Allegiance Sworn (36 page)

Arek’s thumb smoothed over her inner forearm. “The Imhara Kaal I know wouldn’t hide from this.”

There was just enough taunting in his tone to stroke her temper. She fisted her hand, felt him shift his stance to intercept any blow she aimed at him. Instead, she turned her head, pulse pounding in her throat.

Arek’s gaze never wavered from hers, radiating such strength she could almost feel it wrapping around her, holding her upright, daring her to use it to bolster her own. His compassion humbled her, and she blinked back tears at the way she’d lashed out at him.

Particularly with such a public display of asinine behavior.

It shamed her that she’d lost control like that. Her throat closed over and she swallowed hard.

“When is the price of a dream considered too high, Arek? How many have to die to achieve it?” She drew in a shuddering breath. “You can’t guarantee their safety no matter who you know or your relationship with them.”

This time his smile was warm and his hold on her arm gentled. “You’re assuming they’re not prepared to risk as much as you in this venture. Have you even asked for their opinion?”

Rassan appeared at the corner of her eye. “What we’re doing is worth risking my life for, Imhara.” His green-flecked gaze remained steadfast. “We can predict, and organize, and anticipate the risks until our minds turn to mush, but you can’t let the fear of losing those you care about dictate your actions. To do that means condemning ourselves to living half a life.” He glanced over to where the others waited. “Are you willing to do that, Jaclan?”

“No, Second.”

“What about you, Channi?”

“No, Second.”

Imhara closed her eyes as Rassan asked every member of the group the same question and received the same answer. She blinked hard several times, too overwhelmed by their support to speak.

Arek seemed to know though. His fingers interlocked with hers and squeezed. “You see, your Clan aren’t going to let you take that risk alone,” he murmured. “They’ve chosen to walk this journey with us.”

“I suppose you’d all ignore my orders and follow me anyway?” Her raspy question incited a few chuckles. She dragged in another unsteady breath and nodded. Their support didn’t banish her fear, but it did make it easier to endure. “All right. Then let’s mount up and get moving.”

Twigs and debris snapped underfoot as everyone moved at once, probably just in case she changed her mind. Imhara gave a wry smile.

As Arek tugged to free his hand, she gripped it harder. His twilight gaze met hers. “Join me on the ride? After I’ve apologized for my atrocious behavior, I’d like you to show me your homeland.”

He lifted her knuckles to his lips. “Only if you’ll accept the same from me.”

Chapter 41

T
HE
half-day ride through the forest brought back a multitude of memories for Arek and left him feeling like he’d been thrown back in time to the day of the botched rescue mission.

While they didn’t pass through the same clearing where they’d ambushed the
Na’Reish
patrol, he found his thoughts dwelling on the battle and how the outcome could dictate what happened over the next few days.

Had his sacrifice saved Kalan, Varian, and his friends? If Kalan had died, his absence from the Blade Council could upset Imhara’s plans for a truce in so many ways. Sanctuary would be needed more than ever if that were the case. Kymora could help them in her role as
Temple Elect
.

“Riders ahead!”

Jaclan’s shout drew Arek from his reverie. Pulse leaping, he straightened in his stirrups and peered ahead through the trees, adrenaline already pumping in anticipation. He counted a dozen riders, all in armor.

“It’s a patrol,” he called. “Imhara, pull your cloak over your head, and don’t remove it until I tell you to.” He began unbuckling his sword belt. “Anyone with weapons, hang them on your saddle.”

“This venture is now in your hands, Arek.” Imhara tugged her hood up over her dark braid and low over her forehead. Excitement and trepidation glittered in her violet gaze. “
Lady
bless this meeting.”

Arek was glad to see that their rocky start to the morning hadn’t soured the trust between them. He nodded and sent his own prayer to
Her
, petitioning the same. “We’ll stop in the next clearing and let them come to us.”

The sight of a dozen of
Her
warriors astride their war-beasts, the sun emblem etched into their armor, had Arek’s breath catching in his throat. The familiar sight set his pulse pounding. The sensation of being home was almost overwhelming.

The patrol spread out and encircled them. A single rider, farther afield, weaved his way through the trees, looking for any sign of ambush. Standard tactics. A shrill whistle assured the Light Blades no such trap was pending.

As the riders converged on their position, Arek raised his hands in a nonthreatening gesture.

“
Lady’s
blessing to you!” he called. “As you can see there are
Na’Chi
people among this group. Our weapons are on our saddles. Which of you is the Commander of this patrol?”

“I am.” The warrior astride a brown-coated war-beast spoke up. “Commander Erron Sahn.”

