How would Ashinji react?
She knew her son well enough to guess. He would be very angry at first, but not because he had always wanted to be a mage; his passion involved science, not magic. No, he would be furious at the deception itself. His anger would then turn to fear and despair for Jelena, and finally, acceptance.
Amara loved her son and wished that things could be different, but no less than the fate of the material world hung in the balance. The ancient evil in the north had begun to stir. She had seen the consequences of inaction in the waters of her scrying bowl. The thing whose name had been stripped away centuries ago must not be allowed to rise up and escape its rock-bound prison to reclaim its magic.
The task of the Kirians of old had been to put that magic beyond the reach of its creator. The task of Amara and her fellows involved securing that same magic and placing it once again beyond the reach of the one with no name. In order to do this, they would need to perform a Great Working. Currently, there weren’t enough of them to provide the necessary amount of energy.
Ashinji’s Talent could provide the energy needed…but only just. With no training, placing him in the link during a Great Working could destroy his mind, rendering him permanently insane. Amara must see to it that he learned how to channel the enormous forces that would be directed through him so that he could survive intact.
Jelena was another matter. Amara could see no way that the girl would be able to survive the Sundering. She made a decision.
The entire truth must be kept from both Ashinji and the girl until the last possible moment. The Kirians had no margin for error, and if Ashinji knew beforehand what the Sundering entailed, Amara worried that he might not be capable of going through with it, her assurances to her colleague notwithstanding.
She would pray to the Goddess every day for her son’s forgiveness.
Before Amara departed from her work chamber, she extinguished all candles and tidied her altar. Late afternoon sunlight slanted down in golden shafts to the floor through the high windows. The twins would return soon from their riding lesson, and Lani waited for her in the sitting room, eager to begin work on her new tunic.
Amara nearly choked on a sudden wave of anger.
The peace and safety of her children’s lives, of all their lives, was soon to be shattered in the terrible chaos of blood and war, and she could see no way to avoid her part in the shattering.
As she made her way down the hall that led to her sitting room, Amara passed by an open window and paused at the sound of her second son’s voice. Her breath caught in her chest as the sweet refrain of an old love song floated upwards on the breeze, soft and slightly off-key. Amara leaned over the sill to see her son sitting on a bench in her private garden, Jelena by his side.
They sat, fingers entwined, her head resting on his shoulder. As she listened to Ashinji sing, the melody swept Amara on the tide of memory, back to a time when she had been young and in love with the most beautiful man in all the world. Sen had never been much of a singer either, but whenever he dared, it always sounded sweet to her ears.
Amara turned away and left her son and Jelena to their peaceful tryst. Footsteps weighted down with sorrow, she continued on her way, knowing that it must all end.
I just pray that we all have the strength to survive what’s coming.
Chapter 29
The Jaws Of The Beast
"Ah, Jelena, here you are!” Lord Sen called out from across the sitting room as Jelena entered, dressed for riding. As she approached, she walked as steadily as she could in order to hide the lingering soreness in her loins. Lord Sen’s natural kindliness would prompt him to ask after what ailed her, and she didn’t fancy lying to him.
“My lord,” she said in greeting, and bowed deeply.
“I’ve no messages for you today, so you are free to do as you please. How ‘bout that, eh?” Sen said jovially, licking crumbs from the fingers of one hand while clutching a wooden plate littered with the remains of a light breakfast of cheese and bread in the other.
Jelena smiled and nodded.
“Umm, thought you’d like that. There’s something else I’ve got to tell you,” Sen continued in a more serious tone. “A royal messenger has just arrived from Sendai. Seems there’s to be war with the Soldarans after all. I’ve been summoned by the king to a war council. Seeing as I’m to supervise things, I need to get my tired old carcass along to the capital as quickly as possible. You, my girl, will ride with me in my entourage.” Jelena gasped in surprise.
