Frank-SQuest

by Serpent's Quest [lit]

  Rage brought Malthus fangs to full extension, and sent a flush across his dark features. He saw a piece of paper folded and shoved into the neck of what remained of her dress. Opening the pouch, Malthus shoved that in with the rest, not bothering to try and read it in the darknesshe knew already who had written it.

  His lips writhed back from his fangs. I'll kill you, Sergei. I'll kill you for this."

  The rumors that Sergei had a taste for little girls had finally been confirmed to Malthus. If the vampire had fallen into the grip of Passion-Dance of Obsession, Sergei would keep coming back until he had killed all of them, and then go looking for the rest of Malthus family. Malthus intended to make it Sergei's last dance.

  Malthus let Ros feed until he was certain that he'd pulled her back from the edge. Lifting her in his arms, he settled her against his shoulder, picked up the pouch, and carried her home. He put Ros to bed, and then fetched a basin, ewer of water, soap, and a soft cloth. One he had cleaned Ros up, he let Lyrri out.

  "Lyrri, your sister is hurt. She fell in the water. Don't disturb her."

  Her eyes were large as she nodded solemnly. I won't, Uncle Malthus.

  Malthus put Lyrri to bed, and sent her to sleep with a touch of his hand. Afterward, he took the pouch to his office and sat down at his desk. Malthus untied the leather thong holding the pouch closed and drew out two sealed letters and the folded paper he had found shoved into Ros dress.

  He unfolded the paper first, and found that the message had indeed come from Sergei. The note, written in an elegant hand with graphite said simply:

  "Playing both sides of the game? That could get you killed.

  "By the way, she was delicious. I'll come back for the other one."

  Sergei.

  Malthus crumbled the paper angrily, kneading it in his hand for several minutes before dropping it into the woven basket beside his desk. He would see that it was burned with the rest when he finished. Sergei was so certain of his power, that he was taunting Malthus, and it rankled. Was Sergei threatening him? More reason to kill the vampire and be done with it.

  Two more letters, one from Lord Daemon, and the other from the god-queen Gylorean. No wonder Sergei made that threat. He must think he can blackmail me here. No matter.

  Malthus broke the seal on the first letter.

  Malthus,

  I want the child alive. He is worth a chest of gold to me. If you can get me his mother also, I will make that two chests. They are more valuable than you can imagine. But only if they are alive when they reach me. I am the only one who knows how to use them. Do not disappoint me.

  Daemon, Lord Brandrahoon.

  Malthus felt a moment's elation until he read the signature. Lord Daemon had just given his true name, and with that name came an implicit threat. For the first time in his life, Malthus knew fear. He wished now that he had not told Brandrahoon of the child and its mother.

  He knew all the stories and most of the rumors concerning the oldest vampire in existence. He was one of the three brothers who had founded Waejontor.

  Once there were three brothers: Brandrahoon the vampire; Isranon called Dawnhand, speaker to spirits; and Waejonan the Accursed, first of sa'necari.

  The words trembled in his mind. The hellgod-queen Gylorean Galee had made Brandrahoon the first vampires. Back in the days that the sa'necari were merely a cult led by Waejonan the first king of Waejontor, they had learned to fear Brandrahoon. The dreaded Lord Hoon, a vampire lord with many holdings throughout the continent, had to have been Brandrahoon all along.

  Historians and others had long speculated on whether the ancient vampire still lived or not. Now Malthus knew and he wondered how many others did also. Brandrahoon would only have revealed himself if he felt secure in his position and his power. The queen must be aware of this, after all she had given him back the estates he held before Waejonan exiled himbefore he and his she-creature killed Waejonan and disappeared into the shadows for centuries, rising only as a rumor here and there.

  Did the she-creature still exist also? If so, he would not risk a face-to-face encounter with herhe would shoot her from a distance. Were his poisons enough to kill her? What more could he add to the blend? Lemyari. There were rumors of an antidote, but Malthus didn't credit them. He would secretly take one of those Lemyari who served him, and imprison it to milk its venom. Sergei. It ought to be Sergei. If only I could trap that one.

