Chaos and Amber tdoa-2

by John Gregory Betancourt

  I chuckled. “You're too easy to tease. Don't worry, I know what she is and why she came to me. I won't forget. Once her work is done…” I shrugged. “Our family and our safety, in that order, is what matters.”

  He nodded, studying me. I could almost read his thoughts: Perhaps I wasn't quite the naive and trusting young soldier I appeared. I had the impression he had unexpectedly raised his estimation of me.

  “You'll kill her after all?” he asked. “For feeding on you?”

  “I never said that.”

  “No, but…”

  I went on, “You're too bloodthirsty for your own good. Let me worry about Rhalla. I'll take care of her in my own way, and in my own time.”

  He gave a half groan. “You're going to end up marrying her, I know it!”

  “Forget about her. She doesn't matter. We have important things to talk about.”

  “All right. Where do we start?”

  “With Lord Ulyanash. Tell me everything you know about him.”

  My brother took a deep breath. “If I recall correctly, his full name is Demaro il Dara von Sartre Ulyanash, Baron of the House of Tanatar and Lord of the Far Reaches. I'm sure there ought to be a couple dozen more titles in that list, too, but I can't remember them.”

  “Sounds impressive,” I said. “Lord of the Far Reaches…” I imagined a sprawling castle with vast estates stretching farther than the eye could see.

  Aber half sneered. “The Far Reaches are a distant swamp-land, and the House of Tanatar is about as far as you can get from King Uthor and still qualify as a blood relation. Like I said, it's a minor house.”

  “Then… why attack us?” I asked. “What have we done to him?”

  “Nothing, that I know of.”

  “From what you and Locke told me, we're no threat to him… or to anyone else here. So why bother with us? We were all off in Shadow, minding our own business. How can killing us possibly advance Ulyanash's standing—or anyone's?”

  “He has always had ambitions beyond his station,” Aber said. “His rise in court has been—for lack of a better word—surprising.”

  “How so?”

  “The first time I saw him, he reminded me of a bear strolling through a crystal shop. He didn't know how to act, or who to flatter. He made mistake after mistake, and everyone laughed at him. Finally Lord Dyor decided to make an example of him for other distant relatives to learn from. Dyor arranged a duel by custom methods, and they fought.”

  “Did you see it?”

  “Yes. The whole court did.”

  “What happened?”

  He swallowed hard. “Ulyanash killed him—slowly and brutally. He would not accept satisfaction after first or second blood. If anything, he turned the fight into a brutal, bloody circus. Women were crying. Men begged them to stop. But Ulyanash would not yield his right, and he made an example of Lord Dyor that no one who saw it will ever forget.”

  “Was Dyor a good fighter?” I asked.

  “One of the best in the Courts.”

  “What happened next?”

  “Everyone said Ulyanash was finished. Rumor said King Uthor planned to strip him of his titles and throw him into the Pit of Ghomar for what he'd done. And yet, despite that, nothing happened. Instead of being punished for his effrontery, Ulyanash began attending the best parties and social gatherings, from the Blood Festival to the Feast of the Seven Dials. You couldn't escape him. He moved into the center of everything, and the best men and women stood cheerfully beside him as equals.” He shook his head. “They shouldn't have paid any attention to him, considering his family and what he did to Lord Dyor, and yet… there he was. Still is, I suppose.”

  Slowly I nodded. It made sense to me now. Someone powerful had seen what Ulyanash could do and decided to use him. And part of that use had been against our family.

  I asked, “Who is his patron?”

  “I don't know. He must have one, or he wouldn't have gotten as far as he has. But I never heard anyone speak of it.”

  “Perhaps they were frightened.”

  “That's possible. I know he frightens me!”

  “Can you guess who might be supporting Ulyanash?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “I never heard before, and I've been away too long now to make discreet inquiries. My few friends in court have all drifted away and aligned themselves elsewhere. I haven't heard any gossip in years. None of us has, not Freda nor Blaise nor even Locke, though he would have been the best bet. He probably could have found out through his mother's side of the family… they have strong connections.”

