by Ian Gregoire
“ENOUGH!”
The resonant baritone voice froze Kayden where she stood before she could take even a single stride. Her head turned sharply to one side, as though she’d just been slapped across the face. The voice belonged to a man standing alongside Onyx over seventy yards away, and Kayden’s heart figuratively jumped up into her throat. She had left her four-legged companion inside a barrier sphere, where he’d be safe, but someone had neutralised her invocation of Inkansaylar without her knowing. Now Onyx was at the mercy of the tall, elderly man whom she knew with certainty was the infamous Usurper King, Josario Sandolari.
“What a beautiful creature he is,” the man called out. “It would be most unfortunate if something unpleasant were to befall him.”
The manner in which the man slowly, deliberately stroked Onyx’s neck warned Kayden against doing anything stupid. Heart racing, she stood motionless, unwilling to risk moving if it meant endangering the horse. She watched as the man she presumed to be Josario took hold of the reins of her horse, and ambled towards her with scores of cultists following him. From beneath the hood of her siphon cloak, Kayden’s acute focus on him didn’t prevent her from noticing how all the cultists at the edges of her field of view were watching him, too, with apt reverence. It was as though they had become oblivious to her presence.
So, this was the target of her mission, her prey. As he came closer, Kayden was struck by how old Josario looked. Given that he was believed to be in his early-fifties at the onset of the Great War, she didn’t know why she was surprised that seven decades later the passing of those years were etched upon his face. The lines and wrinkles of his skin were deep, and his short-cropped hair was bright white. But his spry physicality was at odds with his aged appearance. Standing over six feet tall, his powerful frame moved like a man less than half his age. There was no doubting his dynamism.
Kayden pursed her lips when Josario halted about a dozen yards away from her. The possibility of killing him where he stood crossed her mind, but she wasn’t confident it could be accomplished without endangering Onyx so she refrained from making the attempt. Besides, with so many of Josario’s followers in close proximity she’d have a difficult time fleeing from the commune if she killed him now. She certainly wouldn’t be afforded the time to cut off his head so she could take it back with her to the Nine Kingdoms. Somehow she had to get him alone.
“You were reckless to come at me so directly,” announced the elderly man. “It seems I had little to fear from you after all.”
“Your people attacked me in the woods first,” Kayden replied. She noted the immediate shift in Josario’s expression. It was as though he’d just been taken aback by an unexpected revelation. “Regrettably, I was forced to kill two of them. A third took his own life, while the fourth you will find lying beneath a tree with a broken spine.”
“I was expecting a man, not a woman.” The statement was uttered in an undertone that suggested Josario was speaking to himself, but Kayden caught the confusion in his voice. “So, stranger, what brings you here uninvited?” he added.
“I have come to meet you, of course,” said Kayden, trying to sound blasé.
“And why might that be?”
There was an unmistakeable ratcheting up of the tension in the air.
“Because I know who you really are… Josario Sandolari.”
The narrowing of the old man’s eyes, as he frowned gravely at her, effectively confirmed Kayden’s assumption as to his identity. She wasn’t sure how he was going to respond, but it seemed clear that he wasn’t best pleased.
“Do I know you, stranger?” said Josario with a threatening edge to his voice.
Kayden’s response died on the tip of her tongue, distracted by something that had caught her eye. One of the cultists was pushing his way to the front, and Kayden was stunned to realise she recognised the young man. You’ve got to be kidding me, she thought in alarm. What in the world is that dunderhead doing here? Her old nemesis Vartan Pazarian was the last person she expected to encounter during her mission, regardless of the fact his family name indicated Anzarmenian ancestry. She hadn’t laid eyes on him since his expulsion from Antaris campus two years ago for attempting to kill her, and she never imagined their paths would cross again. But here he was, a member of Josario’s cult, and his presence was highly problematic. He could expose her connection to the Order.
