THE SHADOWLORD

by Charlotte Boyett-Compo

  "And you garnered two lifelong enemies..."

  "And the king knew I had, for he ordered Tarsis to guard me with his life."

  "What did your father say when he returned?"

  Jaelan smiled. "He found me under guard in a tent Tarsis had made off-limits to everyone but the king. They wouldn't let Samiel see me, and no one could tell him what I'd done, since no one other than those in the king's tent that day knew what had transpired. The only other person privy to the secret was Sekhem Neter, and he was one of Jahannum's men."

  "That figures," Aradia drawled.

  "By the time Samiel located Tarsis and learned what had happened, King Kharis had decided he preferred the comfort of the palace at Abbadon to the heat of the desert and ordered his entourage to make ready to leave. I was to go with them."

  "To have your talent exploited."

  He nodded. "There were Magi from all over the world at the temples in Abbadon."

  "Priests from the Brotherhood?"

  "No, these men were not connected in any way to the Brotherhood. Most were members of the Windwarrior Societies of Serenia or Virago. The king wanted me sent to the Wind Temple to be taught how to read and write, schooling that had been denied me here in Uadjit. Truth told, I was looking forward to it."

  "Did you get to say goodbye to Samiel?"

  "No. It would be many years before I saw him again. And by then, I was a full-fledged Death Lord and even more unwelcome in Uadjit."

  Aradia jumped as the door swung open and a large man with a dark complexion and ferocious scowl barged in. With his mud-splattered clothing and black hair escaping a loose queue at the nape of his neck, he presented a wild appearance. The fierce scowl flicked over Aradia, then leapt to Jaelan.

  "By the Prophet, Ben-Ashaman, I've been trying to get those prophet-be-damned peasants to tell me where you were, and not a single one would give me the time of day!" The bold intruder swiped a filthy hand over his face, smearing the mud already there. "I'm of a good mind to hang every one of them from that Joshua tree and call it good riddance!"

  "Be my guest," Jaelan said, folding his arms over his chest. "But leave Samiel to me."

  Aradia stood, her hand going to her thigh. She glanced down, shocked to find the blade missing. She turned accusatory eyes to her husband. "Did you steal my weapon, warrior?"

  "I thought it prudent, wench."

  Her eyes narrowed. "When? How?"

  Jaelan shrugged. "When you brought in the oranges."

  Stunned that she had not felt him lift the blade from its scabbard, she ground her teeth. "Don't do it again. My weapon is my weapon and no one touches it save me. Understand?"

  "Will you promise not to skewer some villager without first gaining my permission?"

  "I'll not ask permission if your life is in danger. I'll gut first, then ask."

  "No one is going to make an attempt on my life here, Ardy."

  "You have more faith in these people than I."

  The intruder's jaw dropped. "What's going on here, Jael? Who is this woman?"

  "Who the hell are you?" Aradia countered. "And who gave you permission to barge in without knocking?"

  The man's dark face turned darker. "Woman, how dare you speak to me in that disrespectful tone! I am a Death Lord and..." He took a step forward but Jaelan put himself between them.

  "She's a bit overprotective," Jaelan quipped.

  "Of you?"

  Aradia tried to sidestep her husband, but Jaelan blocked her. "I am possessive of anything that belongs to me!"

  The sputtered, obviously shocked by her words. "What is she talking about, Jael?"

  "I'll explain it later," Jaelan answered.

  "You'll explain it now!"

  "How dare you give orders to my husband!" Aradia shrieked. She tried to grab the man's arm, but Jaelan shouldered her away.

  "Husband?" The man's deep bass voice rose two full octaves.

  Jaelan winced. "We were Joined."

  "Legally?"

  "Legally, and the Joining sealed by the Magistrate. It was what I wanted."

  "What we both wanted," Aradia stated, and ignored the surprised look Jaelan slanted her way.

  The man staggered back, putting up his hands as though to ward off the newfound knowledge. He lowered his head, as if searching the floor for answers, his head wagging back and forth in denial. "This isn't happening. By the Prophet, this can't be happening!"

  "Why the hell not?" Aradia demanded.

  Jaelan locked eyes with his wife. "Let me handle this with my friend Aluino...please."