“I’m going to present you to the king, Jelena,” Sen announced. His face took on an uncharacteristic expression of gravity, and his words seemed heavy with hidden meaning. “I’ve thought long and hard on this, and I’ve come to the conclusion that he is the one in the best position to help you learn the identity of your father.”
“I…I do not know what to say,” Jelena stammered. “Thank you, my lord!” She sank to her knees and lowered her head, overcome with gratitude.
“Get up, girl,” Sen commanded gently, and Jelena rose to her feet. Smiling, he lifted his eyebrows and indicated with a wave of his hand that she was dismissed.
Jelena sketched a swift bow and hurried from the room, filled with excitement. She was to be presented to the king! Surely the king of Alasiri knew every family important enough to have its own seal. Lord Sen would show the king her father’s ring, and she just knew that he would recognize it!
She made her way down the main staircase and exited through the front entrance of the keep, heart singing with joy. She thought of Ashinji, and of how hard it had been to leave his bed that morning. With a little shiver of anticipation, she looked forward to tonight when she could once again feel the ecstasy of his touch.
Feels like it’s going to be another hot day, Jelena thought. She looked up into the near perfect blue of the sky and decided that a stroll in the woods directly across the river from the main gate would be a nice way to spend an hour or two.
The small remnant of venerable oak forest had long been cleared of any animals larger than a few rabbits, squirrels, and birds. Many of the castle’s inhabitants used its inviting cover of greenery as a trysting place.
Lord Dai and his entourage had departed Kerala earlier that morning, and Ashinji had gone along to serve as an escort for part of the way. He wouldn’t be back until evening. Both Aneko and Kami were on duty, and since there was no one else to accompany her, Jelena set out alone.
She passed under the sturdy main gates of Kerala Castle and strolled across the drawbridge, waving to the two guardsmen at their posts, who responded with languid nods. The waters of the Saihama River sloshed and gurgled below, blundering wetly around large boulders half-exposed and baking in the heat of the sun. The river ran low—much lower than usual—even for midsummer. It had been a very dry year.
Jelena carried only her hunting knife, a water bottle, and a journeycake for her lunch. She had overheard two of the kitchen girls talking about a patch of ripening blackberries they had discovered a few days ago, only a few steps into the trees, and Jelena hoped to find it. Sweet, juicy berries would make the perfect dessert!
At the far end of the drawbridge, she paused. Something rumpled and black lay on the path just ahead. At first, she thought it might be a piece of cloth, but as she drew near, she saw it was a dead bird.
The raven lay like a broken toy in the dirt, one wing outstretched and stiffened, eyes half-veiled and dull. Jelena prodded the bundle of feathers with the toe of her boot. A trio of iridescent green and black flies buzzed up from the corpse, circled briefly, then settled back down to their feast. Jelena pursed her lips in disgust. She thought about the bird that had been sitting in Ashinji’s window earlier. Surely, this couldn’t be the same one. Ashinji had said himself that many ravens resided at Kerala; still, the sight of the pitiful, withered corpse filled her with unease.
Stop now,she thought. Don’t ruin this perfect, beautiful day with crazy ideas. A dead raven means nothing excep
t that a raven is dead! A live raven on a windowsill means nothing as well!
She circled carefully around the dead bird, feeling a little foolish. The cool green shadows of the woods beckoned. She decided to walk straight through and onward to the stone circle beyond. She didn’t know why, but for some reason, the ground within the ancient relic felt comfortable and peaceful. Something inside her resonated in harmony with a barely perceived force that existed inside the boundary of the circle.
She left the lifeless raven behind and entered the shade beneath the hoary old oaks. Last year’s leaves and acorns crackled underfoot. A large, extremely irritated squirrel scolded her from the safety of a branch overhead. She looked up at the irate creature and burst into laughter. It reminded her of how Claudia used to scold her when she was a child and she would return to their room after a day of adventure with Magnes, clothes dirtied and hair matted with leaves and stickers.
