Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 (49 page)

It was a good day for the challenge. He had chosen to fight during the morning hours so that the sun would not be a hindrance. The season was hot. It had not rained in ages, and he was glad of it. Athlone would be enough of a handful without fighting on wet and slippery cobbles.

The wind suddenly dropped. Only the hushed whispering of his people broke the silence. That was a new thought for him as well.
His
people!
Before his escape they had always been his father’s people, but now the cronies were gone the fortress already felt much friendlier. It would be a while before he was as comfortable here as he had been in Athione, but he no longer doubted that he would find his ease here. The whispering died away as the guardsmen escorted Athlone into the courtyard. He was wearing his armour, but he was without his sword. He looked around in contempt, but saved most of his scorn for his son.

Jihan nodded to the sergeant to give Athlone his sword.

“So, you finally have what you wanted Jihan. Malcor is yours, and you—”

“No!” Jihan interrupted. “What I wanted was the love of my parents, but you killed mother, and love is not in you. I once thought to gain your respect by learning what you wanted, but all I ever received from you was contempt. It’s time I showed you what I learned.
On your guard!
”

Jihan didn’t start slow. There was no point. He knew Athlone’s style as he knew his own. He attacked with a furious combination of two handed blows. Athlone was driven back, but then he regained his poise and attempted an attack of his own. Back and forth, they attacked and defended neither gaining the upper hand over the other. Jihan switched to a single hand and drew his dagger with his left. Athlone did the same and the fight took on a newer deadlier dimension.

Jihan allowed Athlone to gain an opening, and then tried to turn it to his advantage by using his dagger in close. Athlone failed to take the bait though, and the fight continued unchanged. Jihan changed hands and Athlone was taken by surprise for a moment. He managed to wound his father in the arm, but it was a trifle. Athlone backed away. Jihan followed keeping the pressure on.

Athlone started to tire but Jihan felt as if he could go on all day. His overconfidence nearly ended the fight prematurely when he over extended in his attempt to lunge. Athlone reacted instantly and slammed his blade to one side. Jihan saw the dagger at the last instant. Throwing pride to the winds, Jihan dove aside and rolled out of Athlone’s reach. He scrambled back to his feet cursing. He above all should know how dangerous his father was, yet what did he do? He took stupid chances, and Athlone had nearly made him pay dearly for it.

Blanking his mind of all distractions, Jihan concentrated on the task at hand and settled into a smooth rhythm by pretending he was practising against one of his tutors. They had been exacting taskmasters and wouldn’t tolerate even the slightest mistake. Athlone became even more wary when he noticed the change.

Finally, it happened.

Athlone, so weary now he was stumbling, tried to end the fight by using the same lunge his son had tried. It might have worked, but his weariness betrayed him. He slipped. This time Jihan didn’t lose the chance. His sword thrust went home—all the way to the hilt. Jihan stared into Athlone’s eyes and shrugged off the man’s fumbling and weak grip on his shoulders. Athlone’s sword dropped to the cobbles with a clang.

Looking into his father’s eyes, he said one last thing before Athlone’s soul fled to kneel before the God. “This is for mother,” he whispered and twisted his blade savagely.

Athlone’s eyes popped wide, but he was dead before the scream of agony left his throat. Jihan tilted his head and smiled as he looked into lifeless eyes to savour the moment. His entire life had been leading to this.

Jihan pulled his sword free.

There was complete silence as Athlone fell to the cobbles. Holding his dripping sword Jihan looked around at the silent crowd. First one, then another, then everyone at once cried out in one voice.

“Long live Jihan! Long live Lord Malcor!”

* * *

A few days after Jihan’s victory over his father, Julia and Keverin were in her room discussing what they might do about the legion approaching through Camorin. One of the first things Jihan did as Lord Malcor was to inform his men of the legion’s approach. He dispatched heavy patrols to watch the border so that they might have warning. Everyone was grim and Julia often caught people looking worriedly northward as if they might see the legion through the walls.

“You know you don’t want to be under siege for weeks.”

Keverin frowned at her use of an unfamiliar word. She kept forgetting that Deva didn’t use weeks. It was tendays, why couldn’t she remember that?

