Keeper, grant that this Lady Briana is nothing like him, Issa prayed silently. She didn’t think she could stomach her new duty of serving as Lady Briana’s bodyguard if she had Kellas’ arrogance. Already, the duty felt more like a punishment than an honor. Protecting Lady Briana would take Issa away from her Blades’ training. Yet, the Pharus had made it clear that he had a vested interest in repaying the debt he owed Suroth, who had died protecting him. Earning the Pharus’ favor might be just what she needed to convince him to tell her about her parents.
The interior of the mansion was as opulent as its exterior. Swirling patterns of silver and platinum adorned the golden sandstone walls, a match for the yellow-and-white marble floor tiles. The exotic rugs, woven carpets, and bright tapestries added splashes of color to the high-vaulted hall and broad staircase.
Yet blood still stained those stairs, despite the best efforts of three servant women—Earaqi, judging by the strips of red cloth braided into their golden headbands. Death had visited the beautiful mansion and left its mark in more ways than one.
Nessa led her to the second floor, then turned down a hallway flanked by seven doors. The Steward opened the door at the end of the hall and motioned for Issa to enter. Clearly a study, she determined, judging by the huge desk, book and trinket-laden shelves, and comfortable furniture. The Arch-Guardian’s private offices.
Five people stood in the room. Issa took them in at a glance; Killian had trained her to evaluate everyone as a potential threat. The tall, light-skinned man beside Briana definitely had a dangerous air about him, enhanced by his confident posture and the easy way he wore his leather armor and the sword on his left hip. The green-and-gold headband around his forehead accented the darkness of his hair and the sharpness of his features. Handsome, Issa had to admit, yet still masculine.
Issa immediately discarded the other foreigner, barely more than a boy, who stood at Lady Briana’s side wearing the garments of a body servant.
The third young man intrigued her. Clenched muscles made his broad jaw look even wider, the kohl darkening his almond-colored eyes to a deep brown. He wore servants’ clothing and a red-and-gold headband marking him as an Earaqi, yet there was a confident bravado in his strong-featured face, a tightness in his posture that reminded her of Hykos. He stood protectively over Briana, calm on the outside yet ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. She had known many such youths, most belonging to Killian’s Mumblers, during her years training with the blacksmith.
Then there was the young woman. Her thick nose and tight-curled hair marked her as an outsider, and her skin was a shade too dark be Shalandran, though someone had made an admirable attempt to cover that fact using a thick layer of cosmetics—kohl and crushed malachite for the eyes, something to lighten her cheeks and forehead, even the four black dots to match her white Intaji headband. Yet she wore no sheath dress, but light leather armor a match for the honey-eyed foreigner’s and a short-handled spear on her back. The breadth of her shoulders and the hard sinews of her arms told Issa that this was the most dangerous person in the room.
Lady Briana sat in her father’s oversized armchair as if it were a throne, her kohl smudged and black streaks running down her cheeks. Issa couldn’t fault the young woman her tears—she had just lost her adoptive father—yet was surprised to find defiance in the girl’s eyes.
“Lady Briana,” Nessa said, “may I present Issa of the Keeper’s Blades.” With a bow, the Steward retreated and shut the door.
Issa inclined her head. “My lady, allow me to express my deepest sympathies on your adoptive father’s passing.”
She winced. The words sounded too stiff, too formal, the sort of trite platitude that Kellas would spout in an attempt to curry favor with a higher-ranked Dhukari.
“I’m very sorry,” she told Briana in a less formal voice. Her eyes met the young noblewoman’s. “I only met him once, but he was kind to me. He seemed like a good man.”
“Thank you.” Briana gave her a sad smile, moisture glimmering in her eyes. “I’m certain my father would have been pleased to hear that. There is far too little good in Shalandra these days.” She wiped away an errant tear that slipped down her cheek. “But tell me, what brings a Keeper’s Blade to my home?”
Issa straightened to the formal military posture, spine rigid, head upright. “I have been sent by Pharus Amhoset Nephelcheres to be your personal protector until he is certain there is no threat to your life.”
“As you can see, I already have protectors of my own.” Briana gestured to the two bodyguards.
