by K. E. Young
I nodded happily. It was a small triumph but one of which I was proud.
He smiled hopefully. "May I see it?"
"It was in my pack. It's a silvery-gray, about this big," I measured it off with my hands, "and heavy for its size."
He nodded and went into the bedroom. He came back shortly with my laptop in hand and sat next to me again, closer this time so our legs brushed. A thrill of alarm zinged up my spine before I could throttle it. I relaxed and smiled to let him know it was okay. Powering up the laptop, I put in my password, opened the music player, and queued up some flamenco guitar music. Then I showed him pictures I had downloaded from Earthporn. Finally, I opened the file I was using for my notes on magic. I translated what I had written last since it was in English and explained the diagrams I had sketched in.
Kaio grinned brilliantly. What followed was a discussion on the theory of magic I would never have dreamed I'd take part in. He listened to what I had to say and even when he disagreed, he never told me I was wrong. Instead, he would present me with information and evidence, then ask me what my opinion was or ask what implications I took from it. It filled in a few of the holes in my education and I learned a lot.
Nothing I learned ran counter to the theories I had formed in the early days of my magic education and I wondered how close my theories came to reality.
Lunch passed almost without notice. My focus on the discussion was absolute. Nothing good lasts forever though. My deeply flagging energy broke it off. "My One, as much as I'm enjoying this, and I believe you are as well, you need a nap before the bonding this evening." I couldn't argue. I felt tired and the pain of my injuries was nagging.
He helped me back to bed and sat next to me, stroking my hair until I drifted off.
9: Plots
Kaio: 32nd of Hunting, 3837
After Sara fell asleep, he sat contemplating what he had learned. Sara had a first-class mind and understood magic far better than reading about it in the books available to her could account for. He thought his father would have enjoyed the conversation too. The elder Shalatu was one of Drakken's finest mages and considered an authority on magical theory, but Kaio could see that Sara might potentially best him someday. He wondered what she would make of the works of the Mage-Kings. His own understanding from his study of those texts was better than most due to the tutelage of his father over the years, but he still couldn't say he genuinely understood them. Kaio decided he'd have to ensure Dragos gave her Atlani. Perhaps tonight.
A programmer. He still didn't fully understand what that was. From what he had seen of what her device could do, her explanations, and his own knowledge of the intricacies of illusion magic, the instruction sets she spoke of had to be incredibly extensive and complex. Her world had given her specialized training in dividing a task into its simplest elements and actions, an extremely useful skill for a mage.
He himself had some informal training in that, a necessity when working with illusions and other tricks of light and shadow where the spells were, of necessity, smaller and more profuse. Moving the air just so, compressing it, adding water vapor and manipulating or creating light all depended on greater flexibility than most mages ever needed or could even learn. It was more art than science and was the one area of magic at which he excelled. It was an ever-changing puzzle and he enjoyed the challenge.
In contrast, Sara had been here less than three months and already had a far more solid understanding of magic than most warriors had, or a good number of mages ever attained.
Kaio smiled to himself. Beautiful, brilliant, and powerful. His mate would be a force to marvel at once she realized and accepted what she truly was.
He roused himself from his thoughts. He got up and looked through her gowns. She would need something for the bonding. She didn't have much to choose from so Kaio picked the one he had always liked best of course. Fortunately, the staff had already washed the red. The bright blue tempted him since it looked so well on her, but she never wore it and had looked uncomfortable the one time she had.
He dug out the box holding the bracelet meant for his mate and dusted it off. His father had given it to him when he came of age, but he had found no one his dragon would tolerate, until Sara. It was a lovely thing and he knew it would look well on her.
After that, he spent a few minutes packing a bag and digging out his heaviest winter cloak. Kaio knew if they had to make their escape to Drakken they wouldn't have time to prepare. Sara's device was carefully included. She wouldn't want to do without it.
