Blades of the Old Empire (6 page)

“It’s essential for our lesson that you are able to concentrate,” Mother Keeper said, following the direction of Ellah’s gaze. “Do you think you can?”

Ellah tore her eyes away from the distant group and looked at the woman. She was blushing again, but she hoped it wasn’t too noticeable in the darkness.

“Yes,” she said.

“Good,” Mother Keeper said. “Now, tell me what happened on the road today.”

“I’m not sure. I just– suddenly I
knew
this man was lying.”

“You did fine,” Mother Keeper assured her. “I was the one who was slow to react. It is fortunate for all of us that King Evan has such formidable guards.”

Ellah couldn’t help stealing another look at Mai, but he was now sitting sideways, engaged in a conversation with Evan. She relaxed.

“I did feel this way before,” she said, “but usually no one believed me. And then it always seemed to me later that I was wrong. But this time…” She paused.

Mother Keeper nodded. “This time we believed you, and you were right. I can teach you how to control it, so that you could always tell. Now, listen.” She moved closer and put her hands over Ellah’s. Her touch was warm. “Close your eyes. Make yourself very comfortable. Lie down, if you want. And listen to my voice. Try to distinguish if I am telling the truth.”

“But how?”

“There is a method to it. You should think past my words. You should try to separate my voice into tones and undertones, so that you could tell whether I am thinking in harmony with what I say.”

“Past the words? I don’t understand.”

“When you listen to people and recognize that they are lying,” Mother Keeper said, “it’s not the words that you recognize, it’s the feeling behind the words. Every time you hear a lie, there’s something you can detect in the speaker’s feelings that other people can’t. The purpose of our lessons is to try to identify this something, to separate it from the rest, so that you can sense it every time. Try.”

Ellah leaned back and lay down on the blanket, facing upward to the clear night sky. It felt good after the hard day. She closed her eyes, listening to Mother Keeper’s voice.

“When a king of Tallan Dar dies without an heir, succession must be decided by the majority vote at the High Council, with House Dorn holding the principal claim against the other royal houses,” Mother Keeper said.

“True.” Ellah hesitated. “But I don’t think I need my gift to tell. This is how King Evan won the crown.”

“Try another one. If the Royal House Dorn has no eligible heirs, the next in line to rule is the head of the Royal House Illitand.”

“It’s the truth.” Ellah’s eyes widened. “Really? But that would make the Duke of Illitand eligible to contest –” she clasped her hand over her mouth. The information put a new spin on their current trip. If King Evan was the last in his line, wouldn’t he be in danger right now, riding in disguise straight into Illitand’s stronghold?
Relax
, she told herself. Kyth, Evan’s rightful heir, was alive and well, under the Majat’s protection. There shouldn’t be any problems, should there?

Mother Keeper only smiled, as if oblivious to the unspoken question. “Now, let’s try a different one. Odara Sul learned to cook from her grandmother, who was also a Keeper of high standing.”

Ellah hesitated. “A lie.”

“Which part?”

“I am not sure. Both?”

Mother Keeper shook her head. “The first part is almost true. Odara Sul’s grandmother
was
a great cook, but she never was a Keeper. She died when Odara was very young, so Odara never had a chance to learn much cooking. We continued her training as a cook in the White Citadel.”

“There is something wrong about the way you said it just now.”

“Which part?”

“The last one. You almost believe it, but not quite. Which makes it not exactly a lie, but…”

Mother Keeper gave her a long look. “You’re better than I thought. The part you are sensing is about cooking. We didn’t exactly train Odara to
cook
. But it’s not important now. Your purpose is to try to understand how you can tell.”

Ellah closed her eyes again and relaxed back against the blanket, listening to Mother Keeper’s next statement.

“Ghaz Shalan Testing was first instigated in the Old Empire, when the court alchemists came upon a substance that can boil when it comes into contact with the blood of the gifted. The gift was later proclaimed to be a curse, and the liquid was adopted by the Church as the way to test all the newborns in the Empire.”

“It seems like the truth,” Ellah said, “but it shouldn’t be. The Holy Book says that Ghaz Shalan Elixir was discovered with Lord Shal Addim’s guidance by Father Bertoldos, nine hundred years ago, to help eliminate ungodly creations of the Cursed Destroyer.”

“Yes, the Holy Book does say this, doesn’t it?”

Ellah sensed a smile behind the older woman’s calm tone. She sat up. She knew that many in their kingdom opposed Ghaz Shalan Testing, and that quite a few people – including Kyth and Ellah herself – would have been dead if the priests had their way all the time, but to say that the holiest elixir in existence came from anywhere else but Shal Addim’s grace was blasphemy. At least it had been, in the world where Ellah had grown up.

“And you think
you
know better, don’t you?” she asked.

Mother Keeper smiled. “
You
tell
me
.”

