by JANRAE FRANK
"Handsome?"
"Very."
"What was his name? Do you even know it?"
Talons laughed softly. "Dynarien, the Rose Warrior. Twice-Born Son of Willodarus. You must not tell anyone about the children."
"This guy? Eshraf's mage is that Dynarien?" Edouina grinned. "I promise. You don't mind if I taste his wares?"
"I wish we could have triaded with him. I love him."
"Now that that's established, tell me the rest of it. All the details."
So Talons did, pouring out her pain, rage, humiliation, and misery. It had all started out with the betrothal. Talons had never liked Bryndel and never trusted his father, Lord Agasthenez Wrathscar. However, her grandsire had been determined to make the match for political reasons, going so far as to pressure her into Bryndel's bed. Shortly after the betrothal, Talons had begun suffering from memory lapses during which she declared her love for Bryndel in public and then awoke the next day in his bed with his juices coating her loins. Dynarien found traces of a drug in her system the morning after the first of those episodes, but it was so subtle that most, if not all, Readers would never had found it. Clearly the drug was intended to prevent her untamed bi-kyndi from killing Bryndel long enough for him to get a child on her, thereby – she assumed – preventing her grandsire from reneging on the wedding. Talons had been furious. She suspected the drug had also clouded her mind and accounted for her public announcements of "love" for Bryndel. That or the vampire's mind-magic called "fascination." She had deliberately allowed Dynarien to get children on her and disguise the genetics so that Bryndel – and any Gene-Reader checking her – would assume they were his. Dynarien set the kweigeyl so that she might safely sleep with Bryndel and complete the deception.
"I thought it best to allow them to believe they had broken me – then they would stop trying. If you hadn't come home when you did ... I'm not certain how much longer I could have held out. There is no one alive who cannot be broken. And I knew they were scrying. That's the only way Bryndel could have known about certain discussions I had with Jysy and Arruth. They're very close-mouthed unless I ask them to be otherwise."
As Edouina listened, a cold anger formed in the pit of her being. It had been years since Edouina had seen Talons give way to tears. When Talons finished, Edouina held her at arms length, looking her in the eye sternly. "You've been playing a very dangerous game, honey. You've never done anything like this before. You don't know what kind of chances you're taking. From here on, if there are games to be played, let me play them. Promise?"
"Edouina... I'm going to get them. All of them."
"No. We're not talking about fighting. I know you can handle yourself there." Edouina allowed herself a small smile, protective and tolerant, with just the smallest smidgen of affectionate condescension. "We're talking about games. That's my arena, not yours. All right?"
"If I feel a game does need to be played, I'll consult you first."
Edouina chuckled. "Still won't give me an inch! Stubborn woman!" She leaned in and kissed Talons, long and lingering. "Must admit I've liked what I've seen of your Dynarien. I've wanted to get him out of his clothes since Eshraf introduced him to Yukiah and me on the training grounds two days ago. There's a meeting set for midnight in the temple with Eshraf in a few days. Seems we have two sets of enemies. Wrathscars are bad enough. With the vampire having shown up again – and I've a feeling it's the same one – this is going to be a mess. Wish I knew whether the two are related."
Talons gave a small groan and then a whimper, balling up in Edouina's arms. The pain started in her stomach, gripping and grinding, and then shot through her chest. "Edouina!" She rolled away to curl up on the bed in a tight ball, chanting, "Dynarien. Dynarien. Dynarien."
The scent of roses rushed over the room, Dynarien materialized by the bed, and knelt at her side. He stroked her face, and summoned his pack with a snap of his fingers. Talons gave him a wan smile as he brought out a vial, filled a tiny glass, and raised her up to drink. Soon she was able to uncurl. Dynarien snapped a glance at Edouina.
"How long has she been like this?"
"It just happened."
"I've been having these spells for two weeks," Talons confessed.
"And you haven't told anyone?" Edouina demanded.
"Solance is the only healer the Wrathscars will let me see. I don't trust him."
"That stops now," Edouina said firmly. "I'll take care of it. Now that you're here, Dynarien, we need to get some private business taken care of. Talons has told me that you're the sire."