  Considering his choices allowed Malthus to recover from his initial shock, and he pulled himself together. So Brandrahoon wanted Merissa as well as Darmyk. Malthus wanted Merissa for himself. She had given Isranon a child, she could give him one. He needed legitimate heirs, and he could not afford to wait much longer. At thirty-six, Malthus knew he should have already been nearly sterile, yet to judge from how many camp females he had impregnated he was far from it.

  While there existed many theories concerning his people's progressive infertility, none of them fully explained it. Although almost humanly fertile at adolescence, it degenerated rapidly into sterility, and no one's theories had yet proven out. He suspected that his mother might be correct when she said the rites caused it. Acting on that belief, she had periodically dosed him for prolonged periods with the same potions that had allowed him to appear human in the hopes of maintaining his fertility.

  And, of course, there was also a small percentage of variation there, but not enough to remark on. When they bred outside their own kind, more children resulted, but few of them were born sa'necari. Here was a young lycan who had borne a sa'necari child. It made him want Merissa all the more. That decided him. Malthus would find a way around yielding Merissa to Brandrahoon.

  Then he thought of Pandeena, the mysterious priest, and his loins tightened. He wanted that one also, but something about her disturbed him. Spellcord. Yes, that was what he needed. Spellcord her, and then make her his. Make her spill her secrets, and open her legs to him.

  Malthus opened the letter from Minnoras and discovered that the god-queen had written him only a single line:

  Send me the child alive.

  Damn! They both wanted the child delivered to them alive. So there was no possibility of getting paid double.

  Malthus reconsidered everything. The gold would be nice. However, he had already been promised a title of nobility, lands, and slaves for betraying the valley into the Queen's hands. Malthus ran his tongue over his fangs thoughtfully. He had not specified whether the child had been born lycan or sa'necari. Perhaps he could substitute Kandaishee's child for Darmyk ... That was a thought. The two cubs were the same age. Give that child to Brandrahoon. He was more of a threat than Galee was. The god-queen still had Angrim, Beltria, and Shaurone to plow through before she could reach him.

  He would have his promised vengeance on Isranon for killing his brotherbutcher Darmyk and send pieces of the child to his father.

  But Merissa? Merissa was another goal entirely. Perhaps he could substitute Clodagh for Merissa after a bit of fiddling with her mind to convince the bitch she was Merissa.

  He should never have sent those letters, but at least he now had a plan.

  * * * *

  After closing all her curtains and shutters in her apartments, Pandeena cuddled Moss in her arms. He licked her face with a wag of his tail. Yes, I love you too, Moss. We're going to visit a friend of yours."

  Pandeena Jumped to her mother's house, and as she walked past the front room, she saw that the chairs, sofas, and floor overflowed with members of Teakamon's band in mottled gray and brown. Teakamon sat at the head of the room in the chair that Lokynen favored, wearing his natural form: his hair the color of fresh spring leaves hung loose to his buttocks, a seal-brown loin cloth was the only clothing on his sorrel skinned-body and his lean frame with its well-defined muscles, and modest flare at his shoulders, looked as if he had been carved from a light, reddish-brown wood and then highly polished.

  Teakamon rose from his chair when he saw Pandeena, straightening to his full seven-foot
height. A gray-eyed woman dressed in doeskin trousers and tunic shoved herself from a chair and followed him. Pandeena's eyebrows lifted at the sight of Reynan Sharani, the Watcher of the Woods, knowing that Teakamon would only have brought her if times had become exceedingly dangerous.

  "What have we here? Teakamon asked, reaching out to stroke the dog in Pandeena's arms. I do believe it's little Moss."

  "You know him? Pandeena asked, startled.

  "Why, yes, Teakamon replied. I gave him to Tempest ten years ago. He's a cedar puppy. I grow them on my special tree. They're very intelligent as dogs go, and long-lived. Teakamon parted the hair on Moss tail to show the green spot where Moss had once been connected to the tree he sprouted from.

  Pandeena sucked in a sharp breath. Tempest is dead. They say it was a heart attack."

  Teakamon frowned, his bushy green brows knitting tightly together across his narrow forehead. That's not possible."

  "He was old..."

  The son of Willodarus shook his head. Tempest could not die of that. I linked his heart to a tree. He was one of my favorites."

