by Emma Miles
‘So, does the King suspect the Icante yet?’ he asked.
She edged slowly around toward the window, although there was a twinge of longing in her muscles, something about Inari had started to make her hands shake with nerves. ‘He doesn’t want to believe it,’ she told him. ‘He says if the walkers were against him, why would the Icante kill Larissa?’
Inari snorted. ‘Because Larissa loved your husband and refused to continue the Icante’s bidding, so she got her sycophant, Temerran, to kill her before she revealed the truth.’
Ayline stared at him with her mouth open. ‘Really?’
Very briefly, his nose creased in distaste. ‘Of course, it’s obvious. You need to get that idiot husband of yours to have the Icante arrested and put in the dungeons.’
Ayline shook her head. ‘She would never allow that, what about her powers?’
‘Have her husband arrested first and put him somewhere she doesn’t know. If she doesn’t cooperate, he’ll die. In fact, if she doesn’t cooperate then there will be war against the Fulmers, and all the witches will be hung – or burned.’
‘I’m not sur—’
‘Oh, for the gods’ sake!’ He jumped off the bed and stalked toward her, she shrank back against the wall. ‘Tell him it will be a test. He will set her and her people free if she stops the dreams. Only, if the dreams stop, he’ll know it’s her and can charge her with witchcraft.’
It kind of made sense, but Ayline shuddered under the young man’s angry gaze. She forced herself to nod.
‘Good.’ He stepped back to look her up and down. ‘Now come to bed.’
‘It’s a bit uncomfortable now the baby is s—’
He grabbed her wrist and crushed it in his long fingers. ‘Do as I say.’
***
Ayline woke with a scream, she clutched at her pillow, sobbing into it as she rolled from her back onto her side. The nightmare had been unbearable, worse than anything Bractius had described. In her dreams she’d given birth to a creature more like an eel with teeth longer than her fingers. The blood had just poured and poured from her body. Hot and shaking, she looked around the room to find she was alone. She padded to the door and opened it a crack, then wider. There was still no sign of Lerra. She drew in a deep breath as she heard women’s voices. Clenching her fists to still her shaking body, she thrust open the door to her parlour and raised her chin to look around at the women there. There were only three, including Sonay, but even so relief swept through her and her knees weakened.
‘Your majesty?’ Sonay asked in concern, leaping to her feet to take her arm. ‘Are you ill?’
‘Send word to the king,’ she gasped. ‘The dream curse has fallen on me and his child now too!’
One of the other women leapt to her feet and scurried out of the door while Sonay helped Ayline back to her bed. Sonay snugged the blankets around her and then fetched her a glass of water which she gulped down thirstily.
‘Where is Lerra?’ Ayline asked anxiously.
Sonay bit her lower lip. ‘No one has seen her, your majesty. Do you think you could eat?’
Ayline retched at the thought of it. ‘Just some tea please! Chamomil—’ A shudder ran through her. ‘No, thyme tea, please, with rosemary.’
‘I’ll see to it.’ Sonay’s eyes ran over her face. ‘I won’t be long.’
As Sonay left the room, Ayline found herself suddenly remembering Rosa and a desperate longing for the older woman burst open in her chest. She screwed her face up and tensed all of her muscles. The baby moved.
‘It’s all right.’ She rubbed at her stomach, speaking soothingly despite her own anxiety.
There was a bustle of activity outside the door and it was flung back against the wall as Bractius burst in.
‘Ayline! Are you hurt? Is the baby okay?’ He sat on the bed, his weight making the mattress sag and creak.
She held out her arms and he hugged her for the first time in months, rubbing her back with one hand and kissing her hair above her ear.
‘I’m all right.’ She sniffed. ‘But, oh my love!’ She pushed him back to look into his brown eyes. ‘I understand now. The dream I had last night.’ She let tears leak from her eyes. ‘I’m so scared for our baby.’
‘I’ll write to Jorrun at once.’ Bractius stood and began to pace around the room. ‘He must forget Chem and come back here to sort this out.’
Ayline sat up. ‘Oh, but that might be too late. You must listen to me, my love. I know you don’t want to believe it …’
He stopped his pacing to glare at her.