For the time being, Kayden’s features were obscured beneath the hood of her siphon cloak, but Vartan had surely recognised her voice, which must have prompted him to push to the front. He was now staring intently at her, trying to catch a glimpse of her face to confirm her identity.
“I asked you a question!”
Josario’s voice drew Kayden’s attention back to him. She knew there was little time left to win his trust before Vartan blew her cover.
“No, you don’t know me,” she replied to his question. “But we do have a mutual acquaintance, that’s why I’m here.”
“Master!” said Vartan, his intrusion halting the exchange between Kayden and the cult leader.
A non-verbal request to approach was conveyed to the elderly man, and permission was granted, allowing Vartan to move to Josario’s side for a whispered exchange. It wasn’t difficult for Kayden to guess what the dunderhead was saying. The shift in Josario’s expression, and the intent gaze he fixed upon her, merely confirmed that she had been exposed.
“Remove the hood and show your face,” said Josario.
There was something about the old man’s authoritative, commanding voice that inexplicably made Kayden want to do whatever he said. She fought off the strange sensation, but realised there was little point in refusing. “Why do you need to see my face?” she asked rhetorically, wondering again if she should just try to kill the man where he stood. The danger she could feel closing in all around her was certainly grounds to do so.
“I want to see if you are as pretty as you sound.”
It was obvious from his tone that Josario was being facetious; he was simply trying to help Vartan confirm his belief about the identity of the black-clad intruder. But Kayden duly pulled her hood back and prepared herself for the fallout.
“Yes! I knew it,” blurted Vartan. “It’s her.”
“Take her alive, if you can,” Josario ordered.
“Wait!”
Josario raised a hand to allay the order, halting his followers as they were about to act. The reprieve was likely to be Kayden’s final opportunity to win him over. She had to make the most of it.
“You didn’t ask me who our mutual acquaintance is,” she said forcefully.
A half-smile tugged the corners of Josario’s mouth. “Very well, my pretty,” he said, obviously humouring her. “Who is this mutual acquaintance of ours?”
“She is known by many names, including the Harbinger of Death,” replied Kayden. “But throughout the Nine Kingdoms people commonly refer to her simply as the Rogue.”
There was an immediate shift in Josario’s expression, but not in the manner Kayden was anticipating. The mention of his erstwhile disciple appeared to have angered Josario greatly.
“My beloved was killed many decades ago,” he said harshly. “So how could a pretty young thing like you be acquainted with her?”
“She did not die at the battle of Lilac Valley, as you were led to believe,” Kayden retorted. “She survived her ordeal.” There was an uneasy mix of scepticism and hope on the old man’s face, and Kayden knew she could exploit it. “How else could I know who you are and how to find you? I’m her apprentice, and I’ve come to you today because of her.”
Kayden could see she was getting to the old man; Josario wanted to believe her in spite of himself.
“Master Yosarian!” blurted Vartan. “She’s lying. This is some kind of trick.” He turned his venomous gaze on Kayden. “Let me kill her for you.”
Perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but Kayden was taken aback to learn that despite the passage of two years Vartan
’s hatred of her remained undimmed. It was strange to realise she hadn’t given him a second thought during that time, yet he had clearly been living every day waiting for the moment he could seek his revenge against her. That much was obvious from the murderous look in his eyes, conveying just how desperate he was to hurt her. Fortunately, Josario was unmoved by Vartan’s impassioned plea. He simply handed Onyx’s reins to one of the cultists, and ambled towards Kayden. She took an involuntary step backward.
“Few people who looked upon the face of my beloved lived to tell the tale,” Josario declared as he came closer. “If you are truly her apprentice, you will know what she looks like.” He halted in front of Kayden and held her gaze. “Now, show me.”
Frowning up at the infamous Usurper King, Kayden wondered what he meant. Was he expecting her to draw a picture of Fay? She got her answer when Josario raised both hands in an attempt to cup her head between his fingers. Instinctively, she flinched and took a backward step, unwilling to risk letting him enter her mind.