  Aradia blinked, knowing that single polite word was most likely not a part of her husband's usual vocabulary. Taking in his beseeching look, she nodded, giving them a modicum of privacy.

  "Tell me you were jesting," Aluino pleaded.

  "Do you remember when we met?" Jaelan inquired.

  Aluino frowned. "What has that...?"

  "Do you remember?" Jaelan repeated.

  "Of course, I do!"

  "Think back. What do you remember of that day?"

  "I try not to think of it--"

  "Aluino," Jaelan coaxed.

  "All right! It was as hot as hell. So what?"

  "What were you doing when we met?"

  "For the love of the Prophet, Ben-Ashaman! What difference does that make now?"

  "Humor me," Jaelan said. "What were you doing?"

  Aradia turned, her memory of that day as sharp as it had ever been. Her eyes widened as she stared at the Diabolusian.

  "I was going to hang your sorry ass!" Aluino snarled. "Sometimes I think I should have."

  "What stopped you?" Aradia asked.

  Aluino shot her an infuriated look. "Keep out of this, wench. This has nothing to do with you!"

  "Answer her, 'Lui," Jaelan insisted. "What stopped you from hanging me?"

  "It was the prince's whore. That Amazeen bitch who--" Aluino's swarthy complexion went pale. Like the hitching tick of a clock, his stare shifted to Aradia. "You?"

  She nodded.

  Aluino exhaled, his wide shoulders dropping. He stumbled to the settee and plopped down, leaning forward to bury his face in his hands. "This can not be happening."

  Jaelan hunkered before him, placing a hand on Aluino's knee. "This is what I wanted, 'Lui."

  "This is a nightmare..."

  Jaelan looked at Aradia. "It was 'Lui who helped me get out of Diabolusia. If not for him, I would have died that day."

  Aradia came to them. "Did not the Chief Guard do the prince's bidding? He was instructed to give you provisions and see you across the border into Serenia. I can not believe his instructions would have been ignored."

  "They weren't," Jaelan said, "but my enemies had no intention of allowing me to ever leave Diabolusia. A posse was dispatched to find me. If 'Lui had not come to warn me, I would still be making my home in that hellish country."

  "And six feet beneath its shifting red sands," Aluino commented, looking up through the spread of his fingers. He held Aradia's gaze. "My prince had ordered the man set free and I meant to see his wishes carried out."

  "It seems Jaelan owes his life to us both," Aradia said.

  Aluino sat up straight. "I've never given the matter a second thought. I did what had to be done and asked no debt for having done so."

  'The hell you haven't thought of it," Jaelan mumbled. "Every time you get pissed at me you remind me you should have hanged me that day." He arched a brow. "Just as you did a few minutes ago."

  "Reminding you only to annoy you is one thing, Jaelan," Aluino sniffed. "Meaning it is quite another."

  Aradia smiled. Their banter amused her, and she thought of how often she and Phillipa swapped insults. "You haven't told me how you wound up in Diabolusia in the first place."

  The men exchanged a quick look. "That's a tale best left for another rainy day," Jaelan said, getting to his feet.

  Aluino swept a hand over his face. "If you plan on taking her back to Abbadon, I suggest you tell her t
he whole of it before someone else does." He winced. "Someone like Saahira."

  Jaelan scowled and folded his arms over his chest. "Aluino may be a Death Lord, but sometimes I think he's afraid of his own shadow."

  Aluino sighed. "Nay, just the Shadowlord."

  Jaelan snorted, then changed the subject. "Why were you looking for me?"

  "I had forgotten." Aluino looked at his friend. "As if this situation isn't bad enough, we..."

  "You consider our Joining a bad situation?" Aradia growled, her smile vanishing in the blink of an eye.

  "His Joining with any woman without the Tribunal's permission is a bad situation, wench, and he knows it."

  Aradia looked at her husband. "You needed permission?"

  He shrugged. "Not necessarily..."

  "Can they overturn it? Would they?" When he and his friend remained silent, Aradia pressed the issue. "Well?"

  "That depends," Aluino answered. "Considering the other bad situation, the question of them reputing Jael's Joining might be a moot point."

  "What other bad situation?" Jaelan asked.

