She blinked away fresh tears and took up her looking glass, passing it between her fingers with pent-up energy. On impulse, she whispered, “Show me Myrddin.” It flared to life, showing the mage speaking quietly with Lliandra. “What are they saying?” The glass ball remained silent. Apparently, only Myrddin’s glass could transmit sound. “Show me what is in Myrddin’s ball,” she commanded. The looking glass sparked and sputtered and then blinked out. Her heavy sigh frosted the glass.
“Show me any intruders besides my maids who have entered my rooms.” It was a vast request, but she was curious how much the glass would show. Images of servants coming into her rooms to air out the closets or clean her gowns glowed in the ball. Once or twice Margaret Tan would take an outfit, bringing another in its place. Windows were opened and furniture moved, but otherwise there had been nothing to indicate danger.
“Show me whether Marissa entered my rooms,” she whispered. The ball remained blank. That, at least, was good news. “Show me Prince Rhoane.” The words were out before she could pull them back.
Rhoane’s face glowed in the ball. A sob caught in her throat. His hair was short as if he weresheanna and she frowned. Rhoane would never cut his hair willingly. His pointed ears tipped forward, listening beyond what others could hear. Where he was, Taryn couldn’t tell, but the focus of his eyes and set of his jaw told her he was not in danger. Yet, he wasn’t relaxed, either. She sent him a silent wish wrapped in love for his safety and success in his endeavor.
She inspected the glass ball and said, “Never let Myrddin hear or see my actions.” She didn’t know if it would work, but figured what the hell, it was worth a shot. As an afterthought, she said, “Or anyone who views his great looking glass.” Lights flashed within the ball and then suddenly stopped.
Gian entered the room, fidgeting with the hem of his silk tunic, not meeting the curious glances of her maids. Taryn patted the seat beside her. “Gian, these are my maids. This is Lorilee—you might remember her sister Mayla from Paderau.” Gian nodded his head to her. “This is Saeko and over here is Ellie. They are very important to me, as are you. There is nothing you can’t confide in them. They are beholden to me and have sworn to keep my secrets safe within their hearts.”
Do they also have a life debt with you?
No, but do you see the pretty girl with the scar? She nearly lost her life for me.
Gian gaped at Ellie with a curious expression.
She explained to her maids that Gian spoke with his hands and she would like them to learn his language. When Gian objected, she gently told him it wasn’t just a game he played with the young lords, but a great skill. He blushed slightly but nodded agreement.
“Why can’t he speak?” Lorilee asked.
“He was tortured and has no tongue.”
Ellie gasped, covering her face. Without provocation, Gian showed them the charred stump. “Who would do such a thing?” Ellie asked.
“Zakael.”
Her maids stared at her with identical horrified expressions.
“My enemies are many. Some we know, others we do not. I need you all to be strong in the coming seasons. If you wish to stay in my service, I require you to begin weapons training and martial arts. I can’t bear the thought of losing any of you, but I will understand if you wish to leave my employ.”
Ellie trembled so violently Taryn feared she was having an attack. Gian sat with her, stroking her hair, mewing kind words she couldn’t understand. Stuttering through her tears, Ellie said, “I’d like to stay.”
Lorilee and Saeko readily agreed to the training and anything else she required. It did not warm her heart to demand it of them, but if she couldn’t protect those she loved, she’d make damn sure they could protect themselves.
Chapter 38
FORTUNATELY for Taryn, the Crystal Palace always provided a new opportunity for entertainment. As far as the courtiers were concerned, Taryn’s disappearance didn’t warrant their time or attention. Her adventures were a momentary concern and then they moved on.
Gian became a curiosity for several days but because he refused to speak with anyone, his allure dimmed. He spent most of his time with either Tessa or Lord Aomori. If they were busy, Taryn often saw him with Eliahnna, tucked in a corner with a book. Wherever he went, he alerted her to his location, should she require his company.
