Besieged

by Rowena Cory Daniells

  ‘They duel?’

  Frayvia nodded. ‘If one T’En insults another’s stature, the one who was insulted will challenge the other to a duel.’

  ‘What kind of duel?’

  ‘Either on the empyrean plane or on this plane. You’ve no gift training and you’ve never been taught to defend yourself with long-knives. You mustn’t do anything to insult the gift-tutor, or anyone else, for that matter. Promise me?’

  ‘I wouldn’t set out to insult anyone. But how do I know what they’ll find insulting? Even you don’t know how they do things in the sisterhoods. I’ll keep my head down and observe them.’

  More time passed and no one sent for them. Warmed by the fire, Imoshen fought sleep. ‘Do you think All-mother Aayelora will give us sanctuary?’

  ‘Not if the gift-tutor has anything to say about it.’

  Imoshen hugged Frayvia. ‘I’m so glad I didn’t lose you.’

  ‘I beg your pardon. The all-mother...’

  They came out of the embrace to find a Malaunje behind them. He looked away as though embarrassed.

  Frayvia shrugged off Imoshen’s arm, whispering, ‘We must maintain proper distance.’

  Imoshen wanted to argue, but she came to her feet. ‘My apologies. You were saying?’

  ‘You have been summoned to the all-mother council.’

  Imoshen swallowed and glanced to Frayvia. ‘Stay with Iraayel. He’ll be frightened if he wakes and I’m not here. Hopefully, I’ll be back soon with good news.’

  The council chamber was so beautiful it stole her breath. A row of arched windows looked out onto a terraced garden, where lights flickered in fanciful topiary trees.

  Inside the long chamber, scented candles and mirrors lit the assembled women. At a quick count, there were around thirty of them, all beautifully dressed in silks and brocades. Gleaming stones flashed when they gestured. Their hair was piled in elaborate styles, fixed with jewelled combs.

  With so many powerful gifted women present, the room was filled with tension: Imoshen’s own gift stirred. Focusing, she forced down her power, just as she had been doing ever since they arrived in the city.

  ‘So many all-mothers–’

  ‘There are six sisterhoods. The all-mothers have come with their seconds,’ Egrayne told her, ‘and their gift-tutors, since the matters under discussion included your addiction to the male gift. Some brought their sisterhood historians, too.’

  Imoshen didn’t like being described as an addict, but she kept quiet. She looked up at the tall T’En. ‘I remember you from Aayelora’s inner circle. You aren’t the gift-tutor, or her voice-of-reason, or hand-of-force. Are you a historian?’

  ‘No. I’m the T’Enatuath’s empowerer.’

  ‘I don’t know what that means.’

  ‘It means I can reach into a child of thirteen or fourteen and identify their gift and help focus it, so that they can begin studying right away, instead of wasting years while they try to work out what kind of gift they have. You say you are a raedan?’

  ‘That’s what Reothe and Frayvia said.’

  ‘Then be prepared, they may ask me to confirm it. Or they may ask you to prove it.’

  ‘Imoshen of no sisterhood, step forward,’ Gift-tutor Vittoryxe said.

  Imoshen walked across the marble floor, all too aware of the ragged state of her clothes.

  The women whispered and pointed, and she could feel them judging her, feel their gifts battering against her defences.

  ‘Stand here,’ Egrayne said, before stepping behind her.

  Imoshen faced the gathering of powerful all-mothers and their sisters. These were the women Rohaayel had planned to defeat, using her sacrare son. She had to impress them enough to offer her sanctuary, but not so much that they found her dangerous.

  ‘Your presence here means the covenant that has stood for four hundred years has been broken,’ All-mother Aayelora said. ‘You come asking for sanctuary. You come after escaping brotherhood warriors sent to kill you. You come claiming to be a raedan. You come claiming to have birthed a healthy sacrare. Do you deny any of this?’

  Imoshen shook her head, then in the interests of honesty, she added. ‘I don’t claim the last two things. Others described me as a raedan. And I had a sacrare boy – that is a fact. I had him for less than a day, but he was p–perfect.’ Tears blurred her vision.

  The women whispered. Imoshen blinked and studied their faces. The instinct to draw on her gift was overpowering. Her gift rose and she saw fear, disbelief and jealousy. Mostly, she saw fear. Fear of change, she guessed.

  ‘No respect...’

