Bloodkin (Jaseth of Jaelshead)

by Ashford, Cathy

  “I’ve got your Queen and now this precious boy as well!” he shouted outside.

  I was almost out of oxygen and my lungs began to ache. I could feel the knife at my throat, pressing down with the sharp blade.

  Outside, Anna gave the slightest twitch of her head, I could feel the intensity of her stare from inside.

  The man laughed again, loud and mirthless in my ear. “What are you gonna do now, Lilbi—”

  “Jaseth, get down!” Anna screamed and flung out her hands towards us, the physical action concentrating the force of her Hầұeӣ. I felt the shield dissolve and the last thing I heard was a strange whine of disbelief from the man holding me. Then everything went black and I was unconscious before I hit the floor.

  he Beltane riots, as they came to be known, were over almost before they had begun.

  I was unconscious for three days after Anna used her Hầұeӣ on me. When I finally woke up in the hospital, Hayoum was checking my vital signs.

  “Oh, Jaseth, you’re awake! How do you feel?”

  Pretty much like my head had been run over by a steam-carriage, but I managed to clear my throat and croak out a “Fine, thanks.”

  “Good, good, everything seems fine here. I’ll send in Charlie if you want, he’s been hovering outside your room the entire time.”

  I tried to raise myself up on my elbows but failed miserably and fell back. What did Hayoum mean, “the entire time”?

  “How long have I been out?” I groaned.

  “Three days, boyo. You’d had some pretty serious Psychosolastry thrown at you, but everything seems to be in working order.”

  “What about Thael— What about the Queen? Is she okay?”

  “Oh yes, she’s fine. Brought her in for a quick check up, and now she’s back at the castle, trying to sort this mess out. Oh, here he is, hullo Charlie.”

  “Jaseth?” Charlie whispered, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. My Mentor looked bloody awful. His faced was bruised and scratched and there were deep black circles underneath his bleary red eyes.

  “Um, hey Charlie.”

  Charlie made a noise that sounded dangerously close to a sob, and scrubbed at his face.

  “You’re awake! Thank Lilbecz you’re alright!” His eyes were bright with tears and he held his hands up to his mouth, seemingly overwhelmed.

  “Hmph, yeah, I didn’t think they let gay Mentors have male Bloodkin,” I muttered. Charlie looked confused beside the bed.

  “Oh, no, it’s the other way round. The sexual orientation of the Mentor doesn’t matter, we’re all trained professionals…” he trailed off. “Oh! I see what you did there. Ha ha, very funny Jas.”

  “Yeah yeah, where’s everyone else?”

  “They just popped out to get some lunch, they should be back— Oh look, here they are now.”

  I tried to turn my head to look at the door.

  “Oh Charlie, is he awake yet?” I heard Lolitha ask from outside.

  “Yes! Come in and see! He’s been asking about you!”

  I thought that was a bit of a stretch, but the others slowly filed into the room. Lolitha stuck close to Jimmy and they were followed by Aliakh, Anna, Jeetz, and even Lux was there.

  “Is this everyone for now? Good, I’ll leave you to it then, Jaseth. Try not to tire him out too much, okay you lot?” Hayoum left my hospital room and closed the door behind him.

  “Oh Jas, I can’t believe you’re okay!” Lolitha couldn’t contain herself any longer and threw herself at me, hugging my aching shoulder.

  “Ow, yeah, thanks ‘Litha, I’m fine.”

  She stood back with a rueful smile. “Sorry, I’m just… pleased to see you.”

  The group pulled up seats around the bed while Lolitha and Charlie perched down the end, and everyone filled me in on what had happened back in the city during the riots.

  Anna had been following the royal procession, invisible, the entire way, and after the Queen and I had escaped, she had gathered up my Bloodkin friends and sent them through the Thistle’s tunnel to hide at her apartment. When the angry crowd had reached the Quarter, many of the Nea’thi had tried to block their way through the gates. Anna had realised what was happening and took Charlie with her, racing through the city unseen to try and shut down the Psychosolasts who had been using their Hầұeӣ to whip the Humans of the city into an anti-Nea’thi killing frenzy. There had been six of them, dotted around the Human areas of Lille and Anna had dispatched them one by one as the Temple’s Psychosolasts had moved in to the Quarter and quelled the rioters’ rage.

