Dark Hope of the Dragons Page 30

  Kyouin looked curious, but he forced his attention back to Theruses who had endured her interruption with more patience than she deserved.

  “I have captive within these passages the child whose freedom would free the dragons. Her freedom would also get me out of this cave. I could easily let her go.”

  For the first time, Kyouin’s composure cracked. His brow furrowed, his eyes clouding with alarm. He cleared his throat softly to indicate his need to speak, though he did not wait for acknowledgement before doing so. “I think that would work against both of us. We both represent a power that the dragons would not tolerate.”

  “Yes.” Theruses was contemplative as he regarded Kyouin with feigned patience, his tail twitching behind him where only Amahna could see. “If you can find a way to free me from this cave, I will teach you to master the daemon power you play with. Otherwise, the child will go free.”

  Kyouin shifted, perhaps due to the insulting tone in which Theruses had just spoken of his powers. That was his only reaction to those words, however, though his companions both sneered and moved their hands closer to their weapons, looking ready to draw blood.

  Kyouin held his free hand out in a placating gesture to the other two who relaxed only a fraction. “Don’t you worry that I might turn your teachings against you?”

  Theruses grinned. “You will never be that strong.”

  A touch of a growl rolled out with his words and Kyouin narrowed his eyes at this challenge. Amahna began to wonder if she could slip out in the tense silence that followed. She wanted Theruses to kill him so that she might take Avaline’s ring, but that was unlikely under the circumstances. Theruses had lost his long-held patience around leaving the cave. He wanted out of these dark chambers and passages and he did not want to wait any longer. Any chance that Kyouin might be able to help would be one more thing keeping the young man alive.

  “I wish to see this child.” In response to this request the young boy looked askance up at Kyouin who did not seem to notice the gesture, though it fueled Amahna’s curiosity more.

  Theruses nodded. “Alone, you may see her.”

  Kyouin nodded to his companions but made no move to detach himself from the boy. Kara entered the room then, apparently summoned by Theruses and was directed to guide the other two priests to one of the outer chambers to wait. Kyouin, with his small attachment still clinging to his hand, followed Theruses from the chamber. Having received no opposing instructions, Amahna joined them. Letting Kyouin, as powerful as he was, anywhere near Raine seemed a bad idea to her. What purpose could it serve?

  When they got to the edge of Raine’s prison chambers there were no lights. Amahna dared to hope that she might be sleeping, but when they neared the blue tinted steel bars that bordered her small section of the cave their light brought her out of the shadows. Raine was standing there waiting for them, which only increased Amahna’s unease at allowing the daenox priest to meet her.

  Her brassy black eyes fell instantly upon Kyouin.

  With a rather rapt expression Kyouin stepped up to the bars and took hold of one with his free hand, stopping with his nose just shy of the perceived perimeter between two bars. The bar he was holding began to glow a dim blue. Amahna saw Theruses tense as Raine approached him, perhaps only now realizing the potential volatility of the situation. The girl paused a few inches out of reach and focused on the ring dangling from the chain around Kyouin’s neck. Cocking her head in a manner that was endearing yet somehow ominous, she refocused on his face.

  “That ring.”

  Kyouin touched the ring with the hand he had, at some point, freed from the boy’s grasp. “Fancy this, do you?”

  Raine shook her head to indicate his lack of understanding. “It belongs to me.”

  Kyouin grinned, plainly amused. “Perhaps you are thinking of a different ring, but I might give it to you eventually anyhow. Maybe when you get out of here.”

  Raine’s eyes narrowed with irritation at his taunting grin as he held up the ring so she could see it better. Amahna wondered why she would seek to claim a ring she had never seen before. It was just one more mystery of this child.

  “I will leave this place. The silver dragon will come here and then I will be freed.” Her tone was solemn as death and she stepped closer to the bars, close enough that there was no more distance between them than that of the thickness of the bars. “Then I will come and take it from you.”

