Gail Martin - Dark Haven

each other. Eiria lunged again, opening a bad gash on Yestin's shoulder. He howled in pain, nipping back at her. Her bite connected on the next strike, sinking into his foreleg. With a growl, Yestin launched himself at Eiria, teeth bared. He knocked her to the ground and pinned her with his heavy paws. With a yelp, she surrendered and struggled free, running from the room. Yestin followed.

Kolin and Laisren dragged Uri to his feet and threw him into a chair. "First the shepherds. Now an entire village."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Uri's fear was plain. "What village?"

"Everyone in Westormere is dead," Riqua said, advancing on Uri. "Every man, woman and child. Vayash moru killings. They didn't even bother to drain most of the bodies. They posed them in some obscene tableau-"

"Malesh," Uri whispered. "He calls it his 'art.'"

"Where's Malesh?" Gabriel demanded.

"How should I know?"

Riqua slapped Uri across the cheek hard enough to snap a mortal's spine. "He's your fledgling. Young enough for you to know his thoughts. Where is he?"

Uri wiped at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, a gesture that was a memory from his mortal life, since no blood flowed from his split lip. "How should I know?"

Riqua reached out with her right hand to grasp Uri by the throat and dragged him to his feet. One by one, her manicured nails sank into his neck on either side of his windpipe. Uri gasped and twisted. " Vayash moru slaughtered the people of Westormere tonight. Seventy mortals murdered. I want Malesh to pay."

"I told you," Uri rasped, "I don't know where he is. He's been dabbling in blood magic. Most of it doesn't work-he's no mage-but he must have bought a talisman to shield his thoughts. I haven't been able to read him for months now." "And you didn't destroy him when he betrayed you like that?"

Uri looked pale even by vayash moru standards. "I thought he might come around." "Did you send Malesh to Westormere?" "No. You have to believe me. I didn't know." "Malesh tried to bring across Lady Carina." Uri frowned. "That won't work. She's a healer."

Riqua's voice was icy. "She's in the next room, neither living, dead nor undead, because of him." She reached for Uri again and he cringed, flattening himself against the wall. This time, her hand slid inside his brocade doublet, digging her nails into the silk shirt above his heart. "You're going to bring your cur to heel, Uri. Find Malesh and destroy him." Uri's voice was plaintive. "I don't think I can." Riqua's lip twitched. "Have it your way. You wanted to leave the Council, so you leave behind your protection as a member. You want to break the truce, then become the first martyr of the new order. There's not a mortal or vayash moru in the manor who would fault us if we burn you at dawn for what's happened." She raised her fingertips to brush against Uri's face as he flinched away. "Do you remember the feel of sunlight on your skin?"

"Enough!" Panic tinged Uri's voice. "I'll go after Malesh. I'll go. Just don't burn me."

Riqua's expression was remorseless. "Until you destroy Malesh, my brood and yours are bloodsworn. My brood will destroy yours on sight. You and yours will be hunted and outcast among our kind."

"I share the oath." Gabriel took a step forward. "My family will also be bloodsworn with Riqua's. We will join the hunt."

Uri fell to his knees before Riqua and clutched at the hem of her skirt. "Please spare them," he begged. "Malesh has at most two score of his own fledglings. Most of the brood isn't like him. Please, don't destroy my children." He looked to the stony faces of the others in the room.

Riqua snatched her skirts out of his grasp. Uri covered his face with his hands, groaning in fear and distress, denied the ability to weep by the Dark Gift. "Don't look to them for pity," Riqua said coldly. "They saw the slaughter. They burned the bodies." She nodded, and Laisren and Kolin stepped forward, each grabbing one of Uri's arms and hauling him roughly to his feet with enough force to have dislocated a mortal's shoulders.

"Understand this. I won't allow the Winter Kingdoms to return to a time when we hide in sewers and live in fear. We'll exterminate every one of your brood if we have to, but we won't let the truce die."

Uri was shaking. "I'll find Malesh. I'll stop him. But please, spare the others. I beg of you."

"No one spared Westormere." It was Jonmarc who spoke. Grief and rage drove out any ability to feel fear. "I made an oath to Staden to protect everyone in Dark Haven-mortal or not. But I'm not speaking as Lord of Dark Haven right now. Malesh tried to kill Carina." Jonmarc drew his sword, angling the point at Uri's heart.

"You have no idea how much satisfaction I'd get out of running you through. All your bluster gave Malesh his ideas. You're just as guilty." Jonmarc let Uri feel the pressure of the tip of the sword over his doublet. "I can't go after your brood-not without starting reprisals. But I want Malesh. Bring the ones who massacred the people in Westormere for judgment."

"Give me two days," Uri begged.

At Riqua's nod, Laisren and Kolin released Uri. "Two days."

JUST AFTER THE eleventh bells on the next night, Taru walked into the sitting room. Riqua and oyster were behind her. Riqua looked grim. Royster's white hair was disheveled, as if he had been running his hands through it. Taru's face showed her exhaustion.

Jonmarc stood. "Anything?"

The others gathered from where they had been waiting, Gabriel and Kolin and Neirin, Yestin and Eiria. Yestin's arm was bandaged, and there were scratches across his face. Eiria moved with a limp.

Taru drew a deep breath. "Not as much as we we'd like. Between Royster's histories and Riqua's memory, we've found old tales where someone who was brought across regained mortality. Legends. Nothing detailed or reliable enough to be much use. We can't find any record of a healer being brought across without first losing the healing magic."

Jonmarc shook his head. "Carina won't want to exist without being a healer. It's too much a part of who she is."

Taru nodded. "I expected you to say that. I'd feel the same without my power. But it's an option. Since she hasn't been completely brought across, we're still looking for a way to bring her back. The Dark Gift is warring with Carina's healing power. It's like her body is fighting itself. Even if we can awaken her, we're not sure she can take sufficient sustenance either from foo'd or from blood. We don't have much time. A week at the most."

"Tell me what you need. I'll find it for you. Anything, just let me help."

The doors to the corridor opened, and Laisren stepped inside. "There's been another killing."

Jonmarc struggled to focus. "What happened?"

"Another body, dumped by the gates. The throat was torn out. And a letter, for you, pinned to the body." Laisren held out the parchment envelope.

Jonmarc took it from him and drew a deep breath. "Lord of Dark Haven," he read aloud. "I challenge you for the title. Meet me in the forest beyond the Caliggan crossroads tonight by second bells. We will slaughter another village each night you delay." He looked up. "It's signed, 'Malesh of Tremont."'

"He doesn't want the villages. He wants you," Gabriel said.

"Does he? Maybe he wants war. Maybe he thinks he can win. I'm pretty sure he wants more than just Dark Haven."

"The vayash moru who went to Westormere will gladly ride with you for a chance to punish the guilty ones," Laisren replied. "I'm in."

"So am I." Kolin stepped forward.

"And us." Yestin took Eiria's hand.

Jonmarc looked to Taru, Riqua, and Royster. "Don't stop. No matter what happens, do whatever you can to bring her back."

Riqua nodded. "I'll stay with Carina. Lisette and I will be protection as well as assistance."