  It was the early hours of the morning by the time they had found them all, then Anna and Charlie had made their own way through the tunnel under the hills to retrieve Thaelique and me. They had arrived just as the small group of attackers were searching the cottage. They had managed to kill all three of them, all Mingles, then found the body of the forester. Charlie had carried my unconscious body back to Lille himself, and the Queen and I were taken straight to the Solasts.

  “What, so you didn’t get the other one?”

  “What other one, Jas?” Charlie asked kindly.

  “You said there were three Mingles and the forester. There was another one.”

  Anna gave me a hard look. “Are you sure?”

  I nodded. “There was a fourth one, he was very tall, the leader. He was speaking Nea’thi.”

  Anna frowned. “We only found three of them. Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m effing sure! There were three guys in the hut after they… killed the forester. Plus the one out the front. Yes I’m sure!”

  Anna narrowed her eyes in thought. “Did he say anything? Did you hear any names?”

  “Well they were speaking in Nea’thi most of the time…” I scrunched up my eyes in concentration. I must have heard something. “I think one of the others called the leader, um, Jossye… no, Jyossyephcza or something?”

  Anna pulled back in surprise. “Not Jờßeфжa?” she demanded impatiently.

  “I dunno, maybe. Probably.” I caught the long look that Anna gave Charlie. “What? What does that mean?”

  “Shh, nothing really, Jas. Don’t worry about it.”

  I gazed about the room. Everyone seemed red-eyed and kind of bleak. What was the problem? I had recovered, hadn’t I? Then I realised something.

  “Where’s Telgeth?”

  There was a silence. Everyone found something interesting to look at, anywhere but at me.

  “Where the hell is Telgeth?” I thought at least Charlie would answer, but it was Lolitha who looked up at me.

  “He’s gone, Jas.”

  “What? Gone where? What about class?” Now Charlie met my eyes.

  “Well, because of the riots, Myr Roderick has decided to start the summer break early, so you’re on holiday now.” I waved this away.

  “Yes, but where’s he gone? Back to Jaelshead?” Lolitha shook her head and took a deep breath.

  “He’s gone to Жanờ, Jas,” she said quietly, and a shiver of fear licked up my spine.

  “Why’s he gone to Жanờ, ‘Litha?” I asked slowly. She looked down.

  Charlie came around and patted me gently on the shoulder. “I’m sorry Jas, it’s Thomas. He… he didn’t make it. Telgeth’s taken his body back to his family.”

  I looked around wildly, but no one would meet my eyes. Come to think of it, where was Fiona?

  “But… but what about the Solasts? Why didn’t they fix him?” My voice was rising.

  “There was nothing they could do, boyo, I’m sorry,” Charlie kept patting my arm.

  “But why didn’t somebody save him?” I cried. I could feel my throat closing over. This wasn’t right! This couldn’t be right!

  “We tried,” Charlie whispered.

  “Oh.” There was nothing else I could say. Thomas had been standing right beside me, that day, outside the Thistle. He had been right there! I suddenly felt quite ill.

  “Ahh, come on everyone, let’s go and give Jaset
h some peace,” Aliakh murmured, and the others all filed out of my room, patting me lovingly on the way. I couldn’t even feel them. Thomas was dead!

  Finally it was just me and Charlie left. He sort of hovered beside me, unwilling to go.

  “Well where’s Thaelique?” I demanded. Surely the Queen would want to see me.

  “She’s at the castle, under a full guard. They’ll have to find her a new Advisor.” The memory of the burning carriage came back to me with a sickening jolt.

  “Did Myr Serbastient die?” I asked flatly and Charlie nodded, his eyes downcast. He fished into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

  “She left this for you,” he said, handing it over. I warred between wanting to read it in private, and desperation to see what she had said. Desperation won and I opened the note, smoothing out its creases. It was ridiculously short, written in her neat script.

