"It's magnificent, Draca," Saetan said as his eyes drank in the odds and ends scattered on the tables—a young girl's treasures. Fingering the lid of a box that had an intricate design created from a number of rare woods, he opened it and shook his head, partly amused and partly stunned. One finger idly stirred the contents of the box, stirred the little seashells that had obviously come from widely distant beaches, stirred the diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires that were no more than pretty stones to a child. He closed the box and turned, one eyebrow rising in amusement.
Draca lifted her shoulders in the merest hint of a shrug. "Would you have it otherwisse?"
"No." He looked around. "This room will please her. It's truly a dark sanctuary, something she'll need more and more as the years pass."
"Not all ssanctuariess are dark, High Lord. The room you gave her pleasess her, too." For the first time in all the years he'd known her, Draca smiled. "Sshall I desscribe it to you? I have heard about it often enough."
Saetan looked away, not wanting her to see how pleased he was.
"I wanted to sshow you the Winssol gift I have for her." Draca retreated into the dressing room and returned holding a wisp of black. She spread it out on the bed's satin coverlet. "What do you think?"
Saetan stared at the full-length dress. There was a lump in his throat he couldn't swallow around, and the room was suddenly misty. He fingered the black spidersilk. "Her first Widow's weeds," he said huskily.
"This is what she should wear for Winsol." He let the silk slip through his fingers as he turned away. "She should be with us."
"Yess, sshe sshould be with her family."
"She will be with her family," Saetan said bitterly. He laughed, but that was bitter, too. "She'll be with her grandmother and mother . . . and her father."
"No," Draca said gently. "Not with her father. Now, finally, doess sshe have a father."
Saetan took a deep breath. "I used to be the coldest bastard to ever have walked the Realms. What happened?"
"You fell in love . . . with the daughter of your ssoul." Draca made a little sound that might have been a laugh. "And you were never sso cold, Ssaetan, never sso cold ass you pretended to be."
"You might spare my pride by allowing me my illusions."
"For what purposse? Doess sshe allow you to be cold?"
"At least she allows me my illusions," Saetan said, warming to the gentle argument. "However," he added wryly, "she doesn't let me get away with much else." He sighed, his expression one of pained amusement.
"I must go. I have to talk to some distressed merchants."
Draca escorted him out. "It hass been a long time ssince you celebrated Winssol. Thiss year, when the black candles are lit, you will drink the blooded rum and dance for the glory of Witch."
"Yes," he said softly, thinking of the spidersilk dress, "this vear I will dance."
6 /Hell
Saetan settled his cape around his shoulders. On the floor of his private study were six boxes filled with the many brightly wrapped gifts he had purchased for the
cildru dyathe.
Since the children were so skittish of adults, it was impossible to know how many were on the island. The best he could do was fill a box for each age group and leave it to Char to distribute the gifts. There were books and toys, games and puzzles, from as many Kaeleer Territories as he had access to. If he had been overly indulgent this year, it was to fill the hole in his heart, to make up for the gifts he wanted to give Jaenelle and couldn't.
There could be no trace of him in Beldon Mor, no gift that might provoke questions. Knowledge was the only thing he could give her that she could take back to Terreille.
He vanished the boxes one by one, left his study, and caught the Black Wind to the
cildru dyathe's
island.
Even for Hell, it was a bleak place made of rocks, sand, and barren fields. A place where even Hell's native flora and fauna couldn't thrive. He'd always wondered why Char had chosen that place instead of one of the many others that wouldn't have been so stark. And then Jaenelle had unthinkingly given him the answer: The island, in its stark-ness, in its unyielding bleakness, held no deceptions, no illusions. Poisons weren't sugar-coated, brutality wasn't masked by silk and lace. There was nowhere for cruelty to hide.
He took his time reaching that rocky place that was as dose to a shelter as the children would condone.
As he reached the final bend in the twisting path and mentally prepared himself to watch them flee from him, he heard laughter—innocent, delighted laughter. He wrapped his cape tightly around him, hoping to blend into the rocks and remain unnoticed for a moment. To hear them laugh that way ...
Saetan eased around the last rock and gasped.
