The Destroyer Book 4 (44 page)

I remembered the tower that Malek investigated and the small stone that projected an image of a woman who spoke in a strange language only I had understood. The familiar pain started to grow at my temples and I took a deep breath to force more air into my blood.

“It has to do with the Radicle. She said there is one beneath the castle, but I have not seen it yet.” She closed her blue eyes and her soft smile disappeared. “I can feel an energy in the ground. She calls it ‘the World’ and it hums through my body. She said I will be ready to use it soon, as your people do, and then I will be able to control the Radicles as one controls a horse.”

I had dozens of other questions but I doubted Jessmei knew the answers. Her voice had assumed a trance-like quality.

“She wants me to close off the Radicles once her people have finished coming through.”

“I figured she would want to destroy them.” I nodded.

“But if I close them, she still has the option of using them in the future. So you can see why she needs me.” Jessmei smiled. “She does not know the location of all of the Radicles on this planet, but she said once I work with one, I will be able to find the others. I could convince her to let you stay and still give you the information you need about your daughter, if you prefer that plan to telling Turnia the truth of Kannath.”

“No, that could also be dangerous.” A door opened in the distant hallway and boot steps began to echo down the hard walls of the dungeon.

“I am capable of handling any danger.” The sounds of the approaching Elvens were loud enough for her to hear and she dropped her voice to a whisper. “Don’t try to protect me. I’ve presented two options that would allow us to be together. If you love me, you will choose one of them.”

“I don’t want to put you in danger.” I felt my stomach knot at the sound of the approaching Elvens.

“So that is your decision.” The pain was reflected plainly in her icy blue eyes. She stepped away from the bars of my cell just as the group of Elvens turned the corner to our hallway.

“I suspected you might be here.” Telaxthe’s voice rang through the hallway like a songbird’s gentle coo.

“I was speaking with Kaiyer.” Jessmei continued to stare into my eyes. The pain that was there before was replaced by a cold anger. I couldn’t bear to look at her anymore so I turned to the empress and gave a slight nod in greeting. She was wearing another elaborate robe of embroidered stars and flowers. Her bronze hair was bound up off of her neck with braids, roses, and ribbons. She was a delicate contrast to her white sister who wore the plain dark leather armor of her army, with no other decorations adorning her body.

“A queen should not be here alone.” Telaxthe’s voice was sweeter than honey and she placed a careful hand on Jessmei’s shoulder.

“I am not the queen yet.” Jessmei turned to the empress and smiled cheerfully. “Kaiyer and I have concluded our conversation. Will you give me an escort back to my suite?”

“Yes, of course.” If Telaxthe was surprised by Jessmei’s response, she did not let it show. She nodded to Fehalda.

“I will take you back to your rooms,” the general said to Jessmei.

The princess looked at me again and I felt the pain in my chest flow up to my throat and try to strangle me. I would never be able to live with myself if Jessmei was killed trying to protect me. Nadea’s plan was less risky, as long as she could get me the information before I departed tomorrow. Even if she could not and I was forced through the Radicle to face the Council, there was a chance I could come back. This would not endanger Jessmei as long as she continued to cooperate with the empress.

“Wait!” I choked out past the lump in my throat. My mind spun out of control for a second. If Jessmei closed the Radicles after I left, I could never return.

“Yes?” Jess raised a blonde eyebrow and I saw hope in her eyes.

“I would like to see our glade again someday. It was the only place on this planet where I found true peace. I knew you would be safe there, even if I was not with you.” I stared into the princess’s eyes and saw them soften briefly. I hoped she would understand that I did not want her to put herself in danger, and that I meant to return. She narrowed her eyes viciously and I felt a chill spin down my spine as her pale blue eyes suddenly looked as ruthless and cold as Iolarathe’s.

“But I was not safe there, Kaiyer. You cannot protect me.” She turned and started to walk away.

“Wait!” My plea did not stop her. Fehalda glanced back at me over her shoulder, but I could not read the expression on her alien face. I let out a careful breath and tried to gather my wits into some sort of plan. There was nothing I could say that would change the princess’s mind. My only option would be to return as quickly as possible and hope that I made it before Jessmei closed the Radicles.

“Leave us.” The empress nodded to her guards and they turned to accompany Fehalda and the rest of the Elvens escorting Jessmei. Telaxthe waited until the sounds of their footsteps were muffled by the thick door that marked the passage of Jessmei out of the dungeon and out of my life.

“What did you discuss with the princess?”

“My trip with Turnia. She was not pleased that I was leaving and asked me to find another way to stay.”

“Oh?” The empress tilted her head and her hair fell away from her ear the way Nadea’s often did.

“You need not worry. She is angry because I refused her. I want you to tell me of my daughter, I will honor our agreement.” I forced a smile to my lips and hoped that the empress did not suspect that Jessmei had considered betraying her.

“Let us speak of Kannath now. I want to ensure that we both have the same story.” The smile faded from her face while she spoke and I wondered again if she had any other powers of manipulation besides her intoxicating scent.

“I have told Turnia that you were already on this world when we arrived in Nia. You didn’t remember anything of your past and you claimed to be Kaiyer. You fought with some of my soldiers and eventually surrendered after we took the capital. Then Kannath arrived and said he would take you to the O’Baarni Council. I agreed and you left with him.”