  "There must be more to these Amazeen than a man like me can see." Aluino shook his head. "They are beautiful, there's no denying that, but I'm thinking they're far too much trouble to warrant risking my life and limb."

  "Has something happened to Orithia?" Aradia demanded. "Is my sister all right?"

  Aluino's turned stricken eyes to Jaelan. "This one's the sister?" he squeaked. "By the Prophet, that's the worst news I've heard all year!"

  "Spit it out," Jaelan ordered. "What's going on in Abbadon, 'Lui?"

  "The king has decided to make the Amazeen his legal wife."

  "What?" Jaelan and Aradia shouted in unison.

  "And we know the Tribunal will never allow that," Aluino stated.

  "Why not?" Aradia asked, more offended that Orithia might be considered unworthy of a Hasdu king than concerned for her well-being.

  "A Rysalian monarch is not allowed to Join with a woman who worships outside his religion," Aluino explained.

  "Until she accepts his religion as her own," Jaelan amended.

  "That, she will not do," Aradia stated. "Our faithfulness to Alluvia is sacrosanct."

  Aluino's eyebrows shot up. "Then that means--"

  Jaelan cut him off with a lethal look. "There are ways around every law."

  "Not this one," Aluino said. "The Joining will not be recognized by law, and therefore, not a permanent Joining. The Amazeen will be nothing more than the harem girl she is now."

  "King Hasani must think he can get away with it," Aradia said. "He is the king, after all."

  "Being the king doesn't place him above the law," Jaelan countered. "As stupid as Hasani is, he should know that."

  Aluino groaned. "Jaelan, please! Watch what you say! The walls have ears, and you know that happened the last time you opened your big mouth and criticized someone!"

  Jaelan responded with a careless shrug.

  "Why would Orithia agree to such a marriage?" Aradia asked.

  "Who said she had to agree?" Aluino challenged.

  "An Amazeen would never willingly marry a Rysalian unless there was a good reason."

  "Such as the agreement you and I have?" Jaelan asked, searching her eyes.

  Aradia blushed and said nothing.

  "You mean yours wasn't a love match?" Aluino snorted. When both Jaelan and Aradia frowned, he raised his eyebrows and palms in a gesture of peace.

  "One thing is for certain," Jaelan said. "Orithia sure as hell can't have fallen in love with Hasani. Not even his own mother loves him."

  "He's offering her something," Aradia said.

  "A reasonable assumption," Jaelan commented.

  "But what?"

  "Probably Jaelan's head on a platter," Aluino quipped.

  Aradia looked at him. "Why?"

  "Women just don't like this man," Aluino said. "And your sister has reason to dislike Jae--"

  "What of Nadira?" Jaelan interrupted. "I can not imagine the king's first-wife standing idly by and allowing him to flaunt the law."

  "What is she like?" Aradia asked.

  "Meaner than a rabid dog."

  Once again, Aradia's gaze locked on Jaelan. "What happened between you and Orithia that she would want you harmed?"

  "You should tell her, Jael," Aluino said and searched his friend's bare chest. "By the way, the scratches have healed."

  "What scratches?" Aradia asked.

  "The ones your sister gave him," Aluino replied. "She did a brutal job of it, too."

  Aradia arched a brow, willing to give her new husband a chance to explain before she passed judgment.

  Jaelan cast Aluino an annoyed look, then directed his gaze to his wife. "When the redhead was killed, I had to subdue Orithia. She was caught up in her grief and anger, so she fought me."

  "Did you hurt her?"

  Jaelan shook his head. "I tried to keep her from being hurt."

  "You've made an enemy of Orithia. She will not forgive you for having conquered her and helped to place her in the seraglio."

  "I've heard she threatened to unman him if they should ever meet again," Aluino said.

  "She'll have to get past me to do it," Aradia stated.

  "Ah, young love," Aluino sighed. "I think you're dangly is safe for the present, Ben-Ashaman."

  "Yours won't be if you don't shut up!" Jaelan grumbled. "Go see to our horses since you have nothing better to do than to cause me grief."

  "You do that well enough on your own," Aluino shot back, starting to the door. "Which mount is hers?"

