Unleashed Fury (BloodRunes: Book 1)

by Cole, Laura R

  Jonathan was disappointed that he wasn't able to have gone farther with that particular line of insults. He was also somewhat annoyed at her deciding that she could order him around like some kind of lap-dog, but he decided not force the issue - yet. Master would be pleased to be given names, and Master being happy made Jonathan happy.

  “Is Lord Carlon part of the Order?” Jezebel had the insubordination to ask.

  Jonathan grabbed her wrist roughly, carefully shielding the action with his body, and then shoved her towards the wall with a smile carefully fixed upon his face. He leaned in close to her and hissed, “I don't know what you're talking about, my dear, but it would do you well to remember that spreading lies could cost you more than you care to pay. It's not for you to know, and you will remember who is in charge. Don't forget that I too am influential with powerful people. One slip-up from you could be quite hazardous to your health.”

  He released his grip on her. She rubbed her wrist with her other hand, staring at him with haughty disbelief. He gave her a stiff bow before turning his back on her. The stupid woman obviously thinks she should be privy to knowledge that is beyond her. I wonder if it is wise of Master to let her continue in this manner. Surely soon he too will realize the snake she really is, and will do what's appropriate.

  The King had accepted the entire procession of subjects and was exiting the room, signaling the start of the celebratory ball. Jonathan was now able to leave, as the doors would be unbarred upon His Excellency’s departure. He filed out with some of the older nobility who had had their share of balls and those who needed to start long journeys home.

  He crept through the palace halls to a secluded room in back. There, he whispered a word of power to the tapestry hanging on the wall, and the woven picture rippled like water before re-solidifying into a very real door. He quickly opened it and ducked inside. The door shimmered behind him, becoming a solid stone wall on the other side of the tapestry once more. He took the torch that was hanging on the wall in front of him and lit it with a wave of his hand. The torch burst into flame and illuminated the long, dreary passageway ending in darkness where the torchlight couldn't reach.

  He slunk through the passage, curiously glancing at the paintings that lined the stone walls. Many of them looked to be picture histories, but they were too cryptic for Jonathan's limited knowledge of art to make any sense of. He made several turns, following the map that had been ingrained in his memory. The hallways were far too similar and numerous to ever transverse without knowing the way, and Jonathan felt privileged to hold such information. He finally came upon a wooden door. He raised his hand to knock, but the door opened before he touched it.

  “Enter,” invited Master from a chair across the room.

  The small chamber was lit with candles whose light danced across the black mask covering Master's face. Jonathan moved forward and knelt before him, waiting until Master gestured for him to stand. Jonathan did so and reported, “He gave her the support, Master. She claims to have a list of names for me to pick up tonight at eleven.”

  “You let her choose the time?” There was a hint of laughter underneath the words.

  “She is not very rational when it comes to trying to get her to do something any way but her own, Master. I figured it was better to get the list than to bother with details.”

  Master chuckled. “Yes, yes she does seem to be like that.”

  Jonathan took a seat across from the man, sitting on the very edge of the chair and asked, “Is it wise to let her gain too much power, Master? She is, after all, a potential liability.”

  Master spoke with a sterner tone, answering, “I have my reasons, Jonathan. Just as it is not her place to question your orders, neither is it yours to question mine.”

  Jonathan bowed his head humbly and responded respectfully, “Of course, Master, I didn't mean to question you, only to make sure that you realized her abilities. She is quite adept at making people think she is something that she is not. She lies even when there is nothing wrong with the truth.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but my sources are far greater than just you, and I am well aware of her instability.” They sat in silence for a moment before Master chose to speak again. “I have noticed a flux in the power recently,” he commented, “have any of the ones you've cataloged shown evidence of having caused this?”

  “Possibly, Master, although it is hard to tell. I doubt that any of them would have been able to cause a flux in the degree that it would take for you to notice, but it is possible.”

  “Hmm.” Master showed no other inclination to explain, but rather sat drumming his fingers on the table, so Jonathan showed himself out.

