Empress Unborn se-7

by Jean Lorrah

  “Not always,” said Aradia, running her hand over Lenardo’s right forearm. She could feel the brand embedded into his flesh, a dragon’s head that showed red against his skin, even years after the wound had healed. “In the days of the white wolf and the red dragon,” she murmured.

  He held her close. “Yes-we finally did bring peace to all our lands,” he agreed, looking up at the room’s ceiling. Wulfston had decorated this suite of rooms especially for Lenardo and Aradia. Even in the dim light their emblems, Aradia’s white wolfs head and Lenardo’s red dragon, could be made out, entwined in the painted relief.

  “And if Wulfston has to find where he began,” Aradia added, snuggling sleepily into a more comfortable position against Lenardo, “he was born in a village between Tiberium and Zendi. So even if he does go far away, he’ll have to… come home again.”

  The next day, their uninvited African guests were brought before Wulfston, who sat on his throne, flanked by a formidable array of Readers and Adepts: Lenardo, Aradia, Julia, and Wulfston’s Reader, Rolf.

  Sukuru, revived and healthy, was shaking in his sandals as he apologized profusely, stumbling over his words in the language called Trader’s Common.

  The tall, gaunt black man seemed to have only minor Adept powers. He insisted they would never have attacked Wulfston had they known him to be the Lord Adept they sought, but when they saw another black man, wrapped in a plain woolen cloak, they had thought him one of their enemies, trying to thwart their expedition.

  They had expected to find “the most excellent Lord of the Black Wolf,” Sukuru explained in annoyingly obsequious terms, to be “as you are now, most gracious lord, crowned in gold and seated upon a throne.”

  Aradia listened, Reading fear, but a certain level of sincerity in the man. She didn’t like him: he was here to ask a stranger to do what he feared to do himself.

  Sukuru and his small band claimed to represent “many tribes and peoples who share a dream of freedom.” He told of a powerful witch-queen, Z’Nelia, who held in thrall a large number of African lands.

  “Besides her own formidable powers, she has many followers with powers of their own, as well as a huge and powerful army.”

  Z’Nelia sounded like Drakonius-and Drakonius had been defeated.

  “But why come so far to seek my help?” Wulfston asked.

  Sure enough, the story of the defeat of Drakonius had traveled as far as Africa. But, it seemed, the version popular there was a distorted one in which Wulfston had defeated Drakonius in single combat.

  Julia snickered, and Aradia could feel Wulfston smother laughter. “That’s a song,” he explained, “created by a bard seeking favor in my court. East of here, in the city of Zendi, you would hear a much different version, celebrating the exploits of my sister and her husband.”

  The puzzlement of the envoys was clear to Read when Wulfston identified Aradia as his sister. But they did not ask; they were too eager to press their case. Despite Wulfston’s insistence that only an alliance of Adepts and Readers could defeat such a strong opponent, they wanted one single champion-someone the equal of their fabled Z’Nelia.

  When Sukuru’s words won no promises from Wulfston, he called forward the veiled woman, Chulaika.

  She spoke of oppression, slavery, and murder, begging, “Please, Lord Wulfston-come to our aid. Only a great Lord like yourself can help us now.”

  “You are a Son of Africa,” Sukuru said suddenly. “Surely you will not refuse to help your own people?”

  Aradia smothered a gasp of indignation, but Wulfston replied exactly as she would have hoped: “My own people are right here. I was not born in your land, but in the Aventine Empire, where my parents were proud to have earned citizenship. I will consult with my allies to determine what help we can offer you-but you must understand that I cannot leave my lands unattended to go adventuring in yours.”

  That afternoon, Aradia was examined by Astra, who was acting as healer for her on this expedition.

  Astra and her husband, Zanos, were direct allies of Lady Lilith, and represented her at this meeting; they were another couple brought together by the turmoil surrounding the fall of Tiberium. Astra would soon be taking her tests for the rank of Master Reader-even though she was a married woman-while Zanos was a former gladiator in the Aventine arena.

  If Lenardo and Aradia were an unlikely team, the quiet, slender Reader and the huge, flame-haired gladiator seemed an incomprehensible match. Yet they were obviously quite happy together. Zanos had minor abilities as both Reader and Adept, while Astra, like Lenardo, had developed some Adept powers, but would rarely sacrifice her Reading skills to practice them.

