Ginn Hale - Lord of the White Hell Book One

Kiram did understand, but he still couldn't accept the sacrifice of Javier's life.

Alizadeh seemed to see Kiram's resistance. His green eyes narrowed in anger.

"Do you know why King Nazario Sagrada tortured and murdered so many Haldiim, Kiram?" Alizadeh didn't wait for Kiram's response. "He and his bishops wanted to possess a shajdi. Had they succeeded in their quest they would have brought the tortures of the Cadeleonian church out into this world and conquered all nations. Countless Bahiim died to keep that from happening. We endured his tortures and we destroyed our own writings. At the very last we locked the knowledge away, depriving even our own people of the shajdi's healing powers rather than allowing them to become perverted. All those deaths, all that sacrifice can't have been for nothing. This shajdi must not become a Cadeleonian hell."

Kiram thought: But you're condemning Javier for something that he hasn't done. You don't know how he sees the white hell. I do. It isn't full of devils. It's light and beautiful. I saw a Bahiim tree there and words but nothing else. Javier isn't creating some terrible Cadeleonian hell with the shajdi. It's a refuge for him. If anything, that's what he'll make it into. A place of peace. Please, Alizadeh, you have to believe me.

For the first time Alizadeh looked uncertain.

"You have been inside the shajdi?"

Yes, Javier shielded me while I read a script that could only be seen in the shajdi's light.

Alizadeh nodded, apparently familiar with such script. Again, the burning sensation seemed to surge through Kiram's body. Unwillingly, Kiram's memory of that afternoon arose. Kiram felt Alizadeh searching through them as one might leaf through a book. Kiram struggled to escape Alizadeh's grasp before the sensations of that day-the feel and taste of Javier's body-rushed over him again. His resistance made no impact. In seconds, Kiram basked in the light of the white hell and read Calixto's words. Then he felt Javier's warm lips and insistent tongue and flushed with embarrassment, knowing that Alizadeh could see his pleasure in the sensations.

Then suddenly a chill swept through Kiram and he was once again standing in front of an Irabiim wagon. Alizadeh still held his wrist, but not with the enthralling grasp he had used earlier.

Alizadeh released Kiram very deliberately.

"All right, Kiram. I believe you," Alizadeh said after a moment. "But I still need to see the shajdi for myself. I'll need your help."

"The duera is prepared." Rafie stepped out of the wagon with a porcelain vial in his hands.

"There's been a change of plan," Alizadeh called to Rafie.

"Oh?" Rafie asked. "Well you'd better tell me about it quickly because I think I just caught sight of the duke and he looks like he has a few friends with him."

Across the open field Kiram spotted Javier in the midst of cleared the stone wall that surrounded the fairgrounds with Elezar close on his heels. Nestor followed behind them a little more clumsily. The three of them strode across the open field, heading towards the remains of the Irabiim camp.

"I'm putting a great deal of trust in you, Kiram," Alizadeh said.

Kiram nodded, overwhelmed with relief. He thought he might agree to anything if it meant that Javier would be safe. "I know and I can't thank you-"

"Just listen." Alizadeh caught the lotus medallion that Kiram wore. "Rafie and I will ask the duke to take you home with him-a little duera will ensure that you look worn out. Once you have the duke alone you'll need to convince him to allow you into the shajdi again. I'll be able to see the extent of the shajdi's corruption through you."

"And if you decide that the shadji is contaminated, then what?" Kiram asked.

"Then I'll have to strip the shajdi from the duke by any means possible." Alizadeh glanced to Javier briefly. Then he returned his attention to Kiram. "I don't want to harm your duke-"

"He has a name," Kiram said.

"Javier, then," Alizadeh conceded. '1 don't want to harm him. If I find that the shajdi is still intact, then there may even be a way that I can help him to destroy the shadow curse. But I must see the shajdi myself to know."

"If you're lying-if you're using me to hurt him, I won't ever forgive you."

"No, I can't imagine that you would." Alizadeh smiled for the first time since they'd left the fairgrounds. "Fortunately for us both I'm telling you the truth. So, will you help me or not?"

"Yes," Kiram said.

"Good." Alizadeh suddenly leaned close and lifted the lotus medallion to his lips. He whispered a strange word and a shudder passed through his body. Then he let the medallion fall back against Kiram's chest.

Alizadeh swayed and then caught himself. His face paled but his expression was calm. Rafie came to his side, placing a supporting hand casually on Alizadeh's back.

"Drink a just a little of the duera," Alizadeh told Kiram. He gazed up into the sky.

Kiram hesitated only an instant before he accepted the vial from Rafie and took a quick sip. "Now what?"

"Sit down," Rafie said. "Before you fall down."

Kiram took his advice and leaned back against the wagon as the familiar, lightheaded feeling of the duera came over Kiram. He didn't try to fight it. Instead, he watched Javier approach. He strode past groups of heavily bangled Irabiim youths and they averted their gazes. In the trees overhead crows took flight. Javier's dark eyes scanned the camp and in an instant Kiram found him staring straight at him. His intense expression softened and a slight smile curved his mouth.

Kiram lazily lifted his hand and waved. Nestor waved back at him enthusiastically and then rushed ahead of both Javier and Elezar.

"Kiram!" Nestor shouted. "We've been looking all over for you." Nestor bounded out of the way of a sleeping dog and then skidded to a stop in front of Rafie and Alizadeh. He bowed to them.

"It's good to see you again, young Master Grunito," Rafie said in flawless Cadeleonian. Alizadeh smiled at Nestor but said nothing.

"Good to see you as well, sirs." Nestor beamed at them but frowned when he turned his attention to Kiram. "You look done in."

"His arm was hurting him," Rafie said. "I gave him a little duera for the pain but I think he may need to rest as well."

"What's this? Kiram's injured his arm?" Elezar asked. He and Javier had just reached the edge of the cooking fire. Thin trails of smoke drifted from the dying embers. Elezar waved them away from his face. Javier simply stepped past. Even in the squalor of the half-abandoned Irabiim camp, an air of elegance seemed to surround Javier. Kiram tried to remind himself that this giddy enchantment was just an effect of the drug.

Javier offered Rafie and Alizadeh a cursory half bow and Elezar followed his example. Kiram found his gaze drifting back to Javier's lips and remembering the soft heat of them against his skin.

"Now what's happened to your arm, Kiram?" Elezar demanded. Kiram opened his mouth but didn't quite trust himself to reply.

"He was wounded the first day of the tournament fighting Ariz Plunado. You lost three crowns to me in the wager, remember?" Javier glanced at Kiram with a slightly worried expression.

"I remember losing the money," came Elezar's sulky response.

"My arm started to act up again this afternoon," Kiram explained.

"You should have mentioned it," Nestor chided him.

"I didn't want to be a bother."

"It's not a bother," Nestor said. "Except that we had no idea why you vanished so suddenly. I was worried that. something.had happened to you. So were Javier and Elezar."

"I'm feeling better already," Kiram said though he thought the words came out a little slurred. He straightened and addressed his uncle. "Do you think it would be all right if I went to look around the fairgrounds with my friends?"