  Amahna’s pulse raced with the flare of desire in Kyouin’s expression. His stance wavered a touch as though he might lean in to try to kiss her, but Raine turned and began to walk away before any such disaster could occur. She turned back when the young boy spoke, seeming to notice him for the first time.

  “She is not yours to keep,” the child stated with firm conviction.

  Theruses, irritated by the entire confrontation, stepped closer to the boy and sneered. “And who is going to take her from me? You?”

  Kyouin drew the boy in closer to him, placing a protective arm around his shoulders.

  Comforted by the daenox priest’s presence, the boy faced Theruses. “Someone will.”

  Amahna stepped in. She did not care to see bloodshed in the presence of the dragon-child. Not because she feared for Raine, but because she feared Raine might be able to use the natural power released with such shedding of blood. “I think, my lord, we might be wise to discuss this agreement elsewhere now that he has met her.”

  Theruses started just a touch, distracted from his violent inclinations. He nodded reluctantly, his gaze following after Raine who had retreated deeper into the darkness. “Yes, I think that would be for the best. Who is this boy you are mothering?”

  Kyouin glowered at Theruses, but he managed to sensibly restrain his anger. “My younger brother, Vaneye, he is learning the ways of the Daenox Priesthood.”

  “He has much to learn,” Theruses muttered. He turned away then, leading them from the chamber.

  Amahna lingered behind, waiting until they had turned out of sight to approach the bars. Raine had moved forward again and stood gazing past her in the direction the others had gone.

  “No dragons will go free child, as long as you are in here, so no dragons can save you. Perhaps your time alone has led you to flights of foolish fancy.”

  Raine’s expression did not change. She pointedly ignored Amahna’s presence.

  “Say something,” Amahna hissed.

  Raine smiled softly to herself. Amahna could only stop herself from lashing out at the child with the sobering realization that Theruses and Kyouin were not far away and only a few choice words from unleashing their own tempers. With a cold scowl she spun and stormed from the chamber, her blood raven hair whipping around in an outer display of her anger.

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

  Dephithus rode a wide circle around the main body of Imperious. Once he was comfortable with his distance from the city he stopped long enough to change into more common clothes under his cloak and stuffed the uniform away into his packs. The crests and signets of the Legion he tore and cut away from the saddle carelessly to bury along with the hair from thinning and shortening Hydra’s mane and tail. It pained him to cut away some of Hydra’s beautiful hair, but the animal drew enough attention without the added flash of his long, thick mane and tail.

  There was little choice for them but to continue through the dark storm-riddled night. It would be much too dangerous to shop for provisions in Imperious. They needed a town where his appearance and history were not so well known. He stopped the next day in the first remote town, a place small enough that he forgot the name almost as soon as he read it on an aged wood sign at the border. The main street was the only one worth noticing and that was little more than a wagon track with weeds growing up between the ruts. Any supplies to be found here would undoubtedly be minimal, but so was the chance of being arrested.

  Dephithus approached an old covered storefront leading Hydra along and keeping the hood of his cloak pulled well forwar
d to hide his face. The suspicious way he stayed within the shadows of the hood did nothing to endear him to the shopkeeper, but his eyes were too distinctive to risk a more open approach. As soon as he started to peruse the scant selection of provisions, focusing on foods that would last a long time, the shopkeeper pushed up in front of him asking his business.

  “I wish no more than a few provisions for my travels, good sir.” He kept his voice level and his hands away from the shopkeeper’s wares.

  “There is no room for beggars or thieves in this town and I’ll judge you as the latter from the looks of your mount.” The shopkeeper folded his arms and set his jaw to add stubborn weight to his words.

  Dephithus sighed inwardly. Small towns suffered the most in times of chaos leaving little warmth for strangers. It would have been much easier if he could have stopped in Imperious. Pulling a picture of Myara up in his mind to remind him of his purpose, he managed to maintain his calm manner.

  “I assure you that am neither of those two. I simply need a few provisions and I will pay honestly for them. This is a shop, is it not?”

