Heir to the Shadows dj-2 Read online

  "High Lord," he said, making a respectful bow.

  "Don't you know even the basic courtesies when approaching an unknown Warlord Prince?" Saetan asked mildly.

  "High Lord?" the man stammered.

  "A man doesn't hide his hands unless he's concealing a weapon," Andulvar said, coming into the room. He spread his dark wings, completely blocking the door.

  Fury flashed over the Warlord's face and was gone. He extended his arms out in front of him. "My hands are quite useless."

  Saetan glanced at the black-gloved hands. The right one was curled into a claw. There was one finger missing on the left. "Your name?"

  The Warlord hesitated a moment too long. "Greer, High Lord."

  Even the man's name somehow fouled the air. No, not just the man, although it would take a few weeks for the rotting-meat stink to fade. Something else. Saetan's gaze drifted to the black silk scarf. His nostrils flared as he caught a scent he remembered too well. So. Hekatah still favored that particular perfume.

  "What do you want, Lord Greer?" Saetan asked, already certain he knew why Hekatah would send someone to see him. With effort, he hid the icy rage that burned within him.

  Greer stared at the floor. "I… I was wondering if you had any news about the young witch."

  The room felt so deliciously cold, so sweetly dark. One thought, one flick of his mind, one brief touch of the Black

  Jewels' strength and there wouldn't be enough left of that Warlord to be even a whisper in the Darkness.

  "I rule Hell, Greer," Saetan said too softly. "Why should I care about a Hayllian witch, young or otherwise?"

  "She wasn't from Hayll." Greer hesitated. "I had understood you were a friend of hers."

  Saetan raised one eyebrow. "I?"

  Greer licked his lips. The words rushed out. "I was assigned to the Hayllian embassy in Beldon Mor, the capital of Chaillot, and had the privilege of meeting Jaenelle. When the trouble started, I betrayed the High Priestess of Hayll's trust by helping Daemon Sadi get the girl to safety." His left hand fumbled with the scarf around his neck and finally pulled it away. "This was my reward."

  Lying bastard, Saetan thought. If he didn't have his own use for this walking piece of carrion, he would have ripped through Greer's mind and found out what part the man had really played in this.

  "I knew the girl," Saetan snarled as he walked toward the door.

  Greer took a step forward. "Knew her? Is she…"

  Saetan spun around. "She walks among the cildru dyathel"

  Greer bowed his head. "May the Darkness be merciful."

  "Get out." Saetan stepped aside, not wanting to be fouled by any contact with the man.

  Andulvar folded his wings and escorted Greer from the Hall. He returned a few minutes later, looking worried. Saetan stared at him, no longer caring that the rage and hatred showed in his eyes.

  Andulvar settled into an Eyrien fighting stance, his feet apart to balance his weight, his wings slightly spread. "You know that statement will spread through Hell faster than the scent of fresh blood."

  Saetan gripped the cane with both hands. "I don't give a damn who else he tells as long as that bastard tells the bitch who sent him."

  "He said that? He really said that?" Slumped in the only chair in the room, Greer nodded wearily.

  Hekatah, the self-proclaimed High Priestess of Hell, twirled around the room, her long black hair flying out behind her as she spun.

  This was even better than simply destroying the child. Now, with her torn mind and torn, dead body, the girl would be an invisible knife in Saetan's ribs, always twisting and twisting, a constant reminder that he wasn't the only power to contend with.

  Hekatah stopped spinning, tipped her head back, and flung her arms up in triumph. "She walks among the cildru dyathe!" Sinking gracefully to the floor, she leaned against an arm of Greer's chair and gently stroked his cheek. "And you, my sweet, were responsible for that. She's of no use to him now."

  "The girl is no longer useful to you either, Priestess."

  Hekatah pouted coquettishly, her gold eyes glittering with malice. "No longer useful for my original plans, but she'll be an.excellent weapon against that gutter son of a whore."

  Seeing Greer's blank expression, Hekatah rose to her feet, slapping the dust from her gown as she tsked in irritation. "Your body is dead, not your mind. Do try to think, Greer darling. Who else was interested in the child?"

  Greer sat up and slowly smiled. "Daemon Sadi."