In the center of their open "council" area stood a magnificent evergreen, its color undimmed by Hell's forever-twilight. Throughout the branches, little points of color winked in and out like a rainbow of fireflies performing a merry dance. Char and the other children were hanging icicles—real icicles—from the branches. Little silver and gold bells tinkled as they brushed against the branches. There was laughter and purpose, an animation and sparkle in their young faces that he'd never seen before.
Then they saw him and froze, small animals caught in the light. In another moment, they would have run, but Char turned at that instant, his eyes bright. He stepped toward Saetan, holding out his hands in an ancient gesture of welcome.
"High Lord." Char's voice rang with pride. "Come see our tree."
Saetan came forward slowly and placed his hands over Char's. He studied the tree. A single tear slipped down his cheek, and his lips trembled. "Ah, children," he said huskily, "it's truly a magnificent tree. And your decorations are
wonderful."
They smiled at him, shyly, tentatively.
Without thinking, Saetan put his arm around Char's shoulders and hugged him close. The boy jerked back, caught himself, and then hesitantly put his arms around Saetan and hugged him in return.
"You know who gave us the tree, don't you?" Char whispered.
"Yes, I know."
"I've never . . . most of us have never . . ."
"I know, Char." Saetan squeezed Char's shoulder once more. He cleared his throat. "They seem a bit ...
dull... compared with this, but there are gifts for you to put beneath the tree."
Char rubbed his hand across his face. "She said it would only last the thirteen days of Winsol, but that's all they ever last, isn't it?"
"Yes, that's all they ever last."
"High Lord." Char hesitated. "How?"
Saetan smiled tenderly at the boy. "I don't know. She'smagic. I'm only a Warlord Prince. You can't expect me to explain magic."
Char smiled in return, a smile from one man to another.
Saetan called in the six boxes. "I'll leave these in your keeping." One finger gently stroked Char's burned, blackened cheek. "Happy Winsol, Warlord." He turned and glided quickly toward the path. As he passed the first bend, a sound came from a smattering of voices. When it was repeated, it was a full chorus.
"Happy Winsol, High Lord."
Saetan choked back a sob and hurried back to the Hall.
7 /Hell
"You did tell me to give a Winsol gift to someone who might not get one, so ... well ..." Jaenelle nervously brushed her fingers along the edge of Saetan's blackwood desk.
"Come here, witch-child." Saetan gently hugged her. Putting his lips close to her ear, he whispered, "That was the finest piece of magic I've ever seen. I'm so very proud of you."
"Truly?" Jaenelle whispered back.
"Truly." He held her at arm's length so he could see her face. "Would you share the secret?" he asked, keeping his voice lightly teasing. "Would you tell an old Warlord Prince how you did it?"
Jaenelle's eyes focused on his Red Birthright Jewel hanging from its gold chain. "I promised the Prince, you see."
"See what?" he asked calmly as his stomach flip-flopped.
"I promised that if I was going to do any dream weaving I'd learn from the best who could teach me."
And you didn't come tome? "So who taught you, witch-child?"
She licked her lips. "The Arachnians," she said in a small voice.
The room blurred and spun. When it stopped revolving, Saetan gratefully realized he was still sitting in his chair. "Arachna is a closed Territory," he said through clenched teeth.
Jaenelle frowned. "I know. But so are a lot of places where I have friends. They don't mind, Saetan.
Truly."
Saetan released her and locked his hands together. Arachna. She'd gone to Arachna. Beware the golden spider that spins a tangled web. There wasn't a Black Widow in all the history of the Blood who could spin dream webs like the Arachnians. The whole shore of their island was littered with tangled webs that could pull in unsuspecting—and even well-trained—minds, leaving the flesh shell to be devoured. For her to blithely walk through their defenses...
"The Arachnian Queen," Saetan said, fighting the urge to yell at her. "Whom did she assign to teach you?"
Jaenelle gave him a worried little smile. "She taught me. We started with the straight, simple webs, everyday weaving. After that . . ." Jaenelle shrugged.
Saetan cleared his throat. "Just out of curiosity, howl large is the Arachnian Queen?"
"Um . . . her body's about like that." Jaenelle pointed at his fist.
The room tilted. Very little was known about Arachna-with good reason, since very few who had ever ventured there had returned intact—but one thing was known: the larger the spider, the more powerful and deadly were the webs.
