The Destroyer Book 4 (59 page)

I took the lid off of the single plate and inhaled the divine fragrance of the meat and vegetables. The pork loin was glazed with what smelled and looked like apricot preserve and the small green sprouts were drenched in butter and garlic. There was a large glass of white wine next to the pitcher of water and I took a sip of the amber liquid before I began to eat.

“Is the food to your liking?” The woman sat upon the hammock and swung her feet above the floor lazily. I guessed she already knew the answer from the speed with which I devoured the meat and set into the vegetables. I had kept myself adequately fed during my trip by hunting, but this food tasted unlike anything I could ever prepare for myself, especially around a campfire. My cooking skills were limited to throwing salt, pepper, and maybe a few scented herbs on roasting deer or boar. The creation of this dish was beyond my comprehension.

“Yes it is wonderful. Elvens do know how to cook.” I regretted the words as they left my mouth. I had intended them as a compliment, but this woman knew who I was and might take them as sarcasm.

“Not all of us, but most can get by in a kitchen.” She smiled again and I continued with the last part of my meal. Once I had finished I pushed the plate away, drank the rest of my wine, and then turned my attention back to the beautiful Elven. It did not escape my notice that her magnificent body was draped over my hammock.

“Thank you for the meal.” She nodded at my words and continued to stare at me. The minutes seemed to pass and I felt the discombobulation begin to return.

“I am afraid you never told me your name,” I finally said.

“Relyara. I have actually wanted to meet you for a long time.”

“That is something I never thought I would hear from an Elven.” I forced a smile to my face and attempted to detect any sort of threat from outside the cottage. The sounds were the same as when I first arrived, but I was suddenly cautious. This woman knew who I was and must have held some animosity toward me.

“I was of the Laxile tribe. I was Iolarathe’s handmaiden and her confidant while she lived with her father. When she became the leader of our forces I took on the role again and was responsible for the logistics of the entire army.”

“Ahh.” I searched my memory but could not recall ever seeing the woman.

“I know about you from Iolarathe’s perspective.” She gracefully raised a hand and gestured toward me with outstretched fingers. “She’s told me much about you.”

“Then you know why I am so desperate to find her.”

“She thinks you are dead.”

“That is what her sister told me.”

“Ahh.” Relyara nodded. “I do not believe that you will be able to catch her in time.”

“What do you mean?” My heart skipped a beat and I felt panic spread through my stomach.

“She is running from something more powerful than you.” Her beautiful face frowned.

“My people?”

“I would like to offer you a boon that you may not have considered.” She adjusted her position on the hammock to face away from me and then lay her head down on the edge of the canvas so that her hair dripped behind her like a dark blue waterfall.

“Will it help me reach Iolarathe?” I guessed that this Elven woman was about to tell me something I did not want to hear.

“No. But it won’t interfere with your quest. You may leave tomorrow morning if you wish. We will prepare some dried foodstuffs for your journey.”

“Good.” I felt the tension leave my shoulders, although I didn’t know if I could actually trust the woman. Perhaps knowing what I was capable of, she wanted to be rid of me as soon as possible.

“But even if you leave tomorrow, I doubt you will catch my mistress.”

“She cannot continue to run forever. I will find her and we will be together.”

“I appreciate your confidence and I believe that Iolarathe would too, if she knew you were following her. Our network of people cannot seem to stay ahead of her, unfortunately, and she intends to escape this world.”

“How?”

“Magic. Old magic I possess little knowledge of.” She smiled at me but her beauty did not appease my anger. Part of me wanted to grab the woman and make her tell me what she knew, but I guessed that she was trying to be as forthcoming as possible without putting her own people at risk.

“Will you tell me where she went? How long ago was she here?”

“She was here six days ago.”

“I am right behind her then.” Excitement gave me sudden energy and the weariness of traveling alone through the endless wilderness with the heavy load faded from my shoulders.

“But first, hear my proposition.” She sat up in the hammock with little effort and the stretch of her clothes around her body reminded me of how close we were. The desire I felt for her was muted by my need to have Iolarathe here with me.

“I do not believe that you will catch up to her in time. I will tell you where she is going, but you will not be able to find her.”

“Why should I believe you?” I crossed my arms and sat back.

“I love her. I have been jealous of her feelings for you throughout most of our relationship. I have felt her love for you as well.” I stared into the woman’s strange blue eyes but couldn’t tell if she spoke the truth. “I wish to offer you peace and tranquility. It is something that you do not have at the moment,” she continued.

“What do you mean?”

“We have a home here. We have plenty of food, clean water, and protection from the mountains. There is little we require from the outside world save for the occasional shipment of salt and information from Nyarathe. But I need someone to help us breed horses, care for them, and serve as a guardian in case the O’Baarni ever discover us.”

“Are you saying that you wish me to remain here with you?”

“Yes.” She nodded and smiled.

“Even though I am Kaiyer? I’ve killed thousands of your kind.” My mind spun at her offer. It didn’t make much sense to me.

“Do you still wish to kill us?” She raised a single eyebrow in a beautiful arch.

“No.” I spoke the truth, although I would destroy anyone—human or Elven—who stood between Iolarathe and me.

