She gripped the stair railing, fearful of falling; she had been standing for over sixteen hours without having eaten anything. In fact, she couldn’t recall if she drank anything, either. Once she conquered the stairs and reached her floor, she promised her stomach a full meal – if she could stay awake.
She kept her eyes low as she walked the long, dim corridor to her room. If she tried hard, she could still smell the stench of the bodies that Joseph had left. The blood had been mopped up and new residents had been moved into the rooms. But it wasn’t enough. The memory was still too fresh. Her home had been permanently violated. After this business was settled, she would move elsewhere in the temple.
“Good evening,” she mumbled to the guards in front of her door.
“Bethany, a moment,” Lady Katherine said and leaned close to whisper, “I allowed Arrago to wait for you inside on my earlier shift. The others don’t know he’s there.”
She nodded, too tired to smile. “Thank you. Only senior officers and clergy can interrupt me tonight.”
Katherine straightened. “Yes, Lady Champion.”
She pushed the door open. Inside, candles illuminated the room. She hoped Arrago wasn’t planning to seduce her, like her previous night’s attempt. Battle drills had sapped every drop of energy from her body.
She stumbled into the room and collapsed on the chaise, limbs hanging off the side. “Arrago?”
He appeared from the bedroom carrying a wicker basket. “I didn’t hear you come in. Welcome home.” He planted a kiss on the top of her head, and smiled shyly.
Bethany leaned her head back. “I’m famished and exhausted.”
He smiled. “I expected as much.” He knelt beside the chaise and placed the basket next to him. “I found Kiner asleep on his desk. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast so I assumed you were in the same shape. I dragged him to bed, and then came promptly here to do the same to you.”
She smiled wearily but couldn’t find the strength to answer. Muscles she had forgotten existed ached.
He reached around and snapped her breastplate off, then pulled her gauntlets off. Then, Arrago wedged a small bowl in her cleavage. In it, he dropped a handful of cured olives, a wedge of cheese, and strips of purple pepper. “Eat that while I smear the vegetable spread on the bread.”
She popped an olive in her mouth and moaned. Her stomach clenched and growled, excited by the salty morsel. “How on earth did you get cured olives? They aren’t even being served in the dining hall yet.”
He tore a piece of bread off the main loaf and smeared a red spread over it. He dropped it in her bowl and tackled another piece. “I used my northern charm on the cook to get them. She was unable to resist. No woman can forever fight against my manly charms.”
“If I wasn’t so hungry, I’d stab you with that knife.”
“Stop showing off and eat.”
She flexed her hands, trying to work out the cramps. “I’m so exhausted.”
“I should hope so. In the hot sun all day with nothing to eat or drink. I’m surprised you didn’t pass out.”
“That’s what the armor is for. You stay standing,” she said with a weary laugh. She eyed him. “Shouldn’t you be training right now?”
Arrago shook his head. “I’m assigned to Eve’s second division. I get this evening off.” Using the back of his knife, he smashed dried fish into manageable pieces and scraped it into her bowl. He topped it with pine nuts. “Besides, I have decided to spend every battle safely hiding behind Jovan and Kiner.”
She smiled and then stuffed more food in her mouth. It was glorious. “It’s a known fact that you must stand five paces behind Jovan if you are ever near him in a fight.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I’m going to miss real food. This,” she held up the wedge of cheese, “is real food. If I’m stuck going north, all I’ll be eating is dead animal carcasses because there is nothing else to eat in winter. Goddess on the wind, I hate meat.”
He stopped paring the strawberries. “You’re going north?”
“I might.” She didn’t understand the surprise in his voice. “We’ll sweat to death on our way there, then freeze to death once we arrive.”
“Why?”
She stopped eating and stared at his confused face. “I’m a battlefield commander. I go where the army is sent. I’m third in command of the fucking Elven Service. What do you think I would be doing during a goddess-whoring war? Sitting around having strawberries fed to me by my lover?”
Arrago blinked and dropped the berry he had been paring back into the basket. He stared at her.