He hoped his mother could attend the wedding. She was the one he had always gotten along with best. He would have to tell her everything, just as he had Dragos. However, his father would get a vague summary without detail. His father didn't have enough empathy to understand that Sara might not want everyone to know all the ugly details of her life. Giving him all of the information would violate her privacy. Once he knew, so would everyone else.
There were multiple reasons he was never in consideration for becoming Emperor despite being first born. He could never keep a secret. He simply didn't understand the need. Politically, he was a disaster. It was too bad, Kaio's mother would have made an excellent Empress.
Kaio sat down next to Sara and opened Ariset. It didn't take long for him to understand why it was one of her favorites. He wondered how he had missed it so far. He paged through until he found the section on Therys.
Ariset had been a scholar and included his references when he found an element of truth in a story and refuting references when necessary. The references listed for the legend Sara mentioned were extensive and a few were familiar from his boyhood studies. It appeared he would be doing some research when he had time. Sara might be useful in that too once she knew Atlani.
Bedin arrived mid-afternoon as promised. Kaio hated to wake her, but he wasn't willing to compromise on her health. "Sara, wake up. The healer is here."
"Again? He was here yesterday too."
"He wants to make sure you heal properly. I want that too."
"You fuss too much. I'm fine." He had to laugh at her sleepy grumbling.
"Up my sweet. You can go back to sleep after he leaves."
"Can I have something to eat first?" she asked pitifully.
"Yes. Now be nice to the healer while I get you something." He dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
He left her in Bedin's care and ordered a meal. Sano came before the food did.
"Oy! What news?" Kaio was curious about what Sano had found.
Sano's grimace told him the news was bad. "You were right about there being several routes into the palace. I found the entrance in the library. There's an entire gods-cursed network of passages throughout the palace with secret doors, a few leading out of the palace. The original passages seem to have been escape tunnels but they've been heavily modified. There are peepholes almost everywhere now. We even found a room that's been walled off from the public side and isn't accessible except via these passages. They appear to have seen a lot of use too. Dragos is not pleased. It's good we use Drakkeni when discussing anything sensitive.
Demon spit! Kaio's mind went to Sara's dancing lessons. He vowed to find if anyone had watched. If he were careful, no one would ever find their bodies or link their disappearance to him.
"That entrance Dagresh used last night was a blocked off maintenance entrance to the old sewers built by the Mage-Kings. They run all over town and it turns out there's a branch under the palace. I have my second searching Fanul's mansion. I suspect the exit your Lady mentioned is another sewer access. It'll take us a week or two to get everything mapped out. I've borrowed scouts from the garrison to do it. I doubt Gelal will mind."
Kaio's brow creased in concern. He and Sano had been friends since babyhood. "Be careful my friend. There's a valbore around there somewhere."
"As if I could forget. I asked your Lady where they were when he fed the girl to the valbore. It wasn't in the mansion. It was somewhere in the sewers. She ga
ve me the turns and landmarks as best she could remember. Your Lady has a fine mind and a good memory. When we find the mansion side entrance, so we know where to start, we'll have a map right to it. We won't even have to use her bond to locate it."
"Good, the sooner we find it, the sooner the mages can reinforce its bindings and break any tie between her and it." Kaio shuddered at the thought of a valbore loose in the world. Dragonkin could defeat them, but it was costly and difficult. With Sara tied to it, the first victim would be her and he didn't want to lose her.
Sano also had updates on the interrogations of the men Kaio had captured the previous night. Mostly, they didn't know much other than those who defied Dagresh or tried to leave Fanul's service disappeared. A few lords were frequent visitors of Fanul's and took part in his fun. There were also an unknown number of visitors for Dagresh, but they only came at night, kept muffled in hooded cloaks, and were thus unidentifiable.
Kaio sighed in frustration. "So, we must keep up security. Whoever is feeding the valbore with Dagresh is a danger, as are those lords. Do you know who they are?"
