Tim Pratt - Venom in Her Veins

Julen woke up. The rest of the group stirred, and soon they followed the snake again, up steeply ascending tunnels. Julen fell into step near the front, with Zaltys, and said, “How are you, Cousin?”

“Confused,” she said. “One of the yuan-ti, the one called Scitheron? He crept up to me last night while everyone else was asleep and said he was glad they hadn’t sacrified me to the anathema like they’d planned. I guess they were going to feed me to a monster, when I was just a baby, because I looked too much like a human. He said my survival was destined, and that I’d proven the nature of that destiny by saving them. He told me he knew I would come to serve Zehir, and said I should use the power and influence of the Serrat family to cultivate human cultists in Delzimmer, with an eye toward taking over the city. She said I should make a list of enemies we could later sacrifice to the god, and started going on about slow poisons.” She shook her head. “I told him I’d think about it just to get him to go away. It’s pretty much exactly what Iraska wanted me to do.” She paused. “And it’s pretty much what the Serrats have been trying for decades-to take over the whole city, I mean.”

Julen thought for a moment. “Seems to me there’s a difference, though,” he said at last. “The Serrats believe in family. They found you in the jungle and took you in. They never would have fed you to a monster. When children are born simpleminded or sick in this family, we take care of them, make them as comfortable as we can, we don’t kill them. Maybe the Serrats are unscrupulous-all right, I’m a Guardian, I know we’re unscrupulous-but those yuan-ti are evil . And it’s not because serpentfolk are born that way, not because they’re rotten from the start. You’re proof enough of that. They choose evil. What the Slime King said, about ‘your nature’ … I don’t believe it. Nature’s not everything. You may have venom in your veins, Zaltys, but that doesn’t make you a snake.”

“But these yuan-ti are my family too,” she said. “They’re my blood.”

“Am I your family?” Julen said. “Is Alaia? We’re not your blood. We never thought we were , we knew from the start you weren’t a Serrat by birth. But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re family. And when a Serrat proves to be unreliable or treacherous, we give them a purse and send them out to make their own way, we don’t sacrifice them to some evil god or enslave them. Blood might give you the color of your hair or your eyes or the length of your stride, you might inherit good teeth or strong arms or quick wits, but family is something you make, at least as much as it’s something you’re born into. And you’ve made yourself something good. Something better than the serpentfolk have chosen to be. Something better than most of the Serrats, I have to say.”

Zaltys put her hand on his shoulder. “You’re a good friend, Julen.”

Ah, we’re friends then-that old twist of the knife, he thought, loving her more than ever, snake or not.

“And a good cousin. Thank you for coming down here with me. Even though it didn’t work out like I expected.”

“I’m not sure life ever does,” he said.

They emerged, blinking, into the afternoon sunlight, not from the ruins where they’d descended, but not terribly far from the caravan, either. The yuan-ti prepared to return to their old home ruins, with Scitheron pausing by Zaltys and asking if she’d return to say good-bye before she left. She promised she would-no reason to antagonize them-then accompanied Julen and Alaia back to the caravan.

Everything there was being packed up for the return trip home, under Glory’s supervision. “Welcome back,” she said, obviously noting Krailash’s absence, but choosing not to comment on it. “I guess you won?”

Alaia laughed bitterly. “In a way. I’ve never seen a win bring such ruin. Where’s Quelamia?”

Glory sighed. “Ah. Long gone. I guess I should tell you a story. Come on, let’s eat some real food and I’ll tell you what I know, which isn’t much.”

Afterward, Zaltys went to her mother’s wagon, and sat down across from her. Alaia looked blankly around at her totems, which had become so many useless knickknacks. “What will you do?” Zaltys said. “When you return to the city?”

Alaia shook her head. “There’s nothing for me there. I’d be cut off financially, probably, for coming back empty handed. If the rest of the family find out my part in the end of the terazul trade, they won’t be happy. Besides, I’m head of the Travelers, and there’s no reason to Travel anymore. I don’t think business was the right path for me, truly. If I’m no longer a trade princess, I’d better go about learning to become a shaman again. I’m going to stay here in the jungle, and try to regain the connection to the primal world I lost. That I gave up .” She glanced at Zaltys. “Your … other family. They say they have some interesting shamanic traditions they could share with me, relating to the World Serpent.”

“You shouldn’t trust them,” Zaltys said. “They worship a god of lies and betrayal, and they’re always plotting, believe me.”

“Trust them? Zaltys, darling, I was a ranking member of the Serrat family. I know more about lies and betrayal and plotting than a bunch of snake cultists ever could.” She put her hand on Zaltys’s knee, but didn’t look her in the eye. “I’m sorry I kept that secret from you. I wanted you to have an ordinary life-or, rather, an extraordinarily good life. I thought knowing your true origins would cause you pain. But do you remember at your initiation, when I said you should speak to me, later, to learn a family secret? I was going to tell you the secret of your family, and your true nature. Please believe that.”

“I do. I was happier before I knew,” Zaltys admitted. “And when I was a child, it made sense to keep it from me. But I’m grown up now. It’s time I knew the truth. I just have to figure out what to do with that truth.”

“Will you go back to Delzimmer? I could send a letter, and make sure the disgrace falls squarely on me, leaving you blameless.”

But Zaltys was shaking her head. “I never felt entirely at home there anyway. The Travelers were always a breed apart. And knowing how much I really don’t belong there now … Besides, it’s possible Zehir will keep trying to use me. I’d rather not give him the chance. I think … I think I’ll travel. See what’s across the gulf, or to the north. Delzimmer is near the bottom edge of every map I’ve ever seen-there must be so much more out there.”

“The world is a large and dangerous place,” Alaia said. “Wherever you go, my daughter, my darling daughter, please, be safe.”

Zaltys tapped the psychic ring on her finger. “I’ll send you messages and let you know how I’m doing. All right?”

Alaia kissed her cheek. “Loot the camp for any supplies you need,” she said. “Otherwise the Traders will just auction everything off to make up the income lost on this expedition.”

Zaltys tried to slip away unnoticed, but Glory and Julen were both waiting on the edge of camp, holding packs-though Glory didn’t look happy about it.

“You don’t have to do this,” Zaltys said. “You still have a place in the world, but I … I don’t. I don’t belong with the yuan-ti, and I don’t belong with the humans. I’m not sure where I belong, but I need to find my own way. I-”

Julen said, “Quiet, Cousin. Of course I’m coming with you. Sure, I’m seventh in line to run the Guardians, and that’s a wonderful job, but they’re planning on making me an underground operative -literally underground, dealing with dwarves and such. I’ve spent enough time in the Underdark to decide that’s not the career path for me. I don’t even want to go into a basement for a while. Besides, I’ve found life with you a lot more interesting. And with Glory along we’ll never have to worry about whether we can afford to stay at an inn or not.”