Herd Mistress (In Deception's Shadow Book 2)

by Lisa Blackwood

  “Seriously?” He’d gone to elaborate lengths to keep her off balance; she couldn’t believe it was over that easily. Then it came to her. He’d said it himself. He loved a good challenge. And he always won.

  Sorsha huffed out another curse, but admitted he’d won that round.

  Shadowdancer galloped as fast as his hooves could carry him and he still couldn’t out run the baying of the Wardlen hunting him. Sorsha was lost, somewhere out there. Hidden in the mists. He could sense her, taste her fear in his mind. He needed to get to her, but the Wardlen were in front of him as well, closing in on all sides. They were going to reach her first.

  “Sorsha!” he screamed along their mental link as terror filled his soul.

  “Shadowdancer, I’m here.”

  Someone was shaking him, one hand upon his shoulder as another was caressing his cheek in soft soothing strokes. A warm body was tucked up against his. Her scent teased his senses, rich, welcoming, fertile. The dream Wardlen fell away as the nightmare loosened its hold. He was among his herd. Sorsha was safe. They were no longer trapped in the grey mists of the Wild Path.

  “Wake up, you’re having a nightmare.”

  He blinked up at her. Her lips were so close, her warm breath washed across his face. She smoothed his sweat-dampened hair off his forehead and behind one ear. Sorsha was alive, unharmed. Relief and joy welled up within him, desire close on their heels. He wrapped one hand around the back of her neck and dragged her closer.

  He’d intended for the kiss to be gentle, but need broke free of the restraints he’d placed upon his emotions. Against his better judgment, the kiss turned possessive. He couldn’t get enough of her taste, the feel of her soft body against him, the silky heat of her skin against his.

  Her night robe blocked him so he simply pushed it aside, exposing her body to his eyes. He’d seen her before, but now he wanted to touch. All his noble reasons why he shouldn’t paled as he ran his hands over her curves, touching, caressing, learning what stoked the fire in her blood. She welcomed his touch, sighing her pleasure one moment and laughing the next. They were meant for each other. He no longer cared if he was the right choice. She was his. He shifted them until he was above her.

  And by the Mother of the Prairie, how Sorsha responded. Her fingers trailed over his shoulder blades, then explored down the slope to the small of his back. She continued to caress him, finding what he liked as her power welled up, cascading over him. It was too much, he couldn’t catch his breath, couldn’t caress her enough, couldn’t pull her close enough. His fingers bit into her shoulders. Goddess, he was going to break her. Panting, he rolled off her onto his side. Another wave of her power rolled across him and he forgot why he’d broken away.

  “Shadowdancer?” Sorsha’s question came out sounding breathy and confused. Even a little uncertain. “I’m sorry my magic escaped my control. Did it hurt you?”

  “No. Never.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead to sooth her. Nothing so simple could reassure him. “Your power overwhelms my senses. I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

  She smiled up at him. “I’m not that much smaller than you now, and I’m rather tough—far from breakable.”

  “I…” He sighed, but it didn’t do anything to ease the new tension building in his body. “This form is very new.”

  Sorsha started to laugh. “And I’m in too much of a hurry. Not very lady-like of me.”

  “No. It’s not that. Your Herd Mistress’s power, it steals every last scrap of restraint I possess.” He started to get to his knees, but Sorsha persuaded him back down and caressed his back in a slow motion he found soothing.

  “We have candlemarks until dawn. There’s no rush.” Her fingers tracked down along the length of his spine.

  “Good.” He closed his eyes, but a smile curved his mouth. “It will take at least that long for me to get my fill of you.”

  She chuckled in delight at his tone, and placed gentle kisses along the underside of his jaw.

  The first fingers of pink stole across the sky and Shadowdancer was still awake, still watching his beautiful Herd Mistress as she slept. With her body curled against him, he could feel her sleeping mind; feel the power coiled below her skin. His Larnkin was somewhat stronger from their lovemaking. Perhaps, if given enough time, he could be healed?

  Sorsha mumbled something in her sleep. He leaned down and kissed her awake. After a moment she blinked sleepy eyes at him.