  ‘What do you expect of a brotherhood-raised...’

  ‘She has no idea.’

  In one woman’s face she saw sympathy, and Imoshen held her eyes as she spoke in her own defence. ‘I’ve done nothing wrong. The wrong was done to me.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ Gift-tutor Vittoryxe said. ‘She–’

  Aayelora held up her hand for silence. ‘We have our doubts about you, Imoshen. Not that you were wronged, but that it would be safe to take you into our sisterhoods. We cannot turn you out, but we do not know if we can accept you.’

  Imoshen blinked. Was the all-mother saying they would rather kill her than let her go? Her gift leapt to defend her. A rush of power made her heart race and skin itch. She heard Egrayne’s soft intake of breath behind her.

  ‘Is she truly a raedan?’ one of the women asked. ‘Have the T’Enatuath’s empowerer test her claim.’

  Was her raedan gift the only thing that stood between her and execution?

  Imoshen felt Egrayne approach her from behind. ‘Do you agree to this?’

  ‘What choice do I have?’

  ‘Then kneel and lower your defences.’

  Imoshen knelt. The only person she had ever lowered her defences for was Reothe, and she struggled to do it now, with so many hostile women judging her. Egrayne placed large, warm hands on her neck. Fingers slipped up her cheeks to her temples. The gathering looked on in silence.

  Imoshen felt trapped.

  ‘Drop your walls,’ Egrayne urged.

  ‘I can’t.’

  Egrayne raised her voice. ‘Her shields are too powerful. She must prove her raedan ability by reading some of us.’

  Imoshen’s knees felt weak as she tried to stand. Egrayne hauled her to her feet.

  ‘That’s no test,’ Gift-tutor Vittoryxe said. ‘I could guess how we are all feeling. Worried, angry–’

  ‘Frightened of change,’ Imoshen said. It was so much easier not to fight her instincts. She saw Vittoryxe flinch. ‘Why do you feel guilty? I don’t understand.’

  ‘I don’t. That’s nonsense.’

  She was lying. Imoshen searched the faces of the sisterhoods’ most powerful T’En women and came back to the one who felt sympathy for her. This sister wanted to...

  ‘Heal me. You think I have been injured by the brotherhood, and you want to heal me.’

  ‘It’s true,’ she acknowledged. She smiled. There was no fear in her, which was refreshing.

  ‘Imoshen could have heard that Reoden is a healer,’ Vittoryxe argued.

  ‘Is she? That makes sense,’ Imoshen said to herself.

  Her gaze settled on All-mother Aayelora. Like the others, she was worried, but also determined to make the right decision. Beneath this there was a bone-deep sadness that Imoshen recognised, because the same sadness was inside her. But there was also a curious sense of shame.

  ‘What is it? What do you see in our all-mother?’ Egrayne asked, from just behind her.

  ‘It makes no sense,’ Imoshen said. ‘A sadness walks alongside her. I thought it meant she had lost a child, like I have. But there is also shame, as if she did something wrong–’

  The sisters gasped.

  ‘She could have heard about the geldr,’ Vittoryxe said.

  Imoshen looked over her shoulder to Egrayne. ‘What’s a geldr?’

  ‘She’s a raedan,’ Egrayne announced. ‘Ther
e can be no doubt.’

  ‘Then she is useful to us,’ Healer Reoden said. ‘Too useful to waste.’

  ‘But how do we know we can trust her?’ a sister asked.

  ‘She must prove her loyalty,’ another insisted.

  ‘We must call the brotherhood leaders to account. Call an all-council. The all-father who broke the covenant must be punished.’

  ‘That’s how she must prove her loyalty,’ Vittoryxe said, and all Imoshen could read from her was a vicious triumph. The gift-tutor wanted her to fail. ‘Imoshen must be the one to punish him.’

  ‘Me?’ She took a step back. Kill her own father? ‘But–’

  ‘You say the wrong was done to you. You must administer the punishment. You must prove your loyalty,’ Vittoryxe said. ‘You kill him. Or we execute you, your devotee and your choice-son.’

  Imoshen reeled. So much vitriol. She found it hard to think. ‘Does Gift-tutor Vittoryxe speak for the all-mothers?’

  There was whispering and All-mother Aayelora received several nods.

