rely on the dim path lights.
Guilt pressed down upon him. He didn’t want to fail his father, but he couldn’t marry for duty. In that regard, Tate was a much braver man.
There are other ways to forge alliances.
Lost in thought, Terosh barely realized he had reached the end of the secret passage. As he scrambled up the ladder, he noted the change from stone walls to reddish-brown dirt. He cautiously climbed out of the hole that appeared when he pressed a button on the second-to-top step.
A personal messenger met him as he emerged.
“Greetings Prince Terosh of House Minstel, my master says that Correth will serve you well.” The boy bowed and held the reins out to Terosh.
/> “Thank you, Tyler.” Terosh recognized the boy as one of Tate’s most trusted informants. “Send your master my compliments.”
He wanted to give the boy a more personal message, but he had no time to compose anything meaningful.
Mounting the horse, Terosh aimed for the purple flames and set off. When he drew close enough to see figures around the fire, Terosh halted his horse and sent anotechs forward to investigate. The setup intrigued him. From the perspective of anyone coming from Rammon, the fire had been built on top of a gentle rise in the land. Two bound figures, a man and a boy, sat in front of the fire. Two men stood on either side of the fire with clear shots at either hostage.
Before he could turn his horse, a man shouted, “Wait! This man has a message for the prince!”
Dismounting, Terosh crept forward and listened.
“Go ahead, Archer.”
“If you’re there, my Prince, I—”
“Pull yourself together!” the same man demanded.
“They have the Ranger,” said the child.
Terosh’s heart sent blood pounding against his skull. His stomach clenched, and his mind spouted useless denials.
No one knows I’m here! They can’t! Reia’s safe. She must be.
He tried plotting ways to attack the men without getting the hostages shot, but his mind refused to work. The best he could do was close his eyes and watch the scene through the anotechs near the fire.
The adult hostage let his head sink to his chest.
“My name is Archer, and I would not deliver this message if I could help it, but they have my wife and the boy’s mother back at my house.” His head slowly came up and his jaw clenched. “They used us to force her surrender, and they’ll use her to—” His speech ended abruptly as a stun beam plowed into his back.
The leader moved behind the boy.
“My masters need to speak with you, so I need you to come with me to Meritab. They will present their offer then.”
You’re lying!
They are not lying, said the anotechs.
They have to be!
An uneasy silence fell.
“Show yourself!” yelled the man in charge.
More silence.
“Tell your story,” the speaker ordered the child. He pressed his pistol to the back of the boy’s neck.
Terosh held his breath. Even a stun beam could kill the boy at that range.
“What am I supposed to say?” the boy asked.
“Tell him what happened tonight.”
“Momma made corncakes fer the Archers ’cause the lady’s gonna have a baby real soon. I got knocked out but woke up by the time a man brought the Ranger to the house.”
“Describe her.” The leader’s gun hand twitched impatiently.
“She has brown hair and really green eyes,” said the boy.
Terosh’s heart shuddered within him, and tears stung his eyes. Each passing second convinced him they spoke truth. He wiped the tears away angrily.
“I have her shootav,” the man announced. He removed the weapon from behind his back and tossed it to the ground in front of the prisoners. “I also know you have her banistick.”
Terosh wished he were anywhere but by this fire listening to this man.
What do I do?
Talk to them. The offer sounds real.
Sounds?
98.8755555% possibility the offer is legitimate, the anotechs clarified.
“I can take you to her. She’ll be at the meeting.”
That decided the matter for Terosh. He stood up.
“How will this work?” he asked.
“Simple. We take a short hike to Archer’s house. My master contacts some people, and we get a ride to Meritab.”
A korver howled plaintively in the distance.
The other man holding a gun cleared his throat.
“Einer, we should probably wait until morning. Adrik’s not moving until then, and I don’t want to carry him and Archer. It’s only a few hours off anyway.”
The leader agreed.
“How do I know you won’t kill me?” Terosh asked.
“What good would that do?” Einer demanded. “You don’t waste time, effort, and manpower on a trap like this to assassinate someone.”
“Ransom?”
“Stop being stupid, son. When was the last time the Royal House paid kidnappers in anything but death?”
Terosh hated being called “son” but the man’s words made sense. Questioning his sanity, he cautiously stepped into the trap.
BACK AT THE ARCHER farm, Airiel lay on the couch in quiet awe. Tear streaks ran from her eyes to the tip of her chin. Reia sat on the floor and smiled up at the new mother, completely exhausted. The scene almost made her forget she was a prisoner. She wanted nothing more than to watch Airiel cradle the newborns. Deep shadows around Airiel’s eyes spoke of worry for her husband.