Arek didn’t know the man or the name. With over ten thousand Light Blades scattered across six provinces, he hadn’t expected to recognize him. His paler skin suggested maybe he came from somewhere in the High-Ranges Province. A winter rotation serving in Sacred Lake was probably a relief considering the icy weather in the mountains.

“Commander, my name is Arek Barial, and I’m a Light Blade warrior like yourself. I’m travelling with this group of people to Sacred Lake to meet with the Blade Council. . . .”

“Arek?” His name was uttered in a startled voice. A rider, the one who’d checked for an ambush, kneed his animal forward.

Arek grinned at the familiar voice. “Zaune?”

Beneath the leather helmet, dark spots trailed down either side of the warrior’s tanned face. Light violet eyes met his, shock reflected in his lean features.

The young
Na’Chi
scout leapt from his beast, his astonished expression so unlike his usual stoic demeanor. “You’re supposed to be dead!”

His accusatory tone made him chuckle.

“I’m very much alive.”

“How? We searched for days and eventually found a body. It was so badly mauled. . . .” A frown marred his brow. “But he wore your amulet!”

Yenass
. The farmer who’d sacrificed his life to save his. A pang of regret surged through Arek.

“You know this man, Zaune?” Sahn glanced between the two of them, his sandy brows veeing low.

“I do, Commander. He was . . . I mean . . . is Second Barial.”

Light blue eyes flickered over him. “Commander Tayn’s former Second in Command?”

Arek jerked at the information. He should have expected to hear that he’d been replaced, especially as everyone had assumed him dead. But it was disconcerting to realize life had moved on without him.

He shifted from one boot to the other. Who had taken on his command? And what about Kalan? Was he still alive?

Sahn flung his leg over the saddle and joined Zaune on the ground. “Apologies, we’ve never met, but I’ve heard about you.”

Arek clasped his outstretched forearm, relieved to have his identity confirmed by the young
Na’Chi
. And while his unexpected appearance no doubt raised a thousand questions—he had a few of his own—they would have to wait.

“Commander, on my oath as a Light Blade warrior, I swear to you these people come in peace.” Arek half turned and nodded to Imhara. She stepped forward, pushing back the hood of her cloak. “This is
Na
Imhara Kaal, leader of the
Na’Reish
Clan Kaal, and she seeks a truce with the Blade Council. . . .”

The rest of his words were drowned out as the Light Blades reacted. Every one of them, including Zaune, drew their swords. In a heartbeat the air around them radiated with a mix of fear and outrage.

Imhara’s swift intake of breath had him moving to cover her, hands raised high.

“She’s unarmed.” No way in
Light
was he letting them harm her. He sought out the
Na’Chi’s
gaze. “Zaune, you’re the best tracking scout among the
Na’Chi
. You can scent her . . . me. Do I lie?”

“Zaune?” Sahn never took his gaze off Imhara.

“It’s the truth, Commander.” The young scout moved among their group, scenting them, the flecks in his eyes a pale bronze. “There are other
Na’Chi
, human, and
Na’Reish
among the rest of them. None of them scent as hostile.”

Sahn’s light gaze pierced his. “Show me your arms, slowly.”

Arek pushed up his sleeves, knowing what the Commander was looking for and would find. The warrior at least hid his disgust behind an impassive mask, unlike some of his men. Arek heard Zaune’s breath catch.

“Blood-slave!” someone hissed.

“Light Blade or not, Barial, your word holds little worth with those marks on your arm,” Sahn stated, mouth stretching out in a flat line. “It’s a risk I can’t take.”

“Then I claim sanctuary for these people. That’s something you can’t ignore, Commander.” Arek kept his voice even, calm.

“You can’t give sanctuary to demons, Commander!”

The sandy-haired warrior shot a quelling glare at the man who’d voiced a protest, then his gaze took in each member of the Kaal Clan. “Sanctuary was never intended for demons, Barial, but there are humans and
Na’Chi
among these people. I can’t ignore that.”

Arek released a relieved breath. At least he was a Commander who thought before he acted.

“Perhaps it’s best then that the Blade Council deal with you.” Sahn gave a curt nod. “Sanctuary will be temporarily honored.”

“There’s a lot to explain, and whether you believe me or not, these people come in peace,” Arek repeated. Then because he couldn’t resist asking, “Zaune, is Kalan alive?”

“Yes.” The warrior’s dark brows lifted. “That’s right. You wouldn’t know. Varian got us all back to the city. It took Annika awhile, but she healed him.”

“Thank the
Lady
.” His whole body tingled with the news that his friend lived. “Commander Sahn,
Na
Kaal has information about
Na’Rei
Savyr that the Blade Council and the
Chosen
need to know.”

The older man’s mouth curled. “A demon turning on one of their own?”

Light
, once he’d sounded so hostile. How strange it was to be seeing his countrymen through new eyes.

