Dockalfar (77 page)

Each and every one of the court a sensitive to magic, they felt the overspill of his torrential ire. No one of them dared to risk turning that agitation upon themselves. As his gaze raked them and he found not what he sought he stalked past them, scattering the great high sidhe of his court like so many servants. Some of their eyes narrowed at the affront, other’s turned to the form of the Mistress of the Hunt that had followed him from the glowing portal.

Her face was speculative, but she gave no more information than Azeral himself had. More mannerly she followed his path across the hilltop, through the collection of colorful tents and towards the largest one in the center that belonged to the dark lord. The court followed her, now whispering among themselves. They stopped not far from it, a glittering, rainbow colored collection. Tyra stood at the fore, arms crossed over her breast, head tilted to one side.

There came an enraged scream from within the tent and moments later, Neferia, in a gauzy gown and robe was flung out of the covered doorway and into the churned mud outside. She cried out in fury, gown clinging to the curves of her form, mud covering her knees and hands where she knelt. Her hair dangled in wet, spiraling tendrils to trail the ground and he eyes spat pure hate.

The court gasped as a whole as Azeral strode out of the tent after his mistress, the gleaming length of his sword held loosely in one hand. Water beaded on the well-oiled surface. The hatred turned to fear in Neferia’s eyes as he towered over her, face unreadable as any of the numerous works of art in his keep that depicted him. She held up a hand to ward him off and cried out.

“My lord, no!!”

He lifted the blade and she scrambled backwards, all fury and pride forgotten in her desperation to preserve her own life.

He caught her in two powerful strides, wrapping a fist in the thin material of her dress and hauling her up with a ripping of fabric. He dropped the blade and used his sword hand to backhand her. She was flung backwards into the mesmerized collection of her peers, who caught her and held her only long enough for her to gather her legs under her and shake off the hands. Blood trickled down from her mouth. She lifted a shaking hand to her lips. Her eyes were wide.

“Why?” she screamed at him who stood at the center of attention of them all.

“Snake!” he hissed at her. “Get thee from my sight. And never ever set foot in the halls of my keep hence forth.”

Her mouth fell in shock. The court murmured in astonishment at the banishment. Neferia clutched her torn gown to her breast and the amazement and the fear slowly turned to loathing. “How dare you?” she cried. “How dare you punish me when it was your hand that struck down one of our own?”

“Woman, still thy tongue,” he warned, taking a step towards her. She shied behind those surrounding her, but her voice still lashed out.

“Do you deny that it was your power as much as the Seelie bitch’s that struck at us all? Do you deny that you took her side over that of your very own court? Betrayer,” she sneered. “The fault is yours and yours alone!”

He bounded across the space separating them, flung the sidhe sheltering her from his path with a paltry sum of power and struck her to the ground. She huddled before his wrath but there was little fear in her eyes now. There was glee even as the court turned questioning eyes to their lord and the power buzzed among them. Blind to their unease Azeral lifted a hand to strike her again, but she scrambled away agilely gaining her feet and distancing herself from him. With one last sneering glare she fled to the line of horses, flinging herself up onto her own without bothering to saddle the animal.

Into the rain and the night she ran and left the court and her former Lord in shocked unease behind her.

“Soon,” Azeral muttered, the murderous haze not yet lifted from him.

“Soon and the Liosalfar will be ours for the taking.” Without further comment he turned and strode back to his tent, pausing only to retrieve his sword and magically clean it of clinging mud. The court remained for some while in the rain, thoughts exchanged in rampart disarray.

The blood lust was upon them as well, and had been for too long a time.

Neferia’s words rang true in their ears.