“Is there something you’d like to confess?” The mockery in Josario’s voice suggested that he thought he had exposed Kayden’s deception.
“I’m not lying, if that’s what you’re asking,” she retorted defiantly. “I just don’t want you poking around inside my head!”
“Oh, my pretty. If you are not who you say you are, my poking around inside your head will be the least of your worries.”
Kayden’s heart raced. The gathered cultists seemed to be inching nearer, and she could sense imminent death.
“I won’t go deeper than your surface thoughts,” Josario assured her. “Just visualise the face of our… mutual acquaintance. That is all I need to see.”
With a deep intake of breath, Kayden cleared her thoughts and pictured Fay’s face in her mind’s eye. The image of the beautiful, stoic visage—with its flawless olive complexion, and delicate features framed by Fay’s unusual burgundy coloured hair—provoked an involuntary smile from Kayden. She was reminded of how much she missed her master, and barely noticed the touch of Josario’s fingers pressed against either side of her head as he stared deeply into her eyes. Moments later, his hands fell away from her face. Kayden observed the astonishment sweeping down Josario’s features. It was clear he could no longer doubt her connection to Fay.
He looked away, peering back over his shoulder to address the man holding Onyx by the reins. “Take the horse to the stables,” he said. “Be sure to have him fed and watered.” His attention turned to a group of women among the crowd to his right. “Escort my guest to my bungalow, and see to her comfort.” Turning back to Kayden, he said, “I have matters I must take care of. I will return soon then we shall sit down for dinner. There is much I wish to discuss with you.”
Without waiting for agreement, Josario stepped away, leaving Kayden to wonder where he was going. She tried to keep him in sight for as long as possible, but a trio of women in drab attire were quickly around her, compelling her to start walking in the opposite direction. The women, whom Kayden presumed were formerly of the Sisterhood, escorted her to a nondescript bungalow some distance away. Upon entering the rustic building, the Jaymidari cultists dutifully carried out their instructions to make Kayden comfortable—though they watched her like hawks. Soon, a small fire was going in the hearth, a pot of tea had been brewed, and Kayden was amusing herself in a rocking chair, drinking from a ceramic mug while her hosts hovered nearby.
Casting her gaze about the austere interior, Kayden was amazed that it was the abode of a man who had usurped the throne of his homeland, then launched a catastrophic war in a failed attempt to become the sole monarch reigning over the Nine Kingdoms. Josario certainly wasn’t living in the lap of luxury as a cult leader. The observation made her wonder, for the first time, what the purpose of the cult was. What little she knew of most cults had led her to assume they were all started by dirty old men who wanted to have sex with lots of gullible young women. But it didn’t matter what Josario’s intentions were for his cult. It made no difference to the nature of Kayden’s mission. She just hoped that when he joined her for dinner, he wouldn’t do or say anything to make her warm to him. Killing someone she liked would be harder than killing someone she was indifferent to.
“So how long will I be kept waiting?” she asked no one in particular.
The Jaymidari standing by the window replied, “Master Yosarian will return when he pleases. He will attend you when he sees fit.”
Kayden wanted to tell the woman that Master Yosarian didn’t exist. That the man she had abandoned the Sisterhood for was actually a fugitive war criminal, whose ambition had directly led to the deaths of a million people. But she held her tongue. There was no reason to believe the revelation would have any effect on any of Josario’s deluded followers. She raised her mug to her lips and took another sip of tea. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to wait too long. The sooner he returned, the sooner she could kill him and flee with his head. In the meantime, she needed to come up with a story of how she came to be the apprentice of the infamous rogue Sanatsai.
Fay patted Shadow’s neck with affection. “It feels like the old days, when I used to ride your great-grandmother on missions during the early years of the Order,” she murmured. “Are you ready to resume our journey?”