Dynarien stood up, retreating a few feet. "You told her?"
"Edouina and I were intending to handfast."
"Sharani triad. I also know who and what you are, Willodarusson." Edouina raked him with her eyes. "As Talons' mate of seven years, I have certain privileges. Take your clothes off and turn around twice, slowly. I want to see how you're hung and then I want to see your butt."
Dynarien flushed. "What's going on?"
"Dynarien, Edouina has privileges. We've been together ten years, actually. We're Sharani."
"Well?" Edouina demanded, flicking her fingers at him.
Dynarien striped and turned around twice. Even with the bandaged ribs, chest, and shoulder he was fine to look at and very well hung.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. I can see how he could give you three at a swat. Can we keep this one, Talons?"
"I'd like to, Edouina. I'm in love with him." She spoke softly, tentatively, all her shields taken down by stress and suffering. Seeing his injuries exposed to her sight made them that much more real and the breath caught in her chest at the thought of how close she had come to losing him without ever knowing it. He could have perished in that battle and she would never have known why he did not answer her calls. She had thought for weeks he was merely pouting or off chasing someone else, being his usual irresponsible self; she always wavered between accusing him of being irresponsible and knowing that he was not.
"What about me? Don't I get a say in this?" Dynarien protested.
"No," Edouina said sharply. "I can make you or break you. Your choice."
"This isn't fair!" As the grandson of Willodarus, God of the Woodlands and Wild Creatures, he had always had his choice of women – now he was suddenly the chosen, not the chooser and felt uncertain of how to react. From the first day that he and his twin sister had encountered Talons, she had been turning his well-ordered world upside down.
"No," Edouina repeated. "I can make you or break you. Your choice."
"But I'm yuwenghau." Dynarien protested more strongly as if, being one of the young rogue gods wandering that world, he could resist her power.
"Hmnph. I know," Edouina sneered. "Offer still stands." She rose and kissed him. Dynarien's knees buckled and he sat down with a thunk, his eyes like saucers. He crossed his legs to cover his arousal.
"Now," Edouina continued, as if nothing had happened. "I want you to do a deep Reading on Talons. Not the little ones you did before. She's ill and it isn't just the pregnancy. I've never seen a Sharani this sick with a pregnancy. A little morning sickness, yes. This kind of exhaustion, no. It's either the vampire or the drugs they were feeding her. And add in these spells she having – something bad is wrong."
"Can I put my clothes on first?" he asked, sounding oddly vulnerable in his nakedness.
"Certainly." Edouina flicked her fingers at him. "I'm just sorry I was away so long. There was a lot of cleaning up to do in Shaurone and now it looks like there is some to do here. That's my specialty."
Dynarien dressed and then took Talons' wrist. Superficially there was nothing more than tiredness and pregnancy. A little deeper he found a terrible weakness and exhaustion throughout her muscles. He closed his eyes, going to the deepest fiber of her being. What he found there horrified him. He snapped out of it in a flash. "Talons, lie down and be very still. I'm not a lifemage, but there are things I can do."
"What? What did they do to her?" Edouina demanded.
"After I'm finished." Dynarien put his hands on Talons' temples. With delicacy he removed the coercions, sways and triggers, replacing them with wards. They would no longer be calling her from her rooms or snaring her in the halls to feed on her. Then he moved one at a time through the shaukras, cleaning out each of the energy centers.
Edouina answered the knock on the door to let Jysy and Arruth in, securing it once more. They were heavily burdened with trays of food and pitchers of juice. She helped them get the stuff settled on the tables.
Arruth glanced through the open door and saw Dynarien working on Talons. "What's going on?" She ran for the bedroom.
"Don't disturb them!"
Arruth slowed, then entered, and sat quietly, watching. Jysy and Edouina joined them.
Dynarien was shaking and sweating when he finished. "I've never encountered any thing this strongly made. The vampire's powers must rival my own."
"Now explain this to me," Edouina said. She moved closer to Talons and stroked her head. Talons looked exhausted, but there was a clarity and relief on her face that had not been there before and her breathing had eased. Talons blinked sleepily, yawned widely, and slipped away into slumber.