  Jaelan told him, and felt relief when his friend left. As the door closed, he turned to his wife. "Why do you think she's agreed to marry him?"

  Aradia scratched her cheek. "It couldn't be to gain her freedom, and we've ruled out love." She frowned. "Could he really have offered her vengeance against you?"

  "Doubtful. I'm of more use to him than what she has between her legs."

  Aradia blushed, though she rolled her eyes. "We do think highly of ourselves don't we, warrior?"

  "There are more beautiful women in Rysalia than there are Shadowlords."

  "That's probably true, but you're overlooking something. We are reasonably sure she could not have fallen in love with him, but what if he's fallen in love with her? Orithia is an Amazeen. We are not docile, but from what I know of Rysalian women, they are, at least to their men."

  Jaelan's dark brows clashed together. "True. Go on."

  "King Hasani is accustomed to women doing what he wishes, seeing to his every want and need. But Orithia will challenge his authority. She won't be meek or submissive. She'll fight him tooth and nail, as she fought you."

  A worried look began forming on Jaelan's dark features. He began to pace. "She'll intrigued him. He'll admire her bravery and see how far he can push her."

  "Which won't be far."

  "The intrigue will turn to admiration for her daring, and the admiration will turn to respect for her courage."

  "Then the respect might turn to something more tender," Aradia said.

  The worried consideration on Jaelan's face shifted into an apprehensive look. "You might be right, wench."

  "And if he loves her--"

  "He'll do things for her that are neither appropriate nor wise," Jaelan finished. "Even something as foolish as testing the will and power of the Tribunal."

  After a light tap at the door, Aluino returned. "There are darker clouds building, Jael. We need to ride. Now!"

  "I thought this godsforsaken country was arid," Aradia grumbled. "All I've seen is rain and more rain..."

  "As I told you, we're in the rainy season," Jaelan said. "We'd best be going."

  Chapter 9

  * * *

  "What happened when he was thirteen?" Aradia asked Aluino,.

  The rain had overcome them soon after leaving the inhospitable confines of Uadjit. With lightning forking all around and wind buffeting the horses, the trio had taken
shelter in a cave with their mounts to escape the pummeling rain. After helping Aluino scramble for fodder to start a fire, Jaelan had come down with what he called a "sick headache." He had taken a measure of tenerse--a drug he had mixed with vinegar to lessen his headache--and now slept beside the fire, his back to them.

  "Did you ask him?" Aluino countered.

  "I don't think the warrior likes to talk about his childhood."

  Aluino poked at the fire with a stick. "He doesn't."

  "Whatever the people of Uadjit received, I imagine they deserved."

  "Actually," Aluino said, laying aside the stick, "Jael would disagree with you on that account."

  "They have no love for him. Don't tell me he has any feelings for them!"

  "I won't. He hates every last one of them, and with good reason. Well, all except maybe Samiel. I think he has some misguided feelings for that old bastard."

  "So what happened?"

  Aluino looked at his snoring friend.

  "He's asleep and can't hear us," Aradia said.

  The Diabolusian snorted. "He may be asleep, but I wouldn't put it past him to be listening to every word."

  "He was right. You are afraid of your own shadow!"

  Aluino disdainfully lifted a shoulder. "You're a fool if you don't fear him, wench. He may have taken a liking to you, and may have even willingly brought your little viper's body to his for Joining, but never underestimate him. He is above all else a Death Lord and as Shadowlord, deadlier than anything you've ever encountered!"

  Aradia ground her teeth. "Are you going to tell me what happened or not?" She squinted. "Or are you too afraid to open your big mouth?"

  The Diabolusian leaned against a rock and regarded her. "Did the innkeeper tell you people were murdered in Uadjit that day?"

  "He said one-fourth of the men were taken to the dungeon at Abbadon and a fourth of the girls were sent to a convent. He said nothing of killings."

  "Six people were hanged in the courtyard. One an hour from nine of the clock until two that afternoon. Three men and three women."

  "What had they done?"

  "Nothing. They were picked at random and summarily executed."

  "There had to be a reason they were killed."

  "The Tribunal had come looking for Jaelan, and were convinced the people of Uadjit were hiding him there." He made a disgusted sound. "As if they would!"