‘But I’m certain it’s those witches from the Fulmers.’
‘I told yo—’
‘No, listen.’ She slapped the blankets hard with one hand. ‘We can test them, to be sure. Have Arrus arrested discreetly and locked away somewhere to ensure Dia’s co-operation. Arrest her then on suspicion of witchcraft. Tell her if she stops the dreams, we will let her husband go and leave the Fulmers alone. If she refuses to stop the dreams, then we will declare war on the Fulmers and hang every last witch.’
Bractius opened his mouth and he shook his head slowly. ‘This doesn’t fee—’
‘They are killing our child!’ Ayline shrieked.
Bractius raised his hands and then covered his face with them. ‘All right. All right, we will try. I hope the Fulmers will forgive me if you’re wrong. Are you well enough to meet me in my private audience room shortly? I’ll have the Icante summoned there.’
She nodded eagerly. ‘I can meet you there.’
Bractius’s shoulders sagged and his head was bowed as he silently left the room.
Ayline leapt out of bed and snatched up a dress, feeling excitement quicken her pulse. She yelled for her dwindled following of ladies to come and help her and she quickly washed her face and neck while they laced her into a dress and pinned up her chestnut hair. She didn’t want to think about what she was doing. She was protecting her baby, protecting her future, taking the power she was owed. The respect she was owed.
Taking in a deep breath she raised her chin and set out from her rooms to her husband’s private audience chamber. Her three ladies tried to follow but she turned and waved them away. ‘Thank you for your loyalty, but please wait for me in my rooms.’
She didn’t wait for their responses but continued through the corridor. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Inari, changing candles in the sconces. He didn’t so much as glance at her as she sidled past. Turning her back on him made her skin crawl, but she forced herself to walk on. Two guards stood outside the King’s room and she didn’t bother to acknowledge them or knock, before turning the handle to step in. Bractius made to stand, but on seeing her settled back in his chair. Merkis Dalton was also in the room, along with the chief of the King’s guards. All three men stared at her for a moment, before Dalton darted forward to pull a chair out for her.
They waited in awkward silence for several minutes before someone knocked lightly at the door and Dia came in. She glanced at those in the room before addressing Bractius without a curtsey or any reference to his title. Ayline frowned as she watched the older Fulmer woman from under her lowered brows. She couldn’t deny that despite her age Dia Icante was a striking woman, there was something very elegant, poised, and warm about her despite her odd brown and blue eyes. With her hair pinned up but softly loose about her face, the Icante’s swan-like neck was all the more prominent.
‘Icante.’ Bractius cleared his throat, standing and straightening his shirt. ‘As you know I’ve been plagued by evil dreams. Last night my wife was attacked also.’
Dia turned to look at Ayline, her eyebrows raised. ‘Really? Is your majesty all right?’
Ayline refused to reply but turned to regard her husband. He cleared his throat again. ‘I don’t understand why you have done this to us, but I want you to stop your magic.’
‘What?’ Dia almost laughed, she looked around at them all. ‘You think this is me? Seriously? Dream-walking is the magic
of Elden, not the Fulmers. This isn’t something I can do.’
Bractius stood, but he looked down at his desk rather than at the Icante. ‘Nevertheless, it’s a strange coincidence that my nightmares happened when Larissa was here, ceased with her death, and then started again with your presence. And now, after my wife has brought her suspicions to me, she and my child have been attacked.’
‘Attacked how?’ Dia demanded, looking Ayline up and down.
‘To secure your co-operation, Arrus has been placed under arres—’
‘What?’ Dia’s eyes widened and she took a step forward. Both Ayline and Bractius flinched, the guard put a hand to the hilt of his sword. ‘This is ludicrous. We saved you from the Chemme—’
‘How do we know that wasn’t part of your plan?’ Bractius’s face reddened and spittle flew across the table as he spoke. Ayline put a hand to her throat and leaned back against her chair. ‘Your daughter seduced and stole Jorrun to use him to conquer Chem. You yourself would take Elden but I won’t let you!’
‘No!’ Dia shook her head, her brows creased together. She looked appealingly from Bractius to Dalton’s unrelenting stare. ‘This is madness. The Fulmers are a land of peace!’
