Ilavani 5

by Kaelan Rhywiol

  Cam paced through the hallways of Yiasa palace and tossed orders to the different functionaries trailing him. In Kedowyth, he'd observed the questioning of Li's pet mountain by Philodox. Phi had regained consciousness and been able to do her duty despite wounds that would have stopped most others. She’d been steadfast in her insistence she help with the questioning and Cam could respect that. He'd ordered her to rest as soon as they reached home and he sent an aide to check that the Ard Righ’s Liaison was doing exactly that.

  Cam had seen it confirmed that Baladeva wasn't guilty of treason. He hadn't known of the thrall breeding operation or the assassination attempt. The behemoth had gone pale when he'd been questioned about that. His wound aching, Cam slowed down. Harming himself now wouldn't repair the damage of his lack of foresight. Despite having tried his best to plan for every contingency, he hadn't expected the Septir to have a group of thralls so similar in aspect to silver wardens.              

  Cam opened the door to his office and dismissed the rest of his aides. He'd caught some sleep on the Zeppelin but exhaustion still lay like a weighted cloak on his shoulders. All he wanted to do was rest, but he'd spoken to his father via vid-com before sleeping, and Alexander had planned the court proceedings for Lionel’s children for today. Cam would have to be there, and he needed to meet with Alexander and Maël before he could grab a nap. Cam walked over to his desk and stood staring blindly at the clean surface. Clean only because Onyx had tidied it before they left on progress. Grief clutched at Cam, and he shook his head. 

  The next week would be harsh. He knew his family couldn't be seen as being weak. That meant quick, brutal justice. Li having killed the Septir made things easier—in a way—although Cam wished he'd been able to have the man memory-scanned. If only to spare Li contact with the Ard Righ.

  Anyone who proved even remotely complicit in the rebellion would be executed, exiled, or indentured depending on the level of their involvement. That applied to any person who'd resided at Kedowyth keep. Lionel had succeeded in the murder of a sentinel silver warden and wounding Philodox. He'd set in motion the murder of twenty-one royal guards and six breeding women contracted to the royal house, three of whom had been pregnant.

  Cam's heart ached at the loss of his breeders. He hadn't liked many of them, but their lives had been cut short through their connection to him. Though there'd been no love between he and they, he'd always tried to be kind and fair to them. The idea that those bright minds and young lives had been cut short ate at him.

  Onyx. Cam could barely breathe at the loss of Agate, and that would be nothing to the tearing devastation Onyx would experience when… if he woke. Cam couldn't conceive of losing Li and Agate had been with Onyx almost as long. Cam leaned down and braced his fists on the desk, wincing at the pain of his wound. If it hadn't been for Li, Simon’s and his own skills they might all have died.

  Li entered the room behind him and came to kneel at his feet. Cam's rage boiled in a tight knot just under his heart, but he knew if he let it loose in an uncontrolled way that more innocents would be harmed. He wanted to raze Kedowyth to the ground but he wouldn't do that. He'd done well up until now, ordering the holding scoured but those willing to lay down arms captured for examination. He looked down at Li. He knew if he said so, xie'd go down to the jails and kill every man, woman, and child taken from Kedowyth… and it wouldn't phase xyr in the slightest.

  Cam's gaze caressed xyr beloved face as xie looked up at him. He loved Li with everything in him, yet xie was a sociopath, a made sociopath, not a born one, but still an incredibly dangerous individual with few moral codes and less sentiment. In some ways, he used xyr as a touchstone for his decisions. Cam kept xyr preferred reactions in mind when making bloody-handed choices so he wouldn't become too bloodthirsty, too callous to the reality that these were people's lives he affected.

  Redirecting the energy of his rage to lust by turning his gift on Li and himself, Cam leaned down and buried his fingers into xyr hair at the nape of xyr neck. Knowing by the dilation of xyr pupils and the lack of tension in xyr body xie willingly bore him now meant the world to him. He lifted xyr by xyr hair and roughly threw xyr onto the gleaming mahogany surface of his desk. Xie untied xyr robes and pulled them open xyrself and lay spread wide for him.