She closed her eyes and took a long breath. “Sorry. I’m tired and I’m hungry. And, frankly, really pissed off. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“I’ve worked with you long enough to know I rarely have done anything wrong.” He picked up another berry to pare. “Tell me why you’re angry but, please, summarize. I’m on duty in fourteen hours.”
She glared at him, the one that made most men piss their pants. She growled her words. “I’ve killed men for less than that.”
Arrago did not wet his pants. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her mouth, his tongue tickling her lips. “You won’t kill me. Now, tell me what’s really wrong, and don’t lie. You’re bad at it.”
Holding on to her bowl, she rolled on her side. How she loved this man. Old habits died hard, and she briefly debated lying to him, but decided to trust him. A test.
“It’s this thing with Daniel. I know it’s your home, but I hate Taftlin. I have so many bad memories of that place and all day, I’ve been plagued with reliving events I’d sooner wish forgotten.”
Arrago stroked her hand, worry on his face. She silently hoped he’d never learn her identity. She couldn’t imagine life without him.
“I have three sisters. My youngest, Drea, had been engaged to Jovan in secret. Elves generally aren’t allowed to marry until they are two hundred and we never get to choose our mates. There is a council that arranges the couples.”
“I didn’t know that,” Arrago said. “I lived with monks, so they didn’t really talk about marriage.”
Bethany nodded, a knot formed in her gut. “If you aren’t married by four hundred, you have to petition the Elven Council to remain unattached. If they refuse, you either marry or are barred from service.” Seeing the questions on his face, she explained, “It’s because we can’t have large families. Most elven women only have two children. By arranging marriages, it ensures our bloodlines aren’t diluted by marrying humans.”
Two things came clear to her at that moment. First, Allric was nearly four hundred. Well, at least the war would prevent the Council from forcing him to marry. And, second, for the first time Bethany became acutely aware of how prejudiced, even hateful, that reasoning sounded.
He shook his head, clearly confused. “What does that have to do with Taftlin?”
“Jovan and Drea agreed to elope. They planned to go east and get married out of elven territory, since they’d never find a priest here who’d do it. Along the way, they were attacked by highwaymen. Drea was sold into slavery.”
“My goddess on the wind,” he whispered.
She stretched her limbs. Stiffness was setting in. “I need to get this armor off.”
“I’ll do it. Tell your story,” he said, reaching down to start with her boots.
She frowned, though a little happy to know he wanted to listen. “You can imagine the kind of fit Jovan was in. Allric sent seventeen of us under the guise of escorting a number of priests to Taftlin. Father Arragous was amongst them.”
Arrago beamed at the mention of his namesake as he pulled off her thigh guards.
“We discovered Taftlin’s king had locked her up and was using her as a…” Bethany swallowed the lump in her throat. Since her initial report to Allric, she had never talked about this with anyone. Not even Kiner or Jovan. Arrago reached up to squeeze her hand. “A whore, basically.”
“W
hat did you do?”
She frowned, wondering if she should tell him the truth. It was a guarded secret. But did that really matter now that they would eventually invade Taftlin to stop Daniel? She decided it did not. “We killed them all.”
Arrago stopped with her armor. He looked at her, eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
She sucked in a deep breath and her heart pounded in her chest. “Seventeen knights invaded the Imperial Palace of Taftlin and killed every single member of the ruling royal family. We killed the king, his princes, women, children.” She gulped. “Unborn children. Anyone who could continue the royal line died that night. Jovan, Kiner, and I were all that lived and we carried out Drea and ran from Taftlin. I’ve never been back.”
Arrago’s mouth hung open. Her heart pounded in her chest and her voice went raw. “So you see, Daniel’s family would not have become royals if it wasn’t for me. I helped put him on the throne and countless thousands will die now. Because I was angry.”
Silence fell over them. Tears stung her eyes. She couldn’t read Arrago’s face and wondered if her revelation had wedged them apart. Wide-eyed, she watched him, hoping that he could understand.