  Tension rippled through Pandeena. Could a sa'necari have stilled his heart? As if it were a heart attack?"

  "Death magic, yes. Did you see Tempest's body?"

  "No. He was returned to the earth months ago. He's buried beside his shrine in Wolffgard."

  Sorrow washed across Teakamon's features. Poor little Moss. Has he been alone all that time?"

  "No. I think he had other people for a time. Actually, I think our injured wolf upstairs belongs to Moss."

  "I assume that you are taking him there?"

  "I watch and see, but may not tell, of all the evil that I smell, said Reynan in a singsong voice. I hunt it down, I kill it well, I show to all however small."

  Pandeena shivered. She had never heard the Watcher speak before. All she knew about Teakamon's great paladin was that the mon had been geised at birth by her bloodmother's enemies. Yes, I am."

  "Shall I come with you? Teakamon asked.

  Pandeena shook her head. I'll come back down and we can talk then."

  "Good. Reynan and I have things to show you."

  Pandeena climbed the stairs with Moss. When she entered Nikko's bedroom, Moss began squirming to be let down and whining. Pandeena tightened her hold on him.

  "What do we have here? Navaryn asked, glancing over her shoulder as she handed Nikko a glass of one of her potions.

  "A friend of his, I think. Pandeena knelt and released Moss. The little dog immediately ran across the room, jumped onto the bed, and bounded up to Nikko. He licked Nikko's face furiously.

  "Moss! How did you get here? Nikko said. He stopped and blinked. That's his name, isn't it?"

  Pandeena grinned broadly. Yes, it is. Moss! she spoke sharply to get the dog's attention. Find Nikko."

  Moss bounced at Nikko again with a loud bark.

  "Well, that settles that, Navaryn said. Your name is Nikko."

  Pandeena nodded. Nikko is the missing lawgiver from Wolffgard Village. They think you're dead, Nikko."

  "It's just as well, Navaryn said. If the Butchering Serpent knew you lived, he'd come looking for you."

  "Does the name Malthus mean anything to you? Pandeena asked.

  "MalMalthus? Nikko abruptly doubled over with a cry, clutching at his chest and stomach. Navaryn sprang from her chair and slipped her hand onto his chest, flooding it with warmth and energy, taking from her own life force and sharing it with Nikko, linking the beat of his heart to hers, so that hers beat for both of them. Pandeena put her hand on her mother's arm and linked with her in rapport, lending her own strength to Navaryn's. There was still too much of the poison lingering his Nikko's body, too much damage had been done.

  Navaryn pulled Nikko into her arms and cradled him, maintaining the link between them, which was all that was keeping him alive. Get me the powdered Amphereon and the tube."

  Pandeena broke rapport and brought the bottle from the cabinet. She filled the steel tube with Amphereon and passed it to her mother. Navaryn shoved it into Nikko's nostril and blew. She passed the tube back to Pandeena. Refill it."

  The inserting and blowing was repeated, bringing the highly refined Amphereon into Nikko's blood stream fast through the mucus membranes. Navaryn Read him and saw that his damaged heart had steadied.

  "Now the blue arcane and the pollendine, quickly."

  They managed to get the drugs down him.

  Navaryn released the link and they settled Nikko back among his blankets and pillows.

  "What happened? Nikko asked in a soft, dazed voice, his hand on Moss back.

  "A name triggered a paroxysm. We won't say it again until you're stronger."

  Nikko stared at a point on the wall, raking his teeth over his lower lip. Can I keep Moss?"

  "I have no problem with that, Mother. I doubt that anyone will notice that Moss has vanished. They'll probably decide something happened to him and get on with their lives. No one is going to go looking for a small dog."

  "Then, yes, you can."

  "Thank you. Nikko cuddled Moss and was soon asleep with the dog beside him.

  Pandeena knew that Nikko was nineteen, but right then he seemed more like a frightened little boy. Well, I think we know who shot him."

  "Don't say the name until we're out of here, Navaryn said, and led her daughter down to one of the lower small sitting rooms.

  Pandeena licked her lips and raked her teeth across her lower one. Malthus. He appears to be human, but he tried to Read me."

  "He's the Butchering Serpent. Be careful."