  Lord Jaseth

  Thank you. For everything.

  Y.M.

  “What? Is this it?” I demanded, turning the page over to see if there was more, but there was nothing but the few brief words. Charlie nodded, still looking away.

  “But… but we slept together!” That got his attention and he looked up, surprised. “Thomas is dead and Telgeth is gone and I slept with Thael and all I get it this?” I cried, almost hysterical.

  “Oh Jas, I’m so sorry.”

  “But I love her!” I screeched. Then unbidden tears were leaking out of my eyes. “I effing love her and I saved her and this is all…” I choked on a sob.

  Charlie sat beside me and gathered me up with his long arms and. I cried ugly, messy, snotty tears into his shoulder and he stroked my hair, just like a mother would do.

  “But I love her,” I whispered again.

  “I know, kiddo,” Charlie told me gently, and I could feel his voice through his chest. “But she got a fair wallop from Anna, she was probably… not herself. She may not remember most of the day.”

  “What?” I sniffed. “She can’t even remember?”

  “It’s too early to tell, JJ. I’m sorry.”

  And that was it. Thaelique couldn’t even remember those precious, magical hours we had been together. I had thought, after the horrible, hideous day, that it would be the start of something great, something bloody wondrous, and she couldn’t even remember. This was too much. It was too effing much.

  “I think I would like to be alone now,” I told Charlie stiffly. He nodded and released me and I wiped my nose as he stood.

  “Okay Jas. I’ll, um, be here. If you need anything. Okay?”

  I sank back into my bed as he closed the door behind him. Then I couldn’t hold it in any longer. As I hadn’t done since I was sixteen years old, I buried my face in my pillow and wept tears of rage and hurt and frustration, great heaving, breathless sobs until I wore myself out and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  wo days later I was released from the hospital and Charlie and Lolitha helped me back to the Hall. I had had a stream of visitors during my stay in the Solasts’ wing of the Academy. All the other Bloodkin had gone home for the holidays and they had come in to say their goodbyes before they left. So the mood in the Hall was quiet and sombre, as Lolitha and I and our Mentors were the only ones left.

  Every day after I woke I hoped I would have the energy to organise my trip back to Jaelshead, but the lethargy of grief left me with little inclination to do anything at all. I began to think that Lolitha was procrastinating as well. She could have left for Lallisol and be almost home by now, but she seemed content to potter around the empty Hall, hovering around me whenever I had the energy to get out of bed.

  “’Litha, when are you leaving?” I finally had to ask her.

  “Um, I don’t know. I don’t really want to go.”

  “But you can’t stay here, the Hall’s deserted!”

  She shrugged. “Yeah, I know. I just don’t… I don’t want to go back.”

  I knew how she felt. The prospect of a nine day journey home was the very last thing I wanted to do.

  “You could go somewhere else,” I suggested.

  “I’ve been thinking that. I don’t know where, though.”

  “Would Jimmy go?”

  “Yeah, he’s already said he’d come with me anywhere.”

  “Hmm.” I felt the seed of an idea beginning to germinate. “We could go see Telgeth?”

  “What? But he’s in Жanờ!”

  “Exactly.”

  “Oh.” She was quiet for a while. “We could go see Telgeth.”

  “Yeah, check out the Enclave.”

  She gave me a brave little smile. “It’ll be dark. And hot. Will they even let us in?”

  I shrugged. “Well it’ll be bright and hot out here, and I don’t see why not, Myr Billy said they don’t mind visitors down there.”

  “So Жanờ it is then?” she grinned.

  “Жanờ. Definitely.”

  We went to see the others down at the Shivering Thistle that evening. The debris in the streets of the Quarter had been cleared away, and apart from a few scorch marks on the buildings, little evidence of the Beltane riots remained.

  We sat in the roof garden for a change, enjoying the last of the late springtime light. After a few drinks and some Red, we broached the subject of a trip Underground with the Mentors. Charlie was quiet for a long time, but Jimmy hooted with laughter and clapped Lolitha on the shoulder.

  “Brilliant idea, ‘Litha, let’s do it!”

