Will Shetterly - Witch Blood

by Witch Blood (v1. 0)

  I think I understood then. Still, I said, “How do you mean?”

  “It...” She bit her lip.

  “Yes?” I insisted, beginning to hate her for her part in this, even if I did not know what that part was. “How?”

  “His lovers die.”

  I turned to face the wall and tried futilely to meditate. I remembered the screams that I had heard each night. Perhaps there should not be a hierarchy of the types of death, since all are routes to the Black Shark or the White Lady. So I told myself while I lay there, aware of Naiji and not caring whether she remained in the room or left.

  I tried to think calmly and order my priorities. I must save Naiji, yet she would not save herself unless Talivane and her people left the castle. And they would not leave unless Talivane left, for they thought him their salvation. And Talivane brought prisoners to him in the night, couched with them, and slew them in the act of pleasure to increase his power. I wondered if he made them trust him first by promising their freedom. Perhaps he drugged them. Perhaps he knew some way to seize their will and make them think what he pleased. Perhaps—

  “Rifkin?” Naiji whispered, lying close behind me, yet not touching me. In spite of our distance, a matter of inches, I could sense the tension in her body.

  “Yes?” I said.

  “I meant it when I...”

  “Yes?”

  “When I named you Freeman. You may leave me.”

  “Is that your wish, Lady?”

  “No! Oh, Rifkin, no!”

  “Oh. You prefer that I stay?”

  “Please, Rifkin. Don’t do this to me.”

  “Do what, Lady?”

  She clawed at my shoulder to turn me. Her hair was wild about her face, and her eyes and her nose were swollen and red. “I love you, Rifkin.”

  “And quite competently. Lady.”

  She began to cry again.

  “How many have you two killed to learn your tricks of love and power, Lady?”

  “Rifkin, I’m not part—”

  “Did I say it matters?” I turned back to the wall.

  “I didn’t know...”

  “Didn’t know what? That magicless folk are people too? Or do I make a false assumption there? Perhaps you practiced your arts on witches too.”

  She said quietly, “I didn’t know what happened in Talivane’s room, Rifkin.”

  I shrugged. “As you say, Lady.”

  “I didn’t! I helped Talivane to soothe the others before he took them away, but he always had me wait in his sitting room while he—” She gasped. “While he...”

  “You knew what happened in there, Lady. You’ve said as much.”

  She was silent for a moment, then spoke. “I knew, Rifkin. Talivane told me. Two evenings ago. He wanted my help, to...” She started to sob again.

  I touched my fingers to the tears at the corners of her eyes. ‘To what?“

  “To learn the tricks, Rifkin. He increased his power that way, by exercising his skills while he played at making love. But it wasn’t enough. He thought he could learn to draw more from the act if he could find a woman to study the other half of sex and love and...” She met my gaze and finished, “... and death. He wanted us to be students together, to teach each other what we learned from killing our victims.”

  “He might have studied without killing. As you say you have.”

  “He did. He didn’t learn as much that way, not as quickly. And the study of healing would never have taught him...”

  “Yes?”

  ‘To kill with the act, Rifkin. To kill with love, or lust, if you prefer.“

  “That’s insane.”

  “So’s Talivane,” she said.

  “And you stand by him.”

  “He’s my brother.”

  I put my palm against her cheek, and she pressed her hand against mine. I said, “Is this true? About the killing?”

  “Yes.”

  I stared at her. “Why? Why would Talivane—”

  “He says it’s the ultimate source of power, for a witch, anyway.”

  I thought about what I had learned of sex, emotion, and magic. “How—”

  “There are books in the library, Rifkin. Old books about the days when the practice of magic was common. There were witches who used humans as though they were dogs, in those days. When Talivane looked for a way to make use of his knowledge, he hit on this plan. If he could master the skills to win enough power, he could stop Komaki, could marry Janiavy, could—”

  “He could do anything,” I said.

  “Almost,” she agreed.

  “And what would your people think of this?”

  “He would never tell them the source of his power. The practice was always despised, and even at the worst times of the Empire, it was illegal.”

