Guardian of Honor

by Robin D. Owens

  "The Snap!" Thealia had tried to forget about it.

  "Her natural bond to her Exotique Land-soul, her bond to Amee-soul, her bonds to you all, others, Bastien... It's very hard to predict the Snap." He strode to the corner.

  "Wait, Jaquar!" Thealia stood. "The pool of jerir is still in the Temple, should you wish to avail yourself."

  The light was dim around him, but she thought he grimaced. With a flick of his fingers, the book was gone. "I suppose it would be wise. Since I'm here. Bastien left one of his prime volarans. I will fly it to Alyeka's estate, take a fresh one to my island. After." He strolled to the door, but a new tension showed in his muscles.

  As soon as the door closed, Partis started the rendering of the Spring Song Quest where they'd been told to Summon an Exotique. His was the best memory for tune. Thealia joined hands with him and picked up a minor harmony she remembered. She Sang and held out her hand to Reynardus, wondering if he would break their circle once and for all. He stared at her open palm for a moment, then took her hand. She shuddered at the rioting energy within him, not fathoming why he should be so stirred up. Without answer, he evened his emotions, linked hands with his brother and Shield Ivrog.

  So the circle connected, bonded. Partis's voice grew deeper, richer. Love for him blossomed in her and she wove it into the Song. Ivrog added fraternal love; Mace and his wife added love that had originally arisen from a Choosing and Bonding ceremony; Johnsa and Faith added their Paired woman-love. The Song encompassed them all, brought them to a level that not one of them could have achieved alone, sharpened their senses.

  Partis was the first to recognize the pattern of notes. The spring mating song of the bluebird. Once, twice, thrice. "Only after the Exotique has heard the bluebird thrice will she know from Amee-soul how to raise the defenses of Lladrana. A great battle will come and if she survives, the Snap—"

  The circle broke. Thrown from the stream of Song, it took Thealia a moment to gather her wits. Others blinked around her.

  Reynardus had broken their connection. He sat, gray-faced.

  Partis breathed heavily. She took his hands in hers, lifted them to her lips, sent all her love to him to help him ride out disorientation. Love would always support them.

  Johnsa gagged, ran for the door, Faith following. Mace's wife fell into his arms.

  The link-cutting had been too quick, too total.

  With trembling hands, Partis stroked her hair, smiled sadly and shook his head. He'd noticed something she hadn't. It wasn't often he wouldn't share information with her, wasn't often he had knowledge she didn't.

  Coldness gripped her. She hadn't heard one trill of the bluebird call. Had Alexa?

  Reynardus strode from the room and Thealia hadn't the energy to stop him. "Will the sangvile go after him?" she murmured.

  Partis said, "Him or Faith or Johnsa. Faith and Johnsa will likely remain together." Partis glanced at Ivrog. "Do you follow him?"

  Ivrog gestured and the book with the new pages on the sangvile slid over to him. "Not until we find out how to ward off this...beast. How to lure it, perhaps kill it."

  Mace gave a bark of laughter, shifted his wife onto his lap and circled her with his arms. "I suspect luring it will be no problem. Read us the monster's weaknesses, Ivrog."

  An hour later they were making fire amulets to protect everyone in the Castle.

  The sangvile had withdrawn to the darkest corner of the Castle, hoping the feycoocu could not sense it. It had lost much Power, and all the wonderful, shimmering magic it had drawn from the little Exotique prey. It should have been easier.

  To survive, it would need a feast of magic. A while later, someone smelling rich and delicious came. Even later, the one withstrong magic took a volaran back. Now compacted into a shade of its former self, a tiny speck of cobweb, the sangvile had enough energy to follow, hooking on to the wake of the volaran.

  25

  Alexa was blessedly numb for the flight home. She'd been placed in front of Bastien on his volaran, and the steady beat of his heart reassured her. She sensed in him a righteous anger and relief at leaving behind the Castle, and the restrictions of being a Marshall. His little farewell speech to the group echoed in her mind, so she hadn't been surprised when he'd presented her with her baton and called her "Guardian." Sort of nonsensical, when she felt like she'd been run over by war chariots... if Lladrana had war chariots, which she didn't know.