Issa’s eyes darted to the two figures flanking the Dhukari. They seemed competent enough, but she was a Keeper’s Blade, chosen by the god of death himself, clad in the finest armor and wielding a Shalandran steel blade.
Issa inclined her head. “Of course, my lady. However, I have been given my orders by the Pharus himself. Until I receive word from him or one of my superiors, I must comply.”
Lady Briana’s expression tightened and she exchanged glances with the male bodyguard. “I see.” She fell silent, her lips twisting into a pensive frown.
Issa felt the bodyguard’s gaze on her. He studied her, suspicion written in every line on his pale face, and Issa could almost feel him sizing her up. She met his honey eyes without hesitation. She had nothing to hide, nothing to fear from him.
“Do your orders demand that you remain at my side at all times?” Lady Briana’s voice had gone cool, formal.
“I am to be your personal protector, my lady,” Issa replied. “I am to go where you go, to wield my sword in your defense as your father defended the Pharus from the assassins that threatened his life.”
“Thank you, Issa of the Keeper’s Blades.” The Dhukari girl inclined her head, but her expression remained as tight as her voice. “Then you may take up guard in the hallway just outside this door.”
Issa wanted to protest, but Lady Briana continued before she could.
“As you can see, there are no windows to gain access to this room, no other way in besides my father’s bedroom. With you in the hall, I have little doubt that I will be as safe as if I stood within the Citadel of Stone.”
Issa recognized the dismissal, yet also the polite courtesy in the tone. She’s definitely not as bad as Kellas. Her fellow trainee would have sent her away with a sneer and cutting remark. By complimenting the Blades, Lady Briana had avoided offense. A very Dhukari trait, but far better than their usual arrogance.
“Of course, my lady.” With a bow, Issa turned smartly on her heel and marched from the room. Footfalls echoed behind her and she looked back in time to see the pale-skinned bodyguard striding toward the door. He shot her one last suspicious glance before closing the door. A moment later, the lock clicked.
Issa drew in a long breath, then let it out slowly. She didn’t begrudge their suspicion of her—she’d be just as mistrustful in Lady Briana’s circumstances. As long as they allowed her to do her job and protect the Dhukari woman as the Pharus had ordered, she didn’t care what they thought.
I am a Keeper’s Blade, Issa told herself as she drew her two-handed flammard and grounded the tip between her boots. I have a job to do, and I’ll be damned if I let anything stop me from doing it.
Chapter Four
“What do you think?” The words, spoken in a low tone, left Kodyn’s mouth the instant after he’d closed the door behind the departing Blade. “Could this be the work of the Keeper’s Council?”
Aisha’s brow furrowed. “I don’t think so.” She turned to Briana. “From what you’ve told us, the Keeper’s Blades don’t answer to the Necroseti, correct?”
Briana nodded. “They serve the Lady of Blades, the military counterpart to the Pharus. The Pharus can command them, but the Lady of Blades and her council, the Elders of the Blade, make the final decision.” Her expression grew pensive. “There’s no love lost between the Lady of Blades and the Keeper’s Council. If anything, the Keeper’s Council hates her more than the P
harus does. Lady Callista’s control of the Indomitables gives her more power than they’d like, and she operates independently of their authority.”
Kodyn jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “So you’re saying there’s no chance that this Issa is a spy for the Keeper’s Council or the Pharus?”
“I didn’t say that.” Briana shook her head. “I’d be surprised if someone on the Keeper’s Council managed to sway anyone in the Elders of the Blade to their cause. We can rule Issa out as a spy for the Necroseti.” She leaned back in her father’s stuffed armchair and sighed. “As for the Pharus or the Lady of Blades, it’s possible that they have an ulterior motive for sending her. Pharus Amhoset Nephelcheres is far cleverer than the Keeper’s Council would like. The Necroseti still wield far more power, but from what my father told me, they’re finding him more and more difficult to control. He could very well have sent Issa here for some reason we don’t yet understand. Or Callista Vinaus might—”
“Did you ever consider that she might just be exactly who she says she is?” Aisha was surprised to find the servant youth, Evren, speaking. “That she actually was sent to protect you?”