  “Would you tell your people what he does?”

  I thought she might cry again, but she shook her head, saying “No. He’s my brother, Rifkin. But I refused to help him after I knew what he was doing.”

  “I see.”

  “I knew that his prisoners died. I just didn’t know how. Before I knew, I thought the killings would help us all, because I did know the deaths heightened Talivane’s skills. But I’m not making excuses. I just didn’t know the true reasons.”

  “I believe you,” I said at last.

  “And forgive me?”

  “What am I, a saint?”

  “Please, Rifkin.”

  I closed my eyes and nodded.

  “What’ll you do?” Naiji asked.

  “The only thing I can.” I got out of bed, and thinking of the task ahead of me, looked at my robe in dismay.

  “Nothing will deter you?”

  “I don’t know about that,” I said. “Where can I find some pants?”

  * * *

  21

  CASTLE GROMANDIEL

  I DRESSED IN the blue and burgundy clothes that I had worn before. Naiji put on another hunting outfit, this one all in indigo. “My boots?” I asked.

  “In the infirmary, probably. You don’t want to talk about this?”

  “No.”

  “I’m coming with you.” She pulled on thigh-length black leather boots, then buckled on her saber.

  “And here I thought you just liked exotic sleepwear.”

  “I’m coming with you,” she repeated quietly.

  I nodded, and we walked side by side through the dark halls to the infirmary. Sivifal, resting in a soft chair, woke when we entered and smiled at us. “A good healing?” she whispered.

  I shrugged, a little embarrassed, and Sivifal smiled. Naiji said, “Where’re his boots?”

  Sivifal pointed. They stood beneath an empty cot, so I went and put them on. As I did, I slipped another pin from the many sheaths sewn into the right boot top. Then I brushed my hand through my hair as if smoothing it, and hid the pin there.

  Naiji and I went from the dining room infirmary to the bell tower. I found the rope for the clapper and rang it twice. By the time we descended to the courtyard, most of the castle’s’ inhabitants were waiting for us, excepting the children and the wounded. Avarineo and Fat Cat and two others were naked but for cloaks and boots and weapons. Most people had dressed in bits of hastily chosen clothing and armor. Feschian was one of the few who had managed to dress completely, though I suspected she had fastened her breastplate as she ran there. She called, “What is it, Rifkin?”

  “Komaki’s returning,”-1 said. “We must leave this place tonight.”

  “Oh?” said Talivane, resplendent in yellow silk trimmed with sable. “Our birds brought no word of warning.”

  “It’s true just the same. Or will be.”

  “Ah,” said Talivane. “You’re a seer, now. How nice of you to tell us your fancies, Rifkin.”

  “Listen, Talivane—”

  “Lord Talivane,” he corrected.

  “Talivane,” I said, “try not to be such a pompous fool, eh?”

  “Careful, Rifkin.” He gestured with his han
d like a schoolteacher might. For him, it was a subtle warning. “Only the fact that you’re my sister’s pet—”

  “No more,” I said. “She freed me.”

  He glanced at Naiji, and after a moment, she nodded. “Interesting,” said Talivane. “I understand how you would grow weary of Rifkin’s simple wit, but—”

  “I love him,” she said quietly.

  “You’re tired, my sister. Perhaps you should go to bed. Perhaps everyone should go back to bed.”

  “No,” I said. “Everyone should pack, immediately, to leave this castle as soon as we can.”

  “Will you never stop proposing that?”

  I shook my head.

  “Do you know what I think, Rifkin?”

  “No,” I said. “I don’t even know that you do think.”

  “I think that you’re in Komaki’s employ. I think he saw that he could never take this castle, so he had you meet with him last night. Then he had you beaten a little, so we would suspect nothing, and he went away, expecting you to convince us to flee from here. To flee into Komaki’s trap.”

  I glanced at the others before I spoke. Avarineo listened with wrinkles of puzzlement on his face. Fat Cat watched me with some suspicion. The remaining people might as well have worn masks.