  “Death is never convenient,” I said. “Forget about Locke. Any other ideas?”

  Shaking his head, he said, “Our family has never been very popular. Once Dad inherited his titles, that pretty much finished off our influence in the court. Dad never cared enough to bother making any friends or allies who could help us… he was too busy experimenting and building his little toys.”

  Somehow, considering our family, I wasn't terribly surprised. I sighed. I must have gotten it from my mother's side of the family, but I had never had trouble making friends. I would have to work on building up our list of allies in the Courts of Chaos… assuming I lived long enough.

  Despite Aber's lack of immediately useful information, I had a feeling I could still learn a few things from him. I decided to try a different approach.

  “Let's work backwards,” I said. “How many people here have enough power and influence that they could raise Ulyanash to his present favored position?”

  “That's hard.” He frowned, thinking. “King Uthor, of course. Perhaps a few of his ministers. Maybe a dozen Lords of Chaos who are central to the throne and its power.”

  “Then we have a fairly short list. We'll need to work through it one at a time, trying to eliminate them. I don't suppose any of them look like giant serpents?”

  “Afraid not. At least, not the last time I saw them. But that was years ago.

  I nodded. “What's Ulyanash like in person? Charming?”

  “Boorish and obvious. He never has a good thing to say about anyone but himself. How great a swordsman he is, how many duels he's fought, how many kills he's made.”

  “He must have some useful traits.”

  “He's a good fighter. Other than that…”

  That was pretty much what Rhalla had said.

  “What else can you tell me about him? Is he vain? Conceited?”

  “Both, I'd say. Ulyanash thinks he's better than everyone else, and he's quick to take offense at any slight—real or imagined. He likes to force duels. The one with Taine—”

  “What!” I sat up straighten “He fought Taine?”

  “Years ago. He gave Taine that scar on his cheek.”

  “I didn't know that,” I said.

  “Is it important?”

  “I don't know.” I considered the possibilities. “Why didn't he kill Taine, if he had the chance? If he's got it in for our family, he missed a good opportunity.”

  “Maybe he had no reason to kill Taine at the time.”

  I mulled it over. It sounded plausible. If they fought their duel before the plot against our family had begun, Ulyanash would have had no reason to kill Taine. A dueling scar to mark his victory would have been enough.

  “Did you see the duel?” I asked.

  “No, but Blaise did. She was there.”

  “Of course she was.” I sighed. Another dead end, with Blaise off in Shadow, hiding out. She wouldn't be able to tell me anything about Ulyanash's fighting technique.

  Aber went on. “I got all the details from her, though. She said it was a game for Ulyanash. He toyed with Taine for ten minutes, making him lunge and stagger, then swatting him on the ass and making his squeal. By the end of the duel, Taine was gasping for breath, dripping in sweat, and horribly embarrassed. Everyone was laughing at him.”

  “Blaise included,” I guessed.

  “She said she couldn't help it. Taine looked ridiculous. And Ulyan
ash… well, he loved every moment.”

  I sighed, envisioning the fight. Clearly it hadn't been pleasant for Taine. There had been more than a couple of men in Ilerium's army who liked to show off their skills with a blade by humiliating lesser fighters in our ranks. I had never put up with it… as a common soldier or as an officer.

  “And afterwards?” I prompted. “What happened to Taine?”

  “He slunk off. I guess he couldn't face anyone in the Courts of Chaos after what happened. I haven't seen him since.”

  A terrible thought struck me. “Did he leave… or was he kidnapped?”

  “Kidnapped!” Aber stared at me, a shocked expression on his face. “What do you mean?”

  “Think about it,” I said, my thoughts reeling through the possibilities. “Suppose someone powerful wanted to capture him and question him about us. And he didn't want anyone in our family to miss him. The duel could have been a ruse, forced on Taine so everyone would think he'd run away. It made his disappearance seem reasonable.”

  “And all this time he's been a prisoner?”

  “Yes.”