Ellah hesitated.
This is just a lesson
, she reminded herself. Besides, what Mother Keeper said didn’t have to be the truth – she just had to
believe
she was telling it.

She closed her eyes and lay back again.

There was a brief pause before Mother Keeper went on. “A large part of the Bengaw province is covered in swamps that originate from the Dark Mire in the Forestlands.”

“True.”

“Aghat Mai is looking at you,” Odara Sul suddenly said.

Ellah sat up so quickly she felt dizzy, and spun around toward the fire. Mai was still turned sideways, deep in conversation. He wasn’t looking her way at all.

Ellah glared. “You lied, didn’t you?”

“Yes, and you believed me!” Odara doubled over with laugher.

“But –”

Mother Keeper’s glance silenced them.

“It’s the most important part of your lesson today,” she said to Ellah. “You can’t sense the truth where your emotions are involved. And this is your most vulnerable spot. We must learn to overcome it.”

“But how?” Ellah felt helpless. Despite Mother Keeper’s words she found it so difficult to draw her eyes away from Mai’s perfect profile. Why did he have to be so handsome? Why did he have to catch her alone this evening and sneak up so close to her? Why did his smell, the faint scent of pine and spring water, make her feel so weak inside?

“Try to think,” Mother Keeper said. “What makes you feel something is a lie?”

Ellah closed her eyes one more time.

“Colors,” she finally said. “When you speak, I see colors. Blue or green when it’s true. And red or pink when I think it’s a lie.”

“What about the times when you cannot tell?”

“They kind of shimmer. And when I think harder they can turn any color I want.”

“Now he’s
really
looking at you,” Odara Sul said.

Ellah made a move to rise, but Mother Keeper’s hand held her in place.

“Try to tell if this one is true. Then you can look.”

Ellah relaxed back into the blanket. She tried to think, but when she imagined that he could see her sprawled like this, with her hair in disarray, with the collar of her shirt folded away showing too much of her neck, she couldn’t possibly think straight. She tried to tell herself that no one could possibly see such details looking from the brightly lit fire into the darkness, but it was hard.

“Probably a lie,” she finally said.

The hand let go. She rose up to a sitting position and looked.

Mai’s head was turned her way. It was far, and the blaze of the fire was right in front of him, but she could swear that he looked all the way to where she sat and met her eyes. Then he smiled and turned away.

Ellah blushed so deeply even her neck went crimson. Mother Keeper watched her intently.

“He’s quite dashing,” she said quietly. “But you must be careful around him, child. Remember, he’s a hired killer, cold-blooded and ruthless. If he gives you any attention, it’s either for his amusement or to serve some hidden purpose.”

Ellah looked away. She knew Mother Keeper believed her words to be the truth. But what if she was wrong about this one? What if Mai really was different?

“These hazels are too young,” Egey Bashi said. “It would be hard to find any firewood.”

They had been riding well into dusk and camped at the edge of a hazel grove beside a small brook, tethering their mounts to the low hanging hazel branches with enough leeway to reach the water and the rich grass pasture on the other side. A semicircle of stones piled waist-high on the far side of the glade created a primitive shelter to protect travelers from the bitter flatland winds. A pit filled with old coals lay in the center of the protected area. A small pile of firewood was propped under a protruding stone ledge, an aid to stranded travelers trying to start a fire.

“This should be enough for a bit,” Raishan said. “But we’ll need more later on. It’s going to be a cold night.”

“I’ll go gather some wood,” Kyth volunteered.

“I’ll go with you,” Kara said, exchanging a short glance with Raishan.

Kyth laid down his pack next to Alder, busy unpacking their food supplies, and wrapped himself tighter in his cloak before following Kara into the deep hazel growth.

It promised to be a cold night. As they picked their way along the uneven ground, Kyth could see his breath coming out in thin streaks of vapor. The hazel branches spread above them, their deep shade making it difficult to see ahead. Kyth strained his eyes to focus on Kara’s cloaked figure creeping away into the gloom.

“There really isn’t much dry wood in here,” she said after a while.

“Maybe we should just cut some fresh branches?” Kyth suggested.

She shook her head, her hair a pale gleam in the forest dimness. “Fresh wood would never burn. Let’s go further. Maybe we’ll find a dead tree or something.”

Further ahead the trees were scarce , letting in enough moonlight to illuminate the eerie landscape with a suffused, silvery glow. Kyth caught up with Kara, watching the soft line of her profile, barely visible in the forest shade.

“When Nimos looked at you,” he said at length. “I… I…” He took a deep breath. “I was afraid,” he confessed.

“Afraid?”

“I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me.”

She let out a short laugh. “Me? What could possibly happen to
me
?”