  “No,” I said. “I threatened the Duke, and he left. But he’s not the sort to be ruled by threats. He’ll return soon, with more warriors or more Spirits. Maybe both. We should go while we can.”

  “You threatened him?” Talivane said skeptically.

  I nodded.

  “You crept into his camp, asked him to leave, and returned here, almost unscathed.”

  “Almost unscathed,” I said. “I like that. If I ever write about this, I’ll tell it that way. Almost unscathed, Rifkin returned—”

  “Enough,” Talivane said. “Don’t wake us again, or you die.”

  “Talivane,” I said slowly. “Don’t make me tell your secrets to your people.”

  “I have no secrets from my people.”

  “Oh?” I scratched the back of my neck as though I was perfectly comfortable before him. “What of those prisoners who die in your quarters in the middle of the night? Do you think we’re all such fools as to think you an inept interrogator?”

  “I kill the prisoners when I have finished with them,” Talivane said, watching me with increasing suspicion, “because they would be a threat to us all if allowed to live. Everyone knows that Spirits cannot be turned aside from their targets.”

  I laughed. “Come now, Talivane!” I stepped forward and clapped his cloaked shoulder. “The dungeons here would hold a hundred Spirits for twice as many years.”

  He glared at my hand as he spun away from me. “You dare—”

  “Talivane,” I said. “Most of the good people here think as little of magicless folk as the magicless folk think of us. Yet I imagine no one would respect or obey you if they knew how you intend to gain—”

  “Stop, Rifkin. I begin to grow very tired of warning you.”

  I nodded. “And I grow very tired of being warned. But we must abandon this castle while we can. If you disagree, I’ll speak the truth about you, so each can decide what he will.”

  Dovriex said, “It’s silly to fight among ourselves.”

  Naiji said, “Perhaps in the morning—”

  ‘Tonight,“ I said.

  Talivane shook his head to demand silence. “I will not be threatened, Rifkin.”

  “I don’t threaten, Talivane. I advise.” More gently, I said, “Accept advice from others too. Feschian, could we survive another attack?”

  Talivane glanced at her. Feschian met his gaze and said “No. We could not.”

  Talivane said, “Komaki doesn’t know that.”

  I said, “He knows we couldn’t survive several more attacks. He’s not a fool.”

  “This castle is my home,” Talivane said. “It has been the home of my people for fourteen hundred years. I will not leave it.”

  “Fine,” I said. “Stay.” 1 hesitated, then said, “I don’t want anyone to ever think I treated you unfairly, Talivane. Permit me two statements before you decide whether to silence me.”

  Naiji said warningly, “Rifkin...”

  Talivane laughed. “Speak your two statements.”

  “This is the first. If I were you, I would not try to silence me.”

  He laughed louder. “You are an amusing fellow, Rifkin. And your second?”

  “Your people believe you to be a harsh but essentially honorable man. If they decide with no more information than they have, they’ll choose to stay and die here with you. So, if you won’t leave, I must tell things that you would prefer I did not. It’s the only way they may truly decide for themselves.”

  He shook his head. “You’re a fool, Rifkin.”

  I raised my hand. “I wouldn’t—”

  “You think I’ll stand here and let you speak your lies—”

  ‘Truth,“ I said.

  Talivane told Naiji, “He condemns himself.”

  She whispered, “Don’t. Please, Talivane, don’t.”

  He looked at me. “Your decision, Rifkin. Speak your lies and die. Or apologize and let us all sleep.”

  “No, Talivane,” I said wearily. “Your decision.” I breathed deeply, for I was very frightened. I turned to the others, to Dovriex and Fcschian and Sivifal and Avarineo and Fat Cat and the rest whose names I still did not know. I said, “Your lord studies—”

  “Farewell, fool,” Talivane said, smiling his satisfaction. His hands flared with lightning, but it did not dart toward me. It burst around Talivane, enclosing him in a sphere of dancing sparks. Within it, he twitched and danced and bumed. When Talivane finally crumpled to the ground, the lightning died with him.

