Chapter Twenty-Nine
FARRELL WOKE to see Miceral sleeping in the chair next to the bed. Not a deep sleep, but more as though his partner had dozed off. When Farrell rolled onto his side, Miceral woke up.
“Hey, handsome.” Farrell flashed him a grin. “How long have I been asleep?”
“We left Belsport about four hours ago.” Miceral walked over to the bed. “How do you feel?”
He scooted over to make room for his partner. “Like I was dragged by a horse over the Plains of Gharaha.”
Miceral reached over and stroked Farrell’s hair. “In truth, that might have been kinder than what you went through.”
He lay quietly, enjoying the feeling Miceral’s hands sent through his body. “I’m sorry I caused you such stress. I don’t mean to get hurt, but sometimes I act without worrying about the consequences. If it’s any consolation, it wasn’t much fun for me, either.”
Miceral laughed. “I imagine not, but can you try to be more careful? I would prefer to carry you to bed for things other than healing sleep.”
“Yes, I’ll try.” Farrell yawned again. “Come to bed? It’s late, and I’ll sleep better if you’re next to me.”
Trying to fight the need to sleep so he could watch Miceral get undressed proved impossible. He woke briefly when his partner climbed into their bed, but quickly fell fast asleep, content to feel Miceral’s strong arms around him.
For the better part of the next two days, Farrell slept. The only memory he had of that time was when Lisle tried to enter the bedroom the morning they returned. Even that wasn’t a very clear memory, but he remembered hearing “stubborn woman,” “dense as the iron you wear,” “let him sleep,” and “take your hands off me.”
From how much better he felt and the dreamlike images he remembered, he knew Miceral had brought him food and drink several times a day. How little he remembered concerned him until he scanned his body and found traces of a sleeping draft. He should have known Master Heather would enlist Miceral to put something in his drink.
Mildly irritated, he let it go when he remembered how concerned Miceral had been. A couple of days’ sleep not only let his hands heal, it left him feeling stronger than he’d felt in a long time.
Leaving the bedroom, he remembered Miceral had mentioned going to meet his father. Given the amount of drugs in his system, he wondered why Miceral had thought it necessary to say anything. He found a tray of food and almost poured himself a drink before he scanned the pitcher.
Putting the pitcher back, he decided to call down to the kitchen for food that did not have a sleep-inducing agent as an ingredient. The page shifted his weight from foot to foot as Farrell told him to explain to the cooks the consequences if he found any trace of the drugs in his food ever again.
Farrell directed the second page to follow him into his study and dashed off a terse, almost threatening, note to Master Heather. Telling him what he had to do qualified as part of her job. Sneaking drugs into his food did not.
He handed the note to the teen and let him out. Flexing his fingers, he moved to the music room to test his hands. The window at the far end provided little light, given its western exposure, and he quickly felt the tug on his energy from the room’s lights.
Despite its infrequent use, Lisle kept the room spotless. Farrell stretched his fingers and sat on the piano bench. Everything felt right, but he’d know for sure in a moment. Fingers flying across the keys, he missed more than a few notes, but he still smiled broadly. Masters Heather and Jelath had done a superb job.
Pleased with his hands but not his playing, he stopped once he determined he had suffered no permanent damage. He knew work had built up during his absence, but he sat by the window when he saw a shape fly by. Peering out, he watched transfixed as several young peregrines chased each other around. He could see his brothers doing this as youngsters.
No. He smiled to himself. They probably do it even as adults.
“He should be told.” Horgon’s voice caused him to turn from the window and head for the sitting room.
“I agree, but it can wait until he’s better.” Miceral’s tone told him they withheld bad news.
“Tell me what?” The two snapped their heads in his direction. He spotted the untouched tray of food and drink. “Oh. Don’t let Master Heather give you any more sleeping potions for my food.”
Miceral blushed slightly. “They were for your own good.”
“I’m not complaining, though it upset me when I figured it out.” He frowned at the memory. “What’s done is done, and I’m feeling better, so it worked.”
