“Of course,” Hera said, gazing at Daniel through half-lidded eyes. “Anu has invited you both to his Household.” She smiled with a show of teeth. “This human has already gained quite the reputation in the towers.”
“Perhaps,” Isis said. “But as no judgment has yet been made—”
“We accept Anu’s invitation,” Daniel said, holding Hera’s lazy stare.
Hera looked at Isis in surprise, as if she couldn’t imagine why Isis would let a human speak for her. “Anu is waiting,” she said.
She moved ahead of them into the elevator and stood near the control panel. As she pushed the button for the eleventh floor, Isis drew Daniel aside.
“There will be a few humans there,” she said, “hired servants, like the one you saw in Athena’s suite. But they receive compensation for their work, as they would for any other profession in Tanis.”
“They are privileged to have such employment,” Hera said.
“I’m sure they’re aware of the honor,” Daniel said. “But the humans in your ward, Lady Hera...they don’t have many privileges, do they?”
Hera looked at him sharply, the indifference gone from her eyes. “What do you mean?” she demanded.
“I’ve seen how they live. It isn’t pretty.”
“He visited three wards,” Isis said. “Yours was the last.”
Hera clucked her tongue. “And you do not approve, Daniel?”
“It was in very poor condition,” Isis said, holding Hera’s gaze.
“If the humans cannot see to their own welfare, it is none of my concern. Not one of my humans has asked for an audience with me nor informed me of any problems.”
Say nothing more, Isis begged Daniel silently. But he was quiet until they reached the eleventh floor and Anu’s quarters.
Of all the Nine, he had done the least to alter his living space from the Bloodmaster’s Household it had been before the fall of the Citadel. It was twice as large as the suites claimed by the other Nine, with a foyer and wide entrance hall leading to a spacious reception room, pillared and draped with rich fabrics and furnishings humans and ordinary Opiri would have considered luxurious. Decorative tiles paved the floor, and a wide, curving stairway led to another floor above.
Daniel paused in the doorway, and Isis heard him take a deep breath. She touched his hand and felt his skin jump like that of a stallion beset by flies.
Respect is not obeisance, she reminded him silently.
“Isis,” Anu called from across the room. Daniel’s gaze snapped to the former god. Anu sat on his chair, a bejeweled king with dark hair and golden skin, dressed in elaborate robes. He was surrounded by a small crowd of his favored Opir courtiers, a small cadre of ceremonial Opir guards and his closest companions among the Nine. The courtiers were dressed like princes themselves, and the guards were armed with real rifles as well as shock sticks.
Bes stood apart, speaking with several former Bloodlords and Freebloods. A good dozen plainly dressed human servants wove among Anu’s guests and courtiers, serving food and drink.
Every face turned toward Isis and Daniel as Hera walked by them to join Anu. Conversation stopped, and then resumed at a low murmur.
“Come,” Anu said in his deep, resounding voice, handing his glass to the human servant standing behind him. “Let us see the human who defeated three Opiri.”
His strides long and almost defiant, Daniel walked into the reception room. Ishtar rose from her couch with a slightly strained smile, and Isis felt a disturbing sensation of triumph. Ereshkigal, former goddess of the underworld, remained reclining where she was, studying Daniel through hooded eyes, and broad-chested Hephaestus, standing beside Anu’s chair, examined Daniel as if he were weighing the capabilities of a possible challenger.
Of course he wouldn’t think that of Daniel, Isis thought. None of them would.
Isis felt the desperate instinct to move ahead of Daniel, but she repressed it and followed him across the richly carpeted floor, passing through the outer circle of Anu’s courtiers and stopping a few feet from his chair. Isis was keenly aware of the proximity of the attending Opiri, their stares, the weight of their silence.
And of Anu’s inborn, unmistakable power. Power he projected without thought.
Power Daniel could surely feel.
“Daniel,” Anu said. “Welcome to my Household.”
A pair of human servants appeared with refreshments. Anu waved them away and gestured to a chair beside him. “Isis,” he said.
With a quick glance at Daniel, Isis remained where she was. Anu smiled and nodded to one of the seated Opiri, who swiftly rose from his own chair.
“Please,” Anu said. “Both of you, sit.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Daniel gestured for Isis to precede him and took the second chair. The dislodged Opiri showed no resentment, and Isis exhaled softly. There was no overt hostility here, only curiosity and calculation.
“Daniel,” Anu said, “you look strangely familiar. Have we met before?”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” Daniel said coolly.
“I know that you came to us to learn if Tanis was the place it was reputed to be,” he said. “What are your thoughts?”
Daniel held Anu’s imposing gaze. “I can see that much effort has been put into the project,” he said.
Anu laughed. “A diplomatic answer,” he said. He leaned forward. “You are fortunate to have had Lady Isis as a personal guide. No doubt the incident in Bes’s ward has swayed your opinion.”
“It showed me that some here are not fully committed to the ideal of peaceful coexistence.”
Anu’s eyes narrowed, and Isis held herself very still. “I have heard more than one account of this conflict,” Anu said. “It is not permitted for any human or Opir to prevent another citizen from entering any other ward.”