Aisha studied the young man—the pale-skinned servant boy had called him Evren. He could almost pass for a Shalandran, yet Aisha recognized the subtle differences in the shape of his eyes, the breadth of his jaw, and the slight difference in tones between his and Briana’s skin.
Kodyn’s jaw clenched. “She wasn’t talking to—”
“Kodyn!” Briana cut off the Hawk’s insult with an angry glare. No trace of apology shone in Kodyn’s eyes, only his typical obstinacy—after everything that had happened, Aisha understood his fierce protectiveness, especially around the attendant that was clearly anything but a common servant.
Who is he? Aisha studied the young man through narrowed eyes. Evren didn’t look like any servant she’d ever seen. He certainly wore the simple clothing with the red-and-gold to match. But he moved like an assassin of House Serpent, with the wary-eyed look of a street thief of House Fox. The proud defiance in his eyes and posture mirrored Kodyn’s.
When Kodyn didn’t finish his retort, Briana turned back to Evren. “Speak, please.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “What makes you think she’s here on Lady Callista’s orders to protect me?”
Evren shrugged, his expression reluctant, as if he regretted opening his mouth and drawing attention to himself. Yet he didn’t back down. “I’m not naïve enough to ignore the fact that she might have been sent to spy on you. But I’ve known a few soldiers in my life, and few tend to be the spying type. Much more the bash you over the head or chop off your hand type.”
Aisha cocked an eyebrow. Interesting.
The “chop off your hand” statement told Aisha a great deal about him. Many cities on Einan—Praamis among them—used it as a punishment to deter pickpocketing and theft. Evren reminded her far more of a Night Guild apprentice than any servant she’d met.
“I don’t know what sort of man the Pharus is,” Evren continued, his eyes fixed on Briana, “but is it possible that he really did send her in good faith?”
Briana’s forehead furrowed in concentration. “It is possible,” she finally admitted.
“You really think so?” Kodyn’s tone and the look he shot Evren held a healthy dose of skepticism.
“You heard the Pharus this morning,” Briana turned up her palms. “His exact words were, ‘I will not forget the debt I now owe him.’”
Aisha nodded. Despite her skepticism, she found herself agreeing with Evren’s assessment. “And again, at the party in the palace, he actually seemed glad that Briana had come home.” She’d only met the Pharus twice, neither time for long enough to get a real sense of the man, but he’d come off as a decent sort. At least compared to the conniving, scheming Councilor Madani and his rotund Necroseti sycophants and clingers-on.
“No way we can trust her,” Kodyn snarled.
“I’m not saying you should trust her,” Evren put in, earning a glare from the Hawk. “Watch her closely, but maybe it might turn out she’s telling the truth. My lady,” he added as an afterthought.
Briana’s eyes narrowed as she studied the servant, her expression pensive.
Aisha couldn’t help her own curiosity. Definitely not a servant, she decided. So then what is he?
Kodyn seemed to have reached the same conclusion as her. “And why should we trust you?” he snapped. His hand actually dropped to his sword hilt. “We know that your brother—” His tone held an apostate’s dose of skepticism. “—has blood that can activate the Serenii artifacts. But of you, however, we know nothing. Like how you came to be here in the first place, when clearly you are not a servant. I’d wager you’re not even from Shalandra.”
Aisha saw the sudden stiffening of Evren’s spine, the tightness in his expression, and the shift in his stance to an almost combative one. He was ready to fight or flee at a moment’s notice—the way his fists clenched by his side, Aisha guessed fight.
She suppressed an inward groan. Kodyn’s desire to protect Briana put him in a combative mood, which meant he’d charge the problem head-on and try to bull through it rather than playing it clever. The trait, inherited from his mother, could be both his greatest strength and weakness. She’d seen what happened when obstinate, brash young men squared off. The inevitable clash of wills between Evren and Kodyn could waste a lot of time that could be better spent dealing with the Gatherers and the Necroseti.
“Right now,” she said before any more words flew between the two, “we need to decide what to do about Issa.”
Briana cocked an eyebrow. “Do?”