  So she still had her Jade Baton, and Bastien, the black-and-silver. Sinafin flew beside them, chattering to Bastien. Alexa thought they were strategizing as to how to raise an army. She was only an attorney, she was clueless. She may or may not still be Joan of Arc, but God—or the Song—wasn't whispering in her ear.

  Pascal and Marwey had met them at the door to her suite.

  They'd both been stiff with pride, assuring Alexa that their loyalty was hers and they would follow shortly. Alexa had just nodded acceptance. Bastien had made another little speech. When he was done, the pair had glowed with determination.

  Bastien had also had a quick word with Luthan before leaving. Alexa guessed that he'd leave it to Luthan how to tell the news, and to whom. She managed a little smile. Luthan was solid. He could be trusted. He was almost family. If she stayed, he would be family.

  So much heartbreak. So much risk. So much fear. Could she stay? Right now she didn't think she could lift a finger to fight, and all she really wanted was to snuggle into an easy chair watching a video and munching popcorn. With Bastien. She rubbed her cheek on his chest and sighed. That was the big problem. She really wanted Bastien—for a long, long time.

  Instead of being at home in her apartment, she was flying through the air to a mansion, her mansion. There she'd train to fight, and learn more spells, and practice horseback riding, and maybe learn to fly atop the volarans. Too strange—

  Bastien's volaran turned its head to look back at her, eyes wide and liquid with concern. Bastien tapped it on the head.

  "Watch where you're flying. She's safe with me."

  Sinafin zoomed past, eyeing Alexa. Very much shock lately.

  "That's right." Bastien sighed, squeezed Alexa a little. "But she's a very strong lady, my Pair woman, she'll bounce back."

  Alexa felt like a deflated balloon, all bounce gone forever. She tilted her head and had opened her mouth to say so, when something flying behind the volaran caught her eye.

  "What's that?"

  Bastien and Sinafin laughed. The volaran snorted in distaste. "My atomball," Bastien replied.

  Curiosity snagging her, she sat up a little. "It sure has a lot of energy."

  It will be useful in the battle, Sinafin said matter-of-factly, and Alexa didn't know if Sinafin had always known of the battle, learned it from the monster, or trusted Alexa's word. Then images of a spiked iron ball zipping around a battlefield played in slow motion in her mind—blood, gore, ichor spattering, limbs ripped away, heads and bodies smashed. Alexa hid her face in Bastien's chest again, sure this would be the only "time out" she'd get. Once she reached her estate, she'd have to be Lady of the Manor—strong and decisive and responsible.

  "I think the first thing we should do is have Alexa walk over my land and hers. What my dear father left out of his snide remarks was that wherever she's been, exactly where she's walked, no frinks fall with the rain anymore."

  Walking didn't sound so bad. Walking the green fields of her land and his, the gentle hills... She could do that. It would be good to do that, to see living and sprouting and blossoming instead of wounding and death.

  "When the Chevaliers come, we'll house them in my old house. It's only a couple of miles from Alexa's hall. I'll clear the old training areas, the riding and flying rings."

  That sounded a little more ominous. Alexa decided to go back to sleep. She'd been sleeping a lot lately, yet didn't feel rested.

  When they landed in the front courtyard of her manor, Alexa awoke and mentally girded her loins. When she'd dismounted, she lifted her chin, squared he
r shoulders and, with legs that wobbled only slightly, mounted the stairs.

  Her butler opened the door before she reached it. He bowed deeply.

  Bastien grabbed her elbow, nodded to the butler. "We have come to stay. The Jade Baton will be calling a Gathering. My squire, Urvey, follows with plans, as does Alexa's Chevalier, Pascal, and her lady-in-waiting, Marwey."

  Oh boy. Obviously there was a concept for this, and proper words. Well, Bastien seemed to know them, so let him handle it.

  "Yes, Shieldmarshall Vauxveau."

  "Open the house, provision it, and the Jade Baton will tend to all household matters tomorrow." Bastien was moving her up the stairs. "And don't call us 'Marshalls.' We have severed our connection with them." He threw the last over his shoulder.

  "Is this still my house?" asked Alexa.

  "Your house, your land. They can't take it back," Bastien said with satisfaction.

  "Oh. Good."

  "Yes. You did very well. Have done very well since you came to Lladrana. Don't doubt that."

