Woman of Silk and Stone

by Mattie Dunman

  Chapter XIV

  You say you want a revolution, well, you know...

  We rematerialized in the council chambers amid a scene of chaos.

  Efrim was bound by ropes and thrown haphazardly into a chair, two guards standing over him. The rest of the council looked dual parts ill and disoriented, although there was one face that looked far too smug for my liking.

  "Efrim is innocent," I shouted into the melee, knowing there wasn't enough time to waste on pleasantries.

  It took a minute, but everyone settled down and turned toward me, incredulous expressions on their faces. Efrim's most of all.

  Well, I was pretty shocked, too.

  "What is the meaning of this? What are you doing here?" Shakar, my least favorite council member demanded haughtily, as though I had interrupted bachelors' night out rather than an emergency trial.

  I was thrilled to see Zagmi Tilmun seated in one of the chairs, though he looked fatigued to the point of collapse.

  "Honey, I am glad to see you are safe. We were not sure where you had gone, and Hamsum..." he trailed off, closing his eyes and making my heart pound faster. "Hamsum was unable to search for you," Tilmun finished, his expression grave.

  "He's still alive?" I asked, noting the pleading tone in my voice. If he died, one of my only friends here, I wasn't sure I could live with the guilt.

  Tilmun nodded wearily. "Yes, but barely. Many of the Litum are bedridden. It was fortunate I had not yet partaken of the evening meal or I too would have been poisoned, and unable to heal so many. Still, we have lost two of our members, and several of the lower guard. Until this plot is fully uncovered, we cannot call for Ensi Tam's return."

  "We can't leave him where he is, either," I stated baldly, wincing at the number of affronted gasps and protests. If I was wrong about any of this...but deep down I knew I wasn't. This was what I had been called to Solis for, why I had been ripped from my boring little existence back on Earth. I was here to be the lone voice of reason.

  "Look, you all haven't had a rebellion in Solis for a long time, so you won't recognize what's going on. But this is classic Shakespeare. Ninna is holding the king hostage, and she will kill him. Soon. It will be a tragic accident, something that couldn't have been avoided. Or they will be set upon by mercenaries that will be easily connected to Efrim. Either way, Ninna will be the only one to return, along with the loyal Litum that went with her, and within a day, she will be installed as Queen, and the council will be disbanded, apart from the few advisors she chooses," I glanced at Shakar, who paled, "who will ease her into the transition."

  Open-mouthed astonishment greeted me on every face but two: Shakar and Efrim.

  Voices were raised and everyone immediately began to dismiss me as totally insane, and that's when Adar spoke up.

  "Fools. You have not lived long enough to remember the strife before the kingdoms were split, but I witnessed the devious nature of your people many times. Brother killing brother, son murdering father. All for a glimpse of real power. It is why we broke the land, divided you into smaller groups; no one person was strong enough to hold all of Edin, and there were always serpents hiding beneath the throne, waiting for the chance to strike. We knew this day would come again, when the kingdoms grew too large and the chance to rule was too tempting, but I am sorry it has happened to young Tam. He is blameless, and of a good heart. I will do what I can to retrieve him."

  Adar's words silenced the room, his potency consuming the space as surely as if his flames devoured the walls. I blinked back tears, falling a little in love with him in that moment.

  "This is preposterous," Shakar cried out, splitting the thoughtful silence. His face was sweaty, as usual, but his hands were shaking and his eyes wouldn't rest for even a second. I realized he was looking for an exit.

  "I swear on my life; I make my most solemn vow, and may Sarrim Adar set me ablaze if I lie. I did not poison the evening meal. I did not put our king in jeopardy," Efrim avowed, his voice steady and full of conviction. Much as I detested the Jafar look-alike, I knew he wasn't responsible for this travesty.

  Frankly, he would have made sure everyone died.

