The Night Bird lc-5

by Catherine Asaro

  “Wait, slow down, Drummer said. “Her husband and Yargazon? He stared at Allegra. “Who the blazes is your husband, that he associates with Jazids most brutal war criminal?

  Allegra forced herself to meet his gaze. “Markus Onyx.

  “Gods almighty. Drummer stared at her. “No wonder youre upset about the marriage.

  Allegra flushed, unable to answer.

  “Hes asking to see you, Jarid told her.

  “I cant, she said. “Not yet.

  Jarid spoke quietly. “For what its worth, Allegra, when he learned how we found you, he was ready to kill General Yargazon.

  “He wont, she said. “Yargazon is the closest he has to a father now that his own is dead.

  “Do you love him? Jarid asked.

  She wasnt certain why the king of Aronsdale cared, but after all he had done for her, she felt she should answer him. “I think so. But I cant live the way he does. If we were in Aronsdale, it would be different. I would have the support of the culture. But I cant imagine living in Jazid.

  Drummer spoke. “Jarid, its hard even for me, and I live in Taka Mal, which is less rigid than Jazid. Anger edged his voice. “Many people there dont see me as a man, because of the way I look. They think Im not quite human, but some exotic colt their queen caught. They dont say it aloud, maybe they dont even admit it to themselves, but Ive stopped making green spells when Im with the royal court, because their reaction is so intense. And Im not under the kind of pressure she would be in Jazid. It would be asking a lot of her.

  Allegra stiffened as she looked at Jarid. “You want me to go with Markus?

  “Not unless you wish it. But it will come up in the summit. Jarid tilted his head toward Drummer. “His marriage established a treaty between Aronsdale and Taka Mal. Youre in my custody, under my protection, a citizen of my country, and you married Jazids prince regent. This morning you and I stopped a battle. Everyone will want to know if Im considering a treaty with your husband.

  “But if you have a truce, she said, “doesnt it mean neither you nor the Harsdown king has to decide whether or not to fight?

  “Only if the truce holds, Jarid said. “Unless we come to terms in this summit, the fighting will start again.

  Drummer crossed his arms. “Taka Mal will never recognize the atajazids claim to the Topaz Throne.

  “And Cobalt wont relinquish the Onyx Throne, Jarid said tiredly. “I see no solutions, especially if General Yargazon is able to secure Quaaz.

  Drummers fist clenched in the blanket. “Hes a war criminal. He should be executed.

  “Hes a war criminal because Cobalt declared him one, Jarid said. “Unfortunately, the only crime we can prove is that he cut off your toe. And even that isnt certain.

  “You have my testimony, Drummer said. “Saints, man, you have my damn toe.

  “The evidence isnt the problem, Jarid said. “Its whether or not he broke laws.

  Allegra couldnt believe it. “How can you say that after all hes done?

  “Because everything hes done is legal in Jazid. The king sounded as if he felt heavy. Weighed down. “His army has taken every Taka Mal town on their route to Quaaz. Theyve taken Quaaz. They claim to have taken the throne. If the atajazid can hold it, then Jazid rules here, which means the laws of Jazid hold.

  “I was a political hostage, Drummer said tightly. “You dont maim and torture such prisoners.

  “Youre right, according to unwritten rules of war, we dont. But thats the key word unwritten. He broke no actual laws. Jarid rubbed the heel of his hand over his eyes, then dropped his arm. “Ive talked to Markus. He says the custom of returning a hostage in pieces hasnt been done for centuries, but hes certain its still part of Jazids legal code.

  “Thats appalling, Allegra said.

  “Jazid doesnt rule here, Drummer said. “Yargazon may have forced my family to seek protection, but Baz Quaazera commands our army, and they havent stopped fighting. Wryly he added, “Sleepy or not.

  “Nothing about this situation is clear cut, Jarid said. “But some facts are painfully clear. Aronsdale is surrounded at every border, and our mages are becoming prey. Especially those like you and Drummer, from the southwestern regions.

  “Why us? Drummer asked. “Mages live in other places, too.

  Jarid smiled slightly. “Dont either of you own a mirror?