"The vampire has been feeding Talons her blood to increase the coercions," Dynarien explained. "She's been taking over her mind. If you had not insisted I go deep, I would never have found them. I've never encountered a vampire before that could set them that far down. Talons must not be left alone. Not even for a moment. Fascination begins with a look that snares the mind and deepens from there. I think I've routed most of it. I want to make another examination tomorrow after I've rested. There is damage from the drugs also, on very deep levels. I will handle it with herbs and medicines. Unless the Patriarch comes up with something sooner, I'll Jump to Imralon tomorrow and fetch them. Don't let Bryndel give her anything. Keep several cats with her also."
"Cats?"
"Jysy and Arruth can fill you in, Bryndel's coming." Dynarien Jumped, his form flickering for an instant before disappearing.
A knock came at the door. Edouina flicked her fingers at Jysy. "Let him in and fetch me some cats. You can explain later." Edouina kissed Talons lightly on her forehead, not enough to wake her. "Once I know what's going on, dear one, I'll take care of it."
She rose and greeted Bryndel with a kiss. "Talons is sleeping. I sent for her mage-friend and he was able to help her a bit."
"Dynarien?" he asked suspiciously.
"Of course. He's the only Willodarian in the city. You understand how that could make a difference, don't you, honey? Healing's one of their specialties," she lied.
Bryndel relaxed a little. "He helped her?"
"Yes. He's also promised to bring some herbs and medicines tomorrow. Come in quietly and look at her, you can see from her face that she's better."
Bryndel followed, settling quietly beside Talons. Edouina joined him, observing him closely, certain that he was, at least, partially responsible for the drugs that were hurting her lover. Bryndel sighed heavily. "She does look better."
"I've heard from Jysy that you were jealous of Dynarien at one time."
Bryndel nodded. "They seemed so close..."
"Hmnph. You know she'd never touched a male before you. She couldn't until now. She and I have been lovers since childhood. Take my word for it, she loves you."
"That's what I've always wanted. For her to love me. When I saw her sitting with him, chatting like old friends in the training hall..."
"You jumped to conclusions. It's understandable. She doesn't go for pretty little rakehells like Dynarien. She needs substance and commitment. Has she ever kicked you?"
Bryndel looked thoughtful. "Once. Just once."
"Jysy and Arruth have seen her kick Dynarien a dozen times – clear across a room." Edouina watched Bryndel closely, wondering what she had seen flicker across his face.
Bryndel brightened.
"I think Talons made a very good choice in you," Edouina purred, tousling Bryndel's hair. "If the girls weren't due back soon with some things I sent them for, I'd have you between my legs right now."
Bryndel moved closer to her, pressing his body against hers. "Sharani males are so fortunate."
"Yes, they are. There are so few of them, that some are expected to play stud to every female in whole villages." And you are so silly, honey.
Bryndel's eyes glazed over at the image.
"Now, don't you have things to attend to? I'll come to dinner in Talons' place and we'll make them all jealous. Then, when she's feeling well enough, we'll make it a threesome and show them what a Sharani triad looks like."
Bryndel nodded. Jysy and Arruth returned with five cats in tow. "You certainly have a way with cats," he told Jysy as he stepped out the door.
"Yes, we do." Jysy replied smugly.
Edouina looked up, and turned to see what exactly was going on. The big, fluffy pearl-gray male jumped onto the table, and smelled all the forgotten food. She started to shoo him off, but Jysy stopped her.
"That's Lo'Ah. Let him do his job."
"Which is eating everything?"
"No. He's making sure nothing we scrounged is tainted. Sit down and let them smell you."
"Your call." Edouina shrugged and sat down in a chair near the table. She was not certain what to make of Bryndel. Someone was pulling his strings. He shifted back and forth between this almost naïve, definitely insecure and socially inexperienced–too inexperienced for a son of the nobility – young male and this angry, abusive, inconsiderate lout. Like triggering a crossbow. It's not dangerous until you load it and put your hand on the... who is pulling the trigger? His father? Probably. He puts him up to it, gets him angry, tells him what a male is supposed to be like and shoves him in Talons' direction. I doubt they'll invite me to the parties, but I can try. I need to get close to Lord Wrathscar. Close enough to kiss him.
