"I"ve made up a pallet in the other chamber. Enough," he added as Keirith opened his mouth to protest. "It"s perfectly comfortable." He extinguished two of the lamps, but left the third burning. "Good night."
"Forgive me," he whispered.
"There"s nothing to forgive."
Keirith pulled the blanket around him and lay back on the fleece. A heavy weight descended on his stomach and he gasped. Niqia kneaded him for several moments, sharp claws making him wince.
"Settle."
She ignored him, continuing her careful kneading until, apparently satisfied, she sprawled across his belly. Keirith stroked the soft fur behind her ears and was rewarded with a contented purr.
The plan to lull Xevhan"s suspicions could work if he played his part well, but it would not help Malaq. Was this what it was like for the priests of Pilozhat? Always watching their backs, always courting friends and observing enemies and plotting against both? It was so alien to his life at home-but then everything here was.
As unnerving as all the plotting was, there was something exciting about it. Pitting your skill against another"s. Using your power to woo him or destroy him. Risking everything. It was as thrilling and frightening as flying with the eagle.
"You are enmeshed in a dangerous game, and your life depends on your ability to play it well."
And if the vision was true, it was not only his life at risk, but Malaq"s as well.
Chapter 27.
GRIANE SPRINKLED THE last drops of the elder berry wine on the roots of the heart-oak and rested her palm against the tree"s thick trunk. She should say a prayer. If only she knew what to pray for.
Don"t be a ninny, Griane. You know why you"re here. Just do it.
The name stuck in her throat.
"Maker, help me. Show me if this is the right path."
Sunwise, she circled the sacred tree. That"s what the priests always did when they summoned power. But she wasn"t summoning power; she was simply delaying. She closed her eyes and repeated her prayer-and promptly stumbled over a root.
Well, that"s what happens when you try to walk and pray with your eyes shut. Any fool would know better. And only a fool would take that for a sign.
"Please, Maker. Give me a sign. Something to let me know whether I should do . . . what I"m thinking of doing."
Nothing happened. The birds still twittered, the morning sunlight still slanted through the branches of the trees.
What did you expect? A clap of thunder? A flash of lightning?
The glade darkened. She gasped and flicked her forefinger three times against her thumb. She considered spitting in the four directions, but while she hesitated, the sunlight returned. It had only been a pa.s.sing cloud. It would have shadowed Bel"s face no matter what she said. But she had had said something. She had asked for a sign. said something. She had asked for a sign.
"Bel"s blazing ballocks."
Signs were no more reliable than visions. Better to trust your common sense. Of course, if she did that, she would leave right now. Of all people in the world, she knew better than to trust Fellgair.
d.a.m.n her indecision. d.a.m.n Gortin and his visions. And d.a.m.n Darak for leaving her here with nothing to do but wait and worry.
"Oh, Maker, I didn"t mean it. Especially the part about Darak." This time she did spit. She"d never discovered if an ill-wish counted if you didn"t speak it aloud, but now was not the time to chance it.
Impatiently, she swiped at her eyes. She"d never been a weeper, but these days she was always crying. The other day, she"d found a patch of speedwell in the forest and burst into tears; poor Sali just stared at her with her mouth hanging open.
"I"m going home," she announced. And stood staring up at the wide-spreading branches of the heart-oak.
For four days, Gortin"s vision had haunted her. Worse were the images she conjured: Darak"s body twisting with agony, gouts of blood spurting from his chest, his mouth going slack as the scream faded, the gray eyes glazing in death. Four days and four nights with those images racking her mind and helplessness tearing at her spirit like a carrion crow. And always the fear of the consequences if she asked the Trickster for help.
Even if she called, Fellgair might not come. He might not even remember her. It had been fifteen years since she had seen him. He"d been angry with her for leaving the Summerlands without bidding him farewell. But he had opened the way home for a kiss. And promised-predicted-that she would have many years with Darak. Fifteen years wasn"t many. Not as people measured time and certainly not as G.o.ds did.
Keirith would never let them hurt his father. Never.
Fellgair had made another prediction that morning-that he and Darak would meet again. Perhaps he"d known even then that she would be standing here, wondering if she should call his name.
In the underbrush, a fox yipped. The hairs on her neck and arms rose. Very slowly, Griane turned.
The fox padded out of the thicket and froze when it saw her. Golden eyes fixed her with an unblinking stare. It lifted one delicate forepaw. Despite the thick mulch of dead leaves littering the glade, it made no sound as it stalked toward her.
The fox paused and c.o.c.ked its head. Large triangular ears p.r.i.c.ked forward. Suddenly, it catapulted high into the air and pounced on a pile of leaves. It nosed through them and emerged with a vole dangling between its jaws. It tossed its head, flinging the vole skyward. The muscles in its hind legs tensed. Just before the unfortunate creature hit the ground, the fox leaped up and snapped it out of the air. Then it settled into a patch of sunlight and proceeded to devour its prey in three quick bites.
A red tongue flicked out to lick the long whiskers. Then the fox yawned, treating Griane to a vivid display of the sharp shears on its upper jaw.
"Is it you?" she whispered.
The fox"s ears p.r.i.c.ked up at her voice. It rose. And winked.
The sleek body stretched. The narrow rib cage swelled. Back legs straightened. Forelegs pushed off the ground to hang by its sides. Paws tapered into clawed fingers that waggled a greeting. The thick brush grew even more luxuriant. The muzzle widened. Widened still more as the Trickster smiled and strolled toward her.
"As if I could forget you, Griane."
"But I didn"t call you."