  "Daemon Sadi," Hekatah agreed smugly. "How pleased do you think he'll be when he finds out his little darling is so very, very dead? And who, with a little help, do you think he'll blame for her departure from the living? Think of the fun pitting the son against the father. And if they destroy each other" – Hekatah opened her arms wide- "Hell will fragment once more, and the ones who were always too frightened to defy him will rally around me. With the strength of the demon-dead behind us, Terreille will finally kneel to me as the High Priestess, as it would have done all those many, many centuries ago if that bastard hadn't always thwarted my ambition."

  She looked around the small, almost-empty room in distaste. "Once he's gone, I'll reside again in the splendor that's my due. And you, my faithful darling, will serve at my side.

  "Come," she said, guiding him into another small room. "I realize the body's death is a shock. ."

  Greer stared at the boy and girl cowering in a pile of straw.

  "We're demons, Greer," Hekatah said, stroking his arm. "We need fresh, hot blood. With it, we can keep our dead flesh strong. And although some pleasures of the flesh are no longer possible, there are compensations."

  Hekatah leaned against him, her lips close to his ear. "Landen children. A Blood child is better but more difficult to come by. But dining on a landen child also has compensations."

  Greer was breathing fast, as if he needed air.

  "A pretty little girl, don't you think, Greer? At your first psychic touch, her mind will burn to hot ash, but primitive emotions will remain. . long enough. . and fear is a delicious dinner."

  3 / Terreille

  You are my instrument.

  Daemon Sadi shifted restlessly on the small bed that had been set up in one of the storage rooms beneath Deje's Red Moon house.

  . . you are my instrument. . riding the Winds to Cassandra's Altar. . Surreal already there, crying. . Cassandra there, angry… so much blood… his hands covered with Jaenelle's blood. . descending into the abyss. . falling, screaming… a child who wasn't a child… a narrow bed with straps to tie down hands and feet… a sumptuous bed with silk sheets. . the Dark Altar's cold stone. . black candles. . scented candles. . a child screaming. . his tongue licking a tiny spiral horn… his body pinning hers to cold stone while she fought and screamed. . begging her to forgive him. . but what had he done?… a golden mane… his fingers tickling a fawn tail… a narrow bed with silk sheets. . a sumptuous bed with straps. . forgive me, forgive me. . his body pinning her down. . what had he done?. .

  Cassandra's anger cutting him. . was she safe?. . was she well?… a sumptuous stone bed. . silk sheets with straps… a child screaming… so much blood. . you are my instrument. . forgive me, forgive me. . what HAD HE DONE?

  Surreal sagged against the wall and listened to Daemon's muffled sobs. Who would have suspected that the Sadist could be so vulnerable? She and Deje knew enough basic healing Craft to heal his body, but neither of them knew how to fix the mental and emotional wounds. Instead of becoming stronger, he was becoming more fragile, vulnerable.

  For the first few days after she had brought him here, he had kept asking what had happened. But she could tell him only what she knew.

  With the help of the demon-dead girl, Rose, she had entered Briarwood, killed the Warlord who had raped Jaenelle, and then had taken Jaenelle to the Sanctuary called Cassandra's Altar. Daemon had joined her at the Sanctuary. Cassandra was there, too. Daemon had ordered them out of the Altar room in order to have privacy to try to b
ring Jaenelle's Self back to her body. Surreal had used that time to set traps for Briarwood's "rescue party." When the males arrived, she had held them off for as long as she could. By the time she'd retreated to the Altar room, Cassandra and Jaenelle were gone and Daemon could barely stand. She and Daemon had ridden the Winds back to Beldon Mor and had spent the last three weeks hiding in Deje's Red Moon house.

  That's all she could tell him. It wasn't what he needed to hear. She couldn't tell him he had saved Jaenelle. She couldn't tell him the girl was safe and well. And it seemed like the more he struggled to remember, the more fragmented the memories became. But he still had the strength of the Black Jewels, still had the ability to unleash all of that dark power. If he lost his tenuous hold on sanity. .

  Surreal turned at the sound of a stealthy footfall on the stairs at the end of the dim passageway. The sobs behind the closed door stopped.

