The Arrows of the Heart

by Jeffe Kennedy

“Lady Hardie,” he snapped. “What in Glorianna’s name do you think you’re doing?”

  Desperately trying to blend in and failing. “Lieutenant Tays, sir?” I asked.

  “You are not one of the Hawks,” he enunciated clearly, as if I might be deaf or stupid. “You haven’t earned the right to that salute. This is an elite fighting group, hand-picked by Her Majesty High Queen Ursula herself—have you the least clue what that means?”

  Probably not. I certainly didn’t have the least clue how to answer that. “No, sir, Lieutenant Tays,” I replied, as deferentially as I could.

  “Oh, come on, Tays,” Wren protested. “Karyn is a foreigner here. Cut her some slack.”

  The wrong thing to say. “An excellent point,” Tays agreed, jumping on that. “Lady Hardie is Dasnarian, in fact, from the empire which happens to be plotting to attack us. Seems like a thrice-cursed coincidence in timing to me. Are you a spy, Lady Hardie?”

  The improper address grated on me, and only the tireless instruction of my etiquette tutor kept me from correcting him. But I worked so hard to repress an imperious reply that I couldn’t find another.

  “No answer to that?” Tays asked, with considerable menace. “Perhaps we—”

  “Hey!” Wren cut in. “Jepp personally vouched for Karyn, and Marskal wanted her to train with us. You have no business—”

  “You have no business, Wren!” Tays rounded on her. “How dare you break discipline.”

  “Oh, knock it off, Tays,” another Hawk drawled, as if everyone hadn’t gone tense. “You know perfectly well we operate best as a team, which Her Majesty herself encouraged when she was still a scrawny teenage princess and we only called her captain. We’ll follow your lead, as Marskal directed, but don’t be letting the power go to your head.”

  Tays pointed a crooked finger at the Hawk who’d spoken. “You’ll follow my lead, Issop, because I outrank you. And because I’ll drum you out of the Hawks for disobedience.”

  They fell into a sullen silence, which seemed to satisfy Tays. “Good. Now, today we’ll drill basics of hand-to-hand. If the enemy land on this beach, I want us ready to drive them back into the sea. Work in the surf, one-on-one, with that objective.”

  They all saluted and I carefully kept my hands by my side.

  “Come on, Karyn,” Wren said, “you can work with me.” I smiled back at her. Older than I, but not by a lot, I thought, Wren was named for a Thirteen Kingdoms bird I’d never seen. Plain, but with a lovely song, she’d told me once, which fit the freckle-faced woman who fought with the grace of a bird in flight.

  “Lady Hardie will work with me,” Tays interrupted.

  “She doesn’t have much hand-to-hand,” Wren protested.

  “All the more reason for her to learn.”

  “Jepp taught her some knifework, but Karyn’s proficiency is with a bow and …” Wren trailed off at Tays’ baleful glare.

  “Are you done?” he asked softly.

  Wren lifted her chin, glaring back. A head shorter than Tays and she didn’t look the least bit intimidated. Remarkable. And dangerous. “I cannot wait until Marskal returns,” she bit out.

  Tays’ lip curled in a sneer. “The lieutenant is besotted with his unnatural shapeshifting lover. I doubt we’ll see him again, so better get used to my command.”

  Wren threw up her hands in disgust, tossed me an encouraging smile, and stalked off. Tays sized me up and smiled, not at all nicely. “All right. Let’s find out what you’ve got, Lady Hardie.”

  “I apologize, Lieutenant Tays, sir,” I said, cursing Zyr with every word, “but I’m afraid I don’t have my weapons this morning.”

  “I didn’t imagine you did, unless you’d had them stuffed up under all those skirts.” His smile took on a taunting edge. “Guess you’ll learn how to defend yourself when unarmed. Over here.”

  I had no desire to be a hand-to-hand fighter—even Jepp had suggested it wasn’t my strength and she’d been surprisingly patient with me—but I also had no wish to be useless. Zyr might joke about living on plucked fruit, but I knew what happened to women who didn’t make themselves useful. Especially those without a father and brothers to protect and feed them. Not a fate I wished on anyone.

  But I was a Hardie till the day I died, and a Hardie doesn’t back down from challenges.