  Charlie looked at me seriously. “Are you sure, Jas? Your parents would like to see you.”

  “My parents have got the rest of my life to see me. I want to go see Telgeth.”

  He considered me for a few seconds, then shrugged. “If this is what you want, then okay! Let’s go to Жanờ!”

  “Ugh, what’re you doing there?” Lux and Jeetz had arrived with Hanniash and Lux slid into a seat beside me.

  “Perhaps you would be so kind as to accompany them, Lux,” Anna suggested, but it was more an order than a request.

  She sniffed. “No thanks! I’ve only just left the bloody place!”

  “I’m sure your grandparents would love you to visit them,” Anna told her firmly. “I’ve had another letter.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Lux grumbled. She looked around at our expectant faces. “Oh hell, you are serious. Ugh.” She rested her forehead in one hand and scrunched up her face for a second, then looked up. “Fine, I’ll come with you to bloody Жanờ!”

  Lolitha and I exchanged glances, but she just shrugged, a little excited smile touching the corners of her mouth. Oh, what the hell, we were going to an Enclave!

  The next morning, Charlie was rechecking everything we had packed. Finally satisfied, he helped me carry our bags downstairs. I had written my parents a short letter, letting them know I was alright and what we had planned for the summer. I left it with Myn Eve to post as Jimmy and Lolitha met us, carrying their bags.

  Outside, the Journeymen had collected our horses from the city stables and we loaded them up as Myn Eve waved us goodbye.

  “Have a lovely time, you lot. Make sure you’re back by Lughnasadh, okay? The Academy reopens the next day.” August seemed like an age away, but we nodded our consent.

  Lux was already outside waiting for us, mounted on a sprightly grey gelding, and she shifted impatiently. “Come on, the next carriage leaves soon, and going through the tunnel is quicker than going around the hills.”

  Anna arrived just as we were mounting up. “Safe travels my dears,” she told us warmly, but her eyes were still shadowed with exhaustion. “Remember to behave, Lux.”

  Lux grunted and rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Can we go now?”

  Anna took Charlie’s hand. “Be careful, okay?” she told him.

  “You too, my darling.” He leaned down from the saddle and kissed her full on the lips. When they broke off he looked around and laughed at our surprised expressions.

  “What are you lot looking at? Com
e on, we’ve got an Enclave to get to. To Жanờ!” he yelled gleefully, and kicked his horse into action.

  “To Жanờ!”

  irstly I would like to thank and apologise to all my beautiful friends whose faces, sayings, mannerisms and even names I have appropriated and bastardised for my own ends. Any and all bad behaviour and drunken idiocy perpetrated by my characters are purely the imaginings of the author and not reflections of reality. Thanks for putting up with me, for giving me light and laughs and companionship and constant inspiration. You know who you are.

  A special thanks to Morgan for sharing with me not only the learning that sparked the life of the Nea’thi people, but an unquantifiable amount of love. I wish you all the happiness in the world - you deserve it.

  All my love and gratitude to Nick for caring about my imaginary friends and all the assurances that I wasn’t mental. And thanks for all the cups of tea!

  I would also like to thank all the people who made my PDC course at Solscape, Raglan, such an amazing experience. All my love to Aurelie, Ben, Lorraine, Dan, Leita, Lisa, Bay, Bevan and Julius as well as our amazing tutors – it only took two weeks for us to become a family, but the real work starts now. The time for change is here, you all have my support just like I know I have yours. Kia ora!

  I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without the help of my own personal Mentor, Dr Anne Young. Thanks for all the drugs!

  To the team at Write Right: this book wouldn’t be anything without your assistance. To Graeme Lay, my original assessor and editor, thanks for the repetition busting, syntax straightening and massively important confidence boost. And my thanks to Tina Shaw, final editor for Bloodkin. I hope you’re looking forward to the next three as much as I am!

  I would also like to thank my publishing consultant Jenny Legun, and the team at Createspace, for making this process so easy.

  I am indebted to Daniel Reeve for designing my beautiful cover and map and for putting up with my endless requests when he was so frightfully busy.