answer.
With one hand the Dark Angel pushed Sianna behind him,
the other gripped his sword. He stood waiting as Graham and
Katya burst through the trees. They first saw Je’al lying on the
ground, then Katya noticed the Dark Angel.
“Kyne,” she cried and launched herself at the man.
Two
“Could so delicate a flower be capable of such evil?”
Lying on the ground near the fire, a coarse blanket draped
over her against the night chill, Sianna listened to the sound of
Graham’s deep rumble. She made no noise. Perhaps by feigning
sleep, she could learn what these people intended for her.
“She’s as beautiful as a nika flower,” the Dark Angel
answered, his tone low. Not a Dark Angel, she reminded herself,
but worse, Kyne Cathor, these people’s Rul, and the man who
would determine her fate.
She peeked out from under her lashes to watch the two
men seated near her. Though she easily read Graham’s emotions,
she still received nothing from Rul Cathor. On the far side of
the fire, other men curled into their bedrolls, while several guards
walked along the edge of the camp. Of Je’al or Katya there
was no sight.
“And as dangerous, Rul Cathor?” Graham lifted one hairy
brow.
“Kyne to you, Graham. How many times must I remind
you?” He laughed as if this were an old argument between
them, one he despaired of winning.
Graham’s answer confirmed her impression. “It is difficult
to change the habits of a lifetime. You are your father’s son;
therefore, to me you are Rul Cathor.”
“My father is long dead, his lands and estates confiscated.
To be Rul one must have a portion. Now I am simply Kyne
Cathor.”
Grief laced his words, but Sianna could not read his
emotions. This confused her. The only people closed to her
empathic abilities were those of her own blood. As part of her
academic studies with the Sisters she’d traced the lineage of
all the major families of Dramon. The Cathor line and the DiSanti
line never merged. What connection could she have with this
enemy of her father?
“As you wish, Kyne.”
For the moment. She knew Graham would continue to serve
his Rul, even though Kyne refused to acknowledge his position.
“How could you let Katya do such a foolish thing?” Kyne
asked. “If DiSanti had captured her, her fate would have been
worse than Aubin’s. In my absence I charged you with keeping
her safe.”
Graham’s amusement rolled over Sianna like a warm
breeze. “If you are foolish enough to leave the woolie in charge
of the wolve, you must accept the consequences. Like you,
Katya does not listen to my counsel.”
“You are no woolie, though I must admit, Katya is a sly and
cunning wolve.” Humor lightened Kyne’s voice. “Still, I was
gone for but a tenday. Could you not keep her under control for
that short a time?” This too sounded like an old argument.
Sianna doubted Katya listened to many people. She was
too comfortable in Graham’s affection for her to take him
seriously.
“Only by locking her in the tower. Even then I fear she
would have climbed out the window. She gave no warning of
what she intended. I thought her resigned to the fact DiSanti
was beyond our reach, at least for the time. After I found her
gone, we followed at once. We had stopped to rest the quinar
when Katya came upon us with the woman. She claimed she
was not followed, but we left immediately. I have seen no
evidence of pursuit.”
“Good. I would not like to lead the enemy to our lair.” He
paused, his features strained. “And I would not lose another
that I love to DiSanti.”
Graham turned to look at Sianna. She closed her eyes. “I
can see why Aubin was tempted by this woman. She appears
much younger than I thought, barely more than a girl. To look in
her eyes, you’d swear her an innocent.”
A glimmer of emotion reached her from Kyne. Before she
could identify it, it was gone.
“Do you think perhaps DiSanti duped her as well?” Graham
asked.
“No, by her own hand she condemns herself. I have no
doubt she plotted Aubin’s death along with her father. When
the time comes, she’ll be punished as well.”
No! She bit her lip to keep from crying out in denial. They
would not believe her.
For a brief moment, she sensed Kyne’s emotional storm. It
tore through her, leaving her hopes in shreds. Like a Dark Angel,
Kyne would destroy her, no matter her guilt or innocence.
“A shame to waste such beauty,” Graham said.
“Appearance is a poor way to judge a person’s character.
Because DiSanti was fair to look upon, he fooled my father
into believing he was a good man.”
“DiSanti tricked your father by his deceptions, not by his
looks.” Anger made Graham’s voice hard. “Many others were
taken in as well by his smooth words. He holds the old king’s
favor. Without DiSanti’s approval, no one can gain an audience,
so the king hears none of what goes on.”
Sianna sensed a guilt Graham kept buried.
“Even if the king heard, he would not hear. I’ve learned
King Dracken eats nika.”
“For how long?” Graham asked in horror.