  "All right."

  Though he wanted to continue down the corridor, Alexa stopped at the landing and looked down. The butler was already organizing things. He seemed supremely unfazed by Bastien's news. She supposed he was still glad to have someone with magical power in residence. She relaxed a little, examined the house around her. It was as enchanting as she'd remembered. This was worth holding on to.

  The murmur of voices and bustling came from below. The house was old, and the servants Lladranan, not of her own society. They probably all had seen power politics before.

  Alexa stiffened her spine. She had been the one to walk away from the Marshalls. It had hurt to do so, but they were wrong. This was the right course even though it might feel like retreat, like failure. She took Bastien's hand.

  "I'm glad you're here."

  "I'm glad I'm here too. It's a beautiful afternoon. What do you say to a walk?"

  She managed a little smile. "I say yes."

  The rest of the day she walked her land. The contact steadied her, and Bastien's undemanding presence and easy company eased her bitter feeling of loss. They had dinner at Bastien's house—a charming home—then started walking to her estate. As evening fell, Urvey ran up to them, panting.

  "There's a Sorcerer come to call. He flew in on one of your volarans, Bastien."

  Bastien's eyes sharpened. "Which Sorcerer? Did you get his name?"

  Urvey shuffled. "I didn't want to go near him. He's wearing a maroon robe and has dipped in the jerir, so he came from the Castle."

  "Very old?" Bastien seemed to hold his breath.

  "About your age. He has blue eyes."

  "Ah, Jaquar Dumont." Bastien grabbed her hand and hustled them back to the manor house.

  "Blue eyes? I haven't seen anyone with blue eyes since I've been here," Alexa said.

  Bastien spared a glance for her. "Are they common in the Exotique Land?"

  "Not uncommon where I come from," she said.

  "Such eyes are a sign of old Exotique blood," Bastien said.

  "Oh?"

  She was glad evening was falling and the light was dim. She hadn't considered children and didn't want to talk about them now. When she'd first visited, her butler had said that Exotique blood was rare, that most Exotique-Lladranan couples produced no children. But now she'd run into it in two instances—with her home and with this Sorcerer. She hadn't considered birth control at all, and there was no way she'd go into battle if she was pregnant. That thought reassured her. Surely the Song, Fate, whatever,wanted her to be Joan of Arc, would keep her from conceiving while she had battles to win, fences to mend, dragons—pterodactyls—to slay. Alexa hadn't been a believer in destiny in her former life, but events had made her reconsider.

  They reached the impressive front steps and stood under a couple of huge quartz lamps. Bastien turned her to him, ran his hands down her arms and straightened her gown, sifted his fingers through her hair. He frowned.

  She shook her head at him. "How groomed must I be?"

  Bastien shrugged. "You look fine. But Jaquar could help us a lot. Magical weapons, battle spells. He must know some, or have access to Lorebooks that do."

  Obviously, he thought the Chevaliers would rally so they'd be ready for a battle when it happened. Since he believed they had a chance of winning, her natural optimism kicked in. She smiled back at him.

  "Ah, we're going to negotiate."

  "Oh yes." Bastien rubbed his hands.

  "Very interesting," said a man's voice.

  Alexa knew she hadn't heard the door open, but there the man stood, just beyond the threshold, door wide open. She couldn't see him well; he was merely a dark, lean form against the light—and the aura of blue imparted by a plunge in the jerir. He didn't look as if that event fazed him.

  "You want information on magical weapons, perhaps the magical weapons the Tower has. You want battle spells. It sounds as if you have broken with the Marshalls, yet you both wear your batons," the Sorcerer said. His voice wasn't as melodious as Partis's, or even Bastien's, but there was a muscular Power in it all the same.

  Inclining his head, Bastien gestured beyond the man and, to the left, to the parlor. "Shall we discuss this?"

  The Sorcerer narrowed his blue eyes at Bastien and Alexa. "What can you offer me for spells to make magical weapons and great battle chants?"

  Bastien used one of his charming smiles. Tugging on Alexa, they walked past Jaquar to the door of the parlor. Bastien opened it for her.