“That’s good news.” Horgon moved closer to clasp Farrell’s shoulder. “You had us worried for a stretch there.”
“Sorry for that.” Not letting them distract him, he said, “What is it you think you shouldn’t tell me until later?”
Father and son exchanged a look before Miceral nodded. “We went over the casualty list from the fight at Belsport this morning. The troop commanders all returned, and we were able to get an accurate count.”
Dead soldiers always bothered him. As leader, his orders sent them into the fight. “How bad?”
“Relatively light.” Horgon almost sounded upbeat. “The healers did an amazing job. We lost twelve soldiers in total.”
He felt his face tingle, forcing him to breathe deeply to avoid tearing up. “Will you provide me a list so I can speak to the families personally?”
“Of course.” Horgon’s gaze darted toward Miceral, who shook his head. “I’ll go get it now.”
Swallowing loudly, Farrell lifted the pitcher, only to set it down when he remembered the drugs. Ignoring the look he got from Miceral, he flicked his wrist, eliminating the sleep draft. He filled a cup and downed it, then filled it again.
“Farrell.” Miceral put his arms around his waist.
“Don’t lecture me about using magic,” Farrell snapped. “I’m fine.”
“I wasn’t going to do that.” He gently kissed the top of Farrell’s head. “It’s about the list.”
Cup to his lips, Farrell set it down and stared into the water.
“Whose name is on it?”
The silence lingered long enough that Farrell almost asked again.
“Ostert.”
Barely a whisper, the name struck Farrell like the flat of a sword across the chest, leaving him unable to breathe. After the initial sting, he wiped his eyes and twisted around. “I’m sorry, Miceral. You knew him his whole life.”
“I’ve had time to make peace.” Miceral blinked, sniffing softly. “Lenore will welcome him with all honors.”
“Of course She will.” He buried his face against Miceral’s chest, feeling the hoped-for embrace he needed.
STANDING IN front of the door, he paused. Should he be here unannounced? Maybe, but if he didn’t do it now, he might not get to it for a while. Knocking, he then stepped back.
Lillian, her eyes red and puffy, opened the door. “Prince Farrell?”
Noting her surprise, he smiled as best he could. “Hello, Lillian. I hope it’s okay that I came by without warning you.”
She pulled the door wider, motioning for him to come in. “You’ve always been welcome in our home.”
She nearly choked off the last two words. He let her rush past, giving her the time to compose herself. “Have a seat while I get you something to drink.”
“Don’t worry about that. I can’t stay long.” Swallowing the lump in his throat, he squeezed his eyes tight. When he opened them, he found her staring at him. The grief he saw nearly broke his resolve, but he’d been through enough sorrow that he clamped down and kept it together. “How’s the baby doing?”
Lillian rubbed her round stomach, almost smiling. “He’s doing well. The healers are checking on me daily to be sure I don’t go into labor prematurely.”
Nodding, he tried to smile, but he knew it looked forced. “I . . . I . . . came to tell you how sorry I am. It doesn’t mean or change anything, I
know, but I wanted to tell you personally how much your husband’s friendship meant to me.”
Did that sound phony? They’d known each other less than a year. Why would she believe him?
“Ostert always smiled when he spoke of you and Miceral. His ‘two friends,’ he’d tell people.” She finally smiled for real. “That you never forgot him or us was a source of joy and pride.”
“I never forget my friends.” He sniffed, wiping his nose. “He taught me the value of living now . . .”
Finishing the sentence proved impossible. Insensitive, too. Or at least, so he thought.
Laughing, Lillian stepped closer. “Did you know he took credit for you and Miceral getting joined?”
The laughter turned into a sob, and Farrell reached for her. “As well he should.”
Standing still, he let her cry until she just held him. Nothing he said would change things or ease her grief. Lifting his hand, he summoned a square of white silk and handed it to her. Silently, she accepted the offered cloth and wiped her face.
“Thank you.” She tried to give it back, but Farrell waved her off. “Keep it.” Taking her by the arm, he led her to a chair. “I’ll . . .