  Aber looked away. Clearly the idea had not occurred to him before. And clearly he did not like it.

  “Well?” I prompted. “What do you think?”

  “It's unbelievable. You're seeing conspiracies where there can't possible be any.”

  “I'm not paranoid. People really are trying to kill us—”

  “Okay, okay.” He stood and began to pace. “But if someone wants us dead, why start with a kidnapping? Why not force Locke or Davin into a duel… or Dad, for that matter?”

  “I don't know. Maybe they wanted to find out more about us first. Maybe they have been attacking us for years, but subtly. No one realized it because no one knew to look for the signs. We may never know the whole truth.”

  He stopped and looked at me. “Let's assume you're right. Let's assume they've held Taine prisoner since the fight.”

  “Torturing him, questioning him, and now bleeding him to spy on us. He's been helping them—”

  Aber shook his head. “No. I don't believe it. Taine would never betray us. He has a stubborn streak like you wouldn't believe. I know.”

  I considered how defiant our brother had been, even half dead on that altar slab, and conceded the point. No, Taine would not talk—at least, not knowingly.

  “The serpent used his blood to spy on us,” I pointed out. “He didn't need to talk.”

  Aber nodded. “Magic is sympathetic. Like is drawn to like. That's why the serpent could use Taine's blood. We—you and I, everyone in our family—are all the same in many ways.” He paused. “But I still don't understand why anyone would start a war by kidnapping Taine. He was fairly harmless. Nobody really hated him. Why put him through this?”

  “They had to start somewhere,” I said. “Maybe Ulyanash considered him the easiest target.”

  “Easier than me?” Aber laughed. “I don't think so!”

  “How many duels have you gotten into?” I asked.

  “Well… none.” He shifted uncomfortably. “I'm not much of a fighter, after all. I'm more of an artist, philosopher, and poet.”

  “As I'm sure everyone in court knows.”

  “Yes.” He nodded. “I've made Trumps for a lot of people… not just family members.”

  “But what about Taine? Had he fought duels before?”

  “Yes.” Aber sighed unhappily, as if guessing my thoughts. “He had his share of scrapes and misadventures. It didn't come as a huge surprise to anyone when he got into an argument with Ulyanash.”

  “Exactly. Ulyanash wouldn't goad you into a duel because you don't fight. He might be stupid, but he knows better than to force a duel with someone like you… someone his peers view as weak and defenseless. There's nothing worse than being thought of as a bully. People would turn their backs on him, even his patron. He's not that stupid.”

  Aber's brow furrowed. “So Ulyanash could take his time with Taine, make sport of him, and really rub it in because everyone knew Taine could defend himself.”

  “Exactly. It was all in fun, after all. For his trouble, Taine got nothing worse than a scratch on the cheek. The only permanently damage came to his pride. If he couldn't defend himself… well, tough luck, everyone thought.”

  Aber was nodding. “Yes, I understand.”

  He started to say something more, but at that moment, Captain Neole burst into the room.

  “Lords!” the captain cried. “There has been a murder!”

  Chapter 19

  I leaped to my feet.

  “Who is it?” I demanded. Could it be our father? I glanced at Aber, who gulped, eyes growing wide with alarm.

  “A demon,” Neole said. “Someone threw its body over the back wall a few minutes ago—one of the guards saw it fall. By the time he got outside, whoever did it had gone.”

  “A demon?”

  I didn't know whether to feel horrified or relieved. At least it wasn't a family member this time.

  Aber, shaking his head, looking distinctly uneasy.

  “What's bothering you about it?” I demanded.

  “Rhalla,” he said. “It has to be her. You only saw her human form… but a succubus is a demon. In death, she would have changed back to her true self.”

  “But she just left!” I said. It didn't see how it could possible be her. “There wasn't enough time!”

  “We don't know that. If Ulyanash found out…”

  “How could he? You set up those magical tripwires last night. There shouldn't be any more spying.”

  “I warned you I wasn't very good at it.” He looked uneasy. “Maybe they found a way through or around my spells!”

