The Shadow's Heart

by K J Taylor

  Some others had not been so lucky. Two of the human Southerners were dead, and one Amorani, and one of the griffins had also succumbed. But Kraego at least looked well enough. He climbed onto the table to watch what happened next, as if he had already guessed that it would be important.

  Kullervo found Isleen and helped her into a chair. ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘Something has to be done, and I’m going to do it.’

  Isleen rubbed her eyes. ‘When …?’

  ‘As soon as you’ve recovered,’ said Kullervo. ‘We can wait.’

  ‘No, we cannot,’ said Senneck. ‘There is no time to waste. We must go now!’

  ‘Fine,’ said Kullervo. ‘I’m going to Laela.’

  Isleen gestured at a pair of powerful-looking griffiners, both fellow Liranweeans. ‘Go with him,’ she said.

  Kullervo took a moment to flatten his hair then strode out. Senneck went beside him, and the two griffiners followed close behind with their own partners.

  The moment they were gone, Isleen looked to her friends. ‘You all know what to do,’ she said, sounding just a little shaken.

  They did.

  Kullervo had never felt so afraid and yet so powerful in his life. He walked unhurriedly through the Eyrie with Senneck, and for the first time he felt as if he were, after all, an important person. A prince. Even a king.

  His head still ached, but there was no uncertainty left in him. He felt as if it had all gone from him the moment he killed Oeka.

  I’ve been uncertain my whole life, he thought. Uncertain of where to go, uncertain of whom to trust, uncertain of who I was.

  But he knew better now. He had learned. Senneck had shown him, and his father, and Saeddryn, and even Laela had taught him the same thing. Uncertainty was weakness. To act was strength. He had stood by and done nothing for far too long.

  Up in his sister’s quarters, he found two guards blocking his way. ‘The Queen is unwell,’ one said. ‘She chooses to be alone.’

  Kullervo eyed them. They were both scarred former slaves, trained warriors from Amoran. Laela had filled the Eyrie with them, and replaced nearly every guard.

  ‘I’m her brother and I need to see her,’ Kullervo told them. Then, without waiting for an answer, he walked straight past them. They didn’t try to stop him, probably thanks to the glowering Senneck, but they quietly fell in behind the two Southerners.

  At Laela’s bedroom door, Kullervo took a deep breath and knocked.

  She appeared a moment later, looking tired and unwell. But there was nothing but plain hostility in her voice. ‘What do yeh want?’ she snapped.

  Kullervo’s face became set and hard. ‘You’ve lost your partner,’ he said. ‘You’re not a griffiner any more, Laela.’

  ‘What?’ said Laela. ‘Oeka’s my damn partner, yeh stupid sod.’

  ‘Not any more,’ Kullervo said quietly.

  Laela saw the blood on his hands. She stiffened. ‘What have you done?’

  ‘Oeka is dead,’ said Kullervo, amazed by how calm he sounded. ‘So is Skandar. You’re not a griffiner, and you’re not fit to rule.’

  ‘What?’ said Laela.

  Kullervo squared his shoulders. ‘I’ve been loyal to you ever since I came here, but now you’ve gone too far. I can’t stand aside and let you kill everyone in Malvern.’

  ‘Yer gonna do what I bloody well tell yeh,’ said Laela. ‘An’ killing Oeka’s just earned you a death sentence. But since yer my brother, I’m gonna give yeh a chance t’get out of Malvern before I have yeh arrested.’

  Kullervo felt himself trembling. ‘No,’ he said. ‘You’re not a griffiner any more, and you can’t rule this Eyrie. I’m your heir, and I’m taking your throne.’

  Laela looked flabbergasted. ‘What? Kullervo — !’

  ‘That is enough,’ said Senneck. ‘Do it, Kullervo.’

  Kullervo nodded, and stood aside. ‘Take her to a cell,’ he told the two griffiners. ‘But be gentle with her.’

  ‘You son of a bitch!’ Laela roared. She started forward — and jerked to a stop. Her hand went to her belly. ‘Oh gods …’

  Kullervo forgot himself, and took a step toward her. ‘Laela, what’s wrong?’

  ‘I’ve got a godsdamned traitor for a brother is what’s wrong!’ Laela shouted at him, but she quickly fell back again, wincing. ‘An’ the baby’s comin’ … Oh gods damn everything, I’m gonna …’

  ‘Right,’ said Kullervo. ‘Take her to the infirmary, and find a midwife. But guard the door.’