“Yes, do.” Aisha met the girl’s eyes. “She’s here to guard you, which means we’ve got another strong arm to keep you safe if the Gatherers or the Necroseti try anything. But we can’t be sure that she won’t report our activity to her superiors. Whatever we do, it’ll have to be without her knowing. Which means that you’re going to have to avoid doing anything to arouse her curiosity.”
Briana gave a dismissive wave. “That’s no matter. She has no reason to suspect anything if I stay here in my father’s office and work on these Serenii artifacts and my father’s journal.” She tapped a manicured fingernail on the leather-bound volume she’d found in Suroth’s bedside table. “You two should be able to come and go as you please.”
To Aisha’s surprise, Briana turned to Evren. “And you, Evren, I will use your help as well.”
“Me?” Evren cocked an eyebrow. “Hailen’s the one who will help you with the artifacts.”
“Yes, but Nessa tells me that you were the one to raise the alarm that the Gatherers were attacking.” Briana folded her hands atop the table and fixed Evren with a piercing gaze. “Which means I know you’re not working for them.”
“He could be Necroseti,” Kodyn growled.
Evren fixed Kodyn with an impassive stare. “Do I look like a priest?”
“No, which makes you the perfect choice.” Kodyn straightened to his full height, looming two hands taller than Evren. “So tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?”
Evren’s expression grew defiant. “And if I don’t?”
“You’ll go back to the storeroom,” Briana said simply. “Where you’ll stay until you’re ready to talk.” She threw up her hands. “But I don’t want that. Right now, I’ve got too few people in the world I can count on to help me. Your brother could be the key to unlocking the secrets of the Serenii and using their power to take down the Necroseti and the Gatherers. I need his help, which means I need your cooperation.”
After a moment, Evren nodded. “I’ll do what I can.”
“We can’t trust him if we don’t know anything about him,” Kodyn protested.
“We know he’ll fight to protect his brother,” Briana told him, shooting a glance at Hailen. “Right now, given the odds we’re up against, that fighting spirit could prove useful.”
Aisha found herself in agreement with Briana. She didn’t
trust Evren—Kodyn was right in that they couldn’t trust him without knowing about him—yet the fact that he wasn’t a Gatherer was a good start. According to the Steward, two of Suroth’s servants had been complicit in the attempt to kidnap Briana the previous night. He also hadn’t flinched when Briana had spoken of taking on the Necroseti, which Aisha took to meant that he wasn’t working for the Keeper’s Priests. They’d need to find out who he was working for, but not at this moment.
After a long moment, Kodyn appeared to relent. “Fine,” he growled. Aisha knew him well enough to recognize the meaning of his expression. He intended to keep a close eye on Evren, no matter what he said aloud.
“Then that’s settled,” Briana said. “Now we can set about our true purpose.” She reached for the journal sitting on her father’s desk. “Hailen and I will start working here, but we need to reach out to the ones that can help us. Starting with the Secret Keepers.”
“I can get a message to Ennolar,” Aisha offered.
“I’ll reach out to the Black Widow.” Kodyn frowned. “Though I’ll need to bring something as a gift to placate her.”
“Placate her?” Briana’s expression grew questioning.
Kodyn started to explain. “I—”
A knock at the door cut off his words.
“Lady Briana?” Nessa’s voice accompanied the Steward’s entrance. “A messenger in the livery of the Palace of Golden Eternity has arrived, bearing a summons from the Pharus.”
Briana’s eyes narrowed. “When does he command me to present myself?”
“At once,” Nessa said. Worry sparkled in her eyes. “What shall I reply, my lady?”
Briana stood. “That we are on our way.”
“Of course.” With a bow, Nessa left the room.
The moment the door closed, Kodyn spoke. “We just saw the Pharus a few hours ago. He sends the Keeper’s Blade, now a summons to the palace. That strike any of you as strange?”
Briana nodded her head. “Yes, but maybe it could be a good thing. My father intended to tell the Pharus of his suspicions of the Necroseti’s hand in my abduction. This gives us a chance to speak to the Pharus, maybe even convince him to help us move against the Necroseti as well as wipe out the Gatherers. Keeper knows he has no love for the priests.”
Heirs of Destiny Box Set Page 44