  I took a sharp breath. It couldn't be Rhalla. And yet… “There's an easy way to settle this,” I said. Turning to Neole, I added, “Show us.”

  He saluted. “Yes, sir. This way.”

  We left through a different door into a strangely desolate garden, filled with twisted, ugly plants the like of which I had never seen. Some bore spiked reddish-orange fruit, and some had nothing but thorns. Among them, moss-covered stones slowly wandered, looking old and tired compared to the ones penned on the other side of the house.

  I kept looking up at the sky. As before, masses of clouds swirled wildly overhead, but this time no lightning flickered.

  Aber caught up and walked beside me. “Spells take time to prepare,” he said in answer to my unasked question. Shading his eyes, he stared toward the heavens. “The bigger the spell, the longer the time. That lightning storm must have been taken hours, maybe days to set properly. Whoever made it was lying in wait for you. It won't happen the same way twice.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel safe?” I asked.

  “Well… in a way, yes.”

  “It doesn't.”

  Captain Neole led us to the back wall, which towered twenty feet high. Made of yellow stone, it seemed to completely circle the house. Guards patrolled the top now, gazing out over whatever lay beyond.

  Two more guards stood at the base of the wall, next to the body. I swallowed hard as I stared at it. A flat face with jutting cheekbones and round mouth… red eyes staring blankly… hands like claws… skin as dark as old leather… none of it looked familiar. The only thing at all familiar, however, was the pale, shimmering green gown. It matched the one Rhalla had been wearing, and I knew at once that this creature, this demon, had to be her.

  “Not a woman, but definitely female,” Captain Neole was saying. Bending, he tilted her head back so we could see her odd features better.

  “Congratulations,” I said flatly to Aber. “You got your wish.”

  “I'm sorry,” Aber said softly. When I looked at his face, he seemed genuinely upset. “I would not wish this on anyone, least of all you.”

  Captain Neole said to me, “Do you know this demon, sir?”

  “Yes, I knew her,” I said. “Her name was Rhalla. Bury her here, on the grounds, with all appropriate ceremony. She
is to be treated with respect. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” he said. He motioned to the two guards, and they picked her up and carried her off around the side of the house, following the wall.

  “We have a mausoleum,” Aber said. “That's where they will take her.”

  I nodded, feeling cold and numb inside.

  Then I looked up at the wall. It had to be three or four feet thick at the top. Whoever had dumped her here had either thrown her over the wall, flown the body up and over, or sent it over by magical means. None of the options left me feeling very safe at the moment. And thunder rumbled distantly, reminding me of our enemies' power to control the weather.

  “I doubled the patrols immediately,” Captain Neole said to me. “Do you have any other instructions, sir?”

  “No. Stay vigilant.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “We will be inside. If anything else happens, summon us at once.”

  He saluted. I motioned for Aber to follow me and turned toward the house. Head high, I strolled through the twisted garden at a leisurely pace. I had to assume Aber's spells had failed and that our every move was now being observed. Well, let them look! Let them think me unmoved by Rhalla's murder! The creatures of this world seemed to think only of hate and violence and death. First Helda in Ilerium, and now Rhalla here in the Beyond. Our enemies had taken too much from me. It had to stop.

  “Oberon,” Aber said from behind me, “I'm sorry.”

  “Me too,” I whispered.

  I looked up at the seething clouds, then at the sprawling house, which still oozed color from every seam and every crack. At that moment, I knew their deaths would not go unavenged. If I had to make it my life's work, I would find and destroy everyone involved in this conspiracy, from the greatest Lord of Chaos to the least of their minions.

  I sucked in a deep breath, and everything suddenly came clear for me. Bold. Daring. Unexpected. Our mysterious enemy kept making the first move against us. That would change. From now on, we would act instead of react. If Ulyanash and his masters wanted a fight, I would give it to them. And I would win… or die trying.

  “Get your Trumps,” I told Aber as soon as we entered the house. “Bring them to the library.”