  ‘Yes, Sire.’

  The two griffiners took Laela by the elbows and led her away. In the audience chamber, the guards pointed their spears. Without a word, one of the griffins who had come up with his partner pounced on them.

  ‘Hey — !’ Kullervo shouted, but the griffin ignored him. He and his fellow killed the two men in moments, and the two griffins calmly fell back in behind their partners as if nothing had happened.

  Kullervo went with the little group to the infirmary, and stood by while Laela was helped into a bed and several doctors and midwives were summoned. She went ungraciously, screaming insults and threats, and every one hit Kullervo hard.

  But, just as Laela had once stood by in silence and let Saeddryn suffer, nobody helped Laela now. Not even Kullervo, who, once he had locked her and her doctors into the room and pocketed the key, left the two griffiners to stand guard and went away to find Isleen and the rest of his new council.

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  KING KULLERVO

  The crowning of King Kullervo was a hasty affair, attended by the Southerners, Akhane’s Amoranis, and the handful of Northerner griffiners who were left. Nobody had been able to find the High Priestess, so the two Amorani priests conducted the ceremony — using the ritual words usually meant for the crowning of an emperor, since neither of them knew any others that would fit the occasion.

  Kullervo and Senneck stood on the Eyrie Master’s platform, surrounded by their ragtag audience — which also included some servants who had been quickly summoned to make the chamber look fuller.

  Kullervo stood patiently through the chants and prayers and invocations, all of which were in Amorani and meant nothing to him. His heart pounded sickeningly.

  Beside him, Senneck radiated confidence. The truth was that she didn’t look much like an Eyrie ruler. Time and its troubles had taken a toll on her. She had grown bony with age, and her coat had faded. Tufts of grey had appeared on her hindquarters and her shoulders were balding. Scars made some of her fur and feathers sit at awkward angles.

  But there was enough pride in her that day for ten griffins, and everyone who saw her knew it.

  As for Kullervo, he had done his best, but he would never look handsome or elegant, and he couldn’t seem to manage ‘well groomed’ either. His wiry hair was hopelessly untidy, and his wings, despite being feathered, made him look bizarre and unbalanced. But he became a king that day, and Senneck his ruling partner, and when the senior priest put Laela’s stolen crown on his head the Southerners there cheered with real pride and excitement.

  Kullervo couldn’t help but feel some pride of his own just then. But it was pride that was tainted by the knowledge of what he had done — and of what he was going to do.

  Once the cheering had died down, Lady Isleen spoke up. ‘Sire,’ she said, ‘what is your first command?’

  Absolute silence fell.

  Kullervo coughed. ‘The North is mine now,’ he said. ‘And so is this Eyrie. Can I count on your loyalty to help me do what’s right for my people?’

  Everyone there, even the Northerners, cheered their agreement.

  ‘Then here are my orders,’ said Kullervo. ‘I want all of you to stay here. None of you are allowed to attack Caedmon or his followers. Not for any reason. If they attack here, then you will run away. Leave Malvern. I mean it!’ he roared when the crowd shouted in protest. ‘I don’t want any fighting here. I want everyone in here to live, and everyone out there as well. Now I’m going to go and speak w
ith Caedmon, and none of you will come with me. Only Senneck will come. And remember: if the Eyrie is attacked, leave Malvern. Go back to your homes.’

  ‘But what about our friends at home?’ Isleen asked. ‘Do you want us to send word back now?’

  ‘No,’ said Kullervo. ‘None of you will send for help.’

  Isleen looked utterly dismayed. ‘But Sire — ’

  Kullervo bared his teeth. All of a sudden they didn’t look pathetic or comical. They looked horribly jagged and sharp.

  ‘Do as I say!’ His voice came out as a griffin’s voice, hissing and vicious. ‘You made me your ruler, and you’ll obey me or leave my kingdom.’

  Isleen glanced at the others for support, but they all looked nervous and uncertain, and none of them stepped forward to help her.

  Kullervo nodded. ‘Good. Now I’m going to go and get ready. Stay here in the Eyrie and be on the lookout. When I return, I’ll tell you what to do next.’

  He hurried away, out of the Council Chamber and back toward his own rooms.