  Tays had me wade thigh deep into the cool water, refreshing after my overheating. That small relief didn’t last long. Though I’d learned to swim in my country youth, that had been in still lakes and slow-moving rivers. Swimming in the ocean with its swells, even these gentle ones, seemed to require a new set of skills.

  Going deeper, Tays crouched down in the waves as if swimming in. “Stop me from reaching shore,” he ordered, and came at me. He didn’t seem as hindered by the drag of resistance, surging out of the water with swift strength. Though I’d been braced, he tumbled me easily, dunking me and holding me under for a long, panicked time.

  Sea water ran from my mouth and nose when he dragged me up by way of a bruising grip on my arm. “Worthless,” he sneered. “Are you a rug? You just stood there and didn’t even try to stop me. Again.”

  My dress hung on me as if made of wet sand, but I squared myself, doing my best to obey. Tays came at me and I swung at him with my fist, the way Jepp had taught me. Though weaponless in deference to my own empty hands, he easily batted my hand away and punched my cheek. The pain startled me, flashing hot and bright. Then I went down, choking on the salt water as he held me there. Sputtering as he dragged me up again.

  “What’s the matter?” he demanded. “I barely tagged you. You’re no fighter. Toughen up. Again.”

  Tears sprang to my eyes, and I only hoped he’d confuse them with the salt water, for surely he’d mock me for that, too. I tried to sink into my legs as I would when shooting targets, weighting myself against the surge of the swells. Tays crouched, a grin of ferocious glee on his face. When he came at me, I barely managed to swing at him before his fist plowed into my gut, sending me underwater again.

  He held me under and I tried not to panic and sob in the water.

  Then, miraculously, Tays was gone. I struggled up, gulping air, my head swimming with humiliation and frustration.

  I blinked my stinging eyes at the extraordinary sight of Zyr holding Tays clean out of the water. Zyr’s hands locked around Tays’ throat, while the lieutenant struggled weakly, kicking his feet in the air. Zyr seemed to spark with feral magic, like a panther in human form.

  “Tell me, mossback,” he hissed, and I swore his teeth looked like fangs, “what’s it like to be at the mercy of someone stronger than you, hmm?” Almost playfully, he shook the bigger man, wading onto the sand, but still holding Tays high off the ground with laughable ease. I’d thought I’d understood shapeshifter strength, but this…

  Tays gargled, plucking wildly at Zyr’s hands. And I was petty enough to enjoy the sight. For a moment. Then I waded out of the water, too, my skirts dragging. “Zyr, no!” I called. “Stop. Put him down.”

  Zyr barely glanced at me, wild blue eyes taking on that glow in a face subtly altered. The cheekbones broader and the teeth definitely sharp as a cat’s. “I’m practicing fighting mossbacks, Karyn,” he said in a deceptively cheerful tone. “Isn’t that what we’re doing here?” Tays flailed, face going a darker red.

  Wren came running, sword unsheathed, mouth set. “Put him down, shapeshifter!”

  Zyr only smiled, lazy as a mountain cat on a ledge, and just as lethal, I felt sure. “Oh goody. More mossbacks to practice on.”

  “Zyr.” I pulled on his upraised arm, his muscles an iron bulge beneath. “Please. It was an exercise. He didn’t hurt me.”

  “Lies,” Zyr ground out, his gaze flicking over my throbbing cheek. “He hurt you. I saw.”

  “All right, he hurt me, but it was to teach me.”

  “And what did you learn, hmm? I’m a teacher,” he said to Tays conversationally, as if the other man’s eyes weren’t bulging out of his head. “I k
now the difference between teaching and bullying.”

  “Zyr, please,” I begged him, acutely aware that the Hawks had encircled us, and all had blades drawn. “We’re all supposed to be on the same side.”

  “Is that so?” Abruptly Zyr released Tays, dropping him to the sand where the man crumpled into a gasping heap. Zyr bent the arm I held, trapping my hands in the fold between biceps and forearm, reaching over with his other hand to pat me soothingly, eyes on my throbbing cheek. None of the other Hawks advanced. Zyr swept a glare as slicing as any blade around the circle. “Let me remind you stinking mossbacks that this is our realm. If you’re too stupid to know it, let me explain: you are sheep surrounded by wolves. We have chosen not to eat you, so far, but if we change our minds, your flimsy blades won’t save you. You’re in Annfwn on our sufferance, and don’t forget it.”