Even with the anotechs’ aid, it had been a long fight. The twins had been one mass of entangled arms and legs.
“I miss Derk.” Airiel’s admission opened the way for more tears.
Reia wished she could do something meaningful, but no words could conjure the woman’s husband. What should have been a wonderful night for them had turned out horribly wrong.
“What will you call them?” Reia asked, trying to distract Airiel.
When the tears finally subsided, Airiel gazed down at the sleeping babies.
Reia gripped her right hand, grateful to have her concentrate on something besides her missing husband.
“Nothing we chose fits.” Airiel’s voice was hoarse. “Do you have a suggestion?”
“That’s not my place,” Reia replied, patting Airiel’s hand.
Airiel squeezed Reia’s hand hard.
“Please, they wouldn’t be alive if you hadn’t saved them. Derk would want it this way.”
Reia studied the twins. Swaddled in soft towels, they looked identical in every way. The sleeping boy’s face was pinched. He had worked one fist free and had it curled tightly. The girl was awake but well on her way to sleep. Her head lolled against her mother. Her dark eyes slowly shut. Her cheeks were still red but her round face and perfectly formed features would soon blossom into true beauty.
“Kayla and Stenneth,” Reia whispered. “Beauty and strength.”
Chapter 36:
Leverage
ALLEI (AUGUST) 16, 1538
Sixteen days after Prince Terosh’s Kireshana journey
Meetcher Estate, City of Meritab
Meralla Meetcher stood before her husband and trembled with rage. Signs of their vast wealth were everywhere in the furniture, paintings, and even on her person, but what mattered most was gone: Kia. Meralla had been a prisoner most of her life, but she would not tolerate the same for her daughter. The memory of Kia’s frightened screams made Meralla clenched her fists so tightly her nails cut into her palms.
“Can I help you, my dear?” Donovan asked. He put down the glass of fertia wine. His eyes darted to every object on his desk like he was measuring their potential as weapons.
Meralla wished she had the will to wield the Nedis crystal lamp like a club.
“Where is she?” Meralla’s eyes drilled the question into her husband.
“They didn’t tell me.” Donovan’s hazel eyes flickered with annoyance.
So, I wasn’t supposed to know.
The realization drove the pain deeper. Meralla trembled again, fighting tears.
They took her without warning.
The thought temporarily buried sorrow beneath anger.
“Why her?” Meralla demanded.
“Because you have to stand by me.” Donovan’s condescending tone negated any sympathy in his eyes. “Appearances must be maintained, my dear. With my new position, we’ll have many important meetings to attend.”
Meralla silently cursed his new position.
“This ends here, Donovan.”
His dark brown hair ruffled where he rubbed it wearily.
/>
“I don’t like it any better than you do, Meralla, but it’s always been like this. It’s just a formality.”
“Formality? They kidnapped our daughter!” Meralla shouted.
Donovan winced, rose from the camrood leather chair, and slowly circumvented his desk.
“It’s not kidnapping. We know where she’s going ... eventually.”
“How do we know where she’s going? They could take her anywhere!”
Donovan held Meralla’s shoulders and enunciated each word carefully.
“I don’t know where Kia is right now, but they will eventually take her to Idonia to stay in Lord Kezem’s care. His people will train her to be a Melian Maiden. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
I thought we wished that once.
She knew her husband spoke of his “secret” dealings with Idonia’s Third Lord. Although she had never met the man, she hated him. She suppressed the urge to pound her husband with both fists, but as she released the anger, fear set in.
“Is it worth it, Donovan? Is this promotion truly worth our daughter’s life?”
“Don’t say that. It’s not like that. We’ll visit her every few months when I go for the meetings and—”
Meralla laughed bitterly.
“Councils of war,” she said. A stab of remorse battled satisfaction at hurting him, but mostly, she felt Kia’s absence like an open wound.
Donovan’s eyes darted around nervously.
“Meralla, please guard your words. It isn’t safe. Governor Riber already suspects I threw in my lot with Lord Kezem. He’s probably sent spies.”
The Restlers and then the RT Alliance had given Donovan everything. As much as Meralla tried to stay out of politics, she knew Lord Kezem had higher ambitions than ruling the RT Alliance. She couldn’t begin to fathom what plans he wove, but the effect of those plans upon her family infuriated her. Disgusted, Meralla stepped back, wrenching her shoulders out of Donovan’s hands. Her glare told Donovan he was worse than the scum-sucking leeches lining sewers. She spun away and marched to the heavy wooden doors just in time to almost be flattened by them.
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