  “Well, actually, no, Allegra said. Jasmine had thought it absurd she had no interest in looking in a mirror.

  “Why would I want a mirror? Drummer said. He was leaning on his hand, and Allegra could tell he was tiring. So was she.

  “People covet you, Jarid said. “Youre mages, youre sensual and you look helpless. He flicked his hand through his black hair as if showing it to them. “Almost everyone in the settled lands has darker coloring and more height than you. People associate those traits with strength, not only in Jazid, but everywhere. Gold hair, blue eyes, even violetyou find them only in southwestern Aronsdale. Your slender builds, gentleness, softness, the beauty of the women, and forgive me, Drummer, but the prettiness of the menit makes you seem defenseless. People dont think of you as normal, and yes, maybe not fully human. It never caused problems during the generations of peace because no one noticed southern Aronsdale. You were insulated. But as our mages have become known, so has the desire of others to own you. His voice tightened. “Ill be damned if I let conquerors violate my country to take the most vulnerable of my people.

  Allegra gaped at him, and Drummer turned red.

  After a moment, Jarid spoke awkwardly. “Maybe I said too much.

  “No. No, you didnt. Allegra found her voice. “I just cant see myself that way.

  Drummer snorted. “Im just a minstrel, Jarid.

  The king spoke quietly. “And Im just a blind, deaf, mute boy who grew up in a hut. But whatever we are, tomorrow we must be more for this summit of sovereigns.

  Allegra stepped outside the medical tent into a cool night beneath a canopy of stars veiled by translucent clouds. Two guards flanked the entrance, though whether to protect or imprison her, she didnt know. Both were tall and broad, and wore armor with the crossed swords of Aronsdale on their breastplates. Their plumed helmets covered their upper faces, leaving only their chins visible. It unsettled her; she had never realized how much she relied on expressions to help her understand people. When she couldnt see their faces, they became more intimidating.

  “Princess Allegra? one of the men asked. “Can we help you?

  “I would like to see my husband. She had tried to sleep, unable to face him, but her tangle of emotions had only grown worse, until it drove her out here.

  The guards exchanged glances, and the other man nodded. The one who had spoken said, “Im Major Lachlan. Ill take you.

  “Thank you, Allegra said softly. She didnt miss the difference between the kindness of these Aronsdale guards and the severity of Cobalts grizzled captain from the Misted Cliffs.

  She walked with Lachlan through the night, her feet protected by soft slippers. Lights showed here and there from torches or cooking fires, but the camp was mostly dark. Sounds drifted: the murmur of soldiers discussing a game of color-stones, the clank of a cook stowing a cauldron, the sizzle of water on a fire. Some people glanced her way, but most ignored her. As far as anyone knew, she was just another tender on an errand.

  When they reached a blue tent with a peaked roof, Lachlan stopped. Two soldiers stood by its entrance, as imposing as the two outside the medical tent. Lachlan spoke with them in low tones, but she caught, “Onyx consort and “visitation rights.

  Lachlan turned to Allegra. “Theyll take you in. If you wish to return to medical, one of them will take you back.

  Allegra nodded her thanks. She didnt know the protocols for royal consorts yet, but her response seemed to satisfy him. A guard lifted the tent flap for her, and she went inside. The tent was similar to the one where she and Markus had slept before, with a table, two stools, a pallet and braziers in two corners. Markus was seated at the tabl
e with his dinner set out on pewter plates. He had a mug halfway to his lips, but when she entered, he slowly set it down.

  She stopped in the center of the tent. “Markus

  He stood carefully, as if she were a skylark doe that would bolt at the slightest provocation. Dark rings showed under his eyes, and his hair was a mess, as if he had raked it with his hands many times. He started to come around the table, then hesitated, watching her uncertainly. She also started toward him, but stopped almost immediately. Finally he let out a breath and walked over to her.

  “Im glad you came, he said.

  Allegra laid her hand against his chest, the cloth of his shirt soft under her palm. She wished she could feel his heartbeat.

  Markus put his hand over hers. “Gods, Allegra, if I could take into myself the pain of what he did to you, if I could free you from that anguish, I would do it a hundred times over.