  A huge black raptor plunged to the sand, immediately becoming His Highness King Rayfe, raven hair rippling around him like a cape. He fastened unamused dark blue eyes on Zyr. “Funny,” he said mildly, as everyone but Zyr bowed deeply. “I thought, since I’m king here, that it’s on my sufferance.”

  ~ 6 ~

  In my greatly reduced circumstances, I’d of course not met Their Highnesses King Rayfe and Queen Andromeda. I’d seen them, from a fairly close distance at the welcome celebration when we’d arrived. Still I’d been circumspect in not gawking at them, which would be unforgivably rude. Certainly I’d avoided doing anything to draw their attention. Until now.

  Everyone bowed to His Highness, or gave him the Hawks salute. Everyone but Zyr and me. I still wasn’t at all sure what the correct salutation would be, so I managed a sort of curtsey as best I could with Zyr still holding my hands on his arm and kept my gaze humbly lowered. Zyr… Well, Zyr practically vibrated with challenge. He faced his king down with no sign of submission, no hint of apology.

  His Highness King Rayfe studied Zyr thoughtfully but didn’t deliver the punishment I expected on the heels of that implicit reprimand when he reminded Zyr who was king. He held a hand down to Tays, helping him to his feet, keen gaze sweeping over the rest of the Hawks.

  “Would someone care to explain?” he asked the Hawks, pointedly ignoring Zyr and me.

  “I’m in command here, Your Highness,” Tays bit out. “I was attempting to teach Lady Hardie some hand-to-hand skills when—”

  His Highness King Rayfe held up a hand to stop him, his deep blue gaze fastening on me. I watched the king surreptitiously, alert for cues. He looked like Zyr in the way all Tala looked similar to me, with their long, rangy bodies, dark hair, and blue or gray eyes. Where Zyr—normally, at least—had a mischievous mien and easy smile, His Highness possessed all the hard edged ruthlessness in his face I’d expect of a king. He wore all black, more formally fitted than Zyr’s bright and flowing clothing. His strong nose, cut jaw, and narrow lips gave him a slightly cruel aspect, but when he spoke to me, he did so with a gentleness I didn’t expect.

  “Lady Hardie? I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

  “No, Your Highness.” I managed to tear away from Zyr’s grip, though he gave me a furious glare for doing so. What in Sól’s name had gotten into him? I curtseyed again, deeply and properly this time. “I’m Karyn af Hardie, no honorific, as I left my rank behind in Dasnaria.”

  He nodded. “Your sacrifice to rescue Jepp, a great favorite of my heart-sister, has not gone unnoticed and is greatly appreciated.” Flicking an assessing glance at Zyr, who had not relaxed his aggressive stance a whit, His Highness considered me. “I’d thought you were an archer—one of considerable accomplishment, from what I’d heard.”

  I swallowed my surprise that he knew anything about me, though I had to remember I stood out with my fair coloring in this land of dark-haired people. “Your Highness flatters me. The bow is my preferred weapon, yes.”

  “I doubt it’s flattery as I’ve yet to hear Jepp exaggerate anyone’s weapons skills. But you were working hand-to-hand?” His Highness switched the question to Tays, waiting expectantly.

  “Your Highness.” Tays drew himself up. “Lady—Karyn is under my command. I simply sought to toughen her up as she has no combat training.”

  “Toughen her up?” His Highness returned mildly, with a sharpness beneath that breathed warning.

  “Begging your pardon, Your Highness,” Tays explained, seeming unaware of the quiet menace in the king’s manner, “I don’t know how it works with the Tala, but with our kind, green recruits need to get the snot beat out of them, so they understand the reality of battle.”

  His Highness regarded him with a coolly remote expression, which Tays seemed to take as approval, because he leaned in, speaking almost confidentially. “Especially privileged females, princesses, and ladies—they think they get a pass and it’s up to us to make sure they come up to standard or they become a liability to us all.”

  His Highness raised a dark eyebrow in supercilious question. “Much like my honored wife, formerly a princess of your land, and at least half ‘your kind’? I’m sure Andromeda would be fascinated to hear this theory.”

  Too late Tays realized his error. He started to backpedal, but His Highness cut off the explanation. “The Hawks are Ursula’s, so I won’t interfere with your training for the moment. I’m giving you notice, however, that we are involved in planning an overall defense of Annfwn, with this place the logical point of probable massive attack. The Hawks will be under Tala command, barring my heart-sister’s return, or any designee of hers. Understood?”