Their lord had struck at his own. How many times this day had members of his court felt his rage against them? The unease was growing and silently calm in the center of it, the Lady Tyra smiled.

~~~

She was afraid to seek out Dusk.

Because he would see the unease in her soul. He would know what she was about and he would either try to stop her or protect her in her folly. She could not have him do either. It was her responsibility to lead this trouble astray and she could not risk endangering those that cared about her. No one must know. No one but Alex whose hazardous plan this was, and was to be her partner in the leave-taking. She was not sure she was ready to talk with him so soon either. There had been a certain smugness to his look when she had agreed to his idea that sat her teeth on edge. It was as if he thought he had won something of her in her compliance. In a way he had, for it proved she still trusted him. She could not help herself from trusting him. She had relied on him for all her life, it was hard not too. But this time she was bringing resources of her own into the fray. She was no longer solely dependent on his strength and his judgment.

The sidhe met well into the night, a council open to all, yet devoid of their Lady and her mate. Victoria worried about Ashara, about the deathly pallor to her skin and the look in her eyes when she had ridden back into the vale. Azeral certainly had a way with folk, she thought with grim humor. But the lady was in capable hands with Okar.

Sometime after the midnight hour the council broke up. The Seelies crept out into the dismal night, heading for the lairs they had found for themselves in the ruin of the ancient town. Victoria sought out the familiar essence that was Aloe and politely asked to be acknowledged. The sidhe girl’s presence filled her mind, complementing her on her manners with sardonic amusement. Victoria could not help the grin that formed. So many times had she rudely burst into her friends thoughts, or poked about where she was not allowed. She asked if Aloe might meet with her and the girl assented, calling a picture of a place to mind.

There was a rectangular column of stones, some standing alone, others supporting thinner wafers of rock. Vines crawled up the thick supports in abundance and made a natural roof where the stone was absent. Aloe stood under those, her hair in a slender braid down her back, her belt laden with knife and short sword. There was a weariness to her face that Victoria found unnatural for her fey friend. It spoke volumes about what this siege was doing to Liosalfar morale. But the girl met her with open arms and a brief embrace, as if they had not seen each other in years instead of hours.

“My friend,” Aloe whispered, eyes shining silver in the wan light of night.

“What troubles you?”

“What makes you think I’m troubled?” Victoria countered, wondering how transparent her own emotions were.

Aloe smiled sadly. “Who is not? But you seem unusually distraught and your calling was fraught with unease.”

“Oh.” She tried to return the smile as she leaned against a column. It was cold and wet, chilling her through her clothing.

“What did you decide in council?”

The sidhe sniffed. “Some want to try to slip out unnoticed, some want to fight.

Others recommend staying here, making do and hoping that the storms will eventually dry up before the valley is filled to the top with water.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Take the fight to them. Take it to that bastard himself. It might be a losing battle, but it’s better than drowning. But it matters little what I want. Ashara was not even among us at council and no decision can be made without her.”

“Is she well?”

“Who is to say?” She shrugged.

“Okar informs us she is not hurt, yet refuses to let anyone see her. He’s stubborn when he so chooses.”

“Azeral can be – difficult to deal with,” Victoria murmured.

“Yes,” Aloe agreed.

“Whatever happens,” Victoria said slowly, thoughtfully. “I think will happen soon. The future is so very uncertain. If something should happen to me, Aloe might I ask you to do me a favor?”

The girl’s eyes glowed, twin silver moons. She stared at Victoria for a long moment, weighing her request, then finally inclined her head. “If it is within my power.”

“Oh, it’s not that hard. Just watch out for Phoebe for me. She’s a glutton for affection now. I’ve totally spoiled her and she’ll make a poor proper gulun because of it.” She hesitated, biting her lip and took a breath for the difficult part. “And, please, please make sure Dusk is okay.

He’s got a soul now, and he’s not very good at dealing with it.”

Aloe gaped at her, then laughed in amazement. “Me watch out for him? You forget what he is.”

“Aloe, promise me you’ll try. He’s not done a particularly good job of protecting his own interests lately and I need to know at least someone is on his side.”

“He is an assassin,” the girl spat.

“Not by choice,” Victoria cried, pleading with her eyes. Aloe stared back, her own gaze sheltered by lowered lashes.

Her face turned thoughtful, and eventually she nodded.

“No, not by choice. That I will grant you. All right, Victoria, I will do what I can for your Ciagenii and your gulun. But pray divulge to me why you have the sudden notion that you will not be present to see after your own? Are you taken to premonitions now? Is foresight among your many powers?”

“No.” She shook her head slowly, hating the lie. Hating the deceit to one who had risked so much for her. Aloe was truly her best friend in this world, or any other for that matter. No one had ever risked what she had for her. Impulsively she threw her arms around the girl’s shoulders and hugged the slim form to her. “If I had a sister,” she whispered, “she could not be dearer to me than you. I can never repay you.”

Embarrassed, Aloe stepped back. A slight flush rose to her cheeks. “I expect no repayment.”

“No, you wouldn’t. I want you to know that my time at Ashara’s keep was some of the best in my life. Nothing in my world can compare to what I have here. I cannot condemn Azeral totally for bringing me here.”

“I can condemn him,” Aloe said flatly. “I can wish his entrails on my sword.” She smiled grimly at the thought.

“I’m tired of his game, Victoria.”

“Me too. It’ll be over soon.”

Aloe looked to her quizzically and she quickly changed the subject. “This is not the driest of places. We’ll both catch our deaths of cold.” She touched the girl’s arm and smiled one last time before running back out into the rain.

