Destiny: Child Of Sky (47 page)

What was I supposed to think?"

She looked away. “Probably just what you did."

Even without looking at him she could feel him smile. “Good; then you agree that I came to the right conclusion."

Rhapsody's gaze returned to him. She thought about arguing the facts, reminding him what she had actually said, how she had only indicated she was there to massage him, but the words were too heavy to utter. Llauron had known all along what Constantin would think she was there for, and she had been foolish beyond measure to believe otherwise. She hung her head.

The gladiator bent forward until his lips were just outside her ear. “You owe me,"

he said quietly. “Perhaps just once, but you owe me, and you know it. Without speaking, you promised me a night with you in my bed. Surely you will not go back on your word—a Namer? I know you are one, by the way; last night I heard you whisper my name deep in my soul, and the most wonderful feeling came over me. Would you like to guess where it was most outwardly obvious?"

She blinked but said nothing. He had undoubtedly felt her light the candle and pledge to sit vigil for him, to guard him from pain at her own expense.

The gladiator's smile grew more confident. He reached out an enormous hand and carefully slid his index finger into her hair, drawing it down along the lock nearest her face. When he reached her cheek he caressed it with his rough fingertip.

'Come with me,“ he said soothingly. "I am no longer angry; I will be gentle with you. You have nothing to fear; I won't put it in all the way. Pay your debt, Rhapsody." He leaned forward on the tree, his breath warming the side of her neck.

“I must have you," he said.

The Lord Rowan appeared, to her left and nearby. Both Rhapsody and Constantin looked and noted his presence, then Constantin dropped his arm and turned to leave. As he did, his lips brushed the top of her hair. “I will have you," he whispered. “I promise." As he walked away, Rhapsody felt her voice return.

“Constantin?" He looked back at her; there was no fear in her eyes, and her face was placid again.

'You may be right,“ she said directly. "But if you do, it will be only because we both want it to happen. Do you understand?"

He stared at her for a moment, then he was gone.

Rhapsody felt a warm hand touch her shoulder, and in that moment, peace such as she had never felt coursed through her, filling her with a longing to sleep.

'Are you all right, child?" the Lord Rowan asked, his voice silky as warm wine.

'Yes, m'lord," she replied, turning to face him.

'I will speak to him."

Rhapsody opened her mouth to explain. As she did, she felt the despair of the Future return, the hideous knowledge that she might be doomed to repeat her same mistakes eternally, watching the consequences of her actions for all Time.

Exhaustion flooded her as Ashe's words of long ago came back to her: You will never die. Imagine losing people over and over, your lovers, your spouse, your children. Rhapsody felt more tired than she ever remembered being. She looked into the stern face of the Lord Rowan, and from deep within her tears came, unbidden.

'Why do you weep?"

'It's not important,“ Rhapsody answered, looking into the black eyes. "M'lord Rowan, will you grant me a favor? Please?"

'What is it you wish?"

'Will you come for me one day? Please?"

The solemn face flickered with the hint of a smile. “Fascinating," he murmured.

“Usually I only hear prayers asking me to stay away, though you are not the first Cymrian by any means who has prayed for my assistance. You are the first one in the bloom of youth, however."

'Please, m'lord,“ Rhapsody implored. "Please say you will come for me one day."

The Lord Rowan watched her for a moment. “I will if I can, my child. That is the only promise I can make you."

Rhapsody smiled through her tears. “It's enough," she said simply. “Thank you."

Evening shadows were starting to lengthen in the peaceful forest. Rhapsody stopped before the door of the small hut and breathed deeply for a moment, trying to remain calm. Then she knocked.

'Come."

She shuddered at the memory the word and the deep timbre of Constan-tin's voice evoked. Slowly she opened the door of his chambers.

The former gladiator was sitting on the bed. When he saw her he rose immediately and crossed the room to the doorway. Rhapsody swallowed nervously, observing the speed with which he moved; it was small wonder he had been lethal in the arena. He interposed himself between her and the rest of the room, filling the doorway and staring piercingly at her.

'What do you want?" he asked harshly.