  CHAPTER 11

  Layna was busy scrubbing away at a particularly stubborn stain when she heard the front door open. The sound of Jezebel's voice filled the previously peaceful air. “You could have at least had the decency to dance with me.”

  She was presumably complaining to Gryffon since he answered, “I didn't want to dance with you. Besides which, as I said, I don't dance.”

  “You are such an insufferable pig!” she shot at him.

  Jezebel began to rant incessantly about how inconsiderate and heartless he was. As they came towards Layna, she tried to blend in with the ornaments along the walls so as not to draw attention to herself. She discretely snuck Gryffon a pitying look, but he just shrugged, rolling his eyes at Jezebel's stream of abuse as she stomped down the hall in front of him. Jezebel turned into the library and slammed the door behind her, leaving a sudden silence in the hall.

  “Well,” Layna said to break the silence, “sounds like you two had a blast.”

  “I did,” Gryffon responded cheerfully. “I thought it was actually quite fun. I got some tips on a great new hunting ground from Lord Rubin and got to spend some luxury time at the palace. There's just no pleasing some people.” He grinned at her, jerking his head in the direction of the library. “And you?” he asked, joking, “Did you miss me?”

  “I could hardly contain myself,” she answered gamely, playing into the teasing.

  Just then, Jezebel opened the library door and said calmly, “Gryffon, dear, would you like to join me for dinner in the library?”

  Gryffon exchanged a puzzled look with Layna before answering, “No, thank you.”

  Jezebel followed his gaze, and her eyes narrowed as she noticed Layna for the first time. She didn't comment, but slammed the door shut again behind her. They could hear her muttering to herself on the other side.

  “What was that?” asked Layna.

  Gryffon simply shrugged again. “She's an odd one.”

  Layna waved him further down the hall and moved closer so she could whisper in his ear. Her cheek brushed against his and it sent a shiver down her back. “I have something to tell you,” she murmured, “but we need privacy. Think you can spare a moment later and visit in my room?” She glanced down the hall towards the library door. “Discretely?”

  Gryffon whispered back, his breath hot against her neck, “I can make time for you. I'll be there.”

  Layna stepped back and nodded to him, then hurried along down the hall, hoping that he didn't see the flush that was threatening to extend all the way down to her toes. She sped through the rest of her chores, relieved that she would finally be able to tell someone her terrible secret. She had almost told Katrina, but she was so wrapped up in her own happiness that Layna hated to burden her with it.

  She still couldn't quite believe it herself and had been pinching herself periodically ever since to make sure it hadn't been a dream. She was desperate for Gryffon’s advice, and fervently hoped that he wouldn't be angry with her, or worse yet, turn her in. It all seemed so surreal. It was one thing for Gryffon to do magic – he was a noble – but quite another to imagine that she had real talent. She still couldn't quite grasp the real meaning of it. She had debated the intelligence of telling anyone, but had to get it off her chest. And I know it's stupid, but I'm intrigued by the
possibility of him training me! Not that I'd ever be able to do it in front of anyone else. It would just be our little secret, and a reason to see one another again. The thought gave her a pleasant tingle.

  She made it through her chores in record time and sprinted back to her room to clean up. Just as she pulled a fresh tunic over her head, a soft knock sounded at the door. She ran her hands through her hair quickly before calling for Gryffon to come in. He opened the door and slipped inside, greeting her with his usual smile.

  “So, what is it you have to tell me?” he asked, his tone hinting at impatience. “It's been driving me mad all day. I don't think that it was very nice of you to imply you had something interesting to tell me without then telling me what it was,” he accused, still wearing the smile.

  “Sorry. I just wanted to wait until we were alone and could talk about it.” She drew a deep breath to steady her nerves. She had been unable to think of any better way to break the news, so she decided to simply spit it out, plain and simple. “I have talent. And I haven't told the priests.”