The other cats, all female, two black with white markings, another an odd ginger and the fourth a ginger and black stripped swarmed over her. They smelled her legs, jumped on her lap and shoulders, sniffing her mouth and face. Satisfied, they proceeded into the bedroom with the ginger-and-black leading.
The male finished his inspection of the food and drink, and jumped onto Edouina's shoulder, pressing his face against her ear.
< I am Lo'Ah. Healer and Shaman to the Crimson Yarn Tribe. >
Although it startled Edouina to hear a cat speaking in her mind, she did not show it. "And just what are you? Wiros?" The word was Sharani and encompassed all forms of shifters from the wind-folk, who acted as expensive couriers, to the lycans, who were wolves. Moonies were not wiros, merely shifters, since they could neither control their shifting nor breed true.
< Perceptive human. The three queens who serve Dynarien have sent twenty of us here to seek and protect. Under my leadership. He has promised them many powerful kittens. >
"Dynarien has allies in strange places."
Lo'Ah gave a little cough as if chuckling in her ear. < You'll do, human. >
"I hope so." Edouina laughed at him, it rose from her belly and filled the room.
Lo'Ah jumped down. His form shimmered and shifted. A small furred male, just four feet tall, stood before her, his slitted and slanted eyes twinkling. "We are the catkins of Dynarien."
* * * *
The seventeen knights had gathered in an upstairs audience chamber of the temple to discuss various rumors and the latest news regarding the situation with Talons, who was quickly becoming their main concern. Jimi sat on a window seat with the sun shining halo-like around his head. The others were scattered about on the chairs, the floor, and the top of the desk. They planned to have two of their number in the temple at all times, waiting for the results of the priests' examination of the medicine. The priests would first examine the bi-kyndi blocker that Bryndel had given them, and then compare it to the various things the catkin had taken from his chambers. None of this could produce or prove anything, it had simply been a guess
made by Jimi who had made a specialty of poisons and venoms. The only way to prove anything would be for a Reader to actually find something suspicious in Talons' system or catch someone trying to slip her something – all very unlikely. However, Jimi wanted an idea of what to look for beyond Dynarien's nebulous descriptions of a drug no one else could find traces of in Talons' body; and he felt certain that Bryndel was involved – a deep, visceral certainty.
"It's an outrage, that Talons had to let him get her pregnant," Jimi told the assembled knights.
"I agree," Alora replied. "But it was that or keep waking up in his bed until she ended up pregnant anyway. You know very well Bryndel was drugging her to get her there, and then trying to convince her that she was losing her mind or something. It was her call." Alora was a rawhide whip of a youth, slender and hard-muscled. Her dark brunette hair hung in a thick braid that brushed her hips.
Isen, the youngest except for Jysy, listened quietly from a corner, seated on the floor, half concealed by a large chair. She liked watching from out of sight places and often startled the others when she spoke up and they realized she was there. It was always very easy to miss Isen. She would be fourteen just after midsummer. Isen was a pan-eidetic, remembering the smallest nuances of voice, manner, pages of manuscript. It also affected her fighting skills, since her body never forgot a movement once she had done it. "I believe this goes beyond Wrathscar," she said softly, causing all heads to turn.
"I hope she knows what she's doing," Tulik, a heavy-set big-boned youth, blurted out before anyone could address Isen's statement.
Jysy slipped into the room. "Talons always knows what she's doing. She's not telling us, but that doesn't mean anything. She's playing her own hand, just like we need to play ours. And it's a lot more serious than you realize. There's a vampire in the palace."
"What do you mean?" Jimi demanded shocked.
Isen nodded in her corner, murmuring, "Yes, layers and layers."
"Talons wasn't feeling well the other day. So I helped her bathe. I saw two fresh wounds on the inside of her thigh. And old ones all over her. You haven't lived on the streets like I have. I've seen that kind of thing before. It's something you never forget."