  Moving swiftly, silently, Surreal cornered the woman at the bottom of the stairs. "What do you want, Deje?"

  The dishes on the tray Deje was carrying rattled as the woman's body shook. "I-I thought-" She lifted the tray in explanation. "Sandwiches. Some tea. I-"

  Surreal frowned. Why was Deje staring at her breasts? It wasn't the look of an efficient matron sizing up one of the girls. And why was Deje shaking like that?

  Surreal looked down. Her clenched hand was holding her favorite stiletto, its tip resting against the Gray Jewel that hung on its gold chain above the swell of her breasts. She hadn't been aware of calling in the stiletto or of calling in the Gray. She had been annoyed with the intrusion, but. .

  Surreal vanished the stiletto, pulled her shirt together to hide the Jewel, and took the tray from Deje. "Sorry. I'm a bit edgy."

  "The Gray," Deje whispered. "You wear the Gray."

  Surreal tensed. "Not when I'm working in a Red Moon house."

  Deje didn't seem to hear. "I didn't know you were that strong."

  Surreal shifted the tray's weight to her left hand and casually let her right hand drop to her side, her fingers curled around the stiletto's comforting weight. If it had to be done, it would be fast and clean. Deje deserved that much.

  She watched Deje's face while the woman mentally rearranged the bits of information she knew about the whore named Surreal, who was also an assassin. When Deje finally looked at her, there was respect and dark satisfaction in the woman's eyes.

  Then Deje looked at the tray and frowned. "Best use a warming spell on that tea or it won't be fit to drink."

  "I'll take care of it," Surreal said.

  Deje started back up the stairs.

  "Deje," Surreal said quietly. "I do pay my debts."

  Deje gave her a sharp smile and nodded at the tray. "You try to get some food into him. He's got to get his strength back."

  Surreal waited until the door at the top of the stairs clicked shut before returning to the storage room that held, perhaps now more than ever, the most dangerous Warlord Prince in the Realm.

  Late that evening, Surreal opened the storage room's door without knocking and pulled up short. "What in the name of Hell are you doing?"

  Daemon glanced up at her before tying his other shoe. "I'm getting dressed." His deep, cultured voice had a rougher edge than usual.

  "Are you mad?" Surreal bit her lip, regretting the word.

  "Perhaps." Daemon fastened his ruby cuff links to his white silk shirt. "I have to find out what happened, Surreal. I have to find her."

  Exasperated, Surreal scraped her fingers through her hair. "You can't leave in the middle of the night. Besides, it's bitter cold out."

  "The middle of the night is the best time, don't you think?" Daemon replied too calmly, shrugging into his black jacket.

  "No, I don't. At least wait until dawn."

  "I'm Hayllian. This is Chaillot. I'd be a bit too conspicuous in daylight." Daemon looked around the empty little room, lifted his shoulders in a dismissive shrug, took a comb from his coat pocket, and pulled it through his thick black hair. When he was done, he slipped his elegant, long-nailed hands into his trouser pockets and raised an eyebrow as if asking, Well?

  Surreal studied the tall, trim but muscular body in its perfectly tailored black suit. Sadi's golden-brown skin was gray-tinged from exhaustion, his face looked haggard, and the skin around his golden eyes was puffy. But even now he was still more beautiful than a man had a right to be.

  "You look like shit," she snapped.

  Daemon flinched, as if her anger had cut him. Then he tried to smile. "Don't try to turn my head with compliments, Surreal."

  Surreal clenched her hands. The only thing to throw at him was the tray with the tea and sandwiches on it. Seeing the clean cup and the untouched food ignited her temper. "You fool, you didn't eat anything!"

  "Lower your voice unless you want everyone to know I'm here."

  Surreal paced back and forth, snarling every curse she could remember.

  "Don't cry, Surreal."

  His arms were around her, and beneath her cheek was cool silk.

  "I'm not crying," she snapped, gulping back a sob.

  She felt rather than heard his chuckle. "My mistake." His lips brushed her hair before he stepped away from her.

  Surreal sniffed loudly, wiped her eyes on her sleeve, and pushed her hair from her face. "You're not strong enough yet. Daemon."

  "I'm not going to get any better until I find her," Daemon said quietly.