  Naiji may have cried too much in the last two days. She only stared and whispered, “Talivane. Talivane.” Her fists were tight at her side.

  Feschian turned to me with her unsheathed sword and spoke for the others. “What happened?”

  I shrugged, though I wanted to puke.

  Dovriex said, “What was this truth for which Talivane died?”

  I managed to say, “It doesn’t matter now.” Then I did puke.

  Feschian steadied me. I appreciated that, even more than the fact that I had seen her draw her sword the instant before Talivane began his last spell. I suspected that meant Feschian liked me, but since her gesture had come too late, I would never embarrass her by mentioning it.

  One of the witches I did not know said to Naiji, “You’re Gromandiel now. What should we do?”

  Naiji studied me, and I wondered how much she suspected. After a moment she said softly, “We pack and leave.”

  ‘To where?“ asked Avarineo.

  “Away,” she whispered.

  “Away sounds good, mistress. I will go pack for away.”

  She looked around. “Am I Lady Gromandiel?”

  “Yes,” said several.

  “Then why haven’t you begun to pack? We go in twenty minutes.”

  Fat Cat said, “But the dead—”

  “Would all prefer that we continue to live, I suspect.”

  He nodded. “Yes, Lady.” He and most of the others hurried away.

  Feschian had rolled Talivane’s body onto a cloak. She asked Naiji, “Pardon, Lady, but where should we take him?”

  Naiji looked around the overgrown courtyard. “He wanted to stay here. Our home. Take him...” She looked up at the bell tower and said, “Up there, Captain. He would like that.”

  I started to complain, then told myself that Talivane was Naiji’s brother, and she loved him, whatever he had been, and he had loved her, in his way. I could help carry his corpse up too many stairs, if that would help to ease Naiji’s pain.

  As I bent to take Talivane’s shoulders, Naiji touched mine and said hoarsely, almost forcing herself to speak, “You warned him, at least. Thank you.” She left before I could find an answer.

  Feschian and I carried Talivane
to his resting place. The tower’s top was roofed, but its sides were open. The floor was dusty and spattered with bird dung. In the daytime the view encompassed almost all of the valley. “He’ll like it here,” Feschian said. She knelt by Talivane’s head for a moment.

  “Perhaps.” I only wanted to leave him as quickly as we could.

  “This is yours, I think,” Feschian said. In her hand she held the charred iron pin that I had slipped into Talivane’s cloak when I clapped his shoulder.

  I took it from her, then threw it into the night. “If he’d only agreed that we should leave, or even to let me explain—”

  Feschian shook her head. “You did what you thought best.”

  “That doesn’t make it easier.”

  “No.” She gripped my arm for a moment. “Will you explain it to Naiji?”

  I nodded. “That won’t be easy either.”

  Feschian moved her hand from my arm to my face. “She’s lucky.” Then she let her hand drop and said, “She could use a little luck. Come on. You heard what the lady said. Twenty minutes.”

  At the bottom of the stairs, I said, “Two things.”

  “Talivane died when you gave him the same warning.”

  I managed to smile a little, though Feschian didn’t. I said, “This is safer. Where’re Kivakali’s rooms?”

  “Room,” Feschian corrected. “Only three doors past Talivane’s, though he never entered it.”

  “And what of Chifeo? Is he still alive?”

  Feschian nodded. “In the dungeons. The only occupant now, excepting rats and lice.”

  “And the keys?”

  “On a peg in the guardroom.”

  I thanked her and left. I sought Kivakali first, for something had bothered me since I spoke with Rifkin Spirit. Kivakali was in her room, stuffing too many clothes into a large canvas pack. If that meant she intended to join us, I suspected she would throw away half its contents before we had walked for a day. I only said, “Lady Kivakali?”

  She glanced up in surprise. “Yes?”

  “When you told the Spirits how to enter this castle, did you know they would try to kill Naiji as well as Talivane?”

  Her fear of me choked her voice. “I...”

  “If you lie well enough, I won’t say anything of this to anyone.”