  He gave her a half-hearted smile. “I see my resolve to do what was right lasted about as long as I feared it would.” When Sorsha would have said something, he placed his fingers over her lips. “I won’t return to my high noble ways, and I promise I’ll want to do this again, as often as you’ll allow. I know I can’t be your Stallion Mage, but we’ll figure something out in the long term. For now, sleep.”

  “Hmm…I can think of an activity more interesting than sleep.” She proceeded to show him what was on her mind.

  He chuckled, more than willing to play along. “And I believe it’s my sacred duty to keep the Herd Mistress happy.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Spring arrived in the high prairies with the fury of blustering storm winds, driving rains, and swollen rivers. The winds shredded tents, the rains drenched the travelers to the skin, and the bloated waterways made fording all but impossible. Of the three, it was the last which annoyed Trensler the most—his Acolytes were above bodily comforts, but even the magic fed horses found the rivers too swift. He’d already lost three priests, their mounts unable to keep their footing during the first attempted crossing.

  At some unforetold point downriver, both drowned horses and riders would emerge from the swift waters and make their way back to him. Even in death they were unable to break their oaths. Trensler frowned as his annoyance grew; the beasts would likely be of more use than his drowned priests. It did not take any great intelligence to carry a rider and follow simple commands. But Trensler would need every one of his remaining Acolytes in the coming days. Sharp wit, or at the very least a living mind, would be needed to carry on in his absence. Even his Master, Trensler mused a touch sacrilegiously, was limited in what He could heal or restore. And Death wasn’t something easily healed, not even with near limitless, god-like power.

  “Keldar,” Trensler called as he reined his mount around a storm shattered tree where it partially blocked the path. This day, the tree was just one of many obstacles, another reason to curse the rains and wind and their endless attempts to slow his progress. But neither his, nor his Master’s plans would be defeated by something as capricious as the elements.

  His most reliable Acolyte halted his mount alongside Trensler’s and allowed the gelding its head. The beast sniffed at the young green grass, then an old reflex kicked in and it snatched a mouthful. It chewed for a moment then stopped. Hunger didn’t entice it to swallow and bits of green debris rained back down, uneaten and forgotten. Not so much as a hint of expression flickered across the horse’s face, its eyes the milky-white of the recent dead.

  Several of the Acolytes’ beasts hadn’t survived the necessary pace. Even reanimated, Keldar’s beast and the others’ horses would only be of use for a limited time, days at most. It shouldn’t matter; they’d soon have what they sought. Once they possessed that ancient power for his Master, Trensler would have enough power to enslave an entire herd of Santhyrians, and they’d make far superior mounts. A touch of humor sparked to life within Trensler and he chuckled. Perhaps he need not wait that long.

  Keldar glanced over at him. “My Lord?”

  Trensler guided his horse into a small clearing and dismounted before answering his subordinate. “I was just thinking we could use new mounts.”

  Keldar’s eyebrows arched together with confusion.

  “Oh, Keldar, never get so cynical that you fail to appreciate the gifts life drops in your path.”

  At Trensler’s words Keldar glanced around the forest-bound glade once more, then his gaze turned inward as he
awaited an explanation with his customary politely cold silence.

  “Trailing behind, less than half a day at best, you will find two of our enemy’s scouts advancing on our back trail. Take five of the Acolytes and deal with the problem, and this time feed from a distance and avoid their arrows. As for their Santhyrian mounts, capture and enslave them.”

  “As my lord commands.” Keldar bowed from the saddle, and then turned his mount, calling out to the other Acolytes.

  Trensler watched as Keldar, and those brothers he’d selected to go with him, guided their mounts back into the trees.

  The sun had started its descent toward the western horizon by the time Trensler heard the distant sound of rapid hoof beats echoing through the forest. A short time later Keldar burst into the clearing astride a great beast of a Santhyrian. Massive hindquarters propelled the dappled grey stallion toward Trensler’s location. A bright chestnut mare followed close behind the stallion. With a quite word from Keldar, both beasts skidded to a stop an arm’s length away from Trensler.