  "Do you know how to open the Gates?" she asked. Those thirteen places of power linked the Realms of Terreille, Kaeleer, and Hell.

  "No. But I'll find someone who does know." Daemon took a deep breath. "Listen, Surreal, and listen well. There are very few people in the entire Realm of Terreille who can connect you in any way with me. I've made the effort to make sure of that. So unless you stand on the roof and announce it, no one in Beldon Mor will have a reason to look in your direction. Keep your head down. Keep a rein on that temper of yours. You've done more than enough. Don't get yourself in any deeper – because I won't be around to help you out of it."

  Surreal swallowed hard. "Daemon. . you've been declared rogue. There's a price on your head."

  "Not unexpected after I broke the Ring of Obedience."

  Surreal hesitated. "Are you sure Cassandra took Jaenelle to one of the other Realms?"

  "Yes, I'm sure of that much." he said softly, bleakly.

  "So you're going to find a Priestess who knows how to open the Gates and follow them."

  "Yes. But I have one stop to make first."

  "This isn't a good time for social calls," Surreal said tartly.

  "This isn't exactly a social call. Dorothea can't use you against me because she doesn't know about you. But she knows about him, and she's used him before. I'm not going to give her the chance. Besides, for all his arrogance and temper, he's a damn good Warlord Prince."

  Weary, Surreal leaned against the wall. "What are you going to do?"

  Daemon hesitated. "I'm going to get Lucivar out of Pruul."

  4 / Kaeleer

  Saetan appeared on the small landing web carved into the stone floor of one of the Keep's many outer courtyards. As he stepped off the web, he looked up.

  Unless one knew what to look for, one only saw the black mountain called Ebon Askavi, only felt the weight of all that dark stone. But Ebon Askavi was also the Keep, the Sanctuary of Witch, the repository of the Blood's long, long history. A place well and fiercely guarded. The perfect place for a secret.

  Damn Hekatah, he thought bitterly as he slowly crossed the courtyard, leaning heavily on his cane. Damn her and her schemes for power. Greedy, malicious bitch. He'd stayed his hand in the past because he felt he owed her something for bearing his first two sons. But that debt had been paid. More than paid. This time, he would sacrifice his honor, his self-respect, and anything else he had to if that was the price he had to pay to stop her.

  "Saetan."

  Geoffrey, the Keep's historian/librarian, stepped from the shadow of the door
way. As always, he was neatly dressed in a slim black tunic and trousers and bare of any ornamentation except his Red Jewel ring. As always, his black hair was carefully combed back, drawing a person's eyes to the prominent widow's peak. But his black eyes looked like small lumps of coal instead of highly polished stone.

  As Saetan walked toward him, the vertical line between Geoffrey's black eyebrows deepened. "Come to the library and have a glass of yarbarah with me," Geoffrey said.

  Saetan shook his head. "Later perhaps."

  Geoffrey's eyebrows pulled down farther, echoing his widow's peak. "Anger has no place in a sickroom. Especially now. Especially yours."

  The two Guardians studied each other. Saetan looked away first.

  Once they were settled into comfortable chairs and Geoffrey had poured a warmed glass of the blood wine for each of them, Saetan forced himself to look at the large blackwood table that dominated the room. It was usually piled with history, Craft, and reference books Geoffrey had pulled from the stacks – books the two men had searched for touchstones to understand Jaenelle's casual but stunning remarks and her sometimes quirky but awesome abilities. Now it was empty. And the emptiness hurt.

  "Have you no hope, Geoffrey?" Saetan asked quietly.

  "What?" Geoffrey glanced at the table, then looked away. "I needed. . occupation. Sitting there, each book was a reminder, and. ."

  "I understand." Saetan drained his glass and reached for his cane.

  Geoffrey walked with him to the door. As Saetan went into the corridor, he felt a light, hesitant touch and turned back.

  "Saetan… do you still hope?"

  Saetan considered the question for a long moment before giving the only answer he could give. "I have to."

  Cassandra closed her book, rolled her shoulders wearily, and scrubbed her face with her hands. "There's no change. She hasn't risen out of the abyss – or wherever it is she's fallen. And the longer she remains beyond the reach of another mind, the less chance we have of ever getting her back."