  The shopkeeper looked a bit unbalanced by the question though his nod was still gruff.

  “Then, as a customer, I would appreciate a bit of service for my coin.”

  When the man remained hesitant Dephithus bumped his coin pouch, producing a jingle that reverberated as a glimmer in the shopkeeper’s eyes.

  As expected, the selection was not impressive, and the price they finally settled on was a bit steep, but Dephithus was wary of wasting time. Though the food was a far cry from a palace meal it would keep him going for a long way, perhaps all the way to the cave itself if he rationed carefully. He kept his purchase down to the barest necessities while always remembering that the end of his journey promised only an even greater struggle than the journey itself. It would do him no good to be weakened and sick when he faced Amahna again.

  The shopkeeper had warmed to him some, or at least to his coin. As he turned to move on, the man called after him. “There’s a tavern just a short way down the road. They don’t have any rooms, but they’ll rent you a stall where you can bed down with your mount.”

  Dephithus peered down the nearly vacant roadway through the gray drizzle that had started up after the storm died down. “Thank you, but I think I’ll continue on. A good tree will provide ample shelter when I must rest.”

  The shopkeeper’s expression was solemn when Dephithus glanced at him again. “These lands are lovely boy, but death in beauty’s shadow waits.”

  It was an elegant warning, and there was a cadence to it that hinted at frequent usage. Dephithus nodded his thanks again and moved Hydra out so that he could mount. Back up on his proud companion, he turned toward the shop one last time. The shopkeeper was looking at him, but he could tell by the sorrow in those eyes that he was already dead to that man. Putting his heels softly to Hydra’s sides he trotted toward his goal, leaving others and their ill tidings behind him.

  The drizzle finally tapered off toward late afternoon and Dephithus found a place well off the main road to stop. He could have napped and eaten on horseback, but he also had need to make a cover for the sword hilt. That was a much more complicated process to attempt while riding. While enjoying the rare kiss of sunlight that escaped the clouds, he made a slip cover and fastened it into place by winding a thin strip of leather down the grip. It was not an attractive job and he was very pleased with it. The less attractive it looked the less likely he was to run into trouble over it.

  He nibbled a bite of dried meat and leaned up against a tree. Close by, Hydra snorted as he munched contentedly at the grass. It was easy enough to be lulled by the smells of the damp forest. The light breeze that chilled his wet body had faded away and he was now warm by comparison. The constant tension of the ride since leaving Elysium was soothed away by the quiet sounds of birds and the brush of Hydra’s hooves on the ground as he shifted about, seeking that perfect bunch of grass. Dephithus closed his eyes, just for a moment.

  He was jolted awake by something hard bumping his thigh. Opening his eyes to the near blackness of night he was forced to feel beside him for the offending object. Reaching out, his hand met Hydra’s leg. Considering the source, the bump had been rather gentle, though there would be a tender bruise there for a few days. A soft blowing well above his head indicated that Hydra was standing very alert. Something had the large war-horse on edge. Moving slow so as not to draw unwanted attention he slipped around to the stirrup, his eyes gradually adjusting to the darkness. He had been a fool to fall asleep, but at least he had left his mount geared up.

  As he reached his foot to the stirrup a small growl rose up behind him. Carefully resting his foot back on the ground, he turned slowly and backed up against Hydra, hoping to draw the beast out of the darker shadows. Falling victim to his lure, a cat, no bigger than Prophet from the archives, moved out of the shadows. Its back was arched and its brown striped fur stood on end while it hissed as ferociously as possible for such a small creature. The moonlight revealed the gray eyes of a daemon-infected animal.

  Dephithus drew his dagger with every intention of dispatching the beast, then paused. He remembered Prophet, who had been drawn to him by the daenox they were both victims of. Regardless of the reasons for their rapport, he had taken great comfort from the cat’s presence for a time. This animal did not appear to sense the daemon-seed in him since Vanuthan had weakened it, so there would be no common ground. Still, he could not find in himself the desire to kill this creature that the daenox would soon dispose of without his help.