  “The baby is doing very well,” Astra told Aradia, “but you are tired. You should take a nap this afternoon.”

  “I’m not tired.”

  “My lady, do not deny your condition to a Reader. Your husband will say the same.”

  “But it’s such a lovely day,” Aradia protested.

  “There is no need to stay indoors,” said Astra. “Come with me into the herb garden. The walls will protect you from the breeze.”

  So Aradia was installed on a chaise in the herb garden near the castle’s kitchen. Astra remained with her for a while, gathering herbs which did not grow in Lilith’s lands, and then left her alone, not protesting that Aradia was reading rather than sleeping.

  Later that afternoon, Lenardo’s mind touched Aradia’s. “Come join me?” she suggested.

  “Gladly. Wulfston is with me.”

  Wulfston and Lenardo, it seemed, had been discussing their uninvited guests. “It doesn’t make sense,”

  explained Wulfston. “Why would they come to strangers for help? There’s something Sukuru’s not telling.”

  “And that I can’t Read,” added Lenardo. “We’re going to try to draw them out at dinner tonight.”

  Aradia smiled wryly. “And then you and Astra will provoke the rest of us by Reading something important, but being bound by your Reader’s Oaths not to reveal it!”

  “You are bound by the same Oath, Aradia,” her husband reminded her.

  “Yes, but how likely am I to Read any secrets? I still can’t even Read our baby. I tried again today, but Astra had to Read with me.”

  “At least you can Read,” Wulfston reminded her. “I won’t get to meet my niece until after she’s born!”

  When Wulfston had gone, Lenardo said, “Our daughter is developing well. Read with me.”

  Through her husband’s powers, Aradia Read the shape in her womb, the tiny being already equipped with arms and legs, eyes and mouth. But there was no consciousness yet. “Soon,” Lenardo promised.

  “Soon she will become aware, and then I’m sure you’ll be able to Read her, Aradia.”

  She wanted to. She wanted to love the baby, Lenardo’s child, product of their love. But how could she love someone she didn’t know? Automatically, she braced as if to use her powers so Lenardo would not Read her thought: I don’t feel like a motherI just feel as if I have some nagging minor illness draining my powers.

  At dinner that night, Julia watched and Read with interest as Lenardo, Aradia, and Wulfston told their African guests how they had first met and joined their powers to defeat Drakonius. Part of her preparation to govern lands of her own one day was to learn Trader’s Common, and she found that she had little trouble following the conversation.

  Lenardo ended the story by emphasizing the strength of their relationships: “So Julia is my adopted daughter, though I don’t think either of us often remembers that she’s adopted. Aradia is my wife, and that makes her brother Wulfston my brother, too.”

  Sukuru asked, “How comes it, Lord Wulfston, that these pale folk claim you kin?”

  “Ties of love may be as strong as ties of blood,” Wulfston replied. Julia glanced at Lenardo, trying to take comfort in the thought. She often wondered if the baby Aradia carried would take her place in his affections.

  Her eyes focused on the ring her father wo
re, matching the one on Aradia’s hand. Wolf and dragon intertwined in gleaming gold. Their wedding rings, a gift from Wulfston. Julia knew he had meant them as a symbol of unity. To Julia, though, they seemed to mean that Lenardo was joined to Aradia, shutting his adopted daughter out. She knew that was an unfair thought, and tried to put it out of her mind.

  Wulfston was telling how Aradia’s father, Nerius, had spirited him out of the Aventine Empire when his Adept powers manifested at the age of three, and the folk of his village would have killed him. In those days, only Readers were accepted in the Empire, and any child who showed Adept talent was killed.

  Aradia finished up, declaring that the child she carried “will not be only our daughter; she will be Julia’s sister, and Wulfston’s niece. That is the kind of family alliance you must have to fight a tyrant.” Julia Read only sincerity from her stepmother. Why did she distrust her?

  Sukuru expressed amazement, but seemed disappointed at Wulfston’s advice to raise an alliance of people with powers in his own lands to fight the tyrant. Although he said, “We will heed your advice, most excellent lord,” Julia Read that he did not really mean the words.