Kyth hesitated. On one hand, it seemed ridiculous to fear for her; she was one of the best fighters in existence. Only her fellows in rank could match her skill. She was also immune to the disabling power wielded by their mysterious Kaddim attackers. And yet, since their encounter with Nimos, Kyth couldn’t escape the nagging feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.

“My presence puts you in danger,” he said. “I can feel it.”

She laughed again. “What’s gotten into you? I’m here to protect
you
, remember?”

He shook his head. He didn’t know how explain it to her. In the face of her certainty he was beginning to doubt himself. Perhaps deep down it wasn’t concern for her that made him feel so insecure, but fear of the possibility that after they reach the Majat Guild he might fail the negotiations and lose her.

“Do you think your Guildmaster will let you go on with me?” he asked.

She shrugged. “He will, if you pay the price. He cannot refuse. Unless–”

“Unless what?”

“Unless he’s already committed me to another assignment. But even then, someone would have to hire me by name to take precedence over you, and no one has hired a Diamond by name for hundreds of years.”

“Really?”

“It costs triple, and it really makes no sense. Everyone knows all Diamonds are truly equal in skill, so why pay triple for the same thing?”

Kyth nodded. Her words were reassuring. “I’m glad we’ll be together,” he said quietly.

She stopped and turned to face him, her eyes two dark spots in the forest dimness.

“Kyth–”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said it.” Kyth lowered his head. He was a prince, a man whose wishes mattered very little when it came to choosing a bride. His feelings for Kara, if pursued, could lead to a scandal, maybe even a war, but they could never lead to a proper marriage. He cared too much to put her through that. It seemed much better never to mention his feelings to her. Yet, when she stood in front of him, so close that he could detect her faint natural scent of wild flowers, it was too hard to control himself.

“I… I know we’re not a proper match,” he said.

“It’s not that.” She reached forward to touch his hand. Her warmth made him shiver as he closed his fingers over hers.

“It’s not you,” she said. “It’s me. I’m not allowed to
have
any feelings, for anyone. It would go against my training and everything I am. I do care for you, but–”

Her breath burned his cheek. Her eyes filled his vision, beckoning. Her faint scent was driving him mad. He wasn’t sure what he was doing anymore.

As Kyth drew closer, she turned and met his lips. The kiss echoed through his body like silent thunder. His head swam, his mind retreating to give room to raw senses. He immersed in her closeness, her warmth, her smell. He didn’t know how long it lasted. Her skin was smooth under his lips, the silk of her hair caressing his cheek. Her kiss drowned him and brought him back to life and drowned him again.

After an eternity he emerged, weak and senseless, his entire being driven by the sole desire to hold her close, so close that he couldn’t tell the two of them apart anymore. He felt her body go tense in his arms as she made a move to draw away. He
couldn’t
let her go, but through their incredible closeness he sensed that she wanted him to stop. It was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do; to lower his arms and step away, weak and trembling, helpless as if he had just been reborn and didn’t know how to make his first steps into the world.

“Kara,” he whispered.

She drew away, shivering. “I shouldn’t have done it. Sorry.”

He didn’t move, waiting for her to continue. He felt dizzy. It took all he had to be so close and not to touch her, to force his arms to stay lowered by his sides.

“We can’t let this happen again, Kyth,” she said quietly.

“Why?” He kept his voice to a whisper, so that she couldn’t hear the plea. The thought that one day they would part forever was unbearable. There
had
to be a way to make this work.

“Like you, I’m not free to choose my fate,” she said quietly. “My life belongs to my Guild. Whatever our feelings for each other, I can never be more than a bodyguard to you.”

In the darkness he couldn’t see her eyes, but he could sense the tension in the set of her neck, in her guarded voice that hid the emotions inside.

“Isn’t there another way?” he asked.

She shook her head. “We must let it go, however hard it is. I
can’t
be with you, Kyth. I may look like a normal girl to you, but I’m not. You can’t even begin to imagine how
different
I am.”

He longed to hold her again, to comfort her. He could sense that behind her composure she was aching inside, just like he was. But he stood still. He didn’t want to cause her more pain.

She faced him a moment longer, then set off into the dark.

When they finally emerged from the shade of the trees with piles of dry wood in their hands, Kyth sensed something was wrong even before Kara froze in front of him, her still shape melting into the shadows. A moment later a long, thin lash whizzed through the air, aimed at her face. It looked like an unfolding whip, except that in the moonlight it gave off a faint metal gleam.

Kara dropped the pile of wood, keeping one thick branch, which she put up in the way of the advancing menace. There was a crack and the stick broke in two, a clean cut that didn’t seem possible for a whip-like weapon.

The lash came back, but this time she had her sword in hand. The blade met the whip with a screech. She flicked her wrist, sending her sword forward in a snake-like movement, answered by a thud and a curse. The whip came free. She caught it at the base and pulled it free of the sword.

