Ten Crescent Moons (Moonquest) (45 page)

Benfaaro
then turned his look to Talan, and his expression hardened.

"Talan,
her husband to be, will pledge before me and all present his love and honor for
my sister who I give away on this sacred morning. He will care for her. And
protect her, remembering always that it is she who is Of The Blood."

"This I
pledge," Talan declared.

But they
were words only. Adalginza knew he eagerly awaited what was to come soon. The
declaration of union, and the transfer of power to his hands. And Bruna's.

As Benfaaro
recited a litany of rites and chants, anger began to slowly fill the inner void
that Adalginza had felt for most of the night.

How could
her brother do this, already knowing that Talan and Bruna were lovers? How
could he think them stronger than she, when she at least had honor? 

For a
moment, she was tempted to shout out the truth. That in her unquenchable thirst
for power, Bruna had tried to kill her own daughter — their daughter.

But
Adalginza knew that Benfaaro would never accept such words from her. Besides,
in his own way, he was showing mercy.

For had he
not cherished his sister, he already would have slain her for so openly loving
his greatest enemy. And for saving Captain Kalos, when the head of the snake
could have been so easily severed back on Faradera Island.

Since that
time, Kalos had killed so many in numerous demonstrations that he was incapable
of forgiveness.

Adalginza
dropped her head. For all the ruthlessness he had shown in the past, Benfaaro
at least was now demonstrating that he at least could forgive her.

"Adalginza..."

Swallowing
hard, she raised her head as her brother reverently pronounced her name.

"Are
you ready to accept the mate I have chosen for you?"

She
hesitated, doing and saying nothing for many long moments.

There was an
uncomfortable stirring among the guests. Adalginza even imagined that she heard
murmurings of hope that The Prophecy might yet be true, and that the woman with
indigo eyes might step forward to lead her people to salvation.

And peace.

But The Prophecy
spoken by the Ancients was now dead. Along with her own hopes.

Benfaaro
watched her impatiently, his green eyes starting to glow with warning.

 "Yes."
Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"Then step
down from the platform and take your place by Talan's side."

She took one
step. And then another. And finally, another.

Once she
took that final step, bringing her to Talan's side, she would be considered
wed. And, in her mind, doomed.

She was
about to make the final move, when a child's voice rang out.

"Wait!"

Adalginza
looked around, confused, as Calasta suddenly darted forward and up the stairs
of the platform.

"Calasta!"
Benfaaro bellowed. "You are not to be here! You know children are not
allowed at weddings!"

"I am
Of The Blood, I am thirteen, and I will take my place by your side, Father.
Like it or not. For I have something important to say."

Benfaaro
looked uncertain and exasperated, but he did not try to stop Calasta as she
stood glowering at the watching congregation in an almost theatrical way.

Trying not
to bring attention to herself, Adalginza backed part of the way up the stairs
away from Talan.

Bruna then
suddenly jumped up on the side of the platform. She grabbed Calasta's arm.

"You
will leave at once. Come with me."

Calasta
yanked her arm from her mother's grasp.

"I will
not obey. You are not my mother. I disavow you, because you are evil."

Calasta then
pointed a finger down at Talan. "You sleep with him, even while wed to my
father. And you tried to kill me."

Mutterings
of anger sounded from among the tribal leaders watching.

Adalginza realized
a few among them already knew the truth of the child's words. Umbrea had spread
the message far that Calasta was to be protected while in the company of her
mother.

Bruna gave
her daughter a condescending smile. Then she gazed benevolently at Benfaaro.

"Calasta
was in the company of Adalginza and the Crescent House citizens for far too
long. They have perverted her beliefs, and tried to win her to their ways. Just
as Medosa once did with all the children, when he lived at the Place of the Circles."

"Not
true," Calasta interrupted.

Her mother
ignored her, continuing to look straight at Benfaaro.

"These
are the ravings of delusion. You know I would not harm my own blood."

When Calasta
spoke again, her words were firm, strong, and utterly convincing.

"You
tried to kill me, Mother. I saw your face after you hit me with the rock. This
is why Auntie Adalginza took me with her. To protect me from you."

"Lies!"
Bruna shouted.

Then, she
turned beseechingly to Benfaaro.

"You
know your sister is a traitor. You know she loves Captain Kalos above all else.
She would stop at nothing, even tampering with the mind of a child, to be
reunited with him."

"I love
Captain Kalos. That part is true!" Adalginza shouted. "But I would
never put my own wishes above the good of my people!"

Bruna just
laughed.

"Did
you hear her confess openly to her love of our greatest enemy? Finish the
wedding, Benfaaro. Transfer the power to Talan. We need strength in this time
of trouble."

"Father,"
Calasta interrupted quietly. "Mother is jealous of anyone Of The Blood.
She even harmed Auntie Adalginza, when she was a child, so that she would never
bear any children."

Adalginza
gave Calasta a startled look. She did not realize just how much the child knew.
The servants of Lady Swiala's house must have, indeed, gossiped freely.

Benfaaro
looked stricken as he stared down at his sister.

"Is
this true? Has Bruna stolen your bloodline?"

"Yes,"
Adalginza said. "It is true."

This time,
the crowd responded with shouts of rage, which Benfaaro did not attempt to
suppress. He now regarded his wife with a strange light in his eyes.

Then, a
brave tribal chief stepped forward.