  “I didnt Her voice broke as she reached for him. He drew her into his arms, and they stood embracing, his touch so very, very careful with her injuries. She closed her eyes while her body shook with the silent tears she had pent up all day.

  He kept whispering “Im sorry over and over.

  When her tears spent themselves, she pushed back, her palms on his chest. “Markus, Ill never be able to be around him. If you go back She couldnt say any more.

  “Ill protect you, I swear.

  “You cant always! And I shouldnt have to live needing that protection. Her hands clenched, and the rich material of his shirt crumpled in her fists. “You cant abhor the cruelty in Dusk Yargazon and yet let him vanquish countries in your name.

  He caught her hands. “The world isnt drawn in such easy shades of light and dark.

  A tear slid down her cheek. “As long as he remains your right hand, I cannot live with you as your wife. She wanted to hold him, touch his strong body, inhale his scent. Instead she released his shirt and dropped her arms by her sides. “Each day you allow him to continue as the power behind your reign, you become more of him and less of what is best within you. In a ragged voice, she said, “You could be a great leader, Markus. I wont be the excuse a demon like Yargazon uses, in his craving for power, to destroy a good man.

  “You want me to deny what I am. He lifted her hand to his cheek. “Im a prince of the desert, not of your lush, rolling Aronsdale. Make no mistake, AllegraYargazon will pay for what he did to you. But I need him. Look at what he accomplished, starting from nothing, with the emperor set against him. Softly he said, “I would conquer a world for you, night bird, but I cannot stop being what defines me.

  “Youre more than you know. Her voice caught. “But youll never find out as long as he darkens your life.

  His gaze never wavered. “The darkness is already in me.

  “It shadows you, maybe even adds to your strength. But it doesnt define you. She willed him to hear, really hear her. “If you continue with him anywhere, I cant go with you.

  “Allegra, dont say that.

  “Yargazon told me things last night. Her voice cracked. “Hell never rest until he takes me from you. Until he owns all of me, my body, my spirit, my will, my soul. He wants me broken and on my knees. I will not live in fear of the man you turn to as your greatest strength.

  His gaze darkened. “Hell never have you.

  “Why does he hate me so much?

  “He doesnt. You threaten him. The dragon knows, he would never admit it, but I think hes afraid of you. He took both of her hands. “You challenge him. You refuse to submit. Thats why he wants to break you. But I swear, hell never hurt you again.

  “How can you swear that? Its impossible. She felt as if her chance for a life with Markus was slipping through her fingers like the sand in Yargazons hourglasses. “No matter how much you refuse to see it, hes hurting you. Destroying you. She made herself say what she had come to tell him. “Tomorrow, at the summit, I will stand with you. But when all is decided and done, I wont live where your general holds sway.

  “Youre my wife. You must go with me.

  She let go of his hands. “You cant take me against my will, not with the Aronsdale army here.

  His face turned cold in a way she had never seen before. “Do you think to marry the son of your king?

  “Markus, dont.

  He was staring as if she were a will-o-the-wisp that would disappear any moment. Although he spoke with anger, she heard the pain under his words. “As long as I live, no other man will call you his wife. Ill never release you from the contracts.

  Allegra felt as if she were breaking in two. Talking to him hurt too much. Softly she said, “Then Ill live my life alone.

  She turned and left then, before her heart could shatter.

  CHAPTER 27

  THE LOST CONTINENT

  In the sharp clarity of a desert morning, in legendary Quaaz, the warlords gathered. They came from five lands: Aronsdale, with its rolling hills and lush meadows; Harsdown, a place of cool autumns and apple orchards; Taka Mal, where ancient legends saturated the land; Jazid, with its starkly beautiful mountains spearing the sky; and the Misted Cliffs, whose emperor had reached out the long arm of his power from the snowy cliffs of his home to the burning deserts.