  While Shakar sputtered and moved toward the far door, Tilmun studied Adar, and then me. Finally, he nodded and dragged himself to his feet. "There is no time to waste in debate. The Darisam have long been guardians and objective observers. If both he and the halqu believe the king is still in peril, then we must act. The Ilati have guided them here, and we cannot ignore their wisdom."

  And that was pretty much that.

  There was still some argument, mostly from Shakar and one other council member, the one in charge of security, who were immediately placed under suspicion of collusion; but everyone else agreed that while they didn't understand her motives, Ninna was behind the attack.

  I, on the other hand, understood them completely. As I told the council, it was straight out of Shakespeare. The Lady Macbeth wannabe had been passed over as heir when her brother died, and she was forced to play nursemaid to a child who inherited all the power she coveted. While he was young, she could be his motherly influence, guide his hand, control him. I didn't doubt that by the time he was fully matured, he would have met with an accident, no doubt after naming Ninna as his successor, since his line would be ended. The surplus from the increased taxes was probably padding the pockets of the elite guards she had bought off to be her personal army. Ninna was playing a long game.

  But when I turned up, and Tam immediately began attaching to me, seeking my guidance and attention, Ninna had to act quickly. If I was eliminated, she'd be in an even better position to be his sole confidant, comforting him in his grief. No doubt she would implicate Efrim, her strongest opponent in the council, solving two problems in one brilliant stroke.

  But I didn't die.

  I had no doubt that if Efrim's connections to the assassination attempts were examined with real scrutiny, they wouldn't hold up. She simply hadn't had the time to engineer things as carefully as needed on such a rushed schedule. Besides, she would've been the one overseeing the trial, or whatever they had here, so she could have ensured no one dug too deeply.

  Now, because of Adar's claiming and my assumed immortality, Ninna had no choice but to make her final play before people started questioning motives, or Tam grew any closer to me.

  I really, really hated that bitch.

  "Call on the Horde," I said, interrupting whatever slapdash battle plan was developing. "Ninna won't have factored them in, and Temuk and Khenti will come if I ask. We can't be sure which guards remaining are still loyal to the king, so we need outside help."

  Adar wrapped his arms around me and immersed me in his distinctive cardamom and clove scent, his heat warming my blood and easing some of the tension I was carrying. I never imagined that I would come to rely on him so quickly, but he had made it clear that whatever mattered to me, mattered to him. I had never known that kind of security with another human being. Or Darisam. Whatever.

  It was intoxicating.

  "You are right, Honey-sa. They will always answer the call of the halqu and the Darisam. And they are formidable in battle; or at least they once were. Hopefully they have not lost the old ways."

  I rolled my eyes at that less than rousing endorsement and focused on the council. "I understand that this is difficult to face, that you are working against everything you have believed for many years to be true. But the simple fact is that your king, who is a defenseless little boy, is in the hands of someone without conscience, without remorse, without feeling. She will keep him alive as long as it is expedient to do so, but the moment he becomes a liability, she will kill him. I don't know this because of any special ability or intimate knowledge of Ninna; I know because this has happened on my world many, many times, and the signs are too obvious for me ignore. Please, please call on the Horde and let's go get Tam back," I asserted, not minding that there were tears in my eyes, or that my throat burned with the need to weep hysterically. Thi
s was what had to be done, and until I saw Tam's sweet smile and felt his hand in mine, I was never going to be able to let go.

  And thank God, finally, they did.

  ***

  It was weird, being out of the palace. Even though I'd been there less than a week, those golden walls had become my home, and the world outside was alien and threatening. In my heightened state, every person we passed had a calculating glint in their eye, a knife in hand, a cruel word on every lip.

  Adar had seated me in front of him on one of the ubiquitous sisu, and I leaned gratefully against his broad chest. The man still hadn't put on a shirt, was wandering around barefoot, clad only in his silky black trousers, and I couldn't help but be appreciative. The smoothness of his polished-stone skin pressing against me, his scent, the constantly radiating heat that seemed to just melt into my bones with an intimacy that went far beyond simple comfort; all were keeping me anchored, keeping me sane in a sea of dread.