"I"ve missed you, too."
"I only thought . . ."
Fellgair shook a reproving finger. "You see? It does count if you only think it." He sighed. "Poor Darak. Poor Gherkin."
"Gortin."
"Whatever."
"I didn"t mean it. I wasn"t cursing him. Them."
"Of course you weren"t."
"So nothing bad will happen?"
"Ever?"
"Please, Lord Trickster-"
"Oh, must we progress to the pleading so soon? Let"s sit. Chat. Reminisce about old times."
He flicked a forefinger at some fallen leaves, which arranged themselves into a neat bed between two of the heart-oak"s roots. He sprawled full-length, propping himself up on one elbow, and patted a spot in front of him. Griane chose a root out of reach.
"This reminds me of our time together in the Summerlands. You perched primly on your rock. I, lounging at your feet. You were wearing fewer clothes then."
After fifteen years, he still had the unerring power to make her blush. As his gaze roved over her, she resisted the urge to tuck her skirt around her ankles.
"Do you miss the Summerlands?"
She nodded. It was the most beautiful, magical place she had ever known. But she had abandoned it eagerly for the chance to return to the world, little knowing that Struath and Yeorna were already dead, and Darak and Cuillon in Chaos.
"Is Rowan still there? And the other tree-folk?"
"Of course."
"Are they . . . different?"
"How do you mean?"
"More human?"
"That supposes they"re changing from trees to humans and not the other way around."
"Aren"t they?" she asked, surprised.
"Actually, they are. But that transformation occurs over thousands of years. To your eyes, Rowan would look just the same."
"And to yours?"
"Even to my eyes, the changes are barely perceptible. The slightest softening of the bark. The tiniest hint of eyelashes."
"Do you ever change?"
"You just saw me."
She"d forgotten how difficult he could be. She must remember to phrase her questions more precisely or she would surely end up being tricked by the bargain she made with him. If she made a bargain.
"I meant-"
"I don"t age as you do." The golden gaze drifted to her hair. "All the colors of fox fur now. Just as I predicted all those years ago. Did you curse him for leaving you again after you arrived home?"
Her hand had reached self-consciously to smooth the white streak in her hair. Now she let it drop back to her lap. "I thought you wanted to reminisce about happy times."
"I wanted to reminisce."
His voice was as pleasant as ever, his manner casual. But the threat-however veiled-was always present when you dealt with the Trickster: I establish the rules for the game. Obey them or the game ends.
Heart pounding, she said, "I don"t want to talk about that." And waited to see how he would respond to such a deliberate violation of the unspoken rule.
"All right. What shall we talk about? The weather? It"s been warm this spring. The barley? Looks like a fine crop. Your health? You have shadows under your eyes because you haven"t been sleeping. Your tunic hangs on you because you haven"t been eating. You dream of him at night and wake, gasping his name. During the day, you keep busy so you won"t notice how frightened you are, but the fear is always there-stalking you like a predator-and when it pounces, you cry. You hate giving in to tears, so you either hug the children too hard or snap at them for pestering you with questions you can"t answer. And then you curse your Darak. Whose face is the first thing your eyes seek when they open in the morning. Whose hands are the last thing your body seeks as you drift into sleep at night. Darak, whom you chivvy and chide and scold in the vain hope that he won"t realize how desperately you need him."
"Stop. Please."
"You curse him-just as you did all those years ago when he left you to return to the First Forest barely a moon after you healed his body and gave him the will to live and finally, finally brought him home safe. I"ve missed our little chats, haven"t you?"
Griane pressed her lips together tightly. At least she could be proud that she had surrendered without a tear. "I didn"t curse him."
"Young love is so beautiful. So you forgave. If not forgot."
"Aye."
"And never spoke of it after?"
"Nay."
"Yet you wondered, didn"t you? Every time he went back to the grove of the First Forest. You kissed him farewell and watched him walking across the fields and wondered if it was the last time you would ever see him."
"He gave me his oath."
"Men are fond of giving oaths. They"re also notorious for breaking them."
"Not Darak. He never would have left me. Not after . . ."
"Not after Keirith was born." Fellgair"s voice was very gentle. "You"re right, of course. He would never leave then-no matter how much he longed to. It"s ironic, isn"t it? That the child who guaranteed he would remain is the same one who took him away from you in the end. Do you hate him?"
"Darak?"
"Keirith. For taking your Darak away."
It"s not his fault. It was the raiders. Or fate. Or ill fortune. Darak"s fault for leaving him. Urkiat"s for not fighting harder. Mine for not insisting that he come with us when his father ordered him to. Why didn"t he listen? If he had, none of this would have happened. Keirith would be safe at home and Darak . . .
Lying on the altar stone. His heart clutched between the b.l.o.o.d.y fingers of a priest.
She stumbled to her feet, gagging. Blindly, she reached out a hand for the heart-oak. Fellgair"s fingers closed around hers. She whirled around, flailing at him with her fist, hating him for his truths, hating him for hurting her.
Effortlessly, he swept her into his arms and sat, cradling her against his chest as if she were a child. She slumped against him, breathing in the sharp animal reek that mingled with the sweet aroma of honeysuckle. So perfect for him, that improbable combination of scents. She"d never realized that until now. But for a being in whom order and chaos combined, everything about him was a combination of opposites: cold and warmth, cruelty and kindness, viciousness and charm.
His fur tickled her nose and she sneezed. Hastily, she slid off his lap and blew her nose on the hem of her tunic.
"I made you cry." His voice held wonder rather than regret.
"You"ve made me cry before."