“My Clan have never considered themselves part of the
Na’Reish
nation, Commander Sahn.” Imhara’s soft-spoken comment caught the Light Blade Commander by surprise. “I may be of
Na’Reish
blood, but we honor the Old Ways and the
Lady
.” She held out her hands. “But if it would ease your fears, tie me. Bind us all. I just ask that you let the Blade Council deal with us.”

Arek waited as Commander Sahn considered his decision. When he nodded, a half-dozen warriors dismounted and advanced with rope. Another Light Blade gathered their weapons and checked their packs for others.

Warriors escorted each of them to their mounts but none were given the reins to them. Arek met Imhara’s gaze between the bodies separating them. Her lips curved in a small, nervous smile. He returned it.

Sahn swung up into his saddle. “We head for Sacred Lake, double-time!”

* * *

SACRED
Lake was a large stone-walled city surrounding a lake. Mountains created a jagged line on the horizon behind it, but what struck Imhara was the open expanse of the plateau. She’d never seen anything like it before. Not only did it leave her feeling exposed and vulnerable as the group made its way toward the city, it was obvious there was no way anyone could approach the high walls from any direction without being seen.

The group passed through the gates with minimal delay, yet the scrutiny Arek had warned her about began once they were inside. The Light Blades in the towers and manning the gates were more controlled than those they passed in the streets.

When they saw her, they made no effort to conceal their unease and fear, and the stench of it assaulted her nostrils. Some even took to hurling abuse their way. No one objected.

She kept her head high and did her best to ignore the slurs, reminding herself there were justifiable reasons for them hating the
Na’Reish
. This might be bad, but instinct told her it could be much worse.

Instead Imhara tried to concentrate on her surroundings. The buildings and houses held a vague familiarity but were different enough in design and variation that she felt their alienness.

That combined with the crowd’s hostility left her feeling out of place. A demon among humans. A first for her, considering her upbringing.

By the time the patrol reached a small compound, a large crowd followed them, and she was glad the Light Blade patrol accompanied them.

A warm leg brushed hers and she tore her gaze away from the crowd to find Arek riding beside her.

“I told you you’d see the inside of Sacred Lake.” A smile accompanied his lighthearted tone.

“This isn’t quite like I expected,” she admitted.

“The Light Blades won’t let them harm you. Any of you.” His knee bumped hers again, a reassuring touch she welcomed. “Nor will I.”

His fierce words warmed her from the inside out. They strengthened her and held back the uncertainty and doubt beginning to gnaw at her innards.

Their beasts were led through a double-gated archway into an open, hard-dirt-packed courtyard.

Arek pointed with his chin, his smile growing wider. “This is the Light Blade compound.”

The pleasure and pride in his tone reminded her that this was his home, the place he’d been born and raised by his grandfather, then trained as a Light Blade. But other than that, she knew very little about him or his past.

As Arek briefly explained each building and its purpose, the noise of the main crowd was left behind outside the walls. The one gathering inside the compound was smaller and consisted mainly of Light Blades and people all dressed in monotone clothes, mostly green. Surprise and satisfaction rushed through her to see a few
Na’Chi
among the faces peering up at them.

“Arek! By the
Lady
, it’s Arek!” The deep, booming voice came from a barrel-chested Light Blade warrior, a human easily in his sixth decade with a face as brown as a nut, a stark contrast to his silver gray hair. He wore practice leathers and a Light Blade amulet.

Arek twisted in his saddle, a broad grin wreathing his features. “Yevni!”

“
Lady’s Breath
, everyone thinks you’re dead!” People moved aside as the huge man ploughed his way through the crowd toward them.

“So I’ve been told.”

The older man reached the barrier of patrol riders. He raised a beefy hand. “No doubt I’ll hear your story soon.” He gestured forward with a grin. “I believe word might have just reached the
Chosen
of your arrival.
Merciful Mother
, it’s good to have you home again!”

“It’s good to be home, Yevni!” The hoarse note in Arek’s tone backed up his words.

Imhara peered ahead to see a wide pathway bordered with a garden on one side and formal arrangements of monoliths at even intervals on the other. Behind it and to the left stood a three-story building, and coming down the stairs at a rapid pace were a handful of people.

“Kalan!” Arek’s cry was filled with a wealth of emotion.

He dismounted, boots thudding on the ground as he landed, and tried to push his way through the ring of riders. A sharp order from a tall, dark-haired man dressed in fine clothes opened a gap.

Arek shouldered through and the two men stood eye to eye, one grinning widely, the other sporting a conflicting expression of shock and emerging joy. The dark-haired man freed Arek’s hands of the rope with a disgusted curse, then embraced him in a back-pounding hug.