  “I am yours,” xie whispered, green eyes gleaming. Xyr permission was all he needed, and he gripped xyr hips, pulling xyr down to the edge of the desk. He knew he bruised xyr, but xie moaned in pleasure at his tight hold. Cam unfastened his belt and slacks—and thankful neither of them required preparation—he thrust deep into xyr hot, welcoming body. His anger eased, and he remembered the fear that had filled him as he'd watched xyr leave to kill the Septir. At the even stronger fear and rage he'd felt when he'd seen the damage xie'd taken from the Septir’s son. The bruises were thick and black around xyr throat even still.

  It had been his order and though he knew how skilled xie was, Li was only human, and he had feared for xyr. Cam thrust hard into xyr again and watched xyr, felt xyr, smelled xyr; xie lived, xie was here, and xie was his. Thrusting deep and slow he made xyr squirm—arching against him looking for release—his wound pained him but it sent his lust higher. Cam kept up his slow, forceful rocking and lost himself in xyr, crying out in relief when they both came, xyr body squeezing his in an ancient, primal rhythm.              

  He lay down carefully on xyr and xyr arms and legs held him tight as xie brushed xyr fingers through his hair. He'd ripped a few stitches, and bloody heat bloomed on his chest. He could relax, though, closing his eyes as tears streaked his face. He pressed now tender kisses to Li's bruised throat. They lay pressed chest to chest as xie caressed him. He listened to the beat of xyr heart, felt the rush of xyr breath on his face. Gratitude overwhelmed him, that xie at least had not been lost to him.

  Memoir of Alexander Righ, Ruler of Erieria—Excerpt

   

  In all my years as Righ, I've never had to stand in judgment of a traitor. Philodox assures me that the elder two children of Septir Lionel were neck deep in the conspiracy to make and sell the thralls. The youngest is innocent thereof but knew something was going on—he had enough circumstantial evidence to indicate illegal endeavor—he participated in lower level crimes that, when added up, are equal to exile or even execution. He could have reported his family to us for investigation. I'll have to punish him or be seen as weak.

  CHAPTER 62:

  34th of Sunani, Summer

  07:30 hours, Pre-Dawn

  MAЁL & CAM

  Maël knocked on the door to his brother’s office and having caught the scent of sex he waited until Cam invited him in. Maël closed the door behind him and took three swift steps to where they sat on the chaise, exhausted and still sweaty. He dropped to his knees and hugged them both. “By the Twins you two, don't scare me like that ever again.” He pulled back only to look Cam up and down. Maël's heightened sense of smell caught the scent of fresh blood. “You tore something open just now. I should call a medic for you.”

  Cam's eyes were exhausted as he nodded but it was Li who went to the phone to call for a physician.

  Maël's voice was gruff. “How could he have managed to take out three royal guard units? We planned for the possibility he would attack, how could they have managed this?”

  Cam grunted, his face sad. “We didn't know he'd been cooking up something that for all intents and purposes is a silver warden. Those creatures were beyond creepy.” Cam shook his head and lay down against the curved side of the chaise, pillowing his head on his forearm. “He almost succeeded, too. Much closer than I'm comfortable with.”

  Maël gritted his teeth and growled. “I wish he weren't already dead. I'd torture him for hours for this, days.”

  Cam cast a quick glance at where Li stood at the door to the room, sending a serving boy to get food and
drink for them. “I've a feeling Li will be buying the indentured contract on the son. Xie seems… abnormally fascinated by him. If he ever harms xyr without xyr consent again, I'll make sure his death isn't quick, and you can help.”

  “Xyr throat?” Maël murmured.

  “Yes, he surprised xyr with his speed. He had xyr, but xie tells me he made the choice to release xyr.”

  An atavistic shiver of dread scrambled up Maël's spine as he thought again of how closely he'd come to losing two of his most beloved people. “I've been going over the evidence. It looks like whichever genecrafter was doing the actual work disappeared. It's a woman, but we haven't found video evidence of her and Baladeva doesn't know a real name. We ran the name he knew and found nothing. I imagine he'd be able to visually identify her if we find her.”

