Becoming a Legend (11 page)

“I’d
like to thank everyone for coming tonight to celebrate with us on the birthday of my niece, and our leader, Arianna Grace. Since she has taken over in the past year, we’ve had fewer conflicts with the dearg-dul and one might say she has even brought peace to our lands. We are lucky to have such a great diplomatic leader,” Gabriel began. Arianna blushed and tried to ignore Gabriel talking. Her only diplomacy was her birth. Gabriel continued his speech, while Arianna talked silently to Andrew.

‘
What’s your uncle planning?’
she asked.

‘
No clue. His decisions never involve my opinion.’
Andrew continued to stare at his uncle. ‘
I guess I’m supposed to keep my mouth shut, according to him.’
Lucan’s glare was evident to both Arianna and Andrew.

Arianna looked back up at the crowd as they all proclaimed
“Happy Birthday!” together. Most of the people were genuinely happy. As everyone sat down so that dinner could be served, Lucan continued to stand. Gabriel nodded for permission to talk as there was no reason to deny him.

“
What a great occasion this is to celebrate,” Lucan began. “But why stop there at a birthday celebration, but at a change of power.” The crowd began to murmur their disapproval. Gabriel was correct in guessing that no one approved of mutiny.

“
Are you suggesting a rebellion? Are you making a challenge?” Gabriel asked, his baku form expanding a bit as he stood. Not a single person seated at the large table seemed to agree with Lucan.

“
Never, great leader,” Lucan said with sarcasm. “I’m speaking for my nephew, since he’s seated at the left hand of the leader, Andrew assumes second-in-command for tonight.” The talking grew around them from murmurs to talking over each other. Arianna strained to listen to the conversations and understand what was happening. Andrew’s seat meant nothing to her. The males were all seated on the left of the females dates of each baku at the table. It was etiquette to have them there.

‘
Please explain,’
Arianna asked her uncle, but Gabriel didn’t reply as he stared daggers at Lucan. Arianna looked around the room, still confused. Everyone else seemed to get what Lucan meant even if she did not.

Andrew reached for her hand, but Devin
suddenly stood between them. Devin’s blade was pulled out, and it was obvious that he planned to use it as soon as he could. Andrew didn’t hit back this time. There was none of the bravado of power. Andrew sighed and returned to their silent conversation.

‘
At all times, the second-in-command can challenge the head of the families to a duel for the right to be in charge. The person seated to the left of the leader at formal functions is considered the number two in command. I should have been this coming. My uncle might not be strong, but he’s clever when he wants to be. Gabriel should have been seated here, but since you’re a female, they seated me here as your date.’
Andrew dragged his hands through his hair, wanting to be face-to-face with Arianna, but instead finding himself staring at Devin.

‘
This was all a set up?’
Arianna asked Andrew. Disbelief filled her face. Andrew had always been honest with her, at least she thought. She counted back to all the times she had been alone with him in the past year. Not one time did she feel unsafe around him. Was she supposed to? Devin seemed to think so, and now, Devin was correct.

‘
Never by me. I truly just wanted to be your date,’
Andrew tried to beg for her to listen to him.

‘
And you can’t just decline?’
Arianna demanded. The tension in the tent was mounting, and they were sitting at the core of it. Gabriel was now fuming over having been caught in a trap. His anger wouldn’t hold much longer.

‘
My uncle speaks for my family. His word is law in our house.’
Andrew hung his head in defeat. He couldn’t protect Arianna after all.

For ten minutes straight, the people around Arianna argued over the circumstances. All
saw that it was a complete set-up by Lucan to gain power, but the rules were the rules. Lucan supporters, who did not support him in a revolt from the current leadership, now easily agreed with Lucan, while most others, who were neutral, or even supported Arianna, did not. There had never been a female baku, let alone a female leader, so there was no real protocol on how to handle the situation. Females always sat to the right of the male they were with. Gabriel was too incensed to calm the people around them; so, they rattled on all their opinions while Arianna sat and watched with Devin standing between her and Andrew. Andrew looked around Devin but made no attempt to talk with her. He was busy in his own conversation and growing increasingly irritated. Arianna felt the fury start to come off him. Devin’s hand rested on the sheathed blade he brought, ready to pounce in a moment’s notice to defend her as the crowd’s arguing grew.

“
What’s going on?” someone asked Devin, joining the already growing voices trying to be heard
.

Arianna looked up next to her. Thomas
had entered from behind them. He was confused at the ruckus going on and was eagerly looking from one person to the next, trying to get enough of the conversations to understand.

“A challenge was issued,” Arianna replied.

‘What does that mean?’
Arianna asked Thomas silently. He was the only person in the room not upset or even reacting to the news.

‘It’s
a fight to submission between the clan leader and the challenger,’
Thomas explained.
‘Who challenged?’

‘
Lucan said that Andrew challenged,’
Arianna replied. Thomas looked around Arianna and glared at Andrew also.

‘
What an idiot,’
Thomas replied. “Are you really that dense?” Thomas yelled over at Andrew. Andrew didn’t reply. He had been caught in his uncle’s trap just as much as Arianna was.

“
The Lucan clan set up Arianna. They had Andrew be her date, and then called for a challenge since he’s seated to her left,” Devin explained over all the commotion.

“Lucan
can’t do that,” Thomas replied, shrugging at all the noise. He wasn’t upset at the possibility of a challenge, even though he just asked to be Arianna’s keeper, swearing to protect her less than an hour ago.

“According to the rules he can
,” Devin replied. “Andrew is seated on her left. That would be the spot for the second-in-command.” Thomas still waved Devin’s comment away and didn’t even anger in the least.