  By mutual agreement, they met in the Topaz Palace, in the Hall of the Dragon-Sun, nominally hosted by the royal House of Taka Mal, though the Quaazeras were in exile from their own city. Every leader from the assembled armies attended, with no exception, to ensure none tried to kill the others. The Hall gleamed like a sunrise. Gold-veined pillars bordered the room. Arched windows spanned the walls, and sunlight poured across a floor tiled in red and gold. Outside, the fabled gardens exploded with color. Blossoms spilled out of flower beds and trailed over trellises and stone arches. Fountains sculpted like dragons breathed arches of priceless water instead of fire.

  King Jarid entered the hall with his retinue, austere in dark trousers and a white shirt. His hair grazed his shoulders, thick and streaked with gray, but it didnt hide the scar on his neck. Prince Aron walked at his side, the same height as Jarid, broader in the shoulders, brown hair curling over his ears. Hale and strong, bursting with youth, his face unmarred by lifes pain, he was the ultimate Dawnfield heir. Watching him with a mages sense, though, Allegra wondered if he would rather be practicing spells than sitting in a war council.

  Allegra entered with Markus and four guards. They took their places at the far end of the great oval table and stood next to their chairs, with Jarid between Allegra and Aron. The Dawnfield prince glanced at her and flushed, then looked away as if it hurt to see her. Maybe she was naive to think they would have matched each other so well. But they would never know. Impossible as it seemed, she loved her husband. She could neither stop what she felt for Markus nor become a woman of Jazid. She saw no more hope for the two of them than she did for a peace settlement.

  Markus stood next to her, his gaze burning with a wildness nothing could tame. He wore dark clothes instead of armor, but nothing could disguise the warlord within him. Next to the men of Aronsdale, his fierce presence simmered.

  King Muller led the Harsdown retinue. Dawnfield violet and gold edged his white surcoat, though it bore the jaguar emblem on the chest. Muller wore Dawnfield colors because he had no claim to the colors of the House of Escar, which had ruled Harsdown before him. Ebony and blue symbolized the House of Escar. Cobalt-blue: It was what gave the emperor his name.

  Colonel Arkandy Ravensford, the man who had found Allegra among the sleeping army yesterday, came with Muller. A gray-haired man walked on Mullers other side, someone so well-known, even Allegra recognized him. Sphere-General Samuel Fieldson, formerly of Aronsdale, now commander of the Harsdown forces.

  When the queen of Taka Mal entered, the force of her presence blazed. To say Vizarana Jade Quaazera was arresting was akin to saying the lava in an erupting volcano was warm. She wore a gold silk tunic and trousers, with a dagger at her belt. Weapons were forbidden at the summit, but no one challenged her. She raked her gaze over e
very man in the room as if sizing them up and discarding the results. Allegra wondered if it had occurred to all those kings in Taka Mal and Jazid who were so intent on choosing wives to give them strong, fierce, powerful sons that they might end up with strong, fierce, powerful daughters instead.

  Drummer entered with Vizarana, his appearance far different than when Allegra had last seen him. He wore gold trousers and a light shirt with topazes on the cuffs. His yellow hair gleamed. Although he walked with crutches, he moved with a natural agility that made Allegra suspect it wouldnt be long before he recovered. Compared to all the brooding lords here, he was sunlight. If he felt self-conscious entering this place of towering warriors, he gave no sign.

  Two Taka Mal generals flanked the queen and Drummer. The older man with silvered hair dazzled in his red and gold uniform, with a sash across his chest that bore five disks enameled in sunrise colors. The other general looked so much like Vizarana, he could have been her brother. But she had no siblings, which meant he was almost certainly Baz Quaazera, her cousin, the commander of her armed forces. Given the pride that blazed in his eyes, Allegra doubted he would ever rest until he took back the Topaz Throne for the queenor died in the effort.

  The Jazid warlords came next.

  The Taka Mal retinue had just stopped by their chairs when the color suddenly drained from Drummers face. Following his gaze, Allegra felt as if ice formed within her. Yargazon was entering with Ardoz and Bladebreak. She wanted to bolt from the room, and it took a great effort of will to remain.

  Yargazon regarded her coldlyand with satisfaction. Her clothes covered the welts he had left on her body, but he knew she felt that measure of his revenge.