Rhapsody smiled, hoping to defuse the suspicious, hostile tone. “I have something that I believe is yours."

His eyes narrowed. “I don't think so." Rhapsody could tell by the look on his face that he had had his conversation with the Lord Rowan.

'Well, I won't bother you for long, then,“ she said breezily. "May I come in?"

Constantin stared down at her for a moment, then held the door open, standing out of the way. Rhapsody walked under his arm and came into the room. It was similar to the rooms of the other children, but without any decoration or colorful appointments; in fact, it looked much like her own, only the bed and furniture were much bigger.

She sat down on the room's only chair. Constantin looked hard at her, and then dropped his eyes, smiling to himself. He watched under his eyelids as she reached into the small bag she was holding. Rhapsody pulled out the silver chain she had found in his chambers, and held it out to him.

'Does this belong to you?"

Constantin's eyes widened in shock, and a look of panic crossed his face. Then, as quickly as it had come, the look was gone, replaced by the familiar stare.

'Where did you get it?"

'I found it in your room that night."

His face began to blacken with anger. “And now you have come to ransom it back."

Rhapsody's mouth opened in surprise. "No, I thought—

'Of course, I am without anything of value to pay for it here," he said, his muscles coiling under the tension of self-control. He backed away from her. Rhapsody regarded him with sympathy. She knew what he felt was violent, and she could see him struggling to keep it in check.

'You don't understand,“ she said quickly. "I brought this to give it back to you."

Constantin regarded her suspiciously. “What is the value in that to you?"

-

Rhapsody's brow furrowed. “None; why should there be any? If this belongs to you, Constantin, you're entitled to it. You don't have to fight for what is yours here, this is not Sorbold."

'Then why did you steal it in the first place?"

Rhapsody swallowed the insult. “I didn't steal it," she said as gently as she could. “I brought it because I thought it might be special to you. I had no intention of ever returning you to that gladiatorial complex, so I thought it best to get what you might need or want to have while I could." She rose and crossed to where he stood, took his hand and placed the chain in it, then closed his fingers around it.

Constantin looked down at the trinket in his hand. His eyes lost some of the intensity of the moment before, which was replaced by a deeper, more complex expression. He stared at the necklace for several moments, then looked back up at Rhapsody.

'Thank you,“ he said. His voice was uncharacteristically quiet. She nodded. "You're welcome. I'll get out of your way now." She turned and opened the door.

'You're right,“ he said quickly; she turned to face him in surprise, having thought the conversation finished. "About what?"

He looked down for a moment. “This is something I need and want to have." It was the closest he had ever come to initiating a conversation; Rhapsody could tell instinctively that he wanted it to continue. She closed the door, folded her arms and leaned back against it. “Was it a gift from someone special?"

Constantin stared at her; she was becoming more used to the unsettling look. Then he went to the bed and sat down. “Yes," he said. “My mother."

It took a moment before Rhapsody realized her mouth was open; she closed it abruptly. “You knew your mother?"

The gladiator shook his head; the sunlight that filtered through the window caught his white-blond hair and made it burn golden for an instant. “No. All I have is a fragment of a memory, one that I'm not even certain is real."

She came to the bed and sat down beside him; he did not move or tense as she thought he might if her closeness was unwelcome. “What is it, if you don't mind my asking?"

Constantin ran the necklace through his fingers; it gleamed in the sunlight as well.

“Just the image of a woman with love in her eyes and a gift."

Rhapsody own eyes stung at his words. She patted his shoulder. It was meant to be a gesture of sympathy, but it made the gladiator jump away, cringing. Rhapsody's face froze in alarm.

'I'm very sorry,“ she stammered. "I didn't mean to upset you." She rose hastily and hurried to the door again.

'Rhapsody, wait.“ Constantin stood and came to her, stopping a few feet away. She looked down at the floor; the last thing she wanted was to agitate him further. "You didn't upset me. I'm trying not to hurt or frighten you again."

Rhapsody met his glance; his eyes were gleaming with blue intensity, but with none of the ferocity they had held the night she had stolen him from Sorbold.