‘Prove it then!’ Bractius spat, his eyes bulging. ‘Go willingly to the dungeons and allow us to complete our investigation. Better still, cease this cowardly attack on us in our sleep! If our nightmares end, we will leave the Fulmers alone, but if they do not, I will have every last witch hanged, and the Fulmers burned into the sea!’
Dia took several staggered steps back toward the door, shaking her head. ‘Bractius, please believe me, I would never do you harm. Let me find out who is behind thi—’
‘Silence!’ Bractius bellowed, his cheeks almost purple, the veins standing out in his neck. ‘Go with my guard to the dungeons and I will spare your husband’s life.’
Dia clasped her hands together before her stomach as though to comfort herself, she glanced toward Ayline and her eyes narrowed.
‘I trust the truth,’ she said firmly. ‘I’ll go along with this charade for the moment for Arrus’s sake. You are ill advised, your majesty, and ill-used. Don’t let them take my protection from you.’
‘Protection?’
Ayline thought Bractius would have a fit there and then.
‘Take this creature away!’
The guard made no eye contact as he opened the door for the Icante. Her shoulders fell but she held her long neck still straight as she followed him out. As soon as the door closed, Ayline leapt up to run to her husband who had collapsed against his desk.
‘Oh, my poor dear,’ she said, cradling his head. ‘We will be safe now, thanks to you.’
Outside in the hall, Inari slowly, meticulously, changed the candles, a whistle on his lips and a smile in his green eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jorrun; Covenet of Chem
‘Azrael’s coming!’ Cassien shouted.
Both brothers reined in their horses and turned to see where the young man was pointing. A bright light came hurtling toward them, Jorrun’s horse snorted and tried to pull its head free. He leaned forward to stroke its neck. Azrael slowed and made himself smaller and more human in shape. He regarded them both for a while, his colours softening to yellows.
‘Well?’ Osun demanded.
‘No Drakess will come with uss to Arkoom.’ Azrael told them. ‘They are afraid of the city!’
‘Why?’ Osun glanced at Jorrun. ‘They came in numbers when we fought Dryn and there is no one who is anywhere near a match for him there now.’
Azrael shifted his shape to become vaguer in appearance and Jorrun narrowed his eyes at his elemental friend, suspicion creeping through his mind, turning to fear as it reached his heart.
‘What are they afraid of?’ Jorrun demanded.
‘None of them would ssay.’ Azrael dropped low, close to the ground. ‘Kesta and I felt something though, in Navere, a presence.’
Osun scowled impatiently. ‘Is there actually something to fear or not?’
Azrael made himself some fiery shoulders and shrugged, looking mournfully at Jorrun. ‘The best I can do is go ahead and sspy for you.’
‘Do so, then,’ Osun replied at once.
Jorrun opened his mouth, drawing in a deep breath to protest. ‘We don’t have much choice but to go to Arkoom, but there is no point walking straight into a noose, and that includes Azrael. If he is to spy, then it should be when we are closer and not too far away to aid him if anything goes wrong.’
‘But surely the further in advance we get any information, the better,’ Jagna spoke up.
‘Exactly.’ Osun nodded firmly.
Cassien glanced at Jorrun briefly, but said nothing.
Jorrun clenched his teeth and his nostrils flared a little as he looked at his brother. It was rare for Osun to go against him, was he letting his feelings for the fire-spirit cloud his judgement? ‘It’s up to Azra, I guess, although I would prefer him to stay with us.’
‘I’ll be very careful.’ Azrael moved closer to Jorrun’s eye-level. ‘And not stay there long.’
Jorrun closed his eyes, opening them again to see the dark mountains before him. ‘Only if you’re sure, bug,’ he said at last. ‘Don’t risk yourself unnecessarily.’
‘I won’t!’
‘And keep an eye out for Tembre,’ Osun added. ‘I’m not happy that he didn’t wait for us.’
‘It’s possible he didn’t get your message,’ Jagna said.
Osun grunted. Jorrun had to agree with his brother on that point, it seemed more likely the Chemman had decided to disassociate himself from them.