“This is very close to the truth,” I interrupted her.

“Exactly. Then there is less chance of you making a mistake. May I continue, or do you have any other obvious commentary?”

“No. Please resume.” I matched her sarcastic tone and gave a slight bow between the bars of the cell.

“You left with Kannath and his warriors. They did not believe you were dangerous, but I knew better and asked my sister and Vernine to follow them to ensure that you left this world. I also wanted to know the location of the Radicle Kannath used. You attacked Kannath the first night and murdered him and his warriors. Vernine and Fehalda attempted to stop you, but you overpowered and almost killed them before Fehalda told you that I would retaliate against your friends here if you did not return with them peacefully. My plan was to then contact the O’Baarni Council to send a proper escort to retrieve you.”

“She will not believe that I killed Kannath and his warriors. Wasn’t he supposed to be an accomplished fighter?” In a way, I was responsible for Kannath’s death. Though the empress had given the order, it was in order to get more information from me about her daughter.

“Both you and I will confirm the story. She has nothing else to believe.”

"She'll ask why Fehalda and Vernine did not tell her the truth when we met by the river. Turnia brought enough warriors for a proper escort."

“She may. I will tell her that Fehalda decided to keep your identity hidden because she knew Turnia would immediately attempt to take you back, and you might escape.” Telaxthe’s answer came so quickly I knew she had already considered all of the different directions her story might lead Turnia.

“Fine.” I sighed and ran my hands through my thick hair. It was shoulder length again and I wanted to shave my scalp almost as much as I wanted to beat all of my problems to death with my fists.

“So, you agree to this story?” Her lips twisted into a slight smile and her eyes gleamed.

“When will you tell me of my daughter?”

“Just before they take you through the Radicle.”

“What if Turnia refuses to let me speak with you at that time?”

“I have a dozen pounds of Mastkur.” Her smile split her face and reminded me of Nadea again.

I nodded at her words and remembered the euphoric feeling that the cooked ribs had on my mind and body. “You feel confident that she will agree?”

“It depends on our conversations and the relationship I can build with her during our travels. The meat is there as a last offer. You might want to consider answering her questions without your usual rudeness.”

“I will try.”

“You can be charming if you so desire. I am prepared to use the last of my Mastkur to ensure I hold up my end of the bargain.” She shook her head slowly and I couldn’t help but inhale a taste of her scent.

“Don’t try your bullshit magic on me, Telaxthe. I will be cordial to Turnia if it will help, but expect nothing more. You could just tell me what I want to know now and you wouldn’t have to put your precious Mastkur on the line.”

“But then I would have to trust you, Kaiyer, and I do not.” She laughed and it sounded like chimes ringing in the wind.

“But I am supposed to trust you?”

“The difference, O’Baarni, is that you don’t have a choice.” She seemed to flow sideways and began to walk down the dark hallways of the dungeon toward the exit.

“Get some rest,” she called over her shoulder. “We will leave early tomorrow and I’m sure you will want everything to proceed as planned.” Her footsteps were almost silent, but her voice drifted back in a soft hum. The melody was familiar, but I could not remember its origin. By the time the far door opened and closed with the empress’s passing, I was already lying on the lonely cot in my cell.

But my mind would not rest.

“They’ve crossed the mountain range and descended into Sun Valley.” Her hand touched the armor on my shoulder to get my attention, but I continued to study the corpse of the man at my feet.

“How many did we lose?” I felt tired. Beyond tired. My mind and body were weary with the ache and insanity that came from not sleeping for over three weeks.

“His entire brigade was destroyed.” Nyarathe’s voice was emotionless.

“Fuck. No survivors?”

“A few dozen escaped when the tide turned.”

“Damn it, Bur’tilon.” There was a thick rope of roses tied across the large man’s armored chest. The vines of the decoration were elegantly woven together and the red petals almost matched the hue of the blood caked on his body. I had given him the memento last week when I awarded him command over his battalion.

“How many of these humans did he slay?” I forced the words out of my mouth and tried to bottle up the frustration in my stomach. If Nyarathe’s report was correct, he had managed to pinch Kaiyer’s forces at the top of this peak in an ambush that seemed too brilliant for my old suitor.

“We haven’t finished the exact count yet, but my estimation is around a thousand.” I nodded and the frustration leaked out of me with a deep sigh. I just wanted to sleep. This should have been an easy victory, they outnumbered the humans three to one, and had the advantage of surprise.

“So where did he go wrong?” I stood and glanced at the alien-looking tower around which the battle had occurred. These ancient ruins were uncommon, but not unusual.

“That is where I’ll need your help.” Nyarathe gestured down the slope of the mountainside toward the various bends that edged off the cliff some thousand yards away. “He had them flanked from these sides.” She pointed an armored finger down the lines of the cliff. “The humans took heavy casualties. Follow me.” She walked away from the grayish green tower toward the cliff sides and the rough trail where most of the battle took place. “The tide seemed to turn here.” She pointed to the waist-high pile of Elven bodies. There were no flies or crows feasting on the remains of my kin because of the elevation.

The stench of death, shit, and blood was still present. I turned away from the stench and tried to inhale a breath of clean mountain air but still tasted the battle in my mouth. I found myself looking at the tower again from the bottom of the slope and my brain pieced together the events of the battle.