  From his closer proximity, Trensler couldn’t help but notice the stallion’s lifeless eyes, even now clouding over into milky, lifeless orbs.

  “Was it necessary to kill them?” Trensler allowed some of his displeasure to leech into his voice.

  Keldar dismounted, dropped to his knees and bowed so deeply his forehead brushed the ground. “Forgive me, High Lord Trensler.”

  “Rise and explain.” Though, there is likely nothing to forgive. Trensler admitted to himself. Keldar was never guilty of rash decisions.

  The Acolyte held his bow two heartbeats more, and then with more grace than many his height could manage, he rose in one swift, elegant move. “Both Santhyrians possessed strong wills, too strong to overcome in a timely fashion. Now that we know the secret to capturing a Santhyrian, acquiring others shouldn’t prove too difficult a task. If we’d had more time, we could have captured these ones alive, but I feared dallying too long might endanger our greater plans. While I fed from this one’s rider,” Keldar patted the dappled grey stallion almost affectionately, “I discovered our enemies have sent a host of their most skilled warriors on our trail.”

  “You have done well. Now, I must part with you and the other brothers to complete our Master’s next command. Are you prepared to complete your mission, even unto death?”

  “May I be so blessed!” Keldar bowed again. “I will not fail our Master. I will follow your instructions to the letter.”

  “I have every confidence in you, my son.” And truthfully he did. However, he wondered if his Master was slightly less confident, and if the second quest, the one Trensler would undertake alone, was a way for the Divine Speaker to guarantee his long term plans.

  Keldar bowed and continued. “Thank you, Lord-Master. I shall find the broken Talisman.”

  “Go with my blessing, and may it lend speed to your quest.” Trensler approached the dappled grey stallion and mounted while his Acolytes lashed supplies onto the other Santhyrian. When all was ready, Trensler glanced at each of his Acolytes in turn, weighting their skills and individual strengths. Yes, this group should be successful in their quest. Fear swirled in his heart as he wondered if he would be so fortunate in his own. He had been warned of the dangers in breaching an Oracle’s defenses.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Sorsha rummaged through the discarded bedding as she searched for her vest. Stooped over, the leather of her breeches shaped to her bottom in a way Shadowdancer found strangely pleasing. When he’d still been a Santhyrian, he hadn’t been particularly moved even by her total nudity when they had bathed together in a pond or river. But now, such a simple sight had him smiling in appreciation.

  She whirled around on him, her vest clinched in one hand. “Have you heard one word I’ve said?”

  Try as he might, he couldn’t keep a lazy smile from tugging at the corners of his lips. “No. Your back was turned; the words muffled. My hearing isn’t as good as it used to be.”

  Sorsha snorted. “Sure, and I’m a sheep.”

  Shadowdancer tilted his head to the side. “I don’t see the resemblance. Maybe if you bent over again?”

  Her chin tilted up and she bestowed him with a particularly dark frown. “Can you get your mind focused on things of greater importance than bedsport? We need to find out Trensler’s location and what his next plans are.”

  “I know how we might find out.”

  Sorsha pulled her vest over her loose white shirt. “How?”

  “Did Ashayna ever mention her ordeal with the Oracle Stone?”

  “No. Ordeal? That doesn’t sound good.” She paused lacing her vest and looked him in the eyes. “But since you’ve mentioned it, this must be something that might help us. Go on.”

  “Help or harm. No one is truly sure of the Oracle Stone’s purpose, but they do have vast knowledge at their disposal. And right now we need as much knowledge as we can get. The Oracle might know what Trensler is and how to stop him. It might even be able to tell us how we might heal our Larnkins.”

  “You haven’t learned to mask your expressions yet, and it just said ‘omission’ in startling fashion.”

  “I’ll try harder in the future.”

  “So, what didn’t you mention?” she pressed.

  “The Oracle may help us—if we pass its tests.”

  “By the way you say that, I assume those tests are not easily won.”

  “No. The knowledge an Oracle imparts is never easily gained, or free.”

  “But we’re going to go milk it for what we need to get our families back, aren’t we?”

  Shadowdancer laughed. “Yes.”

  “There’s just one problem.”