Miceral and I . . . if you or your son ever need anything, please come to us.”
“Miceral said the same.” She stared at a spot on the floor. “You two have done enough already. With the gold you gave us, my son will never want for anything.”
Except a father. The same thought might have crossed Lillian’s mind when Farrell didn’t speak right away. He wanted to say so much but decided to wait. Her grief was too new, raw.
“I’ll see that he didn’t die in vain,” Farrell whispered, not planning to give voice to the thought. “I swear it.”
“Ostert died fighting to make the world a safer place for me and our son.” She sat a bit straighter, a look of pride on her face. “He wanted our son to live in a world free of Meglar and his evil.”
He smiled briefly, seeing Ostert in his mind saying those words. “Your husband saw the world so differently from me. He kept everything simple. ‘Do what you know is right and ignore the rest as worthless noise.’”
Lillian looked up at him, smiling happily. “I see you knew the real Ostert. He was a good man.”
“He was.” He knelt, looking Lillian in the eye. “Everything is simple. Meglar must be defeated so your son can grow up without knowing such evil. I’ll see that he can.”
He kissed her hand and let himself out. Pulling the door shut, he closed his eyes and saw Ostert smiling at him outside Northhelm.
“Even if I have to die to make it happen.”
The Eye And The Arm
Dedication
To my husband Michael, who encouraged me to write and for making it possible.
Acknowledgments
SPECIAL THANKS to my editor, Lorraine Fico-White, for telling it to me straight. The book is better thanks to you. And to Claire Brown. I’m not sure how I would have gotten anything done without you.
What Came Before
What Came Before
IT TOOK the Seven to make the world. Each agreed to only hold sway over Their own domain. Until One wanted to rule it all.
The Great War of ancient times began when Neldin sought to rule the world. Using others as pawns, He sought to overthrow His brother, Honorus, as Lord of the Gods and to subject the other gods to His will. When that failed, Neldin sought to turn the world into an extension of Neblor by flooding the world with His dark creatures. He almost succeeded, but Kel, the Champion of the Six, thwarted Him. Grand Master Kel destroyed Neldin’s bridge into the world, closed the Eight Gates of Neblor, and ended the war.
After His defeat, Neldin returned to Neblor. Followers of the Six destroyed His temples, and His followers abandoned Him or hid their devotion. Three thousand years passed, and the world forgot His evil and believed He’d been defeated for good.
Time, however, has no meaning to a god. While the world believed Him gone forever, Neldin spent the years plotting His next move. His followers worked in secret to set in motion His plans and to be ready to act when called upon.
Following the war, Kel founded Yar-del on the largely unsettled continent of Ardus. A few years later, rivals from Kel’s home of Kentar founded the kingdom of Zargon to the south of Yar-del. In time, other kingdoms sprang up to occupy the rest of the unclaimed land of Ardus.
Zargon and Yar-del developed a rivalry that often led to war. To aid his kingdom and his descendants, Kel created a Source, a near limitless storage vessel for magical energy. Kel and his heirs used the power advantage of their Source to defeat Zargon’s ambitions time and again.
In an attempt to end three millennia of hostilities, King Falon of Zargon proposed that his son Prince Meglar would join with Princess Zenora of Yar-del. King Bren of Yar-del allowed Meglar to court his daughter, and in time the two joined. Soon thereafter, they had a son, Halloran.
Unknown to Zenora or King Bren, Meglar secretly worshipped
Neldin. Meglar’s true intention in marrying Zenora had been to obtain Kel’s Source. He planned to use it to not only conquer Yar-del, but Ardus and the rest of Nendor as well.
Just before Halloran’s second birthday, Meglar attempted to wrest the Source for himself. With the aid of Grand Master Heminaltose, Bren and Zenora succeeded in driving Meglar from Yar-del, but not before he’d managed to steal almost all the energy in the Source. During the fight, Meglar’s face was scarred, and he swore revenge on his former wife and her ally.