  Senneck followed. ‘What are you doing?’ she asked once they were out of earshot. ‘I do not understand. Without followers from the South we can never keep control of the North.’

  ‘We can’t stay here, Senneck,’ Kullervo replied, without breaking stride. ‘They’ll take months to get here. I need to make a truce with Caedmon first.’

  ‘You have a plan?’

  ‘Yes.’ Kullervo shoved open the door to his room and almost ran to the cupboard. He pulled out the finest set of clothing Laela had given him, and pulled it on. It hid his wings quite well.

  Once he was dressed, he tucked the crown into his pocket.

  Senneck had fetched her harness and she tossed it to Kullervo. He caught it and put it on her, and climbed onto her back. ‘I just hope we’re not too late,’ he muttered.

  ‘We will need a white flag,’ Senneck reminded him.

  ‘Damn!’ Kullervo dismounted and rummaged in the cupboard until he came up with a white tunic. ‘This’ll do. Here.’

  Senneck took the shirt in her beak, and once Kullervo was on her back again she dashed out through her nest and launched herself into the sky.

  Outside, the Unpartnered were still on the walls. Others had strayed into the city and were flying over it, but not attacking yet. It seemed Caedmon was still hoping for a reply from Laela.

  When the rebels saw Senneck coming, they immediately flew to intercept her. Seeing the white ‘flag’ flapping around her neck, they formed into a guard around her and flew with her, guiding her out of the city and down toward Caedmon’s camp.

  Senneck landed where they directed her, and they pressed in around her while Kullervo dismounted.

  Kullervo hastily picked up the white tunic and held it up. ‘I am Kullervo,’ he said loudly in griffish. ‘And this is Senneck. We’ve come to talk with Caedmon and Shar.’

  One of the griffiners there glared at him. ‘What do you want?’

  ‘To make a truce,’ said Kullervo. ‘I’m unarmed.’

  ‘Wait here,’ said the griffiner. ‘I’ll bring Caedmon. You’d better have a good answer for him, freak.’

  Kullervo tried to wait beside Senneck while the griffiner ran off, but their captors seemed to have anticipated this. They put themselves in the way, shoving the two apart, and though they didn’t attack, four of them surrounded Senneck, flanking her so that she couldn’t take off. Two more guarded Kullervo, but less closely. He wasn’t a threat.

  Soon enough Caedmon arrived, flying on Shar’s back. She landed neatly not far from the two prisoners, and once Caedmon had jumped down man and griffin approached on foot, side by side.

  They made an impressive pair. Caedmon, scarred and grim, kept pace with Shar, who was limping from her wounds but only managed to look more powerful because of them. Maybe it was the mere fact that she had fought the Mighty Skandar and was still able to walk at all.

  Kullervo shrugged off his guards and moved toward Caedmon, dropping the tunic at his feet. ‘Lord Caedmon,’ he said. ‘I’ve come to make you an offer.’

  ‘An offer from your queen?’ Caedmon asked, suspiciously.

  ‘No,’ said Kullervo. ‘Queen Laela has been deposed. I’ve had her locked up. The crown is mine now.’

  Caedmon raised an eyebrow. ‘Oh? So now Malvern has another half-breed pretender on the throne. Do you think you’ll survive any longer than your sister did?’

  ‘I don’t,’ said Kullervo. ‘And I don’t intend to. Listen … Caedmon, I don’t know if this will mean anything to you, but I have to say it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done. I was weak. Laela is the only family I’ve got, and I would have done anything she told me to just so I could live like I always wanted to. But I did terrible things, and now I know I could never have a real home here.’

  ‘And?’ said Caedmon, unmoved.

  ‘And I hope that one day you’ll forgive me,’ said Kullervo. ‘I meant it for the best. Either way, I’ve come here to offer you something that I hope will make things better for you.’

  ‘Surrender?’ said Caedmon.

  ‘No,’ said Kullervo. He reached into his pocket and brought out the crown. ‘I’ve come to give you this.’

  Surrounded by her guards, Senneck screamed. ‘No! Kullervo, no! Stop!’

  Kullervo ignored her. He stepped forward and knelt before Caedmon, holding up the crown in both hands. ‘My sister isn’t fit to rule, and neither am I. You’re the true king, and you’re what the North deserves.’