  Sheathing the dagger, he turned to Hydra. The cat’s ears laid back even further and it hissed as he moved, but it came no closer. Mounting up, he moved Hydra back from the small aggressor and rode away, giving the cat a wide berth. Even though he did not think the daemon infecting such a small animal could be passed to Hydra, he was not going to take chances. He saw no reason to worry much about himself though. With the daemon-seed and the power of the dragons vying for control of him, he doubted either would let a mere daemon move into the competition.

  Using the quarter moon for a guide they traveled back to the main road and resumed their journey at a fast trot. The route he had chosen was considerably less traveled than the one passing through Kuilen and Derg. About thirty miles northeast of Derg, and around seventy miles southeast of Kuilen, was Vorticade, the second largest city in the region, second only to Imperious herself. This road, which loosely paralleled to the west of the other, passed through no city bigger than Corbent Calid, which was about the size of Dalynay. If he traveled at a good speed and took no more unplanned naps off horseback he would reach Corbent Calid in perhaps two and a half or three more days.

  Hydra was able to keep up the trot until dusk the next day. They had given a wide berth to other travelers as much to be polite as to avoid scrutiny. One traveling merchant had called after Dephithus to survey his wares, but had not persisted once they passed quickly by his wagon. As dusk was setting in Dephithus began to slow their pace and search around for a promising area to lay camp. To the east lay rolling hills and grasslands, to the west it was much the same for some distance then it turned to the deep forest and steep climbs of the Gmuir Mountian range. The same range that ran past Imperious and housed the temple Vanuthan waited in. Beyond those mountains lay the Illtide coast. Dephithus longed to travel that way some day and see the rocky shores that had earned that name. Maybe he could take his child there someday.

  The encounter with the cat long faded from his mind and exhaustion causing his focus to falter, Dephithus’s thoughts turned to Myara. The love he still had for her made him cringe again with the horribleness of the things he had done. Would she ever forgive him for what he had done on her Dawning Day?

  To ease the pain of these contemplations, he tried to imagine what their child would look like. He could imagine a handsome little boy or an elegant, but feisty girl. It would have dark hair and probably some pattern of scaling
because of all the dragon power in it. Somehow, it was easier to picture the girl and the image renewed in him an aching guilt.

  Hydra had settled quickly into the slower pace. It had been long enough since their last stop that the stallion was probably sleepwalking, lured on with the promise of grain in his dreams. With a weary smile Dephithus patted Hydra’s neck. Any horse in Elysium would have been less risky to steal, but he could imagine no other horse working so hard for him without complaint. He brought Hydra down to a slow walk as he peered out toward a stand of weeping trees that would make an excellent camp if it were not already taken.

  Without any cue from his rider Hydra suddenly stopped. Turning to see what the problem was, Dephithus nearly jumped out of his seat in surprise at finding a slender woman standing before them. Her hair was the color of dry prairie grass and her skin glowed a pale cream even in the dark. In the fading light her eyes were emerald fire, brilliant enough to tie his tongue in knots. In contrast to those striking eyes, her dress was a plain brown piece with a braided rope for a belt and worn brown sandals peeking out at the hem.

  “Pardon, I didn’t—can I help you? I mean, I’d rather not.” Dephithus stopped trying and glanced down at the dirt, appalled his pathetic fumbling. “Blasted green eyes,” he snarled under his breath.

  A light, melodic laugh recaptured his attention. “Thank you. I need no help. However, a little evening companionship might do fine.”

  The seductive lilt in her lovely voice distressed him. His body responded to the mere possibility of what companionship could mean and Myara surged to the fore of his thoughts, countering any interest he might have had. “My apologies. I have no time to…”

  “Don’t lie. You just picked out your campsite, did you not, Dephithus de NuTraven?”

  Dephithus started again. How could she know his name?

  The woman walked up to Hydra’s side and held her hand up to him. “Come, we will talk and…whatever.”