“For many years, maybe since DiSanti became First
Minister. DiSanti controls nika and in turn controls the king. As
long as DiSanti lives, our country will continue to sink into
despair.”
Sianna gasped softly, then froze. Neither Graham nor Kyne
seemed to hear.
Her father dealt in nika, the most dangerous of drugs? He
made his fortune selling a life of addiction and degradation to
people? Kyne’s words pierced her heart and shattered her
childish dreams of home and family.
She longed to deny their words. She longed to love her
father. She longed for her father to love her. Because he was a
close blood relative, Sianna couldn’t read her father’s emotions.
In addition, he guarded his feelings well. Though he treated her
coolly, she had never sensed evil inside him. But to deal in nika
would take a monster. Was her father the monster these people
claimed?
On occasion Sianna had been called upon to minister to
nika addicts. After ingesting a small amount of the drug, people
became lifelong addicts. Without a daily dose, they suffered
unspeakable agonies until death set them free. Nothing cured
them or eased their torment. So powerful was the drug, even
her skills could not touch the source of their pain.
In the flickering firelight, Sianna watched Kyne’s face as
he spoke. Unable to read his emotions, she studied him for
physical clues, which were often as telling. His brow furrowed
above dark eyes flashing with anger. High cheekbones, an
aquiline nose and a square chin created a harsh yet compelling
visage. No smiles had forged the deep lines bracketing his mouth
or the fine lines fanning out from the corners of his eyes.
“What of the young prince? Does DiSanti feed him nika,
as well?” Graham asked.
“I pray not.” Kyne’s voice was strained. “If so, Dramon is
doomed. DiSanti keeps Prince Timon in seclusion, citing his
poor health. I heard talk of a marriage being arranged for the
child.”
“How is that possible? He’s but ten and four annum. Will
the Council allow it?”
“If the king wishes it, the Council will not object. And with
DiSanti doling out the nika, the king will follow his suggestions.
Perhaps that’s where this woman comes in.”
Sianna felt Kyne’s gaze on her. She shivered as if touched
by ice. He had discerned her father’s plans correctly. But what
did he know of her?
“If DiSanti were to marry his daughter to the king’s son, he
would gain even more power in court. And if the king were to
die...”
“DiSanti would in effect rule the country by his daughter
through the prince,” Graham finished Kyne’s thought.
“It was but a rumor.”
“Rumors are often rooted in fact, and this one sounds like
DiSanti.” Graham stirred the dying embers of the fire and added
another log. Flames shot up. Shadows did an eerie dance across
the men’s faces. “Did you have any luck in gaining an audience
with the King of Arete? Will he support us?”
“No. His attention is focused elsewhere. My trip was
wasted.” Failure sat like a physical presence on Kyne’s
shoulders.
“What now? Our forces gather in the mountains. We must
move soon, before winter is upon us, or delay until Spring.”
“Perhaps Katya has given us a way to force DiSanti from
his stronghold.” Kyne looked over at Sianna.
She closed her eyes against the loathing in his, relieved
when he turned back to Graham. “We leave for the fortress at
first light. I’ll make my decision there.”
Graham rose from his place by the fire. “Yes, Rul. I’ll see
to the quinar.”
“Good eve to you, my friend.”
Sianna could hear the hint of laughter in Kyne’s voice.
Graham gave a wry smile and said, “And to you, friend.”
After Graham left, Kyne sat motionless, his gaze resting
on the fire’s glow. She searched his face for any trace of
softness. Other than his obvious affection for Graham and his
love of Katya, Kyne appeared hard and unyielding. Why could
she read nothing of his emotions behind the expressionless mask
of his face? Even with her father and Laila she sensed the
existence of the emotions hidden from her. Her inability to pierce
Kyne’s facade disturbed and frightened her.
“You may cease your pretense of sleep.”
His quiet accusation made her jump. Holding the blanket
around her shoulders, she sat up. She could guess Kyne would
respect courage and disdain begging. Not that she intended to
beg.
Lifting her chin, she faced him. “Why have you abducted
me?”
A look of surprise crossed his face, quickly replaced by
disdain. “I did not abduct you. Katya did. But now that you are
in our hands, you will serve our purpose well. Through you we
will reach your father. He will pay for his crimes.”
“By what right will you be his judge, jury and executioner?”
“The right of blood—the blood of my parents and brother
spilt by your father.”
Sianna forced herself not to cringe in the face of Kyne’s
fierce scowl. “Perhaps you overestimate my value to him.”
His hard stare unnerved her. “I think not. What man
wouldn’t value a daughter such as you—young, lovely, intelligent
and marriageable.” The words rolled off his tongue like vile
insults. “Are you your father’s key to the throne? By himself
he can never truly rule Dramon. Does he think through your
marriage to the young prince can he gain the power he craves?”