  “Only one? Our luck must be changing for the better.” Shadowdancer shook his head, but only cleared his throat and continued. “I don’t think we’ll be able to return to Grey Spires and use that Oracle Stone. I doubt my father has shared his thoughts and musings with the rest of the Elemental Council. If the Phoenix Queen came to suspect we are of the Twelve, it’s logical to assume she will think we are as corrupted as Sorntar. And since he was able to hide his darkness…”

  “I see our luck is back down in the gutter. And the Council, they will lock us up the first chance they get?”

  “I fear so. I know my father, and the only reason he trusts us is because we almost died in Crown Prince Sorntar’s trap. With Summer Flame and Winter’s Frost held prisoners, my father needs someone who will bring my sister and Flame back alive, no matter what Sorntar may have done to them. And my father needs the tasks accomplished without the Elemental Council learning of it.”

  “You’re not implying what I think you are, are you?” Sorsha pursed her lips, eyes narrowing in anger.

  “Yes. To prevent any possibility of Dakdamon escaping his prison, the Council may kill all those they deem touched by his taint.”

  “The Council would seek to kill Ashayna? Even their own crown prince? And the Santhyrians, too?”

  “Yes. Dakdamon is that dangerous. He nearly defeated the Twelve. According to the records in the oldest part of the library, he is the greatest adversary the Elementals ever encountered. And in other circumstances I might have agreed with the Council and their severe action. But with this new unknown threat Lord Trensler represents, I can’t help but think the Acolytes are the greater of the two evils. Dakdamon wanted to rule us. Trensler wants to eat us.”

  Sorsha paled. “We must find Ash, Sorntar, and our friends before the Council has them hunted down. But how will we find them?”

  “That’s where the Oracle comes in.”

  Sorsha frowned. “You just said we can’t go to Grey Spires.”

  “There is another Oracle. My father knows the location. His Herd Mistress guards an ancient map.” He inclined his head, staring at but not really seeing the tent canopy. Instead, with his mind’s eye, he again visualized that age-worn map. “I saw it once when I was still a colt. There were temples and sacred sites marked upon it.
One was another Oracle. It’s situated far to the north where the Sea of Grass merges into a very old range of mountains, near the ocean’s edge. It’s a dangerous place and a long journey. Legends speak of lost spirits haunting the mist-shrouded valleys, supposedly exiled there after failing the Oracle’s tests.”

  “I didn’t need that much detail, thanks.”

  He glanced back to Sorsha in time to see her wince. “We’ll be riding north, where winter still claws for life. It would be too easy to get caught in a late spring storm. We must plan carefully, prepare supplies. Crippled as we are, we’ll need the Herd’s help to get there.”

  “I’m prepared to do whatever I must. And may fate damn me if I fail in my task.” Her lips pinched and her eyes took on a fierce determined squint. From her look, he knew what she’d left unvoiced. Lamarra. Once Ashayna, Winter’s Frost, and Summer Flame were safe, Sorsha planned to go after Lamarra.

  Shadowdancer only hoped the Dead King held Lamarra captive for her safety, not for another, darker purpose. The present Dead Rulers had reigned for millennia, the exact number Shadowdancer wasn’t completely sure, but he remembered the Herd Mistress telling him a story many years ago. She’d told of how the present Dead King had taken up the burden of power from the old king. That meant the present Dead Queen was the elder of the two rulers. If Lamarra was her replacement, there was nothing Sorsha could do to save her sister from that fate. Shadowdancer didn’t speak his musing aloud, and prayed it was never required of him.

  “What are you thinking?”

  Sorsha’s question caught him off guard. He flailed for a moment, lost in the deep brown of her searching eyes. A commotion from outside the tent saved him having to answer her question. Over the drum of hoof beats, he caught snatches of words among the shouting as the riders drew nearer.

  “What’s going on?”

  “My mother, Windrunner has returned. And she’s brought a great number of others with her by the noise.” He swore. If she’d brought more of the council members with her, there might be no rescuing of Ashayna, Winter’s Frost, and Summer Flame. “There’s more.” He paused to listen, but only caught one word….Trensler. “She brings news of Trensler.”