Catherine Asaro - The Night Bird

Allegra soared into the high notes, caressing them with her voice, and wove a green spell. It came more easily this time, swirling their moods around her. Sleepy. They all were, even Markus. Good.

She caught wisps of thoughts, nothing concrete, emotions more than words. They liked her singing, Ardoz and Markus especially. In fact, Markus loved it. Yargazon was impatient to reach some place, she wasnt certain where, and his mood dominated. He wanted to fight. Go to war. So did the others. A restless anger drove them, prodded by their smoldering resentment of Cobalt, the hated emperor who had stolen their country and their lives.

Sensuality overlaid their moods, woven into the aggression, especially with Yargazon and Bladebreak. The pairing of violence and arousal disturbed Allegra. They associated warfare with sexual desire and believed taking a woman increased their power as warriors. It terrified her, especially given her vulnerability.

Markuss responses were much healthier, rich and sensual, robust. To her surprise, he felt a great deal of tenderness toward her, which he strove to hide, thinking it would be perceived as weakness. He had been deeply lonely, but she was changing all that for him. In different circumstances, knowing he desired her so much would have pleased her.

She recoiled from Yargazon. He wanted her as much as Markus, and having her shackled next to him heightened that desire. But his lust smothered. He wanted to hurt her, to hear her cry. He didnt see her as human. In his eyes, she was incapable of true emotion, a temptress who deliberately weakened men. He found her exotically beautiful and voluptuous, unbearably so, and that translated into a need to punish her. Overriding it all was his fury at her defiance. He admired Markus, considered him a good leader and regent, a man worthy of respect. He felt fatherly toward the prince. He knew the honor Markus had given him with the auction, and he wanted Allegra to suffer for the insult she had done Markus, for her resistance, just for being herself. He would conquer her as he conquered on the battlefield, laying waste to both.

Bile rose in Allegras throat. How could he hate her so much? She withdrew her concentration, shutting him out of her spell. As his mood receded, the others became clearer.

Ardoz surprised her. Although he considered her pretty, his response had more kindness to it than desire. The bloodlust for war burned within him even more than in Yargazon, but it had no sexual component. To him, Allegra represented softness, the reward after the battle, the place where a battered warrior laid his head. When she realized where else he wanted to lie, she blushed. What would Markus do if he realized his military advisor found him more attractive than his pleasure girl? She caught images from Ardoz, fantasiesmemories?where he held a younger Markus. It bewildered her, and she almost stumbled in the song.

Colonel Bladebreak was a different story. His interest in her had a hard edge, aggression intermingled with lust. With dismay, she realized he assumed Markus brought her to the table because he meant to share her with them. Bladebreak expected her to fight when he took her, and the bastard looked forward to it. His response so distressed her, she lost her place in the song.

Distraction rippled from the men as she stuttered. She jumped back into the lilt, determined to knock them out before anyone hurt her. Even without a spell, she knew Markus would never consent to let them touch her. So why flaunt her? For status, obviously. It established his rank in some subtle male hierarchy. But he walked too close to the edge. Jazid men might dress their women in almost nothing for their pleasure, but in public the women wore robes. The bright colors identified their sex, with the associated status it gave their men, but covering them up decreased the chance of an assault or kidnapping. Markus wanted it both ways, to show her off and to keep her only for himself. He had the power and bodyguards to protect her, but he was taking a risk. He had better know what he was doing, because she would pay the price if he lost control of the situation.

Reaching beyond the tent with her spell, she touched the minds of soldiers, distant and vague. She focused on them even as she redoubled her efforts with the officers here. Markus fought, but his resistance softened as his starved need for sleep caught up with him. His mood grew more diffuse, saturated with drowsy contentment.

A loud snore broke into her song. Startled, she looked up. Ardoz and Bladebreak were sprawled in their pillows, fast asleep. Yargazon had collapsed on his side and dropped his wine goblet. A red stain was spreading on the blue and violet carpet. Markus lay on his back, his chest rising and falling with the even rhythm of sleep. His eyes twitched under his lids as if he were dreaming.

“General Yargazon? she asked. “Would you like more wine? If he were the least bit awake, that ought to provoke him.

No response.

“Colonel Bladebreak? she asked. “General Ardoz?

Bladebreak snored, and Ardoz didnt budge.

Saints above. It had worked. It was fortunate, because she couldnt have maintained the spell much longer without falling asleep herself. The effort had strained the limits of what she knew how to do with her gifts. Before her kidnapping, she hadnt even thought she could do green spells. She felt drained, ravenous and sleepy.

Allegra twisted the shackle on her wrist and tugged the chain around the pole. The metal felt too hard to be pure gold. She couldnt bend the manacle, nor could she do anything with the pole; to support such a large tent, it needed to be sturdy, and they had driven it deep into the ground.

Markus sighed and rubbed his eyes. Sitting up slowly, he smiled at her. “Hmmpretty songbird.

“Oh. She blinked at him sheepishly, her hands gripped on the chain she had been trying to wrest free.

“You cant unlock that, he said.

Allegra flushed and released the chain. “You woke up.

“Ive spent the last ten years fighting to sleep. Whod have thought I would have to fight to stay awake? He regarded the others with a grin. “Looks like they lost the battle.

“They were easier than you, she admitted.

“Thats amazing! You can even knock out experienced officers who should know better.

“Dont you trust them?

He leaned toward her. “I dont trust anyone. Especially you. But theyre excellent officers.

She kept her opinion on that to herself. “So why did you want them to sleep?

“To see what you could do. He considered her. “What about the guards? You tried with them, too, Ill bet.

“I dont know, she hedged.

“Hah. He climbed to his feet. “Ill go check.

“Markus, wait!

He turned back. “Eh?

She tugged at the shackles. “Dont leave me like this!

His eyes took on a bedroom look that had nothing to do with sleep. Although he didnt have Yargazons or Bladebreaks hard edge, she needed no spell to realize that seeing her chained excited him.

“Ill come back, he murmured.

“Your men might wake up, she said, trying not to panic. “They would find me alone here, without you.

His smile faded. “No, that wouldnt be good. He strode across the tent and took the key off the chest. He came back and released her, then tossed the shackles on the table. “Come on. He grabbed her hand. “Lets go visit my guards.

She stumbled along with him as he strode across the tent. “Slow down.

He moderated his pace. “I keep forgetting your legs arent as long as mine. He sounded immensely pleased with himself.

Outside, the moon glowed with a red tinge from dust in the air. The man who guarded the entrance was lying on the ground. Snoring.

“Hah! Markus toed his bodyguards arm, which was flung across the ground. “Izad. Wake up!