The grey mare snorted and nodded her head, as if in response. With a smile, Fay kicked her heels into Shadow’s flanks, urging her into a canter. As they departed the village, Fay waved a grateful farewell to the villagers who had hosted her hour-long stop in their village to give her horse a well-earned rest. Their generosity had not only fed and watered her horse, but also allowed Fay to sit down with one of the resident families and enjoy some tea and cake.
Now she was on the move once more, heading due south across rolling fields spread out as far as the eye could see. She remained in good spirits about the outcome of her journey, despite having no expectation of apprehending Kayden before she encountered Josario. During the brief stay in the village, she had cast out her senses to confirm Kayden’s whereabouts. As expected, the apprentice was still somewhere in southern Anzarmenia, but she was no longer on the move; she was stationary. It was possible Kayden was simply taking a rest before resuming her journey, but Fay thought it more likely that she had successfully tracked down Master Yosarian, and subsequently been captured after failing in her foolhardy mission. If that was the case, the good news was that Kayden was still alive. The bad news was that Josario would have four or five days to discern what he had in his possession.
Fay tried not to dwell too much on that prospect. She mentally told herself that even if Yosarian did learn how powerful Kayden was, he wouldn’t have time to turn her. The Order’s mission to eliminate him and his cult was now just under a week away. Her only worry was the possibility that having another elite Sanatsai stumble into his grasp might prompt Yosarian into abandoning his current plans, and leave Anzarmenia with his prize. Then he’d have all the time in the world to win over Kayden Jayta.
Standing at the front window, Kayden stared through the sheer drapes, watching Josario converse with two burly men outside the bungalow. She assumed them to be Sanatsai cultists, and though she didn’t know what they were talking about, she didn’t care just as long as Josario was intending to come to her now. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of several women laying the dining table. She was somewhat bemused by how much trouble they were going to, but whatever they had cooked up sure smelled good. Too bad their master would be dead before he finished digesting his meal, she thought.
The two cultists departed, leaving Josario to walk to the front door of his bungalow. Kayden quickly stepped away from the window and returned to the rocking chair; she didn’t want to appear too eager. Rocking gently, back and forth, she held the book she had borrowed from the bookshelf earlier, and pretended to resume her reading. When the front door opened, she casually looked up and rose to her feet in acknowledgement of his presence. For a protracted moment, he scrutinised
her with a neutral expression on his face, then walked to the dining area to have a private word with one of his Jaymidari cultists. Whatever was said between the pair seemed to satisfy Josario so he stepped away from the dining table and approached Kayden.
“Well, my pretty,” he said, halting in front of her. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting for too long.”
Glancing sideways to look at the grandfather clock, Kayden saw that the time was shortly after Seventeenth Hour—or five o’clock as they said in Anzarmenia. “About three and a half hours,” she replied. “But it’s not as though I was keeping an eye on the time.” She made no effort to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
Josario didn’t appear to appreciate the snarky riposte. “Perhaps you need reminding that you killed three of my people, and injured a fourth,” he said. “I had to organise the recovery of the bodies and oversee their burials… among over things. Then there was the small matter of placating the friends of the deceased, who now have an expectation that the guilty party will be severely punished before forfeiting her own life.”
There was something in his baritone voice that made Kayden’s heart race, and his withering gaze caused her to swallow in spite of herself.
“Needless to say,” Josario continued, “there is much disquiet about the fact I am unable to punish you… yet.” He let out a deep sigh. “Your arrival has thrown a rock into the placid lake that is my life. To think that my beloved was alive all these years and I didn’t know.” The wistfulness in his tone and demeanour conveyed an unspeakable regret. “But we can discuss that while we eat.” Turning on his heels he headed back towards the dining table.
Kayden retrieved her siphon cloak and sword from the rocking chair before trailing behind Josario. At the dining table, she hung her items on the back of the chair opposite her host then took her seat. Feeling nervous, she glanced between the three Jaymidari standing dutifully around the table for two, wondering how she could get rid of them so she had Josario alone. Killing him in front of witnesses would obviously be detrimental to her chances of successfully fleeing with Onyx.