  "Honey-sa, what is your favorite color?" he asked, his voice a low hum in my ear. I shivered at the sensation and then barked out a surprised laugh.

  "What does that have to do with anything?" I turned my head so I could look up at his smiling face, struck again by his overwhelming physical beauty. I wondered if I would ever stop being bowled over by him in our eternity together.

  I hoped not.

  "I have learned many things about you; that you are brave and determined, compassionate and loyal, lovely and wise, but I do not know the small things. When we return Tam to his throne, I want to scour all of Edin to bring you blossoms of every flower in your favorite color. I want to discover your favorite meals and serve them to you in bed. Every night I want you to fall asleep to the music I write for you, and each morning I want you to dress in the clothing I provide. I do not know how to discover these things without asking. So I ask, what is your favorite color?"

  "Blue," I whispered, my eyes brimming and my chest tight. I stared at the male I was tied to through no choice of my own and felt a deep wellspring of joy bubble up inside me, despite the danger into which we rode.

  I found me a keeper.

  By the time we reached the outside of the city, a growing crowd of townspeople were following us, concern etched on every face. It occurred to me then that some had probably heard of what was going on up at the palace, may have even seen Tam removed. Waving at the riders in our group to halt, I grabbed the reins and directed the sisu to turn around, facing the crowd.

  Seeing all their faces now, I felt a little foolish for attributing hostility to those we passed earlier. I seemed to be in high battle mode, which was new for me; the biggest fight I'd ever partaken in back home was with my college roommate over the last slice of pizza. Although I had to believe in myself, believe that I really was meant to be here, doing this, I'd never faced anything of this enormity before, which probably made me pretty damn paranoid.

  Based on what the council members had explained, Ninna had most likely taken Tam to an outpost outside the city. Though it had never been used in this manner before, it was where the royal family was to be taken in an emergency. If she was still trying to play this as a terrible accident and not a full military takeover, then she would have followed the procedure, and Tam would likely meet his untimely end somewhere on the ride to or at the outpost.

  Logic made me hope Ninna would wait until they had gotten to their destination because too many things could go wrong on the road. Tam could escape, run back to the city, one of the city guards might see from the wall; any number of factors.

  But I just didn't know. If Ninna had taken Tam to some other location, then we were wasting a huge chunk of time on a wild goose chase. Already, it had been over two hours since the attack, and I was sick at the thought of what Tam might be going through.

  So as I looked over the townspeople, uncertainty and resentment painting their tired features, I couldn't bear to spend any more time talking. But it had to be done.

  "People of Solis! Your king has been abducted!" I shouted, ignoring the cries of dismay from the council members riding with us. No doubt they'd hoped to keep all of this under the table, but I wasn't willing to risk the chance that one of the townspeople knew or had seen something.

  "We go to retrieve him, and we will. But tell me now if any of you know where he has been taken or what condition he is in. Remember that apart from being your king, he is a young boy, one that lost his parents at an early age and was forced to take on responsibilities far beyond his years. Remember too that he is at the mercy of his advisors." Yet another appalled gasp from the council members.

  "And remember that he loves you, loves all of Solis. He needs time to grow into his role, and patience and advice from you, his people."

  I gazed around, taking in the shift in expressions, the knowing glances at the council. Quite a few of them were also staring at Adar, probably never having seen a Darisam in person before. Finally, I allowed the urgency to read in my voice. "But he won't get that time if he is killed."

  Shocked gasps and angry mutterings followed that statement, but at least I'd impressed the seriousness of the situation on them.

  "So please, if anyone knows where they have gone, where he was taken, speak now. Help us to return Ensi Tam to his rightful place," I pleaded, knowing that I was, yet again, on the edge of tears. I had cried more since coming to Edin than I ever remembered back home, but then I'd never felt quite so alive either.