  Wren flashed me a grin, though I kept my own expression carefully schooled. It was never wise to antagonize a man of any rank.

  “As for you…” His Highness cast Zyr an oblique look. Zyr had relaxed fractionally, but clearly still seethed with the desire to finish throttling Tays, as betrayed by his spasmodically twitching fingers. “I have need of you, Zyr,” the Tala king seemed to decide on the spot. “Karyn, if you would be willing to join us?”

  I could hardly refuse, though it wouldn’t endear me to Lieutenant Tays. I curtseyed. “As Your Highness commands,” I said, hoping that would remind Tays of my obligation to obey higher rank. I included the leader of the Hawks in the curtsey, inclining my head. “If I may be excused, Lieutenant Tays, sir?”

  A grating sound came from Zyr’s direction and I dared not look at him. Tays agreed, gruffly. Then, in an astonishing—at least to me—display of rudeness, turned his back on His Highness and strode off, calling the Hawks to attend him. The King of the Tala gazed after Tays, expression cold as the glint of wolf’s eyes on a winter’s night. His face chilled even further when he returned his gaze to Zyr.

  “Do you have control of yourself, cousin—or do I need to do it for you?” he inquired.

  Zyr seemed to visibly master himself, a muscle flexing in his jaw. Very carefully, he looked at me. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” I assured him.

  Zyr jerked his chin in an approximation of a nod, his eyes hot blue on mine. “Why did you participate in that…what I witnessed?”

  “I may be only a woman,” I answered him, pride stiffening my spine, “but I was not raised to back down from a challenge.”

  Zyr’s jaw clenched. “You…” he ground out, seeming unable to complete the thought. Then he walked a few paces, bent to the sand to pick something up, then returned to me. My bow and quiver. “I brought these for you,” he informed me, somewhat unnecessarily.

  “Thank you,” I replied carefully, restraining my irritation at the presumption that led him to go through my private things. “But you didn’t have—”

  “You’re welcome,” he interrupted in a savage tone that implied anything but.

  “Walk with me,” King Rayfe cut through, an order, not a suggestion.

  Though Zyr moved rigidly, with none of his usual languid and restless ease, he obeyed, falling into step beside the king. I slipped the quiver strap over my shoulder, hooked the bow in place with it, and started to follow behind. Until
Zyr leveled a melting glare on me, pointing to the ground at his side. Unwilling to risk his temper further, I obeyed the implicit command, walking beside him. I had no idea what had gotten into him to make him so ferociously protective all of a sudden, nor how I’d ended up walking along the beach with the King of Annfwn. With some bemusement, I noted we were all three barefoot. The Tala often went without shoes, and I’d grown up running barefoot in the summers—easier to climb trees—so I appreciated the custom. It struck me as odd, however, that a king would do so.

  “Several people reported seeing you as the gríobhth this morning,” His Highness noted in that same conversational tone. “Unusual for you, with foreigners in Annfwn.”

  Zyr swallowed something down. “It seems to me that having foreigners in Annfwn is the new normal.”

  “Hmm. Beginning with me bringing Andromeda here, my half-foreign wife?” the king inquired almost idly.

  I wanted to warn Zyr to tread carefully, but he seemed to shake himself, shedding more of the fierce aggression. “No, my king,” he replied, almost with courtesy. “If you’ll recall, I went with you to Ordnung to retrieve Queen Andromeda. I volunteered readily.”

  “And were taken prisoner,” His Highness observed, gaze trained on some distant point. “You have more reason to hate the mossbacks than most. Personal reasons. Especially the warriors of Ordnung.”

  If I’d felt out of place before, my discomfort deepened. I should not be part of this conversation, and had no idea why the king had so deliberately included me.

  “Are you one of those,” His Highness continued, as Zyr had not replied, “who agitates against our alliance with the other twelve kingdoms—who resents Ursula’s reign over us?”

  “I don’t like it,” Zyr replied shortly, “but I understand the reasons for it. And I’m loyal to you and Queen Andromeda. And my cousin, Ursula,” he added. “I have no quarrel with her.”

  “Good to know.” The king sounded dryly amused. “I would’ve been disappointed to hear otherwise. I’m aware that many of the Tala would follow your lead, Zyr, were you to differ from the directions Andromeda and I have settled upon.”