  ‘In this case, yes,’ Aayelora said. ‘You must prove your loyalty by executing Rohaayel the Covenant-breaker.’

  ‘Well?’ Vittoryxe prodded. ‘Can you do this?’

  Imoshen had to keep her family safe, no matter what. She lifted her head. ‘I can do it.’

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  THEY BATHED AND dressed her in fine silks, painted her face, pinned jewels in her hair, and dabbed scent behind her ears and between her breasts. All the while, she felt as if she was being prepared as a sacrifice.

  The sisterhood leaders were using her. If she failed to kill the covenant-breaking all-father, they would punish those she loved. She had been used by her brotherhood, and now the sisters were using her.

  The all-mother’s devotee regarded her critically. ‘There, you look presentable.’

  ‘Thank you, Narisa.’

  ‘You haven’t even looked at yourself yet.’

  Imoshen took a deep breath. Until she came here, she had only ever caught glimpses of herself in a window, or reflected in water. Last night when she looked in a real polished mirror it was almost too painful to bear. Her gift stripped her of all illusion. She saw failure, wilful blindness, and the naive trust that led to her infant son’s death...

  Now she looked at her reflection and tried to contain her gift. But try as she might, she could only catch a glimpse of the line of her chin, the arch of one eyebrow and the way the jewels lay at the base of her throat, before she had to look away to Egrayne behind her.

  ‘Lovely, thank you. I’d like to see Frayvia and Iraayel, in case...’

  ‘Of course.’ Egrayne led her down a passage to a terrace. ‘They’re in the hot-house.’

  Imoshen found the two people she loved most in the world picking flowers on the terrace. When she stepped inside the hot-house, the air smelled fecund and rich.

  ‘Iraayel.’

  He ran to her, and she dropped to her knees for a hug. Holding him hurt, because Reoshen was missing, but it only made her hold on tighter.

  He pulled back. ‘You smell sweet, like the flowers.’

  She kissed his forehead. Had Irian ever been a dear little boy like this, once? She mustn’t think of him, or of Ardeyne and Rohaayel. Mustn’t think of them as anything but the covenant-breaking all-father and his seconds, men she must kill if she wanted sanctuary for her family.

  After all, they had used her and lied to her.

  Coming to her feet, she took Frayvia in her arms and kissed both her cheeks, then her lips. ‘Don’t cry.’

  ‘It’s not fair. How can they make you do this?’

  ‘The how is easy. They hold you and Iraayel hostage. The why of it’s the thing. That gift-tutor set out to destroy me, using the sisterhood leaders and their fear of the T’En males. But...’ – Imoshen shrugged – ‘it would probably have come to this anyway.’ She held Frayvia’s eyes. ‘If I die...’

  Frayvia tried to pull away.

  ‘No, listen. If I die attempting this, I don’t want you to die. Is there some way we can sever our link?’

  Frayvia shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. The T’En devotee bond is supposed to be for life. A T’En might survive their devotee’s death, but–’

  ‘I need you to live to watch over Iraayel.’

  ‘Time to go, Imoshen,’ Egrayne called.

  ‘Promise me?’

  Frayvia nodded.

  Imoshen leant down to Iraayel. ‘Be good for Fray.’

  He smiled. ‘I’m always good.’ And he pulled a flower out from behind his back. ‘A pretty flower for a pretty lady.’

  Imoshen took it, tears stinging her eyes. Her gift rode just below the surface of her skin, enhancing emotions and scents. She tucked the flower in the shoulder strap of her bodice, where she could smell it with each breath.

  Then she left them.

  Egrayne saw the flower. ‘Gardenia.’

  ‘Is that what it is? We grew marigolds amongst the vegetables to keep away the pests.’ Imoshen sensed Egrayne’s discomfort and made a note not to talk about her past.

  If she survived.

  Ahead, she could see Vittoryxe and two gift-warriors waiting for her at the terrace doors. She stopped. ‘Will they kill Frayvia and Iraayel, if I fail?’

  ‘Your devotee will die with you. The boy...’ Egrayne hesitated. ‘They’ll kill him.’

  Imoshen studied the tall gift-empowerer. ‘You lie to me so that I will fight for my life, to save him. Why do you care if I live or die?’

  Egrayne blinked, and then a slow smile made her face come alive. ‘I forget you’re a raedan...’ – her eyes narrowed – ‘who just used her gift on me without my permission. I could challenge you to a duel for that.’

