Anne Bishop - Queen of Darkness

Jillian was already nocking another arrow and taking aim while Nurian scrambled to her feet and ran, hunched over to stay out of the line of fire.

He threw a Sapphire shield in front of Jillian just in time to stop the arrows that would have gone right through her. ”Retreat!” he shouted, ready to foam at the mouth when Jillian calmly sent another arrow flying. ”Damn you, warrior, retreat !”

That startled her, but it was Nurian’s shout that made her run.

Ready to cover their retreat, Falonar glanced back-and swore every vicious curse he knew. Nurian was now standing braced to fight with nothing but an Eyrien stick. Not even a bladed stick. What in the name of Hell did the woman think she could do with that? Did she think a warrior was going to come at her barehanded? Fool. Idiot.

He backed toward her, always watching for the next attack. ”Retreat,” he snarled at her-and then noticed that Jillian, instead of running all the way to the communal eyrie, had stopped halfway there to take up a rearguard position. ”Disobey me again and I’ll personally whip the skin off your backs. Both of you. Now retreat !”

They responded the same way any Eyrien warrior would have-they ignored the threat and held their positions. So he retreated, forcing them back with him. That they were willing to do. Lucivar must have been out of his mind to think a woman would obey a sensible order. Which made Falonar extremely grateful that Surreal wasn’t there. The Darkness only knew how he could have held her back in this fight.

When they got close enough to the communal eyrie, Hallevar grabbed Jillian and Kohlvar practically threw Nurian threw the doorway. Falonar was the last one in. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he filled the doorway with a Sapphire shield so that they would be protected but still have a good view. Some of the men had taken up positions at the shielded downstairs’ windows. Others had gone to the upper rooms. The women and children were all huddled in the main community room.

Hallevar joined him at the door. ”You think they’re regrouping?”

”I don’t know.”

Behind them, he heard Tamnar say a bit resentfully, ”Well, little warrior, looks like you made your first kill.”

He and Hallevar both turned and blasted the same message at Tamnar. SHUT UP!

The boy flinched, looked shocked at the harsh reprimand, then slunk over to the window Kohlvar guarded.

Jillian stared at them, her normally brown skin an unhealthy gray. ”I killed him?”

Before Falonar could phrase a cautious reply, Hallevar snorted. ”You just scratched him enough to let Nurian get away.”

Some of the tension drained out of the girl. ”Oh. That’s… Oh.”

”You take a backup position over there,” Hallevar said, pointing to a far corner of the room.

”Okay,” Jillian said, sounding a little dazed.

Falonar turned back to look out the doorway. ”She put that arrow right through the bastard’s heart,” he said, keeping his voice quiet.

”No reason for her to know that right now,” Hallevar replied just as quietly. ”Let her believe she just nicked him. We can’t afford to have her freeze up if it comes down to that.”

”If it comes down to that,” Falonar said softly as he settled in to wait.

Saetan prowled the corridors of the Keep, too restless to stay in one place, too edgy to tolerate being around anyone.

Lucivar should have been back hours ago. He knew Lucivar had slipped out of the Keep late that morning to find out what was delaying Marian’s and Daemonar’s arrival, but the afternoon was waning, and there was no sign of any of them.

He doubted anyone else had noticed. The coven and the boyos were gathered in one of the large sitting rooms, just as they had gathered every day since Jaenelle had ordered them to remain at the Keep. So they wouldn’t realize Lucivar was gone. And Jaenelle and Daemon… Well, they weren’t likely to have noticed either.

Surreal had noticed Lucivar’s absence, but she’d shrugged it off, saying he was probably with Prothvar and Mephis. Which made him realize that he hadn’t seen either of them lately.

Somehow he had to find a way to make Jaenelle listen to him, had to find out why she was keeping such a stranglehold on all of them. Whether they acknowledged it or not, they were at war. The Queens and males in the First Circle weren’t going to tolerate staying there indefinitely while their people were fighting. Something had to change. Someone had to act.

Falonar accepted the mug of ale Kohlvar handed to him.

”Makes no sense,” Kohlvar said, shaking his head. ”No direct attacks anymore, no efforts at a siege, just a few arrows now and then to make sure we know they’re still out there.”

”They’ve got us pinned down,” Falonar replied. ”We’re outnumbered, and they know it.”

”But what’s the sense of pinning us down?”

We can’t go anywhere, Falonar thought. We can’t report anything.

”What’s the sense?” Kohlvar repeated.

”I don’t know. But I expect we’ll find out sooner or later.”

The answer came at twilight. One Warlord openly approached the communal eyrie, his hands held away from his sides, away from his weapons.

”I have a message,” he shouted, holding up a white envelope.

”Put it on the ground,” Falonar shouted back.

The Warlord shrugged, set the envelope on the ground, then placed a small rock over it to keep it from blowing away. He walked back the way he had come.

A few minutes later, Falonar watched the Eyrien company take flight.

He waited another hour before he used Craft to bring the envelope to the doorway. Still standing on the other side of the Sapphire shield, he created a ball of witchlight to illuminate the writing, the name of the recipient.

Dread shivered through him. It was the same handwriting as the note that had been left for Lucivar. But this one was addressed to the High Lord.

He called Kohlvar, Rothvar, Zaranar, and Hallevar over. ”I’m going to take that to the Keep and give my report.”

”Could be a trap,” Hallevar said. ”They could be waiting for you to make a move.”

Yes, he was sure it was a trap-but not for him.

”I don’t think they’re going to bother us anymore, but maintain a watch. Stay sharp. Don’t let anyone in, no matter who they are. I’ll stay at the Keep until morning. If I come back before that … do your best to kill me.”

They understood him. If he came back before that, they should assume he was being controlled and respond accordingly.

”May the Darkness protect you,” Hallevar said.

Falonar passed through the Sapphire shield. Taking the envelope, he launched himself skyward and headed for the Keep.

Saetan stared at the sheet of paper. Too many feelings crowded him, so he pushed them all aside.

I have your son.

Hekatah

Which also meant she had Marian and Daemonar, since that was the only bait she could have used to provoke Lucivar into going to Hayll.

Now Lucivar was being used as the bait for him.

He understood the game. Hekatah and Dorothea would be willing to trade: him for Lucivar, Marian, and Daemonar.

Of course, they wouldn’t let Lucivar go, couldn’t let him go. As soon as he got Marian and Daemonar safely out of reach, he’d turn on Hekatah and Dorothea with all the destructive power that was in him.

So this was a false bargain right from the beginning.