  He stared at her unspeaking for so long she began to wonder if he was going to drag her to the temple after all. She bit her lip in an effort to fight back the tears that threatened to start pouring out. Oh no! He isn't going to help me! He's going to turn me in to the priests – and then I'll be in real trouble for not having gone myself. I wonder if they'll still kill me if someone else made me go? Maybe I can convince him to let me turn myself in.

  “I suspected you might.”

  Layna was ready to unleash the torrent of tears and beg him to not let them kill her, but his unexpected response stopped her short. She stumbled over her words. “W-what do you mean?”

  “I couldn't be sure; talent is only really evident after it's been discovered by the user. But I thought I detected it in you. And very strongly too.” His eyes unfocused for a moment. “You have a lot of potential. How did you find out?”

  Layna looked down guiltily, “I was really cold the other morning, and you know how you always heat up rocks for me? Well, I was lamenting the fact that you weren’t there to do it for me…and I just sort-of tried it myself. The water in my wash bowl had frozen so I tried reaching for the ‘river’ you explained to heat it.” She hurriedly added, “I didn’t think there was any chance that it would actually work! But it did. Even burned my hand,” she held it out for him so he could see the rapidly healing scar on her palm. He took her hand in his and she inhaled sharply.

  “Did I hurt you?” he asked, concern plainly written on his face.

  Layna’s face flushed and she looked down, saying vaguely, “It’s fine.” It was more than fine, she’d missed his touch.

  “Does anyone else know?”

  “A healer in town. I think her name is Mila. I didn’t tell her…she just knew somehow.”

  “Mila.” Gryffon echoed absently, trying to place the name. “Charles – that's the woodsman – has mentioned her. He swears by her herbal remedies. What did she say?”

  “That she wouldn't waste any talent on the priests and that I shouldn't go to them. She also said that maybe you would be able to teach me?” She looked up at him with wide eyes, hope creeping back.

  “Teaching you wouldn't be the problem,” he said slowly, “it would be keeping it a secret that would cause us difficultly. When it's dormant, talent is hard to see unless you are specifically looking for it, but once you start disrupting the power...”

  “Someone is bound to notice the ripples,” Layna finished for him. She tasted blood in her mouth, and realized that she had bitten straight through her lip. “Do you think I did the right thing not going to the priests?”

  “Yes,” he replied without hesitation. “Mila's right, enough talent has been wasted on them. We need to figure out what to do.”

  “We?”

  “We,” Gryffon repeated firmly. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her an intense look. Layna was touched by the conviction in his voice, and she gave him a small smile.

  “What are we going to do? Run off into the wilderness together?” She said it jokingly, though the idea actually did sound appealing.

  Gryffon grinned. “Maybe something like that, though hopefully we won’t have to resort to something quite so drastic. It certainly would be smarter to get a little farther away from the temples.” He paused a minute. “I have something that I need to take care of, but we really need to talk about this and decide what to do.” He must have seen the concern on her face. “Try not to worry too much in the meantime. As long as you don't try doing any more magic-” his brow furrowed, “-you haven't, have you?”

  “No.”

  His forehead smoothed. “Good. As long as you don't, you shouldn't attract any attention and we'll have some time to figure this out.”

  He gave her shoulder a reassuring pat, and left her to her thoughts. She found her thoughts much too confusing to deal with, however, and reached for her book to distract her. The bookmark was only a few pages from the end. She sighed and cracked it open. Well, at least I'll have a minute or two of distraction.

  *

  Jezebel called Devon into the library after catching Gryffon consorting with that little snippet of a girl. She raged to him for the better part of the afternoon.

  “How dare he?” she sputtered. “How dare he talk to that whore right underneath my nose! After everything I have done for him!” She paced the room, her skirts swinging wildly about as she turned. “And the damned ball. He didn't even dance with me. In front of all those people. And then there was him.” Jezebel felt the heat within her rising at the thought of her confrontation with Jonathan. Who does he think he is being so rough with me and acting as though he's more important than me? Me! I can hardly believe it! How can that fat little slug of a man dare to presume such a ridiculous thing? I deserve to be at the palace and have little puppets like him at my beck and call, not have them running around acting like they're worth something. This thought train reminded her of Lord Carlon and his support, distracting her from her rage. She paused in her pacing. Although she had been embarrassed by failing to realize that the support was a result of the Order's influence, it didn't change the fact that she had the support for a Council seat! She felt her anger dissipating slightly and she dismissed Devon.