"All I have are descriptions, but it's enough to narrow the possibilities. Oddly enough, there's not a single Dogaren in the lot. You would think given both Fanul's opinions and the number of lords with Dogaren blood here, he would associate with the at least one or two, but no. Not a single one. I've identified one of his visitors as Lord Melfas. There are few lords with balding red-blond hair and a limp. My men are gathering him up now."
"Good. He's one of those lords who were noticeably angry that Sara is a mage. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find he's threatening the servants."
"You would win that bet, also lords Tithras and Mesunes, and one of my guardsmen. Former guardsman now."
"You've made progress."
Sano ran fingers through his already rumpled hair. "Dragos made it clear this has priority so I turned the day-to-day stuff over to my third and my second and I have been splitting the investigatory duties. Those guardsmen who followed Fanul's orders are being held for potential treason."
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
Sano ran his fingers through his hair. "If the valbore gets its claws on an earth mage steed I'm not sure that a thousand mages would be enough. A valbore has never gotten hold of an earth mage before. Dagresh's allies will continue to feed the innocent to it until it's strong enough to escape, and then it'll call her to it and gobble her up. After that…"
Kaio jerked his head sharply. "If I even suspect she's being called I'll knock her out and take her to Drakken. I've already got a bag packed and a heavy fur cloak ready to keep her warm during the flight."
Sano looked relieved. "Let's hope it's enough. At least it can't force her to use her magic against you until it possesses her."
Kaio shook his head in grim denial. "I won't let that happen. Ever. You didn't see her face when she spoke of the valbore. I will do anything to keep her out of its grip. I can't kill her or it will gain her soul, but I can keep her bound and unconscious until we can break the bond. Thank the Goddess those things can't control dragons."
Sano huffed. "Which is why dragonlords have been at the forefront of every fight against a valbore in the last eight hundred years — to our detriment."
"Look at it this way, we have never failed to defeat them. The more we fight them, the better we get at it and the less chance of failure. One of these days, we'll figure out how to get rid of them permanently." Kaio paused as a thought came to him. "I've assumed if Sara is taken or dies, the valbore could take me through her, but I wonder if our bond will help protect her from it instead. Block or muffle the calling for example."
Sano thought it over. "I don't know. It's possible I suppose. I don't recall if anyone bonded to a valbore has ever been soul bonded to a dragonlord before. Your father would be the one to ask. Good thing he's coming."
A servant arrived with a tray for Sara. Kaio accepted it with a murmured thanks before turning back to Sano, scowling at him. "Unless you have news from Drakken I don't, then you can't be so sure he's coming."
Sano's head was shaking. "Kaio, you're getting married. You mother will insist on coming. Do you honestly think your father will balk when she demands he bring her here? She bullied Emperor Rhal. Your father is insensitive, stubborn, and autocratic, but even he can't stand against her for long."
Kaio chuckled. "She is a true dragon, isn't she?"
Sano grinned. "We should put her up against the valbore. In an hour, she'd either have it crawling back into its prison to get away from her or worshiping at her feet."
Kaio laughed at the ridiculous statement. "If only it were that easy." He turned away and delivered the tray to Sara. Master Bedin had finished re-bandaging her feet and was brewing up a tea to help with her pain.
He was asking the elderly healer about Sara's progress when she interrupted. "Kaio, this doesn't taste right. Could you check it? I'm not sure if it's the food or if it's me." Her expression was doubtful.
He accepted the spoon and took a small bite. What he tasted sent a jolt through him. He spat it out and ran to the outer door. "Sano!" he yelled. Sano hadn't gone far and came back at a run. "Sara's food. Poison!"
Sano's eyes widened then he barked out orders to half of his troop to chase down and detain the servant, then check the kitchen. Then he tested Sara's dish himself. "Perisal venom."
"Sara said it tasted wrong. It's subtle, but definitely there." Kaio's gut roiled and he struggled to control his howling dragon.
"She has a sensitive palate to have noticed it."