  Cam nodded. “We have the primary source of the thralls contained at least. Even if she took her knowledge and records with her, the lab is confiscated. If we see this occur anywhere else, we'll know to look for a female genecrafter matching her physical description leading it.”

  “Dad wants to see you,”  Maël murmured and watched as Cam closed his eyes in fatigue. Maël spoke again before Cam could. “He said to wait, and he'd come to you, his health has improved significantly.” Maël stood up and went to get his brother a cup of hot tea from the tray the serving boy delivered.

  As Li let the royal physician in and helped Cam take his shirt and bandages off Maël doctored tea for the three of them. He liberally laced it with whiskey as the doctor re-stitched and bandaged Cam's chest. When Marshall left, Maël took the drink to his brother, who lay half drowsing on the chaise.

  Cam mumbled as he took the drink. “That stitching didn't hurt nearly as bad as the first one, pain killers are great.”

  Maël's eyebrows shot up. “You were stitched without painkillers?”

  Cam nodded, blowing on the tea to cool it. “I wouldn't let the physicians dose me at Kedowyth. I needed my mind. I let Marshall give me a local, this time.”

  “Masochist.” Maël shook his head fondly.

  Cam winked tiredly at his brother, sipped his tea, and said, “Not as much as you are.”

  Li came to kneel on the floor near Cam, xie put a hand on his hip and cast a fond glance to Maël as he gave xyr a cup.

  Cam shifted and winced at the pull on his wound. “Is there anything other than seeing Father that can't wait for the rest of the morning? I'd like to grab a nap before court.”

  “No, I've got it covered; you should get what rest you can. We'll all of us have a day of it. Dad intends to make examples.”

  Cam sighed, his voice exhausted and disheartened. “Wouldn't you?”

  Maël's face grew still and cold in his fury. “I'd raze the place to the ground as an example, and that’s only one of the reasons you'll be a better king.”

  When their father arrived, Maël stepped back to lean against Cam's desk. Folding his arms over his waistcoat he listened.

  Alexander was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, he'd gained weight and energy in the past two ilamonths. He no longer trembled, and he didn't show any trouble or pain when he sat down next to Cam on the chaise. Alexander leaned forward and gently drew his eldest son into his tattooed arms.

  “I'm so grateful I didn't lose you, Cam. Thank the Twins you had Li and Simon with you and you're so good with a blade yourself. I’m so sorry to hear of Onyx and Agate.”

  Shocked out of his stupor at his father's affection and the soft tremble of fear in his voice, Cam let his arms wrap around his father's still slim form. “I survived, that’s what matters.”

  Alexander sat up and reached to the foot of the chaise. He pulled a blanket up to cover Cam's shoulders. Love suffused the king’s face. “I used to do this when you were little, every night, do you remember? You'd always kick your blankets off in your sleep.”

  Dumbfounded, Cam looked at his father like he'd never seen him. His voice hesitant, he said, “I don't… remember that.”

  Alexander shook his silver head with a wry smile. “No reason for you to. I've always had to work late at night, and you were usually asleep by the time I came to the nursery to see you.” Alexander turned to the side and grasped Li's hand. He lifted xyr chin to examine the bruises on xyr throat. “I can never thank you enough, Li. If Cam had died my old heart would have given up the fight. Lionel and I fought together in the uprising, he wasn’t an honorable man but even I didn’t expect this. If you'd left him alive he would’ve struck again." Alexander leaned forward and kissed Li on the forehead, a solemn benediction.

  Looking back to Cam, he said, “I have to make an example of anyone involved. You'll need to be there today to show you're hale and hearty and to bear witness. Is there anything I need to know while we're in private that would affect my rulings?”

  Cam glanced at Li, who looked down at xyr lap. “Li and I would prefer the youngest son, Baladeva, be indentured rather than exiled or executed. He's been questioned and isn't guilty of treason, though only by the thinnest of margins. Lionel protected him that much.”

  Alexander looked in confusion at Cam but shrugged his shoulders, moving easier than he had in over a year. “If that’s your wish, son, and Li, of course. I take it one of you wants him for something?”

