Gregory Keyes - The Blood Knight

“I’ll see all of that,” Stephen promised. “You’ll show me.”

“And there’s the faneway they keep talking about.”

“Yes, that,” Stephen mused. “They seem altogether too eager for me to walk that. I’ll want to research a bit before I do it. The faneway Virgenya Dare walked? We’ll see.”

“You don’t trust them?”

“I don’t know,” Stephen said. “I wish I really understood what happened on the mountain the other day.”

“I thought you said Hespero summoned the Briar King.”

“I suppose he did,” Stephen said. “I gave him the horn, months ago. And he did make short work of the khriim, which is, I suppose, why the praifec summoned him. Still, it seems a little odd. I thought Hespero wanted the Briar King destroyed. He sent us out to do just that.”

“Maybe he hoped they would kill each other,” she suggested. “And maybe they did. The Briar King shrank rather quickly after the khriim fell.”

“Maybe,” Stephen allowed.

“We’re just fortunate that Fend and the twelve were able to break Hespero’s forces.”

“I’d be happier if they’d captured him in the bargain,” Stephen said. “He can always come back.”

“If he dares, I’m sure you’ll be ready for him.”

Stephen nodded, scratching his head. “So they tell me.” Then he fell silent.

“Is something the matter?” she asked.

“You remember what you were saying about the traditions from the Book of Return ? You called the woorm ‘khirme,’ almost the same as the Aitivar word for it, khriim.”

“Sure.”

“But you also mentioned another foe, Khraukare: the Blood Knight. You said he’s supposed to be my enemy.”

“That’s what the legend says,” Zemlé agreed.

“Well, the day we got here the Aitivar said they’d found the khriim and the khruvkhuryu. They meant Fend. ‘Khruvkhuryu’ and ‘khraukare’ are also cognate. Both mean ‘Blood Knight.’ But Fend claims to be my ally.”

She looked troubled but shrugged. “You’re the one who pointed out how untrustworthy the legends can be,” she said. “Maybe we just had it wrong.”

“Yet there’s more,” Stephen continued. “When I saw Fend’s armor, I was reminded of an engraving I once found in a book and of the caption beneath it. It said, ‘He drinks the blood of the serpent, and rises the tide of woe, the servant of Old Night, the Woorm-Blood Warrior’”

“I don’t understand.”

“I think Fend wanted the khriim to die so he could taste its blood and become the Blood Knight.”

“But how could he have known the praifec would summon the Briar King?”

“He admitted that Hespero was once an ally. Maybe he still is. Maybe this whole business was some sort of performance for my benefit. All I know is, something still isn’t right.”

Zemlé caught his arm.

“I’ve spoiled your mood,” she said. “You were so happy when I came in.”

He smiled and grabbed her around the waist. “I’m still happy,” he said. “Look, whatever Fend is up to, he’s pretending to be my ally, and for the moment, that’s more or less the same as being one. I have everything I need here to figure out what’s really going on, and I will . You were right, Zemlé. It’s time I took matters into my own hands.” He pulled her closer. “Specifically, it’s time I take you in my hands…”

“You’ve certainly grown bolder, sir,” she murmured.

“I’m in a library.” Stephen laughed. “It’s where I do all my best work.”

Thanks to my early readers: my mother, Nancy Ridout Landrum; my wife, Lanelle Keyes; and my friend Nancy Vega. Many thanks to Steve Saffel for seeing this book from conception through the editing process, and for his friendship and moral support. Thanks to Betsy Mitchell, Jim Minz, Fleetwood Robins, and Nancy Delia for taking up the task of production under difficult circumstances. Thanks to Eric Lowenkron, copy editor. Thanks to Dave Stevenson for the snazzy cover design and Stephen Youll for another cool piece of cover art.

Special thanks to Shawn Speakman for his continuing support, and for creating and maintaining my website.

Thanks to Terry and Judine Brooks for wonderful company and conversation touring The Charnel Prince —I appreciate you letting me tag along, guys.

Thanks to “Debbie” Wan Yu Lin, Kim Tatalick, and Meredith Sutton for keeping Archer happy and distracted long enough for me to get some work done.

And another thanks, Nell, for everything.