  "I'll kill him."

  "No. We can't break the very laws we helped to create. We gave the lycans laws, culture, and civilization. Ours will not be the hands that destroy it. Watch him. Catch him in the act or find a witness to it. At least we finally know what the Serpent looks like."

  "We have a witness."

  "Not Nikko. Not until his memory comes back completely."

  "We have Moss."

  "A dog cannot be a witness. You know the laws."

  "Then I'll watch him."

  "And I'll get hold of Lokynen and have him join you at the village. Teakamon's people are too conspicuous."

  "That's a sound plan. Pandeena leaned against the wall beside the linen closet, her arms crossed. Teakamon wants to show me something."

  "You don't need to see it. The Watcher has a basket of trophies. Lemyari, sa'necari, and Rakshasha. You must get another lawgiver for the village. Under the laws, you will need one to find the truths and declare Malthus guilty of his crimes."

  Pandeena thought for a moment. Caimbeul of Running Horse. It will probably take me a few days to talk him into it, but his apprentice is thirty years old and more than ready to take over."

  "It would be easier to get the apprentice. Besides, do you really want to complicate your life with Caimbeul again?"

  "I don't want the apprentice, I want Caimbeul. And I can handle the old lecher. Pandeena winked at her mother.

  "I know. Do what you can."

  Pandeena Jumped back to her home in Wolffgard and made arrangements to be gone for a couple of weeks, figuring that it was better to allow for more time than she expected to need, rather than too little. She shoved a few items in her backpack, and Jumped to Running Horse in Clan Silver Paw's valley. Only Caimbeul would do for her purposes. Red Wolff would not normally accept an out-clan lawgiver. Caimbeul, however, was a legend and one of the long lived owing to having a fireborn among his ancestors. His wisdom was considered so wide and all-encompassing that he was frequently called in to settle disputes between clans.

  * * * *

  Sergei's attack upon Ros had unsettled Malthus far more than he wished to admit. He slept badly, constantly getting up to check on the girls, and finally fell asleep in a chair in the living room. It had been years since anything had left him feeling this threatened, even when removing his people to safety after learning that Battle-clan planned to assault his holdings. He
shifted uncomfortably in his dreams.

  Images of Sergei and Brandrahoon haunted him. His nieces crouched at his feet, terrified as the vampires seized him. Brandrahoon shoved a blade into his heart while Sergei recited what he intended to do to Ros and Lyrri. I should not have brought themI should not... he mumbled in his sleep, writhing as the blade went in and he felt himself die.

  A tug on his shirt brought him lurching from sleep.

  Lyrri stood there, her eyes wide with worry. Ros won't wake up."

  His breath caught in his throat as he propelled himself from his chair at a run. He threw open the shutters to allow the morning light to play across Ros still features. She looked as pale as fresh snow. He sat on the edge of Ros bed, took her wrist, and Read her. She lived, yet remained extremely weak. Malthus mentally kicked himself for not looking for it last night. But it had seemed so unlikely that a Lemyari would give a seven-year-old a taste of the venom when fascination and blood loss would do for her.

  Malthus stripped Ros out of her nightgown and began going over every inch of her body. He found it partially concealed by other bruises along the inside of her thigh, high up near her vagina: a single puncture.

  A little of the venom paralyzes, more kills. How much did you give her, you goat-jacking bastard? I'll kill you. Another thought entered Malthus mind. No, I'll chain you in my dungeon and milk you like a cockwhoring serpent."

  He opened his wrist and put it in Ros mouth. Her bite and suck reflex worked, but her eyes did not open. Malthus let her take as much as she would, then he closed the wound on his wrist with a swipe of his tongue, cleaned away the blood rimming her mouth, and slipped her nightgown back on her.

  Ros needed more attention than he could give her, a female's attentionwhich meant fetching Clodagh. But what if Sergei was out there watching him? He could put the strongest wards he knew how on the bedroom and have Lyrri stay there with her sister, while he went for Clodagh. But what if that priest showed up? She appeared to have several arcane talents. If any of those could detect mage-craft, then she would know what he was if she arrived while he was away. Malthus remembered how Tempest had been waiting for him the day that he murdered him.