“Nobody was prevented,” Daniel said. “And I assume that the law doesn’t apply when the visitors intend to make trouble.”
The Opiri murmured among themselves. Isis rose.
“I brought Daniel here so that you could see for yourself that he is not a troublemaker,” she said.
“Isn’t he?” Anu said, stroking his chin.
“He tried to defend—”
“Tried, and apparently succeeded,” Anu said. “How does a human have the strength and speed to fight an Opir on equal terms?”
“Practice,” Daniel said, walking the fine line between frankness and insolence.
“You were a serf,” Anu said. “Where did this ‘practice’ take place?”
“During the year after I escaped from Vikos.”
“A year?” Ishtar murmured.
“Remarkable,” Anu said. “Which Opiri did you practice with? Rogue Freebloods, perhaps?”
“I stayed some time with a human colony between here and Vikos. They gave me the benefit of their experience.”
“Did you come on their behalf, to learn if we were a threat to them?”
“I came only for myself,” Daniel said.
“Very brave,” Anu said. He leaned back and rested his chin on his fist. “I would like to see these fighting skills.”
Daniel froze. “Why?” he asked.
Bes, along with several of the Opiri to whom he’d been speaking, stepped forward. “It is my fault that such a thing happened in my ward,” he said. “Daniel’s case has not yet reached the Council.”
“I assure you he will come to no harm,” Anu said.
Daniel shot a glance at Isis, and a chill passed through her veins. Every muscle in his face and body seemed to form a shield around emotions he didn’t dare express. Or couldn’t.
“I do not understand this request, Anu,” Isis said, more sharply than she would have dared in the past.
“There
was a time,” Anu said, “when men fought each other to determine who was innocent and who was guilty. They left it up to the gods to decide.”
“These are not those times, and we are no longer gods,” Isis said.
“But some of the old traditions still have use,” Anu said.
“I thought the Nine didn’t enforce the laws or pass judgment,” Daniel said.
“Yet we can make recommendations to the Council.” He stroked his beard. “The choice is yours.”
“Then I agree to fight.”
Anu signaled to one of the human servants. Two Opiri came through a back door, young men Isis didn’t recognize. They homed in on Daniel as if they were starved for blood.
“I forbid this,” Isis said to Anu. “Daniel, we will go.”
Daniel met her gaze. “You don’t own me, Isis,” he said. “If this will help prove my innocence, I’ll take my chances.”
Isis saw the wildness behind the apparent calm in his eyes and knew he had traveled back into a part of his past he had shared with her only in bits and pieces. He would not back down. He had something to prove to the watching Opiri, even though it might backfire on him.
“You recognize these Opiri?” Anu asked Daniel. “They have accused you of attacking them without provocation.”
“Where is the third I fought?” Daniel asked with a cold smile.
“He is unable to join us today.” Anu nodded to the two Opiri. “Choose which one of you will face Daniel first.”
Isis kept her focus on Daniel, noting the tiny changes in his body. He was preparing—breathing with long, slow breaths, subtly shaking his muscles loose, briefly closing his eyes.
When he opened them again, one of the Opiri had stepped forward. Hatred blazed in his purple eyes.
“I will step in if this goes too far,” she warned Daniel softly.
“Stay out of it, Isis. Please.”
The Opir courtiers in the room gathered close, avid interest in their eyes. Isis was sickened by their greedy anticipation of coming bloodshed. Daniel assumed an alert but deceptively relaxed stance, slightly crouched, hands held loosely in front of him. As if from a great distance, Isis heard Anu tell him and his opponent to begin.
The Opir attacked first, in the way of most of their kind: relying on superior strength and speed to take down human prey. Daniel was ready for him. The Opir dived at Daniel, teeth bared, and Daniel was flung back, only to roll with the attack and kick the Opir over his shoulders.
Then there was a blur of motion, both human and Opir moving so fast that Isis could scarcely detect each individual strike and parry. The memories of ancient battles filled her mind...battles she had hoped never to see again.
A cry of startled pain brought her back to the present. Daniel stood over the Opir, holding the man’s arm twisted behind his back as his knee pinned the Opir to the floor. Daniel’s sleeve and collar were torn and there was blood on his neck, but Isis could see no serious injuries. She felt her knees shaking beneath her gown.
Anu began to applaud. His courtiers joined him, some more enthusiastically than others. Isis could plainly see the shock on several faces, including Hera’s and Bes’s.
“What do the gods say now?” Daniel asked, licking a trickle of blood from his lip. “Or do you want me to fight the other one?”
The second Opir had somehow become much smaller, clearly of no mind to fight Daniel again.
Isis raised her voice. “The Nine find you innocent,” she said without looking at Anu.
Daniel straightened and released the Opir, who staggered away. When he seemed ready to come at Daniel again, Anu raised his hand and four of his guards escorted Daniel’s opponents out of the room.
“It was their idea,” Anu remarked. “They wanted another chance to kill you, if possible. I told them that if you were to beat one of them, they would confess their guilt in attacking Bes’s humans. Now it is done.”
“And you had your entertainment,” Daniel said, pulling the collar closed around his bleeding neck.