  With her mind, she reached out to Lenardo, but he replied with an unverbalized warning to keep mentally silent. Were there Readers among the Africans that she had not recognized?

  Her father was on his guard-if these people were hiding something, Lenardo would find it out.

  Sukuru, meanwhile, was presenting Wulfston with a bottle of wine from his native land, insisting that they all drink a toast “to our success in gaining from you the means to save our land.”

  Now what did he mean by that? Julia wished she could get her hands on something of Sukuru’s. She had one of the unusual Reading talents, the ability to Read the history of an object by touching it, including the stories of the people who had handled it. Perhaps before they left, she could touch something of this man’s and find out his secrets.

  Meanwhile, the wine was poured from a vessel like none Julia had ever seen before. It was pointed on the bottom, so it couldn’t stand on a table, and painted in brilliant, jewel-like colors.

  Julia reached for her goblet as soon as the wine was poured into it, but her father was right there with the water pitcher. When would he believe she was grown up enough to drink her wine like an adult, not watered down like a baby?

  Sukuru raised his goblet. “To the defeat of Z’Nelia-and anything we must do to free our land from her evil!”

  As she raised the goblet to her lips, smelling exotic spices in the wine, Julia suddenly Read Sukuru’s only half-hidden thought: “Z’Nelia will be pleased with the way I have fooled them-they’re completely unprepared for her attack!” And with it came a picture of an armada of heavily armed ships full of black warriors, waiting out of Reading range.

  Aradia, having Read it through Lenardo, leaned over and whispered to Wulfston, but Lenardo just took a drink of the wine, giving no reaction to indicate that he had Read the man’s secret thought.

  Julia followed her father’s example. Wulfston called for sweets and fruits and a drier wine, for even Julia found the one their guests had served them unbearably sweet and overloaded with spices. She took a long drink of plain water to wash the taste out of her mouth.

  Why didn’t Lenardo challenge Sukuru with what he had Read? Or ask Wulfston to end the dinner, so they could meet and make plans? Julia Read agitation from Aradia, who would want to alert all their allies, and prepare for invasion.

  As the musicians played once more, Lenardo watched Sukuru through slitted eyes. Julia cautiously Read with him, careful not to let thoughts or feelings project, just as her father had taught her. Astra, sitting farther down the table, Read with them, while Aradia braced her Adept powers, for she could not possibly Read without being Read herself.

  Sukuru could not be a very good Reader to make that slip-if he was a Reader at all. Lenardo was the only Reader known who could Read any Reader at all without being detected. Astra could do it with many Readers, but Julia was just learning. She felt warmly proud that her father trusted her now, and she fulfilled that trust, Reading only through him, making no attempt to reach Sukuru’s mind on her own.

  Lenardo found only Sukuru’s feelings, however; he was now lightly braced for the use of Adept powers, his thoughts unReadable. When Lords Adept like Wulfston and Aradia braced for full use of powers, even their feelings became unReadable. But Sukuru was no Lord Adept. Although he kept them from Reading his thoughts, a definite smugness came through, and something more…

  When she recognized it, Julia dropped out of the rapport before she allowed herself to react. Closing her mind in upon itself as Master Clement had patiently taught her, she realized, He was lying! There was no invasion fleet!

  Lenardo’s hand touched her arm. When she looked up at him, he smiled at her and nodded, and she glowed with the knowledge that she had done well in her father’s eyes-and under circumstances in which a childish slip might have proved fatal. Sukuru did not know they had discovered his deception.

  “What do you think he thinks we’ll do?” Julia asked once they were in their suite of apartments after Wulfston had dismissed the musicians.

  “Gather our allies, perhaps,” replied Lenardo. “Then I suppose he’ll try to get us all to join in his fight.”

  “That’s a…” Aradia paused to yawn. “… terribly foolish plan.”

  “What’s keeping Wulfston?” Lenardo wondered.

  “I told him to come here,” Aradia replied, and yawned again. It was contagious; both Lenardo and Julia yawned.