  Alexa hesitated, turned to get a good look at the guy. Tall, dark, handsome. Features slightly more Caucasian and less Asian than most Lladranans. Deep blue eyes, wavy black hair. Very nice. She put out her hand.

  "I'm Alexa Fitzwalter, Marsh—I carry the Jade Baton."

  In a couple of strides he closed the space that separated them and lifted her hand to his lips as he bowed. "Jaquar Dumont, a great pleasure."

  After the courtesy, he kept her hand, and she felt something brush against her magic. She didn't push back.

  Bastien stepped close and slipped an arm around her waist. This time his smile wasn't charming.

  Whoosh! The shooting-star zoomed down the stairs to hover by the Sorcerer.

  He jumped back.

  Bastien said, "We have vital information to trade. We killed a dreeth yesterday. Do you need any dreeth parts? My lady and I are having fighting leathers made from the dreeth, but there should be plenty of hide leftover. I also have an atomball in a mace."

  "I noticed. As I said before, very interesting." Jaquar eyed the ball as he moved into the parlor and sat in a huge overstuffed chair near the fire.

  With a whistle, Bastien banished the ball back to their bedroom.

  "Would you like anything to eat or drink?" asked Alexa.

  Jaquar glanced at Bastien, who'd moved to a sideboard with liquor, then at Alexa. She was sitting on the love seat across from the chair. "Your staff made me comfortable in the dining room with an excellent dinner when I arrived."

  The image of a single man at the huge table in the formal dining room should have seemed ridiculous, but not with this man. His Power would fill the room. His elegance would match it.

  "That must have made them nervous," Bastien said.

  "I believe they've come to value their unique mistress and the man she Paired with—a man who once had very wild magic and was a neighbor that visited the empty estate often. They barely raised their eyebrows."

  "Good." Alexa smiled.

  "After-dinner drink?" Bastien asked, pouring himself brandy in a snifter.

  "Thank you, yes," said Jaquar.

  Alexa picked up a horn that sat upended on the side table. It was a real horn of a magical cow or something, and when you spoke into it, the person you addressed heard you.

  "Kitchen," she said. "I'd like some tea and cookies, please." It hadn't taken her more than ten minutes to learn and pronounce the word for "cookies."

  "Now," Jaquar said, "for y
our 'vital information.'"

  They told him of the battle.

  His face stilled. "What is your best estimate of the time?"

  Alexa gave a helpless gesture. "I don't know." Her smile was weak. "I was dying at the time."

  Jaquar strode over to a bookcase, placed his hand on a half-empty shelf and curved his hands as if around books, but all he held was air. He hummed a tune. A moment later three large, red-bound books sat on the shelf.

  "Nice trick," Alexa said, and wondered if she could learn how to do it.

  The Sorcerer's smile was crooked, but his eyes gleamed. "Not so very difficult magic, but the Marshalls don't use it much."

  He glanced out the night-dark windows. "I must go, but I promise the Tower will be at the battle." He frowned. "There will be at least twelve of us, perhaps more. We will stand with the Chevaliers."

  "Do you people always think in twelves? Twelve Marshalls to Summon me, twelve Sorcerers at the battle?"

  Jaquar grinned. "Not exactly. I can think of six who would like to practice their magical dueling skills, five more who are dedicated to freeing Lladrana of the horrors, one that owes me a life." He shrugged. "There may be a few more."

  "I hope so," Alexa said. For an embattled nation, they sure didn't have armies. She wondered what a tank could do to a dreeth. She'd like to find out. But there was no chance of that.

  The small waterfall clock near a window chimed the hour.

  "Time for me to go," Jaquar said. "If I might borrow a volaran with good sight in the dark...?"

  Alexa frowned. "I heard you live on an island. Won't you consider spending the night instead of making a dangerous flight in the dark? We have plenty of room."

  Bastien stood and smiled. "Every flight is dangerous to you, Alexa. Jaquar will be fine. My mare Inqui has excellent night vision and is curious enough to enjoy a night flight, not to mention a short stay at a Sorcerer's Tower."

  Staring at Alexa, Jaquar patted his chest and smiled charmingly. "Something about you, Lady Exotique, pulls at me. So instead of vanishing into the dark on volaran-back, I'll tell you that I intend to fly only to the coastal town of Coquille where my parents reside. You may rest easy."