Since returning to Talaith, she preferred solitude to the boisterous rooms of the palace, often begging off from invitations with her sisters and even Sabina. The princesses did their best to cheer her, but melancholy clung to her like a second skin. No matter how hard she tried to shake it off, it remained, growing stronger each day. She was sitting on the seawall, contemplating the dark skies and heavy clouds one afternoon, when Baehlon sat beside her.
“Looks like rain,” she said.
“Aye, typical weather this time of year. It will be warm soon enough, to be sure,” Baehlon offered and cleared his throat. “What happened with Gian? It isn’t like the woodland folk to up and leave their home.”
She rested her head on her knee and told him about Kaida leading her into Valterys’s dungeons, where they found Gian close to death. Baehlon winced at her description of his torture, nodding when she said she’d tried to take him back to the vier, but Gian insisted he had to stay with her.
“A life debt for a faerie is serious, Taryn. I get the feeling it’s more than just saving him from your father.”
“He hasn’t said why he owes me a life debt. When he’s ready, he’ll tell me.” Tears stung her eyes and she looked away before he saw them. “Did Rhoane tell you what happened at Gaarendahl?”
“Aye. Nasty piece of work, that. You did right to take him to his family.” Baehlon put his hand on her shoulder and she sagged into it. He moved closer, wrapping his big arm around her shoulders, holding her close.
“Is he lost to me, Baehlon?”
“He’s in shadow, it’s true, but you’ve naught to worry about where his heart is concerned.”
“I’ve been in Talaith several days and he hasn’t returned. Surely he knows I’m here.” Taryn sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
“I doubt that. He’s keeping a low profile, working undercover right now. He won’t be speaking with anyone from the palace, lest he is found out,” Baehlon said.
“What’s he doing?”
“Nothing you need to know about. Not yet, at least. In truth, I don’t know all that he’s up to. Just a bit of information here and there to let me know he’s alive. This is what Rhoane does. It’s what makes him excellent at ferreting out what needs to be known.”
More than likely it involved her. If Baehlon didn’t want to share information, she’d not pester him, but it upset her Rhoane would send word to Baehlon and not her. She had a right to know he was well. But then, she hadn’t sent word to him while on her travels.
“Did Iselt come to Talaith?” She changed the topic to something benign. She’d hoped the blacksmith would, but he was an interesting man and not easily swayed.
“He did. Set himself up with a smithy and everything.”
“Oh, good. Will you take me there tomorrow? I’d like to see how he’s getting on.”
Baehlon fidgeted and she glanced up at his broad features. His scowl reached the tip of his chin. “He’s not in Talaith at the moment.”
“Where is he?”
“Off on some bloody fool’s errand your prince set him upon.”
Taryn straightened and faced the knight. “He what? How did Rhoane know Iselt was in Talaith? What exactly has been going on since I’ve been gone? Rhoane disappears, now you tell me Iselt is gone, Hayden and Sabina are barely speaking to each other. Next thing you’ll tell me is you and Faelara—” She stopped herself, a blush creeping across her cheeks.
“Yes? Faelara and I have what?”
“Oh, shut it. You love each other, but are too stubborn to admit it.” At his shocked expression, she said, “Please. The entire court knows about the death of your wif
e and son. As tragic as that was, it happened twelve seasons ago. You loved Faelara before their deaths. There is no dishonor in owning up to it now. No one cares, Baehlon. Trust me. Just tell her you love her and be done with all the foolishness.”
“Is that a command, Your Highness?” Amusement and anger shaped his words.
“Does it need to be? You know I’ll do it, so don’t go there unless you’re ready to pay the fee, my friend.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Whatever. So, tell me where Iselt is and I’ll let you off the hook for now.” She wagged a finger close to his nose. “Only for now. I’ll expect some courting before summer’s end. Got it?”
“If you say so. As for Iselt, he’s on a pleasure ship spying for us.”
Taryn doubled over with laughter, holding her sides. “Are you kidding me? Iselt? On a ship? How the bloody hell did Rhoane convince him to do that?”
“He told the man it would help you.”
She sobered immediately. “That was a lie. Rhoane used me to manipulate him?”