“Consider your life now. You have roamed this world for more than a dozen years searching for her. Your own people wish you dead and are always a few steps behind you. What if she was gone and there was no way you could follow her? What would you do then?”

“I will find her.”

“Perhaps. I would prefer that you just give up your chase now and stay with us. We have two newborn horses and we could use your expertise. We are also mid-harvest and your strength would be a tremendous aid. However, I can understand that you will not want to give up your search for Iolarathe. During our war I spent many years in similar pursuit.”

“I will not stay here. It has been so long since I cared for horses or did anything as domesticated as harvesting. I would not be of any use to you.” This conversation seemed insane, but I tried not to let my disbelief show on my face or in the tone of my voice.

“I understand. But you will not find Iolarathe. You will wander. Eventually you will want a home. Consider returning here. I will give you a home, Kaiyer.” Her eyes bored into mine with a strange intensity.

“You spoke of magic before. If there is a way to find her, then I will.”

“What if there is no way to follow her?” The smile faded from her full lips and I noticed their moistness in the firelight.

“There will be a way. I have overcome impossible odds before.”

“If she is dead?”

“Then maybe I will consider your offer.” I sighed and suddenly wanted to be rid of the woman.

“Good. Then I will leave you to rest.” Perhaps she sensed my frustration with her or maybe she had run out of ways to try to convince me to stay. The woman rose from the hammock, brushed past me to pick up the tray, and then took the last steps toward the door.

“Thank you for speaking with me. I will have extra supplies and a map ready for you tomorrow morning. Is there anything else I can provide you with tonight?” she said the words in a way that made me think that I could ask for her body. Then again, I may have just been bewitched by her appearance.

“No. I am fine. Thank you again.” I would have enjoyed a bath, but I knew it would require too much work for them to heat water and deliver it to me. I would have even been happy to go down to the river and wash there but that too would have required them to escort me. What I really needed right now was to sleep and leave as early as possible tomorrow morning after Iolarathe.

“Very well. Good night, Kaiyer.” She tilted her head slightly and smiled.

“Good night, Relyara.” She opened the door and seemed to float out of the cottage like dancing fog. I shut the door behind her and then removed my worn boots and socks. I was dusty and reconsidered asking for a bath. Then I shrugged and lay down in the hammock.

I closed my eyes but sleep did not come easily. I hated the idea of Iolarathe being lost to me forever. Relyara’s offer confused me, but thoughts of my lover began to fill my consciousness as I drifted off and her warm embrace carried me into sleep.

A hand touched my shoulder and I awoke from the thoughts of Iolarathe.

“Shhh,” Telaxthe whispered from the other side of her bed. “Guards approach.” It was deep night but one of Turnia’s warriors would often check on us during this hour to ensure that we had not somehow escaped. I heard a pair of footsteps descend the stairs and scuff across the floor of the empress’s pavilion. We both knew the routine and she slid through the satin sheets and into my ready embrace.

The curtain that partitioned off the back quarter of the tent moved aside and I gave my best look of annoyance to the O’Baarni woman who entered. Her name was Optira and she was one of the guards that had accompanied the leader of Two Bears during the brunch a few days ago.

“What do you want?” I mixed the perfect amount of boredom with feigned exhaustion into my question. Telaxthe stirred in my arms and nestled her face into my shoulder. It was her hinting that she didn’t want me to push the matter with the woman right now.

“Making sure you are still here.” Optira nodded. I knew she was annoyed with the duty, but various conversations I overheard during our nights and daily marches indicated that Turnia was only comfortable trusting one of these two women with the task of watching over Telaxthe and me.

“We are. You check every night and we are here. Perhaps you have other motives? I wouldn’t mind having two women at once.” I stuck my tongue out and she recoiled in disgust. Telaxthe’s nails sunk into the skin on the sides of my abdominal muscles and I fought back a laugh. The empress was probably worried that Optira would take me up on that offer and then the Elven woman would actually be forced to fuck me.

“No, Pretender. Be happy with your Elven bitch. Soon you will be experiencing horrors beyond your imagination.”

“So your leader has said. And I believe her, so if you don’t mind, I would like to get back to enjoying the last few weeks of my life.” The tall woman nodded and then walked away.

“You play a risky game.” Telaxthe whispered in my ear after Optira had ascended the stairs and we were confident she could no longer hear us.

“She won’t take me up on the request. It just makes them leave faster.”

“If they didn’t believe you were a Pretender, they would gladly be your lover.”

“Are you flattering me, empress?” Our eyes met in the darkness and I still had my arms wrapped around her. We both wore our undergarments but my manhood pressed against her leg when we lay like this and her firm breasts were pushed against my chest.

“No.” She wiggled away from me and I let my arms loosen. “You are handsome though, for a human.” She turned over and lay on her side facing away from me.

“Were you listening to the camp?” I asked the obvious question. It was how we had planned the last few days. We observed the flow of the small army as we traveled and then listened at night with hopes that someone would mention the Ovules.

We were almost positive that they were secured in a chest in Turnia’s tent.

“Yes, but there is no new information,” she whispered.

“I will go back to sleep then.”

“Kaiyer,” she said my name but didn’t roll over to face me.