Sianna couldn’t argue or refute Kyne’s logic, but neither
would she confirm it. Her father had told her much the same
when he informed her of her betrothal to Prince Timon.
Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Who was Aubin?”
She gasped as Kyne reached out and encircled her throat
with his hand. His fingers felt hot against her chilled flesh.
Emotions—Kyne’s emotions—flooded over her, a torrent of
impressions she could make little sense of, so fast did they hit
her.
“Do not speak his name. I should kill you now and be done
with it. DiSanti need never know we fish with dead bait.”
Fear coiled in Sianna’s belly as his fingers tightened. Wave
after wave of jumbled thoughts and feelings swamped her. Still
she met his gaze steadily. “Kill me if you must, but before you
do answer my question.”
His grip eased. “How innocent you sound. If I didn’t have
proof of your guilt, I might believe you knew nothing of your
father’s plan.” He pulled his hand away and rubbed it absently.
She placed her hand where his had been. As if tossed and
tumbled in a pounding surf, she felt disorientated. Her pulse
beat wildly. “What proof?” When he didn’t answer, she
continued. “Believe what you will. I am innocent. I don’t know
married to the prince.”
“You lie convincingly, Laila...”
Laila. The rest of Kyne’s words were lost to Sianna. They
believed she was Laila. In shock, she remembered her sister’s
strange distraction on the journey home, and her sudden
disappearance.
“But I’m not...” she started, then stopped as what Kyne
was saying registered.
“...even now you may carry Aubin’s child.”
Understanding dawned. Laila and Aubin had been lovers.
These people believed her sister had somehow conspired with
their father to kill Aubin. Sianna’s heart rejected the possibility
of her father being so wicked, and she knew Laila incapable of
such an act. Sianna thought back to Laila’s impatience to return
home. It hadn’t been the attitude of one contemplating murder,
but that of a person eager to rejoin a loved one.
She started to protest her innocence once again, to reveal
her identity, to speak for her father.
“Pray you hold Aubin’s seed within you. Only the possibility
of his child growing in your belly keeps you alive—at least until
its birth.”
The venom in Katya’s voice from behind her made Sianna
cringe. If she told them of their mistake, would they kill her
merely for being her father’s daughter? Most likely. And what
of Laila? Where was she? Did she indeed carry a child? In an
instant, Sianna decided to continue the charade and hope for a
chance to escape.
She drew herself up and stared at Katya. “Then until you
are certain of my pregnancy, perhaps you should take better
care of me. Being wet, cold and jostled about can’t be good for
the child I might carry.”
At Sianna’s boldness, surprise registered on Katya’s face.
A smile softened the stern set of Kyne’s lips. The skin
around his eyes crinkled and transformed his harsh features.
“She’s correct. We must have a care for her well being. Provide
her with warm clothing, a dry place to sleep and feed her well.”
Color stained Katya’s fair skin. “See to it yourself.” With
an angry snort, she spun around and stalked away.
Kyne gave a bark of laughter and turned back to Sianna.
“So the lambie has teeth.”
“And claws as well.” Sianna chose her next words carefully.
“I’ll no longer sit quietly while you accuse my father and me of
crimes and manhandle me. I’ve done nothing to deserve such
treatment. My only sin is being my father’s daughter. I bear no
guilt for Aubin’s death.” Nor, I pray, does my father.
At the mention of Aubin’s name, amusement faded from
Kyne’s face. Sianna paused, regretting the disappearance of
the briefly viewed gentler Kyne. Humor no longer lit his dark
eyes, but neither did anger tighten his lips. Weariness lay on
him like a heavy yoke, bowing his broad shoulders.
He rose and looked down at her. “Spare me your protests
of innocence. You bear the taint of DiSanti’s blood. Even
without guilt of your own, that is enough to condemn you in my
people’s eyes. Soon enough your fate will be decided.”
She took faint hope in that he refrained from speaking his
own condemnation of her, but discerned nothing from his distant
expression.
“Sleep now. We leave at first light.” For a moment their
eyes met, then he strode away into the darkness, leaving her
alone with her thoughts and fears.
All that remained of her brief contact with him was a
kaleidoscope of emotions chasing through her mind. Other
people’s emotions flowed into her as easily as air into her lungs.
Why was it different with Kyne? Without her inner sight, she
felt blind. To understand Kyne, she must touch him. The thought
made her tremble, whether in dread or anticipation, she couldn’t
tell.
***
At the edge of the clearing, a sentry greeted him, but Kyne
didn’t linger. Though he no longer claimed the title, he knew the