“
No, I know the rules. Yes, the rules state a challenge can be made, but the baku’s tengu is always second-in-command,” Thomas replied. “Even if they are not present. It’s the balance between the baku and tengu.”

“
Yes, but Arianna doesn’t have a tengu,” Devin replied, not lowering his knife, which was pointed at Andrew, who wasn’t sitting back down or even trying to contain his rage. Andrew had spent years keeping Lucan from knowing the extent of his real strength, but it was much harder to keep under control when angered. Andrew took a few deep breaths and listened to Devin and Thomas speak.

“
Did they not leave me a seat? Arianna doesn’t know the traditions quite yet, and must not have told them about me,” Thomas replied. Devin’s head snapped up as Gabriel finally came out of his fog of rage.

“
Is that true?” Gabriel asked. Andrew felt the hope Gabriel had, and Andrew’s power fell back under control.

“
Yes, he asked just before coming here,” Arianna replied. She looked to Thomas for an explanation but Gabriel spoke first.

“
And he’s tasted your blood?” Gabriel added.

“
On multiple occasions,” Thomas replied. “Turner and I both use her blood when protecting her. Everything is set. I just wanted her to agree before I told you.”

Gabriel smiled and stood up. Everyone was instantly silent.
Gabriel’s power was strong and threatening, but the calm happiness that settled over him startled everyone. Gabriel wasn’t one to hide his emotions, and the crowd all knew to tune into it to get a better idea of what is going on.

“
Your challenge was heard,” Gabriel started. “But there will be no challenge tonight.” The Lucan supporters started to complain. Gabriel flexed his power over the crowd and they easily fell into submission.
That’s something I have to learn
, Arianna thought. “While we did seat Andrew Lucan at the table next to Arianna it was because her tengu was trying to show respect toward the Lucan clan.”

“
She doesn’t have a tengu. That would have been news we all heard of immediately,” Lucan replied. “Quit stalling, and let’s arrange the fight.” Lucan knew, like everyone else, that though Arianna was stronger than Andrew, his experience would win any confrontation. Lucan only hoped his nephew would listen to his orders and get rid of the girl. There was always the slight chance that Andrew would disobey. He had become more stubborn since meeting Arianna.

“
If she has a tengu, we will not support any unequal fight between a tengu and baku.” An older man rose from the other end of the table. He was the head of the tengu. His black wings fanned out behind him as he talked. “The tengu only support the baku due to the joint treaty.”

‘What does that mean?’
Arianna asked Gabriel.
‘Why would it be between a tengu and baku if Andrew and I are both baku?’

‘
Being your tengu means I have to accept any challenges to your power by fighting for you. It’s a way to keep the power in balance. Tengu will only support a baku leader if a tengu is second-in-command,’
Thomas replied, still not worried about the situation.

Arianna
’s head snapped up to stare at Thomas. “You didn’t tell me that was what it meant. I can’t let you throw yourself in front of everyone that challenges me.”

“
Have a little faith in the bird,” Turner added from her other side. He was also anticipating a fight and was eager to join in. He might not be able to hunt birds, but the baku would be just as much fun.

“
If it comes to a fight, I do so using your blood,” Thomas answered, nodding to Turner for his support. “I might not match a baku in power, but with your blood, I could defeat any tengu that challenges me.”

“You
claim to be her tengu?” Lucan asked Thomas. Lucan stood and began to walk forward, but Molina moved between the head of the table and Lucan, holding her poison-laced blade up.

“
Anyone with hostility better move away,” Molina suggested. “Baku may be forbidden to shed blood at a celebration, but I’m not. If you’d like to test me, go ahead.”

Lucan looked at the blade and could smell the poison on it. He returned to his
chair but didn’t sit down. Molina wasn’t a threat by herself, but the poison was.

“
If that’s true,” Lucan said calmly, “Prove it.”

‘
How do we prove it? He asked; I said yes. Do we have some sort of lie-detector test?’
Arianna asked Gabriel.

‘
Watch and see.’
Gabriel nodded to Thomas.

“
Not a problem,” Thomas replied. “Master?” Thomas bowed to the head tengu.

The head tengu
, Malachi, moved to one side of Arianna and Thomas stood on the other. Thomas smiled as if he already knew the secret. Taking the plate offered to him from Patrick, Gabriel’s son and second-in-command, Gabriel set it in front of Arianna. Malachi took the nearest knife and poked his own finger first. He squeezed a large bubble of blood onto the plate. Thomas did the same, putting his dot on the other side of the plate. Arianna looked between them and didn’t understand what was going on. Gabriel reached over and pricked her finger. Gabriel placed a dot of Arianna’s blood between the two other dots. Both of the tengu’s blood began to move toward Arianna’s dot, but her blood already chose Thomas, and it zoomed away from Malachi’s blood.

“That’s
enough evidence for me. Blood has been shared and bonded,” Malachi said loudly to the silent crowd. Lucan fumed across the table. “Do you wish to retract your challenge?” Malachi stared down Lucan. Lucan stared back. Arianna finally realized, not a single tengu supported Lucan. His followers were all baku. Lucan didn’t speak, but instead glared at Andrew.

Andrew stood and cleared his throat.
“Yes, we wish to retract our challenge.” A collective sigh was heard throughout the room. “In fact, we want to offer our sincere apologies for any disrespect the Grace family might have felt.” Andrew’s eyes bore holes into Arianna as he tried to get his message across. “Actually, I’d like to go even further.” Andrew winced. Lucan was silently screaming at him. “And offer my heartfelt regret that this occurred at all. If Arianna could find in herself to forgive me, I’d like to be her keeper.”

TEN