A brief melancholy temporarily darkened her mood. She rubbed at her eyes to ease the sting of tears brought on by the memory of Claudia. She wondered how her foster mother fared without her. Claudia had no one to rub her back at night, no one to soothe the pain she suffered from standing on her feet all day. Jelena had done those things for her once, but could do so no longer. A great gulf of both time and distance separated them now—perhaps forever.
And what of her cousin? Had his father welcomed Magnes home upon his return to Amsara, or had he punished his son because Magnes had refused to bend to the duke’s will?
Jelena sighed. She might never learn the answers to her questions. She could only hope that the gods would spare a little mercy for those she had loved and had left behind. She ambled to a stop and eased down onto a fallen log to rest. She still felt some mild discomfort, but she was young and resilient, and nothing would keep her from Ashinji’s bed tonight.
As she knew they would, Aneko and Kami had started in on teasing her as soon as she had arrived back at the barracks earlier that morning. Her first flush of embarrassment soon gave way to the realization that her friends’ ribbing sprang from genuine affection and caring.
Though still inexperienced in sexual matters, Jelena knew full well what the consequences would be if she and Ashinji continued to be together. Eventually, she would become pregnant. She might, in fact, be pregnant already. She rubbed thoughtfully at her flat, hard belly and tried to imagine it swollen with a child that she and Ashinji had created out of their love. The idea filled her with happiness. She wanted more than anything to be able to hold their child in her arms, but pregnancy any time soon would be too much of a complication. Perhaps the elves had a way—an herb or potion—that a woman could use to block conception, at least for a time, until she was ready to have a baby. She would ask Aneko.
A sharp pop, like the sound of a twig breaking beneath a boot heel, caught her ear, and she looked up and around. Sunlight and shadow dappled the thick trunks of the trees, creating illusions of movement. Jelena stood slowly and peered in all directions but saw nothing. Feeling a little spooked, she decided to press on to the stone circle.
“Beautiful day for a walk in the woods. Mind if I join you?”
Jelena jumped in surprise and spun around to see Sadaiyo standing almost directly behind her. She backed up a few steps, then stood with one hand pressed over her heart, which fluttered like a moth.
How did he sneak up on me like that,she thought.
Sadaiyo cocked his head to one side and arranged his handsome face into a mask of contrition. “I’m so sorry, Jelena. Did I startle you? I can move very quietly when I wish to. Perhaps I should have made more noise.” His voice was smooth and sweet, like the butter put into traps to lure mice to their deaths.
“Lord Sadaiyo, I…I am returning now to the castle. Please excuse…” she stammered. He regarded her the way a wolf regards a rabbit it is about to kill. She flashed back to the morning after his wedding, when Sadaiyo had accosted her near the bath house. With chilling clarity, she remembered his words.
If I’ve decided that I want you, then I will have you.
“Oh, no, no. You’re not getting away from me this time. You must know that this is inevitable,” Sadaiyo drawled. He began to advance upon her, slowly. “I can make this very pleasant for you…for both of us. I would prefer it that way. But I will be firm if necessary, and that won’t be nice for you. Either way, though, it will be verynice for me.”
Jelena fought down a wave of panic. She had to stay calm and think fast to have any chance of getting out of this. Her choices were extremely limited. She could attempt to fight Sadaiyo off, which would only get her a beating before he raped her, or she could run and hope that she ran faster than he.
She ran.
Sadaiyo ran faster.
He grabbed her from behind by the collar of her tunic and hurled her to the ground, face down. She drew in a huge breath to scream but only choked on a mouthful of debris as Sadaiyo threw his entire weight down on top of her, grinding her face into the forest litter. His breath boomed harshly in her ear. She heaved her body upwards as hard as she could, but he was too heavy. He had her pinned and helpless.
Brutally, he ripped the back of her tunic and pulled it from her upper body, then jerked her trousers down until they were around her ankles. Jelena struggled in vain, her brain reeling in horror and desperation.
Please don’t do this,her mind cried, but leaves and dirt filled her mouth, and she could not speak. She felt Sadaiyo force her legs apart with his knee. She needed to stop this now!