Azrael bobbed up and down before shooting away eastward.
Without looking at any of the others, Jorrun started his horse forward.
***
Jorrun sat up, fighting his blanket for a moment before gasping in air. In the darkness of the tent he heard Osun snore. Pain stabbed through his skull and he leaned forward, cradling his head. He could taste blood in his mouth, and he ran his tongue around his teeth and the inside of his cheeks to see if he had bitten anything in his sleep. He had such an overwhelming desire to breathe in the open air he didn’t wait to put on his boots, snatching them up to stumble outside.
He drew in several deep breaths that didn’t seem to satisfy his lungs, leaving him feeling dizzy.
‘Everything all right?’ Jagna called out softly. It was the young Chemman’s turn to keep watch and he was perched atop a boulder that had been rolled down the mountain many years ago by snow.
Jorrun rubbed at the bridge of his nose and then put on his boots, struggling to keep his balance.
‘I can’t seem to sleep,’ he said quietly, his pulse was still loud in his ears. ‘Why don’t you get to bed? I’ll take the watch.’
‘You’re sure?’ Jagna slipped down from the rock, pulling back his fur hood. His breath misted before him, picked out by the bright moon.
‘Go on.’ Jorrun indicated the tent with his head.
Jagna had only been gone moments before Jorrun regretted having not picked up his coat. His teeth chattered and his body shook. He ached to call Kesta again although he’d already scryed to her before going to bed. Even out here in the open he had an unrelenting fear some trap was about to close in around him.
Calling flames to his fingers, he re-lit their dead cooking fire, risking the light and the smoke. He didn’t fear attack from bandits and robbers, they’d already been attacked on the road and he and Jagna had seen them off easily. But there was something else out there in the dark – or maybe not out there, maybe …
‘Jorrun!’
The voice came from within the flame, a voice that made his heart skip and his muscles sag in relief.
‘Azra! You’re safe?’
Azrael detached himself from the fire and hovered close to him, his heat a relief to Jorrun’s freezing skin.
‘I am ssafe, and glad to be back.’ Azrael altered his shape so he looked like
an inverse teardrop with dark-blue eyes. ‘Jorrun, Feren intends to eliminate all of his rivals by drawing the strongest to Arkoom, but you know that.’
‘I suspected, yes.’ He looked down at the burning wood, watching the edges turn slowly to ash. ‘But we always knew we’d have to confront the last of my family.’
Azrael puffed himself out larger. ‘I saw Tembre on my way back. He is a day ahead of you.’
Jorrun continued to stare into the fire. ‘Tembre will die.’
‘I could make him wait?’
Jorrun was surprised to find himself considering it. Tembre might have offered them limited support in return for Osun’s clever planning, but the man would probably never really support the freedom of Chem’s women.
‘Jorrun?’
He sighed and sparks flew up from the fire. ‘I’m not sure I like the sound of the man but see if he will change his mind and wait. Advise him if he goes alone, he will likely die.’
‘I will, Jorrun.’ Azrael crackled.
‘Azrael.’ He looked up into the fire-spirits swirling eyes. ‘Are you hiding anything from me?’
‘No, Jorrun!’ Azrael made himself large.
Jorrun let out a silent sigh, standing to move away from the fire to better see out into the night. He wanted to believe the fire-spirit, but every nerve in his body was screaming to him that something was wrong.
***
They were attacked twice more on the road before they caught up with Tembre. The first group of men fled at the first fireball thrown by Jagna, the second group had been larger and more desperate. Over a dozen men, all well-armed and equipped with serviceable armour had lain an ambush across the main road. Cassien was thrown from his horse before quickly rolling to his feet to defend himself with his sword. Even with all his power, Jorrun had been hard pressed to defeat the desperate men, especially with his terrified horse trying to unseat him to escape his magic.
It had taken Cassien over an hour to retrieve his mount, but eventually they found themselves above the forested valley, overlooking the capital city of Chem, Arkoom. It was a breathtaking sight, the high-walled city stood at the fork of a silver river, backed by high, dark mountains. A steady stream of people came and went along the black paved road, tiny and insignificant in the vastness of nature.