  “It’s been a long day,” said Lenardo. “I’ll have Devasin help you get ready for bed. You too, Julia. I’ll go get Wulfston.”

  Julia didn’t know why she was so sleepy, when she should be excited. In the next room, she could hear Devasin telling Aradia to lie down-something about being asleep on her feet. Julia put on her nightgown, and a robe over it, wondering why her father hadn’t come back yet with Wulfston.

  As she sat down on the edge of her bed to put on her slippers, a wave of dizziness swept over her. She tried to Read for Lenardo, but couldn’t find him… and then couldn’t remember why she wanted him as she sank onto the bed, sound asleep.

  Aradia woke to a touch on her forehead. Her brother was bending over her.

  “Wulfston, what-? Why have I slept so late?” she asked as she realized that strong morning sunshine was slanting between the curtains. She sat up, looking around, and remembered last night. Her husband had gone for Wulfston. “Where’s Lenardo?” she demanded.

  “Aradia, we were drugged,” Wuflston explained. “The wine Sukuru served us-”

  “Drugged?” A bolt of pure fear shot through her body, and she clasped her arms across her abdomen.

  “The baby! Oh, Wulfston-get Lenardo to Read whether the baby’s been harmed!”

  “I don’t know where he’s gone,” Wulfston replied.

  “Aradia? Wulfston?” It was Julia’s voice at the door to the adjoining chamber.

  “Julian-come in!” Aradia cried. “Can you Read where Lenardo is?”

  “Not in the castle,” the girl replied at once. “What’s the matter?”

  “Please,” Aradia told her, “Read the baby-see if she’s been poisoned.”

  “Poisoned!” Julia’s eyes grew round with horror, but she laid a hand on Aradia’s abdomen and concentrated. Aradia Read with her, finding the baby still there, its tiny heart beating as usual. “No,” Julia said. “At least I

  can’t Read anything but a healthy baby, Aradia. I’m sure Father will confirm that.”

  “You don’t have a headache, Aradia,” Wulfston said, thus telling her that he must have been so affected.

  “Your body instinctively protected your child-you probably went directly into healing sleep and purged the poison from your blood at once. The drug knocked me out so completely^ that I couldn’t cleanse it away until I woke this morning.”

  She remembered how sleepy she had b
een-Devasin had had to support her. Yes, it had been the same weariness she knew when her body needed to heal an injury.

  But when she asked again for Lenardo, Wulfston shook his head. “Our uninvited guests have gone.

  Perhaps he followed them.”

  Aradia saw that Julia didn’t believe that any more than she did. She remembered the moment Sukuru had let slip the knowledge that a fleet was on the way to attack them: Lenardo had covered his surprise by taking a long swallow of the drugged wine.

  As Aradia drew breath to say it, though, Julia suddenly spoke, her eyes focused on something not in the room with them. “I can Read as far as the harbor, and I can’t find Father anywhere.” Then she gasped.

  “The ship! Wulfston-the ship is gone!”

  “Julia,” Aradia demanded, “is there really a fleet of ships out there?”

  “No,” the girl replied, and Aradia heard the respect in her voice. “Father Read that it was a lie.”

  “Designed to fool Readers!” said Aradia. “And it did. In the excitement of thinking Sukuru was the point of an invasion, nobody Read the poison in the wine!”

  Wulfston went to awaken Zanos and Astra, for a Magister Reader could go out of body to Read over great distances. Astra verified that there was no invasion fleet, but she found Sukuru’s vessel, and with it Lenardo-still asleep, and locked in the hold.

  Wulfston called for a ship.

  Aradia heard the news from Astra, who came to verify her baby’s health. Zanos and Astra were going with Wulfston, the Magister Reader explained. With their abilities and Wulfston’s, they would quickly catch the fleeing vessel.

  Aradia agreed. As soon as Astra had gone, she began preparing herself to join in the rescue of her husband. Dressed in serviceable garments for travel, she joined Wulfston in his room just as he was turning his private coffer out on the bed.

  It was just a precaution-taking enough money for a long journey-but nonetheless it made Aradia uneasy. “Hurry, Wulfston,” she said. “We don’t want to miss the tide.”

  “Aradia-” he began.

  “I’m going with you,” she told him firmly.