Sara said, "It tastes like moldy used socks. I'm sensitive to mold. It makes me itch all over so I notice the flavor."
Sano chuckled at her description. "It does kind of taste that way now you mention it. Did you swallow any?"
Sara shook her head vehemently with a look of disgust on her face. "I spit it into my napkin and wiped it off my tongue. It tastes awful."
"Good thing." He turned to Bedin. "Would it hurt her to take the antidote anyway?"
"No, my lord. In fact, I would insist on it. Perisal venom is oily and absorbs rapidly. Rinsing isn't very effective and it takes very little to cause problems. I'll get started on it immediately."
Sano nodded sharply then took the tray from Sara. "Kaio, I'll get a fresh tray, test it, and bring it back here myself. It may take a while though. I want to see if I can identify the poisoner."
Kaio nodded and growled. "Father better get those dragonkin guards quick. With valbore and these stupid selfish lordlings acting as children, I feel as if we're under siege."
Sano tried to calm him. "It feels that way because you're stuck here. You always were offensive rather than defensive and now your dragon is upset over Sara's hurts and is urging you to act when the man…" He rapped a knuckle against Kaio's forehead, "ought to know better. You're feeling constrained. Try to think like General Istanetlu. Think of what problems will come up and arrange for their failure before they occur. Stop reacting and start planning. I know your dragon is frantic to protect Sara, but you need to rule the dragon now, not the other way around."
Kaio took a deep breath. Sano was right. He was letting his dragon affect him too much. Again. He should have realized that after the servants received threats, something more direct would be a possibility. There were threats besides Dagresh's associates. He had focused on Dagresh and then the valbore and forgotten that others could and would be a threat too. Now his excess of focus had hurt Sara.
Everyone had warned him when he was growing up he allowed his dragon too much freedom. Now he understood what they meant. He looked at her worried face and resolved to do better.
"You're right. In future, Calum or Thorn will fetch her meals. Both have proven to be trustworthy. I will stand guard here. Dragos needs to know about this."
Sano held a mollifying hand up. "And he will. No doubt, he'll have hard words for the court. The valbore changes many things here and the court is in for a shock. They had already wo
rn Dragos' patience thin. I think they've burned the last of his tolerance."
Sano's expression was grim, something unusual for him. Kaio could understand though. Dragos had always had a bloody ruthless streak when pushed too far. No one ever crossed him twice.
"I'll let you get to it then. Good hunting my friend. Could you do me a favor? When you report to Dragos could you let him know he needs to give Sara Atlani? She asked questions about the valbore I believe need further investigation. Sara seems to be good at that, and knowledge and training she had in her previous life may give her an advantage we don't have in figuring out how to stop the valbore."
"Of course! I'll keep you apprised, as always." Sano let himself out.
Kaio turned to Sara. Her eyed were wide with fear and his heart dropped in shame. "I'm sorry Sara. I should have realized there might be a possibility of this."
"Is this because I'm a mage?" Her voice was small.
He sighed. "My One, it is possible, but there may be a more sinister reason. Sano's investigation found Dagresh had associates. They may have realized they can't retrieve you and have tried to kill you instead, not just to prevent us from using the bond to track it, but so your soul would feed the valbore at your death."
Master Bedin's gasp reminding Kaio they weren't alone. Sara turned white. "My soul will feed it when I die, no matter what I do, no matter how far I run? Kaio, I can't…" She was on the edge of panic.
Kaio hurried to her side and took her in his arms. "Please don't fear My One. After our bonding, I can take you to Drakken for safety if that is your desire, but I hope you will choose to stay. We can break the bond Dagresh forged between you and the valbore, Drakkeni guards will arrive soon to protect you, and tonight Dragos will give you Atlani. I was hoping you would help us research the monster. Perhaps you'll be the one to discover how to banish them for good. We store the remains of the libraries of the Mage-Kings and the Accusers in a vault near here so if there's anywhere we can find the answer, it's here, not Drakken. Besides, I would miss you. "