A small part of her brain realized that her left hand remained free just as her consciousness tore loose from her body. Abruptly, she stood outside herself, watching as Sadaiyo prepared to take her. She saw that her belt remained around her waist, her knife still within its sheath.
She felt the blue fire blaze to life, saw it flare up and out of the fingertips of her left hand and strike the handle of her knife, causing it to glow. Her hand opened, and the knife flew into her palm.
With a jolt, she slammed back into her body. Simultaneously, her hand thrust upwards and back. She felt the blade bite deep. Sadaiyo let out a startled yell of pain and suddenly, his crushing weight lifted off her.
Instinct immediately took control of both mind and body. She rolled over onto her back and kicked out with both feet. Her boots connected to Sadaiyo’s chest with a dull thud, sending him sprawling backward onto the ground where he curled up and lay clutching his thigh, groaning.
Jelena knew she had but a few moments left to make her escape. Pulling her trousers back up, she took off running, one hand holding on to the torn remnant of her tunic, the other clutching the waist of her trousers to keep them from falling back down. Terror propelled her headlong through the trees, heedless of direction. Nothing else mattered but getting away.
She risked a quick glance over her shoulder but could see nothing in the gloom. She ran on until exhaustion forced her to slow down to a trot and finally, to a walk. She looked around for a place to hide and spotted a dense thicket surrounding a fallen branch. She forced her way in and crawled to the center where she collapsed, completely drained.
She lay on her side, unable to move. Her limbs seemed to have remade themselves into things of stone. Eventually, her heart ceased its wild gallop and settled down to a steady, slow beat.
Jelena knew she still was in danger, but she simply could do nothing about it. Body paralyzed with shock, she stared blankly ahead. Only the slight rise and fall of her breasts betrayed her living state.
Her mind drifted, resolutely refusing to focus on anything remotely resembling a thought. She wished only blankness, stillness, peace. She gradually became aware, however, that something pulled at her, insisting that she respond. She resisted at first, still too afraid to move, but the force grew in strength until she at last recognized it. Itwas…Ashinji’s voice, calling her name!
She started up with a jolt, straining to listen. She had heard her name clearly, and it had been Ashinjiwho had called to her. S
he waited, not daring to breathe, but the only sounds she heard were the normal noises of the woods. She wondered how long she had been lying senseless. The fact that she remained in one piece told her that Sadaiyo had either given up looking for her or hadn’t pursued her at all.
Ai, gods! What if I killed him!Her mind shrank away from that horror. It wouldn’t matter that Lord Sen owed her a debt for his life. Not even that would shield her from the consequences of the Heir’s death by her hand.
Cautiously, she crawled from her hiding place and emerged into the dark of early evening. She stood up, retied the waist of her trousers, and wrapped her torn tunic around her body as best she could. She reached up to gingerly touch her swollen cheek, bruised in the attack. She expected that she would have other bruises on her body as well.
At least he didn’t rape me,she thought. Thank all the gods for that.
She had to get to Ashinji.
What will I tell him? If Sadaiyo is alive, what will he tell everyone else?
She decided not to think about that now.
She started walking. She soon realized that she had no idea in which direction the castle lay. Well, no matter. The woods were small; soon, she would reach its edge, and when she did, she would just follow it around until she came to the river.
She stumbled, purely by luck, upon the path that led from the castle toward the stone circle. Her legs began to shake so badly that she thought she might stumble and fall, but somehow, she kept going. She had to reach Ashinji. Only then would she feel truly safe.
She spotted the bridge just ahead through the trees. The sun had already retired below the horizon, and Jelena feared that the guards might have already shut the main gates for the night.
The gates stood open. Breathing a sigh of relief, she hurried across the bridge and rushed past the guards. Before they could question her, she ran for the upper gates. She prayed that she would not encounter any of her friends. She knew she would be unable to muster the strength to make up the necessary lie to explain her disheveled state. Yet, she would have to lie, because no one could know the truth except Ashinji.
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