S. Farrell - A Magic of Twilight

“My vatarh would support his marriage-son unconditionally. And his marriage-son would give me what I ask for. Also unconditionally.”

“You are extraordinarily unsubtle, Francesca.”

“Am I?” she asked. She smiled. She opened her robe and allowed it to cascade from her shoulders to the floor. Her fingers brushed the fleece between her legs. “Do you really think so?”

He laughed. “Most charmingly so,” he said, and went to her.

Sergei ca’Rudka

The Kraljiki’s decision troubled Sergei, but the man was

adamant. “By the way, Commandant,” the Kraljiki had said, almost as an afterthought toward the end of their meeting. “I think we need to demonstrate to the Holdings, and to Firenzcia, just how seriously we will take threats to our security. The Numetodo must confess their part in the assassination of Kraljica Marguerite. Those now in the Bastida, even if they’re not directly involved, must be given the appropriate punishment according to the Divolonte to prevent them from misusing the Ilmodo ever again.

The leaders, beginning with Envoy ci’Vliomani, will be prepared for public execution. Tomorrow.” A’Teni ca’Cellibrecca, seated at the table with Sergei and the Kraljiki, had nodded his agreement, and it was obvious that no argument Sergei could make would change this order.

Sergei wondered why it was A’Teni ca’Cellibrecca and not the Archigos who had been invited to the meeting. He also knew enough not to ask.

“I will do whatever the Kraljiki orders,” Sergei had replied, rubbing the polished metal of his nose, “but it’s my duty as commandant to remind the Kraljiki that the Numetodo are no threat to anyone while they are in the Bastida. It would seem far more important that our attention stays on the very real threat of the Hirzg.”

But the Kraljiki, with ca’Cellibrecca nodding vigorously beside him, had insisted that there was no threat from Firenzcia, and it was obvious that the Kraljiki had already made his decision. Sergei’s objections had gone nowhere. Sergei knew it was also the duty of the Commandant of the Garde Kralji, once the decision was made, to carry out the orders without hesitation or second thought.

He would do so. But he would talk to ci’Vliomani first, so the man knew what he faced and could prepare himself. He strode through the gates of the Bastida, saluted the gardai there, glanced up at the baleful head of the dragon, and went to Capitaine ci’Doulor’s office.

“Capitaine, I’ve come to meet with the prisoner ci’Vliomani.”

Sergei stopped in mid-sentence. Capitaine ci’Doulor blanched with Sergei’s statement. His hand clutched at a sheet of paper on his desk, crumpling it and tipping the inkwell set on its corner. The man didn’t seem to notice the mess. “Commandant ca’Rudka,” the man stammered. “You must know. .”

“Know what, Capitaine?”

The man’s eyes widened. His mouth gaped like a river carp’s. “I was just writing an urgent message to you. Only a turn ago, while you were at the palais. . the prisoner. . the Numetodo. .”

Sergei didn’t wait to hear more. He spun on his toes and ran out of the capitaine’s office, with ci’Doulor in pursuit. He went across the courtyard under the glare of the stone dragon and into the tower, taking the winding, ancient stone stairs two at a time. There was a garda at the landing to ci’Vliomani’s cell, but the door was open. There were spots of blood on the garda’s shoulders. Breathing heavily from the climb, Sergei went into the room, spinning around.

The cell was empty.

He heard ci’Doulor’s panting entry a few moments later. “Where is he?” Sergei spat angrily, the question seeming to strike ci’Doulor like a fist. The capitaine shook his head as if denying the reality of what Sergei was seeing here. The garda, his face averted, pressed his back to the wall of the landing.

“I don’t know how to explain it, Commandant.”

“I’d suggest you try, Capitaine,” Sergei told him. “I suggest you try very hard, and immediately.”

Rather than answer, Capitaine ci’Doulor’s gaze went from Sergei to the garda. Sergei followed the motion. “You!” Sergei snapped. “Tell me what happened here.”

The man saluted and came into the cell. He stood at attention before Sergei. His eyes were focused more on Sergei’s silver nose than his eyes. “The prisoner hadn’t eaten for two days, Commandant,” he said.

“Not since the night that we found E’Offizier ce’Naddia unconscious at his post.”

Sergei frowned. “ What? I wasn’t told of that. Was Capitaine ci’Doulor aware of this event?”

The man nodded. “We told him, sir.”

“Ce’Naddia fell asleep at his post, Commandant,” ci’Doulor said.

“That’s all. He has been disciplined severely.”

Sergei nodded. “Undoubtedly. You said ci’Vliomani wasn’t eating?”

he asked the garda.

“No sir, not since that night. The prisoner just sat there on his bed, his eyes closed. Wouldn’t answer any question we asked of him, or respond if we. . well, if we tried to get him to respond. Two days he was that way.”

“What happened tonight?”

The garda glanced again at the capitaine, as if waiting for him to answer. He took a breath and continued. “About a turn ago, I noticed that it was cold here, as cold as the middle of winter. My teeth were chattering, sir, and I could hardly hold onto my sword when I drew it.

I could see ci’Vliomani in the middle of the cell, and there was wind swirling around him, and a glow all around. I called for the gardai below to get the capitaine, and when he came. .”

Sergei glanced at the insignia on the man’s uniform. “What’s your name, E’Offizier?”

“Aubri ce’Ulcai, Commandant.”

“E’Offizier ce’Ulcai, how long was it before Capitaine ci’Doulor arrived?” Sergei asked the man.

Ce’Ulcai gave a sidewise glance at the capitaine. “I’m certain he came as quickly as he could, Commandant.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

The man pressed his lips together at Sergei’s tone. “The gardai

below told me the capitaine would be up as soon as he finished his supper. I don’t know how long that was, sir. Not for certain.”

Sergei nodded. “Capitaine?” Sergei said, and ci’Doulor’s eyes returned to him. “What happened when you finally arrived?”

Ci’Doulor licked his lips. “I looked in, and I saw ci’Vliomani.”

“As e’Offizier ce’Ulcai described?”

“Yes, Commandant. I felt the cold and the wind, and saw the glow.”

“And you didn’t immediately send for me, or for one of the teni?”

“I thought. . After all, the man was still in chains and silenced. No. No, sir. I didn’t.”

Sergei glanced back to ce’Ulcai. “You opened the cell door?”

“I didn’t want to, Commandant,” he said. “I told the capitaine so.

But he ordered me to open it.”

Sergei nodded. “You did as you should, then, E’Offizier. The capitaine went in? You saw what happened then?”

A nod. “The capitaine went in. He went up to the prisoner, shouting at him to stop. I saw him take his bludgeon and hit the man. As soon as he did, right at the moment the capitaine touched him. .”

Ce’Ulcai shivered. “The cold became worse than anything I’ve ever

felt, and the glow was so bright I couldn’t see anything at all. I heard the capitaine scream, and I started into the cell myself, but the wind threw me back into the wall, right there where you see the marks.” He pointed out of the cell to the landing, where a few of the stones showed light scrapes in the dark surface. He touched the back of his head, and Sergei saw blood on his fingertips when he brought them away. “I hit the wall hard. When I managed to get up again, the cold and light were gone, and the only person in the cell was the capitaine. The prisoner had vanished. I went to the balcony, thinking he’d jumped, but there was no body in the courtyard, and even Numetodo can’t fly. None of the gardai below say they heard or saw anyone on the stairs.” The man ducked his head. “I’m sorry, sir.”