  Imoshen laughed. ‘I have enough challenges without making an enemy of you. I already have an enemy in the gift-tutor.’

  Egrayne did not deny this. She shook her head. ‘I must admit, I don’t understand you, Imoshen.’

  ‘Then we are even.’ Imoshen discovered she liked Egrayne. ‘I don’t understand why T’En women fear the men.’

  ‘Because they seek to destroy us.’

  ‘Because you fear them. It’s a circular argument, don’t you see?’

  ‘Don’t listen to her, Egrayne,’ Vittoryxe warned as she strode towards them, radiating determination. ‘I’ll take over from here.’

  ‘You’re not coming?’ Imoshen asked Egrayne.

  The tall gift-empowerer shook her head and Imoshen sensed her withdrawing; she didn’t like the gift-tutor either.

  ‘The all-council is only attended by the leaders of the brotherhoods and sisterhoods.’ Vittoryxe was dismissive. ‘Come along now.’

  ‘I think Egrayne should come, too,’ Imoshen protested. Vittoryxe stiffened. ‘After all, she is the T’Enatuath’s gift-empowerer, she can vouch for my gift.’ Imoshen caught a glimmer of amusement in Egrayne’s dark eyes.

  ‘You’re right,’ Vittoryxe said, as if the words tasted bad on her tongue. ‘The more members of our all-mother’s inner circle attend the council, the more it raises her stature.’

  By the time they reached the doors, Vittoryxe had started lecturing her.

  ‘The male gift is the problem, Imoshen. Until they are thirteen or fourteen, they are not much different from us. Then it floods their minds, making them irrational and prone to violence. One male is not so bad, but in a group...’ She shook her head. ‘Their gifts trigger each other, rising in a spiral of aggression. It clouds their minds. They cannot be trusted. Certainly not with precious T’En children. That’s why the covenant exists.’

  Imoshen bit her tongue. As Reothe had explained it, Rohaayel wanted the brotherhoods to reclaim their boy children. She didn’t know what to believe any more, but she clung to one fact: her father had planned to kill her and steal her child.

  She had to protect Frayvia and Iraayel. She must not falter.

  Time seemed to behave strangely as her gift surged. One moment they wer
e in the sisterhood quarter, meeting up with the other five all-mothers and their seconds, walking along avenues bathed in afternoon sun. Then they were through the gate and on the wide road that ran down to the causeway. Then they were approaching an elegant domed building.

  Inside, it was huge. The dome soared, seeming to float above the windows encircling its base. Mosaics of great events were edged with thousands of tiny gold tiles, glittering in the morning sun.

  In the centre was an empty marble floor, surrounded by rising tiers of seats. One side was filled with all-fathers and their seconds. The men outnumbered the women and, for the first time, Imoshen felt that frisson of fear that all the female T’En must feel when confronted by the sheer physicality of the males.

  They wore neck torcs denoting their stature and their brotherhood affiliations, and went bare-chested, the better to show off duelling scars. Pleated breeches rode low on their hips, with wide, jewelled belts.

  Even from this side of the dome, she could feel the force of the men’s combined gifts. It promised violence and left a bad taste on her tongue. This wasn’t an aspect of male gift she was used to, and she stepped back, her own power rising in response.

  She had to remind herself that Reothe’s gift had never felt like this. A challenge, yes, but never a threat. In fact, she had never felt threatened by her father and her uncles, either. Yet they had betrayed her.

  No time for emotion. Focus.

  Behind her, the seats filled as the all-mothers and their seconds filed in. They were as richly dressed as the men and just as nervous, their gifts primed for use.

  ‘Stand here,’ Vittoryxe told Imoshen, before stepping back, just behind her.

  Imoshen glanced over her other shoulder to find Egrayne leaning on the waist-high balustrade. The empowerer gave her a reassuring nod. Imoshen had thought she’d requested Egrayne’s presence to bring Vittoryxe down a peg, but now she understood she needed a friendly face.

  Searching the women, she found another friendly face, Healer Reoden who, she now knew, was the all-mother of a great sisterhood.

  The sisterhood leaders whispered, silver-haired heads inclined, jewelled combs catching the light. One by one, they fell silent and looked past her. Imoshen turned to see the silhouettes of broad-shouldered men as they entered the corridor on the far side of the dome.