“Don’t look at it like that. Rhoane needed someone he could trust and since you have some sort of oath from the man, who better? Iselt isn’t known in Talaith, he can handle himself, and besides, his business was crap. He set himself up in one of the poorer districts amid the filth and death. It was a good opportunity for him. I believe Rhoane promised him a job at the palace upon his return.”
Her eyes narrowed as she thought of all the complications and implications of Iselt working at the palace, finally determining it didn’t matter. Either he would be a part of Darius’s life or he wouldn’t. It was up to Iselt, not her, to make that happen. “Do you think he’s in any danger on the ship?”
“Less so than in the cesspool he was living here.”
She didn’t like it, but Iselt was a grown man. He could’ve said no if he didn’t want to go. She snuggled into Baehlon, replacing his arm around her shoulders and stared out to sea, trying to pinpoint where the blacksmith might be.
Baehlon stayed with her, keeping silent company until the air became thick with moisture and lightning flashed in the sky. Reluctantly, Taryn rose, calling Kaida from the orchards where she’d been hunting.
“Rhoane will be back for your party. I know what is in his heart and whatever troubles him, isn’t because of you.”
She nodded mutely, not trusting herself to speak. Of course, what troubled Rhoane was because of her. She’d failed him too many times to count.
The heavy door closed behind them just as the clouds opened up, unleashing a torrent on the palace grounds. “That was good timing.” Baehlon released his hold on her shoulder and turned her to face him. “I pledged before the court to lay down my life for you, and I would without hesitation, but I can’t sit here and watch you mourn. For that is what you’re doing, whether you’re willing to admit it or not. Spend time with your sisters and friends. Go riding on Nikosana. Be the woman I met all those moonturns ago. She had fire. She wouldn’t mope around all day, worried about a man. She kicked arse and to be honest, I miss her.”
Taryn stared at him. Not only was that the longest speech she’d ever heard him give, it was full of truths she didn’t want to admit, let alone hear. “You dare?”
Baehlon’s laughter echoed through the crowded room. Many faces lifted, eyes narrowed, lips pursed, but it didn’t deter the knight. He continued chuckling up the wide staircase until they reached her floor. “Aye, lass,” he finally wheezed, “I do. You’re as bad as he was when he returned. Both of you need a good arse whipping, is what I think.” His face sobered and he took her chin between thick fingers. “Remember who you are, Taryn. Not the Eirielle, not theDarennsai. Who is Taryn ap Galendrin the woman? Remember her.”
Tears burned her eyes. Dammit, but he was right. She reached up to kiss his cheek, breathing in his spiced scent. Like cinnamon, sweet with a little burn. “I love you, Baehlon.”
“And I you, lass.”
When Taryn returned to her rooms, Darius was waiting for her. “Your Highness, I have a message from the empress. She wishes to dine alone with you tonight.”
“Darius, you’re a soldier now—you shouldn’t be made to carry messages.”
“Begging your pardon, the pages were all busy and I volunteered.”
Suddenly Taryn understood. His missive had nothing to do with her. “Thank you, Darius. Please, have some tea and cakes while I get ready.”
Ellie jumped to help, but Taryn ordered her to stay with Darius. Her other two maids rolled their eyes at Taryn’s obviousness, but she ignored them. If Darius went to the trouble of finding a reason to enter her rooms, he at least should be rewarded.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Ellie said with a shy smile. Kaida just lolled her tongue at all of them. What was romance to a grierbas?
Taryn stood alone in her mother’s sitting room, fighting her nerves. Each time she’d been summoned to the lavish suite, it ended badly. Lliandra entered amidst a flurry of feathers and ruffles. Jewels sparkled at her throat and wrists, more than Taryn had ever seen her wear at one time. She kissed Taryn on both cheeks before directing her to the dining room. When they were seated, their plates filled, Lliandra said, “You’ve been home several days and yet you do not come to see me. Have I upset you?”
Taryn almost choked on her food. “I sent several messages requesting a visit. Didn’t you get them?”