“A
shektal
,” she observed calmly. “Is there a reason for attacking me, Magister?”

The bushes rustled and a cloaked shape emerged from behind the boulder.

“Sorry, Aghat,” Magister Egey Bashi said. “I thought you were someone else.”

“No problem.” Kara’s full lips twitched as she handed him back the weapon.

Raishan and Alder rose out of the bushes on the other side and made their way toward them. Alder looked shaken. He held his axe, its crescent blade gleaming in the moonlight. A long oozing scratch crossed Raishan’s cheek.

“What’s going on here?” Kara demanded.

“What took you so long?” Raishan’s voice had a hidden edge.

A snigger from the far end of the glade made them spin around. A hooded figure came into view.

Nimos. Kyth’s skin crept.

The flickers of the dying fire painted his black cloak with blood-red shades. His hood was pushed back, revealing the sharp, drawn features of the hollow face and the deep eye sockets that remained in shadow. Behind him, hooded figures emerged. Each had a weapon in hand, a spiked metal ball on a long chain.

Kyth suppressed a gasp.
Orbens! Just like the men who attacked us back at the castle.

“An excellent question,” Nimos said, his voice echoing clearly in the night air. “Why should it take so long for two capable people to gather a simple bundle of firewood?” He stepped into the moonlit center of the glade. “A piece of advice, Aghat Raishan. Never send a boy and a girl together into a dark forest. They’d do more than just collect firewood.”

Kara and Raishan closed around Kyth, swords in hand, watching Nimos cross the glade. He stopped in front of Kara, the lusty gleam in his eyes making Kyth’s guts wrench in revolt.

“It brings joy to my heart, Aghat Kara,” Nimos said, “to finally see your weapon out in the open. You only bring it out to fight, don’t you? Are you going to fight me? It would be… oh, so sensual. It makes me excited just to think about it.”

“What do you want?” Kyth demanded.

Nimos’s lips stretched into a smile that didn’t touch the rest of his face.

“All I want is to be your friend, Highness. We’re not that different, after all. There’s at least one passion we both share.” He glanced at Kara, licking his lips suggestively.

“Get out of here!” Kyth could barely hold his anger.

Nimos laughed. “You’d force me to go? Without even a proper goodbye?”

“Unless you want to fight us,” Raishan said.

Nimos turned and gave him an appraising glance. “Tempting, but regrettably I didn’t bring enough men to fight two Diamonds.”

Raishan shrugged. “Tough luck.”

“I was hoping, however,” Nimos went on, “that you and Aghat Kara might have reconsidered my offer.”

“Sorry you had to go through all this trouble for nothing.”

“Come now, Aghat Raishan, you’re a reasonable man. I’m offering you a fortune for this boy. Should I double it?”

“Should I count to three?” Kara asked. “I don’t normally say this, but my sword hand is getting restless.”

Nimos licked his lips again with slow deliberation. “Oh, you’re such a tease, naughty girl. I know that you have two swords. Hence, two sword hands. You wouldn’t be a Diamond if you couldn’t use both hands equally well, and ooh, the mere thought of it excites me. I love a woman with a grip. I can show you so many things you could do with your, as you call it, sword hands, rather than hold weapons. Something your boy here can’t possibly dream of. You have but to say the word.”

“
One.
”

“Oh, please, don’t change the subject. We were just getting started, weren’t we? By the way, you look so pretty when you’re angry!”

“
Two
.”

“You break my heart, beautiful Kara. But if this is your final word–” Nimos waved a hand, a gesture answered by a rustle from across the glade as his men retreated back into the shadows. With a last glance at Kara he darted toward the bushes. In moments, the glade stood empty, the sound of rapidly retreating footsteps disappearing into the distance.

Kara stood still for a moment, then flicked her swords into the sheath at her back. “Let me take a look at your wound, Aghat,” she said to Raishan.

The Diamond shook his head. “No need. It’s just a scratch.”

“What happened?”

He shrugged. “I’m not quite sure. It was as if I lost focus for a moment. I’ve never felt that way before.”

“They used their power on him,” Egey Bashi said darkly. “It was short, and very deliberate. I had a feeling it was some kind of test.”

Power.
They wanted to know if other Diamond Majat besides Kara are immune to them.
Kyth’s heart raced. He had no doubt now that Nimos and Kaddim Tolos were connected. Worse, they were after him. And it was clear now that no one except Kara could protect him.

The fact that Nimos didn’t bother to hide his connection with Tolos – displaying orbens and openly wielding his power – was even more frightening. As if he was really sure he would succeed in whatever it was the Kaddim had planned.
What do they want with me?

“We should eat,” Kara said. “And get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a long day.”

Raishan nodded. “We should keep watch,” he said. “I believe we may be in for a very eventful trip.”