“Sorry. A week is seven days.”

Keverin raised an eyebrow at the idea. “Of course I don’t want that, but we have no real choice. Jihan is right about our lack of men. He has just about five thousand men under arms. He must leave half here to protect Malcor. We will be facing an entire legion—that’s ten thousand highly trained men. My five hundred won’t make that much difference to the outcome.”

Julia acknowledged his point, but she still thought waiting was a bad idea. “I’m sorry I failed to find them for you Kev. I just can’t seem to get the right image.”

“It doesn’t matter my lady.”

Julia frowned at the obvious lie, but also at his use of the possessive. She did love him, or thought she did, or could... hell! She wasn’t sure of anything anymore! Keverin had thrown himself into a fireball to protect her, all the while knowing he would die! She had to love him—right? So what if it was her fault he was injured—he hadn’t known that she had cracked the secret of warding. It had been her stupidity that nearly cost Kev his life, but that didn’t change his actions or her feelings.

Julia frowned. How could she love him? She hadn’t even
liked
him at Athione! He had returned that dislike in spades, but then the awful day in Malcor’s armoury, and she was smitten. She wasn’t usually so fickle, but Keverin lying dead at her feet had felt like the end of the world. It had been like the death of her parents all over again.

Julia shifted uncomfortably at the thought. Keverin might be twice her age, but she wasn’t looking for a father figure. She felt... she did not know
what
she felt! Back home, her work had been everything to her. She had no time, or inclination to make time, for relationships. Her failure with Robby had been one too many to her way of thinking, and she hadn’t been eager to repeat the experience. Now there was Keverin. She had never had a boyfriend like Keverin before. Keverin and Robby were complete opposites. Keverin was strong and had a sense of duty. His duty and honour defined him as a man. Robby on the other hand was just… Robby. Robby was a boy next to Keverin. He was a whiner not a doer, weak not strong. The last thing Robby could ever be called was dutiful. If he had been in Keverin’s place in the armoury, he would have run a mile, or a league—whatever it was.

Keverin had said nothing to her about that day in the armoury. Julia had tried to bring it up any number of times but he was always busy or someone needed him elsewhere. The thought that maybe he didn’t feel for her what she felt for him surfaced. She was a fool. He was one of the greatest lords in Deva! There were only four Lord Protectors in the whole world! She wasn’t even a native of his world let alone a Devan noble!

Julia stared moodily into the flames. When she had finally realised that she was stuck here, she had been angry with Darius, but that was before she had come to know the people. Her goals had changed since then, but her determination hadn’t. She cared what happened to Deva and its people—she would protect them if she could. She had lived a lonely life before arriving at Athione. It hadn’t seemed like that at the time, but she knew it now. Her parents had loved and supported her, and Jill had worked with her everyday, but friendship had been sacrificed to her work. She had never made friends easily, but the few she did have had wanted different things. While she worked herself to exhaustion each day, they were out with their boyfriends. She had gradually lost touch with them. The sad thing was, she hadn’t even noticed. Her life had been full of her work, but the car accident had changed all that. The shock of losing her parents had thrown her world into turmoil. The thought of her training still sent a pang of guilt through her, which was hard to shake off. Her mother had been so proud of her when she won, but that was past. She was some kind of saviour to the Devans now. Her old life was over, but she had found a new one here. Her new life was different from the old one, but better in some ways—she glanced at Keverin—much better in some.

Poor Jill. Years of work with nothing to show for it.

One problem Julia hadn’t foreseen was her notoriety. It seems the guardsmen had told the disbelieving Malcorans about her battles. They had exaggerated the whole thing no doubt, but the result was that she couldn’t walk anywhere without hearing the whispers. If she left her room, scared looks and hasty bows greeted her. If she decided to walk the walls, Athione guardsmen appeared each time to escort her. It was far worse than having Moriz and Halbert dogging her steps. She had become used to them and had enjoyed their company. This time it was… it seemed different that was all.