  There was some shuffling and murmuring and some people simply turned and walked away. I really hoped the guards were noting who those people were. Finally, a man stepped forward, his elderly face lined in concern. He was probably four centuries older than me, which was pretty daunting. In fact, the idea that I was sitting on horse-thing with an immortal fire creature at my back, telling people who were likely much, much older than me what to do was beginning to make me feel a little nauseous.

  Damn that overwhelming surrealism.

  "The Ahatki left several guards behind to follow them. I overheard them say they would reach the outpost in time for the main event," the man said, his voice shaky with age, but confident.

  An uneasy feeling roiled in my gut. "When did they leave?" I asked, dread clutching my heart.

  "About twenty minutes ago," the elder replied, making my knees turn to water.

  "Thank you," I said, and then urged the sisu onward, letting Adar take over the reins so we could make better time. The rest of our group followed, and we thundered out of the gates without another backward glance.

  No doubt the guards left behind were meant to arrive at the outpost just in time to witness Tam die in some accidental way that couldn't have been avoided.

  And they had a twenty minute lead.

  Shit.

  Chapter XV

  She's Pretty as a daisy, but Look out man, she's crazy

  "We can't take the time to ride out," I told Adar, chewing my fingernails nervously. Glancing over at one of the few Litum who had recovered enough to come with us, I asked, "How far is it to the outpost?"

  The guard, whose name I thought was Redu, frowned and looked thoughtfully back at the gates. "An hour's ride, perhaps less if we pushed it."

  That was better than I'd hoped for, but still wasn't great. Still, any small advantage I could get, I'd take.

  "Okay. How fast could we get there if you turn into smoke?" I asked Adar. He appeared mutinous for a moment before his expression turned considering.

  "I could reach the outpost in perhaps thirty minutes carrying you. Perhaps fifteen without."

  I still hadn't figured out how to read his eyes for clues, but I had a feeling he was exaggerating a bit. Clearly he didn't want me going on ahead of what small force we had mustered, which simply made me more determined to do so.

  "If you go by yourself can you get Tam out of there?" I asked, knowing I had to consider every option. If that meant sending Adar in alone for a snatch and grab, that worked for me. God knew I wasn't exactly qualified to be planning this
little sortie; all I was good at was crisis management.

  "I cannot travel with him by smoke, Honey-sa. But I can shield him, keep him safe. I can also simply destroy the outpost and everyone in it," he added calmly. More than a little stunned by his cavalier attitude toward destruction, I shook my head.

  "Let's...just use that as a last resort, okay?" The more I thought about it, each second was precious. I had no idea what might set Ninna off, or what her plans were, and if even ten minutes could be shaved off of getting Tam help, I had to do it.

  "Can you go to him?" I asked, hating that I had to rely on someone else for something so important, but I believed Adar would save Tam. I just wasn't sure what else he might do.

  He smiled down at me, brushing back a lock of my hair affectionately. "I will keep Tam safe, Honey-sa. The kashaptu will not touch him," he growled, the red flecks in his eyes amplifying and taking on a fierce smolder.

  Hesitating, I leaned closer and lowered my voice. "Will you be safe? I mean, I know you're immortal and can set things on fire and all, but can you keep yourself out of harm's way?"

  He stared down at me for a moment and then wrapped me in his arms, driving his mouth down to meet mine in an explosive clash, firing my blood and stoking my need higher and higher. When he released me, I was gasping for air and wondering just why it was I had said I wouldn't immediately hop into bed with him.

  "You are my only weakness, Honey-sa. Do not get involved in the fight. Bring the Horde and then stay back. I will bring the boy to you," he ordered, no leniency in his tone. Still, I found that I was okay with hanging back if Tam would be okay. And really, it's not like I was battle trained, so despite my wicked right hook, I would just be in the way.

  "Okay," I said, shrugging. Adar looked surprised at my capitulation, but then just grinned and kissed my lips hard once more.

  "Okay. Be safe, ti arrami," he whispered, and the man faded into a dark figure of smoke, those miraculous, remarkable eyes glowing at the center the only trace of Adar's form. And then he was gone, riding the wind, a cloud of black silk on the horizon.