  Now, at last, Caedmon’s cold exterior cracked. He took the crown with an expression of utter surprise. ‘Just like that?’

  ‘Yes.’ Kullervo stood up. ‘The Southerners I brought here tried to use me so they could take over the North. I can’t let them do that. So here’s my offer. I’ll go back to Malvern and order the surrender. I’ll tell all the Southerners to leave — I can’t promise that they will, but I’ll tell them to anyway. In return, I want you to promise me some things.’

  ‘And what are they?’ asked Caedmon.

  ‘First, promise that you won’t hurt any of them,’ said Kullervo. ‘Just make them leave — don’t kill them. And you must promise not to hurt Laela. Once this is over I’ll take her away with me. We’ll go to Amoran or somewhere, and live in exile.’ He looked at Senneck, who was staring at him in sheer horror and rage. His expression saddened. ‘And promise not to hurt Senneck either.’

  ‘Agreed,’ said Caedmon. ‘The Southerners will be allowed to go home unharmed, and you and your sister, and your partner, will be spared as long as you leave my kingdom and never return. But I can’t promise that the Southerners won’t be hurt if they choose to attack us. My followers have to defend themselves.’

  ‘That’s fine,’ said Kullervo. ‘I’ve warned them not to attack, but if they don’t listen it’s their choice. Oh … and one other thing.’

  ‘Yes?’ said Caedmon.

  ‘The Amoranis will want Akhane’s body back,’ said Kullervo. ‘Bring it to the Eyrie — there are two priests there who can take care of it.’

  Caedmon nodded. ‘It will be brought. Is that everything?’

  ‘I think so,’ said Kullervo. ‘I should go back now and give the order. Once the gates are open, I’ll fly a black flag from the top of the Council Tower. I suggest you come in quickly. Surprise will make the Southerners more likely to run away.’

  ‘Understood,’ said Caedmon. He allowed himself a thin smile. ‘And thank you.’

  Kullervo did not smile back. ‘It’s for the good of the North. Please let Senneck go.’

  Shar hissed commandingly at the griffins surrounding Senneck. She looked ready to attack Kullervo, but she didn’t. She allowed him to get onto her back, and flew him back to the Eyrie in silence.

  She landed at the top of the Council Tower.

  ‘I’m sorry, Senneck,’ Kullervo said once he had dismounted, ‘but it had to be done.’

  Senneck stared at him through dull eyes. ‘All my life I
dreamed of becoming an Eyrie ruler. Today I made that dream come true, and now you have taken it away.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Kullervo said again. ‘But there are times when you have to think about what’s best for everybody — not just yourself.’

  Senneck did not blink. ‘You have betrayed me,’ she said in a flat voice. ‘You are no longer my human.’ She reached up and tore the harness off her head with her talons. Then she turned her back on Kullervo, walked away to the edge of the tower, and flew off.

  Kullervo stood there silently and watched her fly away from Malvern, dodging Unpartnered along the way. Eventually she disappeared beyond the horizon, heading east.

  Gone.

  Feeling more alone than he had ever done before, Kullervo went down into the Eyrie. In the audience chamber, the dead guards had been removed. And incredibly, two more had taken their place, standing on either side of the doorway as if nothing had happened.

  ‘You and you: come with me,’ Kullervo told them.

  They wordlessly came to his side, and their presence made him feel a little stronger.

  ‘Now,’ said Kullervo. ‘I want to speak to your commander. Take me to him.’

  ‘Yes, Sire.’ Word must have spread through the Eyrie already.

  The two guards took him to a modest room in one of the smaller towers, where a wiry middle-aged man greeted them. ‘Yes, my Lord?’

  ‘Spread the word to every guard in this tower,’ said Kullervo. ‘I want the Eyrie opened up. Every gate must be unlocked. Lord Caedmon and his followers are coming in, and when they do I want your men to stand down.’

  The commander must have been trained in absolute obedience, because he barely even blinked. ‘It will be done immediately, my Lord.’

  ‘Good. Once the order has been given, go up to the top of the Council Tower and hang up a black flag. Make sure it’s a big one. A tablecloth will do if you can’t find anything else.’

  ‘Yes, my Lord.’ The commander hurried off.

  Kullervo moved on, with his guards still flanking him, and went to find Lady Isleen and the other Southerners.