"Did the Prince suggest you go to Arachna?" Saetan asked, desperately trying to keep the snarl out of his voice.
Jaenelle blinked and had the grace to blush. "No. I don't think he'd be too happy if I told him."
Saetan closed his eyes. What was done was done. "You will remember courtesy and Protocol when you visit them, won't you?"
"Yes, High Lord," Jaenelle said, her voice suspiciously submissive.
Saetan opened his eyes to a narrow slit. Jaenelle's sapphire eyes sparkled back at him. He snarled, defeated, Hell's fire, if he was so outmaneuvered by a twelve-year-old girl, what in the name of Darkness was he going to do when she was full grown?
"Saetan?"
"Jaenelle."
She held out a brightly though clumsily wrapped package with a slightly mangled bow. "Happy Winsol, Saetan."
His hand shook a little as he took the package and laid it gently on the desk. "Witch-child, I—"
Jaenelle threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. "Draca said it was all right to open your gift before Winsol because I should only wear it at the Keep. Oh, thank you, Saetan. Thank you. It's the most wonderful dress. And it's
black."
She studied his face. "Wasn't I supposed to tell you I already opened it?"
Saetan hugged her fiercely.
You, too, Draca. You, too, are not as cold as you pretend to be.
"I'm glad it pleases you, witch-child. Now." He turned to her package.
"No," Jaenelle said nervously. "You should wait for Winsol."
"You didn't," he gently teased. "Besides, you won't be here for Winsol, so . . ."
"No, Saetan. Please?"
It piqued his curiosity that she would give him something and not want to be there when he opened it.
However, tomorrow was Winsol, and he didn't want her leaving him feeling heartsore. Adeptly turning the conversation to the mounds of food being prepared at the Kaeleer Hall and broadly hinting that Helene and Mrs. Beale just might be willing to parcel some out before the next day, he sent her on her way and leaned back in his chair with a sigh.
The package beckoned.
Saetan Black-locked the study door before carefully unwrapping the package. His heart did a queer little jig as he stared at the back of one of the swivel frames he had purchased for her. Taking a deep breath, he opened the frame.
In the left side was a copy of an old picture of a young man with a hint of a brash smile and a ready-for-trouble gleam in his eyes. The face would have changed by now, hardened, matured. Even so.
"Lucivar," he whispered, blinking away tears and shaking his head. "You had that look in your eyes when you were five years old. It would seem there are some things the years can't change. Where are you now, my Eyrien Prince."
He turned to the picture on the right, immediately set the frame on the desk, leaned back in his chair and covered his eyes. "No wonder," he whispered. "By all the Jewels and the Darkness, no wonder." If Lucivar was a summer afternoon. Daemon was winter's coldest night. Sliding his hands from his face, Saetan forced himself to study the picture of his namesake, his true heir.
It was a formal picture taken in front of a red-velvet background. On the surface, this son of his was not a mirror—he far exceeded his father's chiseled, handsome features—but beneath the surface was the recognizable, chilling darkness, and a ruthlessness Saetan instinctively knew had been honed by years of cruelty.
"Dorothea, you have re-created me at my worst."
And yet ...
Saetan leaned forward and studied the golden eyes so like his own, eyes that seemed to look straight at him. He smiled in thanks and relief. Nothing would ever undo what Dorothea had done to Daemon, what she had turned him into, but in those golden eyes was a swirling expression of resignation, amusement, irritation, and delight—a cacophony of emotions he was all too familiar with. It could only mean one thing: Jaenelle had maneuvered Daemon into this and had gone with him to make sure it was done to her satisfaction.
"Well, namesake," Saetan said quietly as he positioned the frame on the corner of his desk, "if you've accepted the leash she's holding, there's hope for you yet."
8 / Terreille
For Daemon, Winsol was the bitterest day of the year, a cruel reminder of what it had been like to grow up in Dorothea's court, of what had been required of him after the dancing had fired Dorothea's and Hepsabah's blood.
His stomach tightened. The stone he sharpened his already honed temper on was the knowledge that the one witch he wanted to dance with, the only one he would gladly surrender to and indulge was too young for him— for any man.