Lliandra frowned. “Apparently not. Never mind, we are here now. Tell me what happened with your father.” While they ate, Taryn told her mother a highly edited account of her visit with Valterys. Lliandra listened intently, asking questions as Taryn spoke. “And this Gian, how did you come to bring him to my palace?”
“He was imprisoned in Valterys’s dungeon and I rescued him. Because of his deformity, he wished to stay with me rather than return to the Narthvier. If his presence upsets you, we can stay at Paderau.”
“Of course not. You will stay here with your woodland rat. I do not want him crawling around unsupervised, mind you.” Lliandra stabbed at a piece of meat as if to underscore her irritation.
“I don’t understand why you dislike him. He’s a good man and very trustworthy.”
Lliandra sniffed. “Until I am certain he is not a spy for King Stephan or Valterys, I want him leashed. Do you understand?”
“He isn’t a spy, Mother, but I’ll keep him close to me if that is your wish.”
“I’m glad we could settle that. There is one other matter that concerns me. Your sister says you haven’t been to see her since your return.” Lliandra met Taryn’s stare with an even gaze. “Why have you been avoiding Marissa?”
Taryn’s wine burned clear to her stomach. “She told you I’m avoiding her?” She was more hurt than shocked to hear concern for her sister in her mother’s voice. “Did she by any chance mention what happened at Gaarendahl?” Taryn asked, keeping her voice level.
“No. In fact, she was most insistent she did not want to discuss anything that occurred there. Would you like to enlighten me?” Lliandra’s voice was like ice.
“Not really. I will tell you, though, that Marissa is giving Valterys far more information than you know. And, she was responsible for nearly killing Hayden at Ravenwood.”
“She mentioned you would tell me this. She claims to be innocent of the attack. What is your proof?”
Taryn stared at her mother. “Nothing except what I saw and what Ohlin’s sword told me. I have a feeling that won’t be enough for you.”
“Until you have clear proof, I wish to hear no more of this slander against your sister. You will go to her and apologize for your behavior.”
“I will do no such thing. You know, when you first told me who I was, I thought finally I’d have a mother who would love me. Someone I could look up to. I’ve done everything you asked—I’ve kept your secrets, put up with your tantrums and whims—but it was all for nothing. All I’ve ever been to you is,” she paused, trying to find the right word, “a weapon.
“Watch your words, daughter. I am still the empress here. You will respect that. Your sister does not manipulate me. No one does.” Lliandra held her hands flat on the table, vibrations from her ShantiMari rattling the china. The mask she carefully constructed cracked at the edges.
“And you forget I amDarennsai. You will respect me. Leave me out of your intrigues, Mother. I don’t play games with people’s lives.” She curtseyed low before saying, “I hope you will come to see that I have only ever had your best interests at heart. I would give my life to protect you and all that the Lady of Light stands for. I don’t want your crown, if that’s what you’re thinking. I only want what’s best for Aelinae. Good night, Mother.”
“You have not been dismissed.” Lliandra stood to block Taryn’s path and the two women glared at each other in a stalemate. Lliandra’s power swirled with a constrained vengeance, slipping around Taryn’s body.
She waited until her mother’s Mari wrapped her fully and a look of triumph clouded her mother’s eyes. The blue threads tightened about her, clammy and smelling of rot. Taryn blew gently on the strands and they crumpled into blackened snarls and fell to the floor.
Lliandra gasped in horror at the sight of her power, visible and defeated at her feet. “How?” She choked. “How is this possible?”
“You told me yourself, I am the Eirielle. Within me is the trinity of power, but that’s not all I possess. The phantom touched my soul with his Black ShantiMari. Perhaps if you were young and robust, your skills would be enough to overpower me, but your fade weakens you, Mother.”
She scooped up the pile of ash and blew it into the air, where it became glittering motes of dust. “You really should control your anger. It isn’t becoming for an empress to be so disrespectful of her gifts.” With that, she pivoted on her heel and strode across the sitting room. When she reached the wall of crystal, she stopped.
The Temple of Ardyn (Song of the Swords Book 2) Page 34