  He left without a word. She poured herself a glass of wine and saluted herself with it in the mirror to celebrate her imminent Council seat. Who cares about Gryffon anyway? Soon I will be on the Council and moved into the palace. There, I'll have my pick of the highest nobles, rich and powerful men throwing themselves at my feet. Not good for nothing, wandering…she felt herself spiraling back into her rampage once more and instead focused on Lord Carlon. Although his support alone did not guarantee her a seat, it certainly would give her an excellent chance. If I can just get Father to see the light. And it just might be possible with Lord Carlon backing me. Her father would have to see that she had a chance to get the vote with Carlon behind her. Once he realized this, he wouldn't risk her gaining the seat without his support. Backing her also implied he was giving her permission. And he wouldn't want his little baby girl to gain anything unless he says it's okay. She sneered mockingly. Once I have that power...I'll make him beg for things.

  The little wench had the misfortune of entering the room just then, obviously under the impression that it was empty. Jezebel jumped at the chance to disabuse her of this notion. “Well, well, well,” she sneered. “If it isn't the little Golden Girl, hard at work.”

  “My lady,” she squeaked out in a surprised voice and then stammered, “I was just returning this book I borrowed.” She held the book out to Jezebel instead of placing it on the table where she had been about to put it.

  Jezebel took the book and, never taking her eyes off the girl, proceeded to rip page after page out of it. The girl stood there dumbfounded, watching her stupidly as she tore the book apart. “You call this taking care of a book?” Jezebel demanded when there wasn't a page left intact. “How dare
you mistreat my property like this after I was so nice to let you read it? You probably can't even read. You probably just look at the pictures. No doubt you have absolutely no concept that this book,” she shook the offending item, “was worth ten thousand coppers. Do you have ten thousand coppers to repay me with?” The girl stared at her with eyes so wide Jezebel thought that they might pop out of her head, but other than opening and closing her mouth a few times like a fish, she seemed unable to respond. Jezebel shook her head at her in disgust, and snorted. “Typical. You lowborn sluts are all the same. Devon!” She screamed this last word shrilly and waited, watching the growing fear of the girl.

  “Yes, my lady?” he queried after looking the situation over with interest upon his arrival.

  “Ah Devon,” Jezebel purred. “I need you to lock up this miscreant before taking her to the Hall of Justice to be judged. Just look what she did to my book that I so nicely let her borrow. Can you believe that one of my own servants would do that to me after all I do for them?” She held out the book for him to see.

  He took it carefully, eyeing the torn pages strewn about on the ground. “But I didn't do it!” the girl burst out in an appeal to Devon, looking completely bewildered. He simply shook his head at her.

  “No one is going to listen to you,” Jezebel told her in a quiet voice, “and now you'll find out what they do to whores like you. Get her out of my sight, Devon.”

  Devon took the girl by the arm, ignoring her protests, and led her out of the room. Jezebel smiled to herself, listening to the pleading of the girl as Devon led her away. She took another sip of wine, and the tingling sensation as it slid down her throat added to her general feeling of satisfaction.

  *

  Devon led Layna down the hallway towards the staircase that led to the lower levels. The lower levels that were off-limits so that no one would know what went on there. Layna didn’t want to find out first-hand what did. She implored Devon to let her go, but he remained deaf to her plight, and continued stoically down the stairs into the dank dungeons below. Layna had never before set foot in the lower level, and had never wanted to. This had been where the bar fight man had been led not so long ago. She spared a split-second to wonder what had become of him, but his past hardly seemed relevant when her own future was so uncertain.