  Cam's face held a look of tired amusement as he glanced at Li. “One of us does. What will you do with Kedowyth?”

  “All the servants and guards who’re innocent may return there. I'll set a steward over it for now. Because the Septir was irrefutably guilty of treason his lands revert to the crown. If the son had been completely blameless, I'd have let him inherit, but as he isn't, he has no right to the property. Besides, his indentured term of service will be quite long. I have to make it that way.” Alexander stood. “I have much I still need to see to. Cam, go and rest while you can. You've been through too much.” Carefully Alexander kissed Cam's forehead as if he were a much younger child and left. Cam could see Bieito waiting in the hall with Alexander’s guard.

  Settling his head back on the chaise he said to Maël and Li, “I'll have to see to paying wergild to the families of the six murdered breeding women. I keep asking myself how it's possible we didn't hear anything as it happened.”

  Li said, “You can't do that to yourself. From Lionel’s memories, I know how he'd had his attackers trained. That failed assassin trainee who taught Baladeva stood as instructor for his beasts; it's what Lionel called those gray-eyed brutes. I've no idea how someone with any of our training could have escaped the shadow guild but be assured I'll be reporting his existence. We found no trace of him during the scouring. Those creatures were well—if lightly—trained. They had keys to the rooms; it was late at night. Child’s play to anyone with our training.”

  Cam closed his eyes again and nodded. “Any word on Onyx?”

  Maël spoke reservedly from where he leaned on Cam's desk, “I just came from the infirmary. He still hasn't regained consciousness and the medical staff aren't sure he will. There's no damage other than the thigh wound to his spine or limbs, but there's cranial swelling. He's in a coma.” Maël looked down and spoke roughly. “It might… be a mercy if he doesn't survive. Agate was his life, and I honestly know what that means now.”

  “He'll pull through.” Cam cleared his throat, but his voice remained grief roughened. “He's too strong not to. We'll all have to be here for him when he does. Gods, they were together almost as long as Li and I have been.” He reached out and interlaced his fingers with Li's. “I need to rest. Maël? Will you help me to my quarters? I'm afraid that either my fatigue, stress or the shot the doc gave me is making me loopy.”

  Maël quirked his mouth sadly as he helped Cam to his feet. “Sure it was the shot and not that double of whiskey I put in the tea?”

  Cam huffed a tired chuckle and winced at the pull of stitches, then let Maël guide him to bed. Li helped Cam out of his clothes and Maël turned
off the lamps on the way out. Li climbed into bed next to Cam. The living silk of xyr comforted him, and he rapidly dropped into sleep as the twin suns painted the sky in the colors of morning.

  Memoir of Alexander Righ, Ruler of Erieria—Excerpt

   

  The executions will be conducted this week in full public view. My aides inform me the crowds are starting to gather, days before the beheadings. Executions are so rare in Erieria. It should've bothered me more than it did to sentence two young lives to death and another to an extensive mark of indenture. One to rival the longest indentured contract on record. Cold rage is all I felt while passing sentence. The two eldest children of Septir Lionel were as guilty as he in his machinations. They knew of the training of that elite troupe of gray-eyed beasts and knew the likelihood of their father to use them to attack Cam. At least their deaths will be quick. I won't use torture, though I'd be well within my rights to do so. Perhaps the sight of that will cement in my peoples' minds how quickly and ruthlessly I will respond to threats against my line. The scarlet of fresh spilled blood is an indelible ink all its own.

  CHAPTER 63:

  36th of Sunani, Summer

  09:30 hours, Early-Morning

  MAI

   

  Mai drifted, not exactly asleep, nor fully awake. She'd passed a difficult two days. Many women in the seraglio had lost friends; some lovers, and the expressions of rage and pain had been loud, both audibly and emotionally. Even after her own emotional storm of shock and horror had passed, as she'd coped with how close she'd come to losing Cam and her friend Phi, she'd been assailed with the tortured emotions of others. She'd only found sleep after two in the morning and though she felt rested now, she still wasn't in a hurry to get up. She watched through half-closed eyes as the first blush of dawn lit the sky.