With his newfound power, Meglar returned to Zargon, killed his father, and assumed the throne. Worship to Neldin returned openly for the first time in three thousand years, and Meglar began to implement his master’s plans. Neldin gave Meglar an evil spell to warp human subjects into mindless creatures that could be easily controlled. By accelerating the aging process, the victims gained increased strength and stamina. These soldiers were called Chamdon and formed the core of Meglar’s army.
Heminaltose and Bren determined that Halloran could not be allowed to join his father and sent the toddler to Haven, Heminaltose’s hidden school for wizards. Word spread that Bren, fearful of what Halloran might become if Meglar captured his son, had ordered the child killed.
Once at Haven, Halloran’s name was changed to Farrell, and he was not told of his true birthright until after his thirteenth birthday. Heminaltose undertook the job of training Farrell while keeping an eye out for signs he might follow in his father’s footsteps. In the years after the theft of Yar-del’s Source, Heminaltose led a small army of wizards and clerics in converting Haven from a minor school into a vast hidden sanctuary for refugees against the day Meglar launched his attack.
A few months after Halloran’s seventeenth birthday, Meglar began his war to conquer the world. Despite the efforts of Zenora, Heminaltose, and all of Yar-del’s allies, Meglar laid siege to Yar-del City. Zenora, now queen following the untimely death of her father, along with Heminaltose, put up a vigorous defense. During the fight, Farrell tried to slip away and kill Meglar but failed in his attempt.
When it was clear they could not defeat Meglar, Heminaltose and Zenora gathered all their energy and as much of their Source’s power as they could contain and launched a final spell. The enchantment blinded Meglar and decimated his army. When Meglar could see again, Zenora, Heminaltose, the remains of the Yar-del Source, and everyone left in Yar-del City had disappeared. By removing all the survivors to a hidden location, Zenora denied Meglar a source of human hosts to create a new army of Chamdon.
Not privy to what his mother and former master had planned, Farrell found himself sent to Haven with the rest of the survivors. Grand Master Sanduval spread the word that Farrell was a distant relative of the House of Hevnor, Kel’s brother, and would henceforth be the prince of Haven. Masters Erstad, Wesfazial, and later Cylinda continued Farrell’s magical training.
After rebuilding his armies, Meglar resumed his attacks against the kingdoms of Ardus. First En
dor, then Arvendia and Respital fell, leaving Farrell the last grand master other than Meglar. Despite the losses, Honorus refused to let Farrell engage his father, commanding he wait until Meglar came to Haven.
Sometime after the fall of Respital, while Farrell worked on the weapon he planned to use against Meglar, Honorus instructed Farrell to meet a messenger from Lenore and render what aid he could to His sister’s servants. Honorus also told Farrell that on this mission, he would meet his mate.
Nerti, queen of the unicorns and Lenore’s messenger, brought Farrell to Northhelm, already besieged by Meglar’s army. During the battle, Farrell met Miceral, a Muchari fighter. The attraction between the two was immediate, but time was short as Farrell deflected a direct attack from Meglar and erected a shield to protect Northhelm long enough to evacuate its populace. In the process he saved Takala, an injured peregrine, leading Grohl, Takala’s brother, to name Farrell their brother.
Safely at Haven, Farrell’s bond with Miceral grew stronger. Six months later, a delegation from Honal arrived at Haven, seeking aid in the coming war. During the meeting with Prince Kerstand of Honal and his cousin, Baron Glaus, Farrell inadvertently proposed to Miceral. Miceral accepted and their union ceremony was set for the Winter Festival.
Despite wanting a small private affair, Miceral’s father Horgon prevailed on Farrell to accept that as Prince of Haven, his union ceremony needed to be public. At the ceremony, the avatars of Honorus and Lenore appeared and blessed the union.
The next day, Farrell surprised Miceral by taking him to Belsport for the traditional post-union trip. While they stayed at an inn under false names, two of Meglar’s wizards accosted them. The fight drew the attention of Belsport’s chief wizard, who recognized Farrell and arranged a meeting with Prince Wilhelm, the ruler of Belsport.
Champion of the Gods Box Set Page 38