Perhaps even just the slight amount of demonic blood that had been removed from him had made him more human.

'Constantin, whatever happened in Sorbold was my fault alone. The plan was stupid and ill considered, and any reaction you had was due to my miscalculation. I ask your forgiveness, and I hope you understand that no matter how callous or manipulative it seemed, I really was trying to help you."

Constantin nodded. “I've noticed that you often seem to feel compelled to do that."

The depth of his voice made him seem much older than his years. “I think that's why it's so hard for me to be in the same room with you."

'If my presence is disturbing, I'll try to avoid—

'It's not,“ he interrupted. "It's more, well, distracting.“ He looked out the window; as the sunset grew rosier, his voice became softer. "I guess I have just never known a truly gentle person before. I don't know how to behave around you."

Rhapsody laughed. “There are quite a few people in this world who would find your description of me amusing. And you're doing fine, really."

'It's a struggle,“ he said. The words seemed to surprise him a moment later, having slipped out easily. "The necklace is not the only thing I need and want to have." He averted his eyes as the color of the sunset came over his face.

Rhapsody's throat tightened, and heat coursed through her. Unconsciously her hand went to her throat. It came to rest on the locket she always wore. A thought came to her, and she carefully opened the clasp and removed the necklace. When Constantin worked up the courage to look back at her she held it up for him to see.

'I guess we have something in common,“ she said. "This is all I have left of my mother, too." The tears that had crept into her eyes welled again.

'Do you dream of her?"

Rhapsody turned away. “Not anymore," she said sadly. “I used to, but now she never comes to me in my dreams. I cannot see her face."

'I dream of my mother every night,“ said Constantin. "I have no idea if she was anything like what she seems in my dreams."

'How does she seem?"

'Kind. I suppose that proves it's just a dream and not a memory." He sat back down on the bed.

'Why?"

The gladiator looked up at her and smiled ironically. “Obviously you don't believe in family traits."

Rhapsody moved back a little to get a better look at him. “Are you saying you are unkind?" The gladiator's laughter caught her off-guard and she jumped. She waited until he stopped, then looked at him seriously. “I wasn't joking."

-

Constantin's face lost its smile. “Yes; it should be obvious even to you that kindness and I haven't been formally introduced." He looked away. “I have seen it from afar, however, though perhaps only once."

Rhapsody looked down at her hands. “Perhaps you and kindness are better friends than you think." She could feel his eyes stare at her questioningly, and she struggled to keep from turning warm under his gaze, but she was unsuccessful; the blood rushed to her face, stinging her cheeks as they reddened. Awkwardly she sat down in the chair again.

'Would you care to explain what you are talking about?“ "You could have hurt me that night if you had wanted to,“ she said, staring at the calluses on her fingers. "I know you were moved by my fear; I saw the cruelty dim in your eyes. Despite what your world has been, you have maintained some compassion, even if it is just a seed." Her words sounded vaguely familiar to her; she thought back to the night Ashe had first come to her in Elysian.

I love that you have survived the cataclysm of your whole world, and have lived among monsters, and still always attribute honorable intentions to people.

Constantin smiled ruefully. "You're wrong, Rhapsody. I had no intention of letting you go that night. I would have hurt you, and'enjoyed doing so.

You don't know me very well."

Rhapsody finally found the courage to look into his eyes. “Perhaps. And perhaps I know you better than you think. Do you still want to hurt me?"

The gladiator stood suddenly and crossed to the farthest corner of the room.

“Perhaps it is best if you go now."

'As you wish.“ Rhapsody rose as well, and went to the door. She turned and looked at his back, the muscles coiled like a spring. "I'm not afraid of you, Constantin."

'You're also not very bright, I'm sorry to say."

She laughed. “Well, there's no denying the truth in that, but in fact I have seen far crueler men than you; I've suffered much worse atrocities at their hands than anything you could ever have inflicted on me. I can tell the difference between a warped spirit and an evil one. Your soul is twisted, Constantin, not rotten. It just needs some time to stretch and some sunlight to purify it again. You'll be good as new in no time."