Then, he smiled. He reached up and held her face in his hands. “You are a soldier. I don’t love you any less and I know that I’d kill anyone who tried to hurt you.”
She let out a gasp, surprised that she had been holding her breath. Arrago stood and walked to her bathing room. She soon heard the rattle of the iron pipes and the rush of water hitting her copper tub. Then, she wondered why he’d be pumping for a bath after she just spilled her heart to him. She would never understand humans.
Arrago walked back and pulled her off the chaise. He unclasped her breastplate, and shed the layers underneath. Leaning down, he kissed one nipple until it peaked in his mouth. Suddenly, she felt less tired than before.
With a mischievous grin, he tugged at her padded leather pants and pushed them to the floor. He pulled the silk trouser liners off, too. Being naked next to Arrago made her hot and nervous at the same time. She folded her arms across her chest.
“Arrago, I don’t want you to see me naked.”
He kissed her cheek, the one with the scar. “You will never be as naked as you were when you told me about your sister. I love you more for trusting me.”
If she had not possessed a century of training, she would have collapsed in his arms in a heap of hiccupping sobs. Oh, she knew this would all end badly but she did not care. It would be worth it, whatever happened. She was certain it would be worth it.
Gathering her nerve and channelling a sexuality she never knew existed, she walked towards the fast-filling tub. Over her shoulder, she said, “You can join me if you bring the food.”
Arrago peeled away his clothes with alacrity and slipped into the bath first. She got in after him and leaned against his naked chest. Letting out a deep breath, she let her muscles relax. She had revealed a core story of her past and he had not rejected her. Perhaps Jovan was wrong; perhaps Arrago might one day accept her as the daughter of Apexia.
“When will you be leaving for Taftlin?” she asked quietly.
“I’m not. I’m staying.”
She looked up at him. “Arrago, you can’t.”
He tightened his arms around her. “My place is here.”
Bethany stretched a soapy hand behind her to touch his cheek. “Don’t stay for me.”
“My life was spent amongst priests, Bethany. Even my father was a priest. They kicked him out when they discovered he sired me. When the fever took my parents, the priests adopted me. Loved me. They raised me on elven morals and beliefs. I even have an elvish name. I have more in common with your people than I ever had with my own. I am staying and if you won’t let me, I know Jovan will.”
“What makes you say that?”
Arrago smiled. “I already asked him.”
She snorted. Then, growing serious, she said, “Arrago, tonight is the last night we can spend together. I am moving to the west of the city with my recruits. I can’t have you sharing my bed at the encampment.”
A little moan escaped him. “Are you inviting me to stay tonight?”
“No,” she said, sliding her hands down his thighs. “No. I’m commanding you.”
Chapter 28
The Viper will reveal The Diamond in the midst of blazing fury.
— Aleu’s Agony of the Diamond
Bethany shot straight up in bed. Her bed vibrated. In fact, the entire room shifted beneath her. Her windows smashed inward and she ducked. Smoke billowed in, glass still tinkling to the floor. She coughed as another deafening blast hit closer.
“What was that?” Arrago shouted.
Before she could answer, there was a pounding at her door. “Lady Bethany!” a woman shouted. “Wake up!”
Bethany grabbed the top sheet from her bed, wrapping herself in it as she rushed to the door and flung it open.
On the other side stood one of her guards, panting and gasping. “The temple is under attack.”
Rushing back into her room, she looked for her discarded clothes from only a few hours before. She pulled on her trousers and boots, then a tunic, not certain if it was hers or Arrago’s and pulled it over her head.
“Arrago, get dressed!”
Arrago jumped out of bed, grabbing whatever clothing he could find. Bethany heaved a drawer open, yanking it out of the dresser, and threw a padded leather vest at Arrago. Not enough time to get into her armor, she pulled on another padded leather vest.
She yanked a sword from her wall and flung it at Arrago. She grabbed her Blessed Blades and ran to her window – to see how bad things were. She gasped at the vision below.
Pockets of fire spread across the horizon; Orchard Park burned. She squinted. The ocean was on fire? Her eyes widened. No. The naval fleet, the Rygent’s protection, was consumed by flame.