~~~

She came to him as the moon, behind its gray shield of clouds, began to sink towards the horizon. He had doubted that she would. He was not certain how to feel about the fact that she had. He had no idea where he stood with her. What to expect of her or how to conduct himself any longer. He only knew that he had to try.

He had to make an effort at winning back what was as important to him as life itself.

He had two of the horses he had come in upon, provisioned and outfitted for a long journey. He had stolen from the Seelies to fill his saddlebags, but felt little remorse for the thievery considering the risk he was about to take in their behalf.

He stood with the animals just beyond the outer most of the ruins, enough of a shield to divert attention from himself should anyone be wandering the night. He felt no warning when she did appear, her shields being thicker and by far more impenetrable than his. She stared at him, stone-faced and drenched, a leather cap pulled over her head, keeping her wet hair back from her face. She had a knife at her belt and he thought another in her boot.

She looked the proper sidhe warrior, and too much as if she belonged here.

He shivered at the thought. At the animosity mixed with determination in her eyes. He preyed he was not making a mistake in taking her away in this manner.

Prayed that he would not be the cause of her death, or worse yet, her capture by Azeral.

“Are you ready?” he asked needlessly, for lack of anything else to say to her. She nodded, going to one of the horses and mounting on her own before he could move around to help her. Her eyes bored down at him as he stood helplessly by her stirrup. Swallowing he mounted his own animal and slowly urged it towards the eastward slope.

What their shields did not cover, the darkness did. They reached the line of trees without incident and once in that shelter of foliage he breathed easier. He concentrated for moment on the trail he wished to follow, searched for the particular essence that would lead his way and finally found it a good distance east.

The spriggan was entirely unaware that he was leading Alex on yet another journey.

The little man would be livid if he knew.

Keeping a loose hold on Bashru’s path, he lead Victoria up the valley. He was caught entirely by surprise when a slim form stepped out of the trees and into their path. His eyes widened and he thought the eyes of the sidhe who had come upon them were just as shocked. The hunter’s hand went to his knife after only a moment’s hesitation though and he demanded in a hiss.

“What business are you about?”

Alex thought hard. He chanced a glance back to Victoria, but her face was expressionless. He took a breath and chanced a half smile.

“Oh, let me show you,” he dismounted, and reached for his saddle bag. “I’m surprised no one told you,” he remarked as the sidhe guard took a step closer to see what he was about. He withdrew a bundle of wrapped bread and held it out for the other’s inspection. When the fey hunter’s attention shifted down, Alex slammed his other fist in a good roundhouse right into the lean jaw. The hunter’s head snapped around and his body spun, settling unceremoniously to the leaf covered ground. Alex shook his throbbing hand, rather pleased with the results.

“Alex,” Victoria gasped. “You hit him.”

He twisted his head around to peer at her in surprise. “That I did.”