Julia didn’t want or need bodyguards, but when she told him that, Brian had replied it was their honour to escort her. She couldn’t deny them their wish to protect her after she had failed so many of them. She had just nodded her acceptance. Consequently she never left her room anymore. It was the only way to avoid the unwanted attention without hurting someone’s feelings.

Julia glanced at Keverin. He was sitting silently in the armchair occasionally sipping his wine mesmerised by the flames. How was she going to convince him to talk to her? His duty was everything to him. His own life was secondary. She had the perfect opportunity here to talk about their relationship, but what had she been doing? Talking about the Hasians!

Shaking her head, Julia decided that this time she would find out what his feelings for her were. She didn’t understand her own that clearly, but she remembered her utter despair when she thought him dead all too well. She wouldn’t let him get away.

“Kev... that day in the armoury. You never did answer me.”

“Lady Julia I’m—”

Julia winced at the formality already knowing she wouldn’t like what he was going to say.

“—old for you.”

“You’re not old Kev. You’re only forty!”

“Yes, and you are what—fifteen?”

“
Nine
teen,” Julia said instantly and flushed at his sceptical look. “It’s true! I’ve had to put up with people thinking I’m a child for years. I can’t help being small. You should try it sometime! Besides, you’re only using that as an excuse. Why won’t you at least talk to me?”

Keverin sighed. “I decided before the invasion to adopt an heir for Athione’s future. I have my duty, I need nothing else.”

Julia listened to his words, but she was watching his eyes. He was lying. She was almost sure he was lying to hide his real reasons.

“You’re lying to me… not about adopting an heir, but you lied about the rest. If you don’t want me, just say it.”

With hope and some little fear, Julia watched his face as he struggled to find something to say. He was clenching and unclenching his fists as he struggled to find the words. Why was he so hesitant about admitting it? He wasn’t like this normally. He was never like this. He was always strong and in control.

“I think perhaps I do love you, but I don’t want to.” Keverin said quietly. “You know you are beautiful, and I admire your courage, but when you leave I’ll be alone again. It’s best if we don’t get involved.”

He finally said it! Yes, yes, yes!

“I can’t leave, so it’s all right!” Julia said happily. “We can be together.”

Julia gazed at him noting again how the flames made shadows dance across his face. The evening had crept upon them while they sat together. She thought of lighting the lamps with her magic, but her thoughts were suddenly sent into turmoil by what he said next.

“You
can
go back, Julia,” Keverin said so quietly she almost didn’t hear him over the crackle of the flames.

Back… back where? He couldn’t mean home to Athione. She was trying to make sense of what he said but she couldn’t. While she struggled to understand his meaning, he was muttering almost inaudibly—almost.

“…honourable… tell her.”

Warily she asked the question, “Tell her what?”

Silence answered her. With a chill, Julia saw the weariness on his face as he looked away from the flames and toward her. Please, don’t let it be bad!

Keverin’s face blanked and he seemed to gather himself before speaking. “How do you think Darius opened the gate to bring you here?”

“I don’t know, but what has that—”

“I taught him,” Keverin said wearily. “I have a book in the vault at Athione that shows how it’s done.”

Julia closed her eyes and groaned. Inside she was shrieking.
He knew!
All the time she had spent searching for the answer in the library and he already knew! How could he do that? Why did he do it?

How could you betray me!

“You must believe me,” Keverin was saying desperately. “Darius died from the spell. I don’t want you to die!”

“Liar, liar, LIAR!” She shrieked. “How could you betray me? You
used
me. I killed thousands,” she said with tears hovering. As they spilled over she screamed at him. “ALL FOR YOU!”

“But… please you must understand… we need—I need you.”

Shaking, she screamed at him. “GET OUUUT!”

Keverin stood. “Julia I—”

Julia knew she shouldn’t have done it, but she didn’t realise she had until too late. She snatched her magic—

Whump! Crunch!

—and reduced her door to kindling.

“Get...
out
,” she spat.

Keverin hesitated but then he bowed stiffly and walked through the shattered remains of the door. Julia watched him go trying to stifle her wails of grief. All she could see was his betrayal. She didn’t know what to do, where to go. Everything was different. How could things change so fast?