Sarissa.
The balcony swayed from another explosion. Fire swelled around her and she stumbled back inside. Her curtains caught fire, the flames dancing over the velvet and spreading to the tapestry on her wall. Then it hit her. The temple itself was on fire.
“Arrago, come on!” she screamed, running out of the room. She shoved her way past the half-dressed people who filled the corridors, ignoring their panicked questions. “Fire! Move!” she shouted, not bothering to see if anyone followed.
“Name.” She pointed at a junior knight who still guarded the stairway.
“Rohana.”
“Rohana, you are now in charge of getting every single person out of this tower. Their lives are in your hands.”
The frightened girl stood frozen. Bethany grabbed her by the arms and shook her. “Listen to me. You have to help me get everyone out of this tower.” Bethany shoved her in hopes of breaking her out of her panic.
“Yes…yes, Lady Bethany.”
She turned and saw Arrago coming up behind her. “Arrago, if the heat cracks the stone, we could lose the entire tower. Get them out.”
Even though he was visibly scared, he nodded. “You can trust me.”
There was no time for pleasantries. Bethany rushed for the stairway and shouted, “Knights to me!”
Some had already hit the stairs. By the third flight down, the corridors and windowless stairwells were packed with frightened, fleeing people. She had lost sight of Arrago and the guard, but hoped they would be able to get everyone out before the fire overtook the top levels. Once that happened, the whole tower would soon go up in flame and collapse into the sea.
Something squished under her boot and she looked down. A priest had been crushed in the mad rush to escape the burning tower. A man pushed her from behind, trying to get past her. She stumbled and fell against the people ahead of her. Turning, she slammed her fist into his face. He tumbled back and knocked over several people.
Bethany tried shouting over the crowd, but the press of bodies in the semi-darkness was a creature with its own mind. She focused on staying upright.
Black smoke choked the air. People screamed obscenities and others cried out to Apexia. Bethany steadied herself and concentrated on getting out of the tower alive.
The mass of priests, soldiers, and all of the servants poured into the main floor, scattering like mice. Bethany stood her ground and shouted, “Knights to me!” Several turned to join her. As they rushed towards the exit, Bethany came across a hobbling Aneese, still in her prayer robes. Carrying her Blessed Bow.
Once a knight, always a knight. Even if she becomes an Honored Sister in her twilight.
“Lady Bethany, help me!” Aneese shouted over the chaos, as people bounced off the old elf. She clung to the wall, stumbling but determined to stay upright. “I fell down the stairs.”
Bethany skidded to a stop and wrapped a supportive and firm arm around her. Father Malcolm grabbed Aneese and they both escorted her from the throng.
Bethany said, “Orchard Park and the entire fleet are on fire. I need to get people to safety.”
Another explosion. Ceiling plaster flew through the air like arrows and hit Aneese in the face. She screamed and fell to the cracked marble floor.
“Aneese!” Bethany dropped to her knees. Several wood shards pierced Father Malcolm’s face and neck. Blood ran down his throat and puddled on the stone floor. Bethany grasped Aneese’s wrist and her scattered Blessed Bow. She yanked Aneese’s hand back in time before it could be crushed by a small horde of screaming children in clerical robes.
Grabbing the old elf’s wrist, Bethany eased the woman up and over her shoulder, hanging like a child’s doll.
“Go, child. I cannot see and I will only slow you.”
“Shut up.” Bethany rallied her strength and adjusted the elf’s weight across her back. “Apexia’s ass, Aneese. You’ll get trampled.”
Aneese tightened her grip on Bethany’s bicep. “Go, my child.”
Bethany looked down the corridor. All she could see was the silhouette of people in the fog of smoke and plaster dust. Grasping both of her swords in her left hand, she used her right to hold on to Aneese and her bow. “Stubborn old bag,” she declared before staggering from the woman’s weight and standing mostly straight. She broke into a jog, shouting, cursing for people to move out of the way. Outside of the temple, bedlam reigned.
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