Anu chose to ignore Daniel’s insolence. “I will have someone look after your wounds,” he said.
“That is not necessary,” Isis said. “I will do it myself.”
“Very well,” Anu said. He looked at Daniel. “The Council must, of course, agree with our decision, but I believe they will accept the aggressor’s confession and deal with them appropriately. I advise that the next time you find yourself in a similar situation, you contact the Lawkeepers instead of taking matters into your own hands.”
“Do you expect there to be a next time?” Daniel asked. He held Anu’s gaze for a moment, and then turned to Isis. “If you have no objection, I think it’s time we left.”
“By all means,” Anu said, his voice indifferent, though Isis could still feel the raw edge of his power. And anger. “Isis, please stay for a moment.”
Firmly dismissed, Daniel strode out the door. Isis heard it close and turned back to Anu.
“You treated him little better than a serf,” she said.
“But he acted with courage and dignity,” Anu said. “That is much to be admired in a human. And his innocence in that matter has been established.” He stroked the arm of his chair. “Have you learned anything more of his time in Vikos?”
Isis thought of Ares, but said nothing. “No more than I knew when we last spoke.”
“He is a most unusual human. See that he remains in Tanis until the Games and the Festival are over. That should not be difficult for you, since you have chosen him as your consort.”
“I have not,” Isis said. “It is merely that...he and I—”
“Find any excuse,” Anu said, “but keep him by your side. If he has not attempted to escape by then, and has taken no action against us, we will know our suspicions are unfounded.”
“Your suspicions are unfounded,” Isis said. “There are no spies in Tanis. But I shall do what you ask.”
“It will surely not be too great a sacrifice,” Ishtar said with a throaty chuckle. “Send him to me if you tire of him, and I will keep him for you for a little while.”
Isis didn’t bother to answer. She left without another word. When she reached the door, she knew that something was wrong.
She opened it carefully to find Daniel facing a prosperous-looking and strikingly handsome Opir. Daniel was very still, the pulse beating hard in his throat. Man and Opir stared at each other with bitter recognition. Daniel’s fists clenched. The Opir smiled.
“It has been a long time, has it not?” the Opir said. He inclined his head to Isis. “Don’t bother with introductions, Daniel. Of course I know the Lady Isis.”
“Hannibal,” Isis said.
“I am flattered to have attracted the lady’s notice. Perhaps Daniel has told you that he and I are old...acquaintances.”
CHAPTER 11
Daniel’s fury burned so hot that Isis almost recoiled. “Be careful, Hannibal,” he said to the Opir before him. “I am not what I used to be.”
“That is obvious. But then you had Ares to help you.” He smiled. “Odd that he visited us and then vanished so suddenly. Are you looking for him?”
Daniel took an aggressive step forward. “Where did he go?”
Hannibal shrugged and nodded to Isis again. “Goodbye, Lady.”
He pushed past Daniel and entered Anu’s suite. When Isis touched Daniel’s arm, she found that he was shaking.
“Come,” she said. “Let us leave this place.”
Like an automaton, he went with her, his eyes blank and the muscles of his jaw standing out in harsh relief. It wasn’t until they’d left the tower that the tension began to go out of his body. She could hear the sound of his teeth unclenching.
When they were at the base of the tower, she put her arms around him and pressed he
r cheek to his chest, trying to ignore the smell of his blood.
“I thought you would die,” she whispered.
He touched her hair. “I wasn’t so sure about it myself,” he said, his voice unsteady.
“I am so sorry, Daniel. I do not know why Anu behaved as he did. I have never seen anything like it before.”
He set her back to study her face. “It isn’t your fault.”
“If I had known something like this could happen...”
“It’s all right.”
“It is not,” she said. “I thought you would see that he was a just Opir.”
“You’ve known him for years, and you obviously didn’t doubt him before.”
“I knew he was arrogant,” she said, “but I believed he would be fair.”
“I felt what Anu was throwing out into the room.”
“Yes,” she said. “I am sorry. I know he turned his influence against you, but I do not understand—”
“I’ve known only a handful of Opiri with so much charismatic power. You’re one of them.”
“I told you before that I did not intend—”
“I know. You aren’t like him at all. He could probably convince anyone, even other Opiri, to see only what he wanted them to see.”
“He did not compel you to fight?”
He curled a lock of her black hair around his fingers. “Knowing what he was, I was prepared. He couldn’t force me to do anything. But he was willing to try.”
“And this gives you good cause to dislike him.”
“I don’t trust him, Isis.”
“Because of this incident?” she asked, looking up.
“Because he reminds me too much of the Bloodmasters in the Citadel,” he said.
Isis framed one side of his face with her hand. “Why did you agree to fight? Was it only to defend your innocence, or to prove something to yourself?”
His hand dropped to his side, and she knew he wouldn’t answer. Not now.
“I apologize for attempting to command you,” she said, changing the subject.
He smiled crookedly. “Habit,” he said. “We’re all at its mercy.” He met her gaze with the warmth that had been missing since they’d come to the tower. “You didn’t make a mistake in bringing me here.”
Harlequin Nocturne May 2016 Box Set Page 11