"Sir, I
must report something that I myself witnessed while you and your family visited
our province during the previous passing of the four full moons."

He glared up
at Bruna.

"This
woman prepared an herbal drink for your child. Because of Umbrea's warnings, we
secretly gave Calasta another cup to drink from. And that which was contained
in hers was placed on the floor. An incakit found it. The animal died
instantly, sir."

Benfaaro
suddenly reached down and pressed both of his hands into Calasta's shoulders.

"Leave
us."

"But
Father..."

"Leave
us now!"

The steel in
his voice must have signaled Calasta that he was in no mood to argue. She was
suddenly a child again, trembling before her father.

Calasta ran
down the stairway, pausing briefly to meet Adalginza's eyes, and then dashed
away into the brush.

Within only
moments Bruna's bloody, severed head rolled slowly down the steps until it stopped,
motionless, at Talan's feet.

Adalginza
looked away, holding her hand to her mouth to keep from retching. On the platform,
Benfaaro calmly wiped the blood from his sword, and then returned it to its
sheath.

He regarded
his sister sternly.

"You
will put the good of our people first?"

"Always,
honored brother."

"They
will have no one left to speak for them, until Calasta comes of age. She could
rule now, but she is only a child. It will have to be you, Adalginza. And you must
learn to be strong."

"I have
already learned to be strong," Adalginza said simply.

"Yes. I
believe you have. Then join me again. Here on the platform."

As Adalginza
complied, walking the rest of the way up the stairs, Benfaaro gazed down upon the
tribal leaders who all had their eyes turned upward with hope.

"Is
there any here who objects to the transfer of power, to my sister, Adalginza?"

The answering
chants began immediately. "Adalginza, Of The Blood. Adalginza, of the
indigo eyes. Adalginza! Adalginza!"

Benfaaro
nodded in grim approval.

"Let it
be known that The Prophecy may now be spoken aloud, and that The Prophecy is
true." He turned to his sister. "I am sorry I doubted the Ancients. I
am sorry I doubted you."

"There
was a time when you had reason. But, dear brother, you must know this about me.
I will work for peace as best I can, even as we fight for survival."

"Will
you ever see our people surrender as a way of achieving peace?"

"We
must make compromises at times. But surrender? No. Violence will be met with
violence. But there are those, on both sides, who want peace."

"Some
who say they want peace cannot be trusted."

"On
both sides, Benfaaro. On both sides. There is always treachery, as you have
seen here."

They both stared
down at the vacant, loathsome eyes of Bruna's disembodied head. It seemed to be
leering up at them, mocking them even in death.

There was
only an empty spot left where Talan once stood, for he had taken his
opportunity to flee into the wilderness.

"I
should have killed Talan," Benfaaro muttered.

"Without
the power Of The Blood and without Bruna, he is no longer a threat."

"I hope
you are right."

At that
moment, Adalginza felt panic erupt in the minds of the creatures of the woods
surrounding them. But it was too late to shout out a warning.

A huge globule
came screaming from the sky. It burst to release a spray of pellets that rained
down on them. The wooden platform exploded with smoking holes, as Adalginza and
Benfaaro scrambled for their lives.

They leaped
away, taking cover in a nearby thicket.

"To the
caves!" Benfaaro screamed the order.

The tribal
leaders, too, gathered their weapons and fled just as a second projectile
screamed into the air. Bone chilling shrieks could be heard from the direction
of the village, where more pellets had landed.

"Calasta!"
Benfaaro looked in the direction of the screams.

"Do not
worry. She knows to go underground."

"Come
with me then."

Benfaaro
took Adalginza's hand as they ran. Then he abruptly stopped, pulling her back
with him protectively.

"Captain
Kalos is nearby. I feel his hatred."

"You
cannot know that." Adalginza looked around, her heart beating fast.

"I,
too, have gifts."

"Your
fever causes you these illusions."

Adalginza felt
Benfaaro collapse against her, and she lent him her support. She saw, too, that
his left thigh oozed considerable blood from where he had been splashed with
acid.

"You
are hurt, but we must keep moving. We will be safe in the caves, with the
others."

"Would
he harm you?" Benfaaro demanded.

Adalginza
hesitated only a moment.

"Yes.
If he sees my face, he will kill me."

"Then
you must leave me here and go on. The new leader Of The Blood must survive to
fight another day."

"I will
not leave you, brother."

"I
command you!"

Adalginza
just bit her bottom lip, and summoned the strength to half carry her brother at
a stumbling run. Behind them, the tribal leaders fanned out to cover their
escape.

"This
is weakness!" he whispered. "Do you hear me? Weakness!"

"No,
Benfaaro," she answered. "This is humanity."

"I am
sorry," he whispered, as he struggled to keep up. "Sorry for the life
I took from you, the life you were meant to live. Sorry for the loss of the bloodline
that Bruna has stolen from you. Sorry for everything."

"I
know," Adalginza said. "Please. Say no more."

When Benfaaro
stumbled and fell to his knees, Kalos stepped directly in front of them.

He held the
Crescent sword in readiness. And his face looked exactly as it had when
Adalginza had last seen him when he was her prisoner.

There would
be no mercy here.

To her
surprise, Zartos then stepped into the clearing from the opposite side. He was
holding his own Crescent sword. And he was no longer the big-footed, awkward
boy she remembered as the captain's nephew.