Forever (31 page)

“Yeah?” She sidled up to me and slid an arm around my waist, leaning her head against me. “I get you, Steve.”

“I know.” I squeezed her shoulders. “I’m grateful.”

“This is a big night for us.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m glad you decided to go with Ebonwatch. I wouldn’t have thought of it, but it’s exactly right.”

I smiled, and the knot in my gut loosened a little. It
was
exactly right, and it would be all right.

Madóran was out in the courtyard. Manda and I went out to join the others. Bironan and Faranin stood flanking Mirali’s group. Caeran and Len stood at the south side of the circle. Manda and I went to the east side.

That left the north for Madóran. Appropriate, since he lived north of the rest of us.

“Which element is north?” I whispered to Manda.

“Earth. Earth and winter.”

The sky to the west glowed with twilight. Savhoran and Pirian could come out now, though I knew that Pirian, at least, preferred full dark. I looked toward their rooms.

A touch on my arm made me jump. I turned to find Lomen grinning at me.

“Happy Evennight.”

You snuck up on me!

His grin widened. “I made you a little gift.”

He held out something blue. It was leather—butter soft in my hands—and had three oblong wooden beads along one edge.

“It’s a bracelet. Shall I fasten it for you?”

I gave it back to him, pushed my sleeve up a bit, and held out my arm. “Sure, ’cause I bet I can’t do it myself.”

That’s the point.

He slid the beads through buttonholes in the other edge. The bracelet fit me perfectly, a wide band of blue.

“Blue’s a Greystone color, isn’t it?”

“It’s also an Ebonwatch color. Night blue.”

“Night blue and what?” Manda asked.

Lomen plucked a pinch of my sleeve and smiled. “White.”

I touched the bracelet, so soft. “Thank you.”
I don’t have a gift for you.

No matter. Humans fret needlessly over equal exchanges. Everything evens out eventually.

He kissed my cheek and went off to the north side of the circle. He would stand with Madóran, then. Of course.

Madóran was talking with Caeran. He had a long, carved staff with ribbons floating from it. A little too fancy for a wizard, but that’s what it made me think of, only Madóran was beautiful instead of craggy and old.

Maybe he was a wizard, though. He was probably the most powerful user of khi in the group. I mused on that, watching the fountain dancing in the evening shadows, its murmur a calming background.

Movement drew my gaze to the north
portal
: Savhoran. He came to join us, giving me a nod and bending to say something in Manda’s ear. She gave a little girlish laugh, very unlike her.

Pirian had come out, too, and went to stand on Savhoran’s other side. I looked at him, wondering if he was recovered now, but the dusk made it hard to read his face.

Madóran moved to the fountain and raised a hand. The lanterns hanging between the poles that marked the directions flickered to life, bathing the courtyard in warm firelight.

“Welcome, one and all, to the Evennight celebration of Clans Greystone and Ebonwatch. Today, day and night are equal. From now until Midwinter, nights shall grow longer. It is a time of harvest, a time of remembrance and gratitude, a time of preparing for winter.”

He walked to the west side of the circle and stood before the pole there, raising his staff in the air. Mirali looked up at him, Nathrali in her arms.

“In the season of Autumn, we honor and thank the spirits of the West, guardians of Water, always precious in these lands.”

Madóran moved clockwise around the circle, stopping at the north to greet the appropriate spirits. Lomen gazed at him, softly smiling. I listened, ready to be suspicious of anything that pushed my no-religion-thanks button, but Madóran’s words weren’t about worshipping anything or anyone.

A beeping started from the kitchen; some neglected timer going off. Manda’s head turned; she was scowling.

“I’ll get it,” I whispered.

I hurried across the
portal
, waving away Len, who had turned to look. In the kitchen I tracked down the culprit and shut it off, then checked to make sure the oven was off.

I heard a soft sound, and realized what it was. The door to the garden, closing.

I flashed on Lomen barring the front door, but the side door wasn’t locked. It had never been locked as far as I knew.

My heart started pounding so hard it hurt.

I
had maybe a few seconds. No way to defend myself.

“Alben!” I shouted, the word tearing out of my throat.

Pelting steps—they were coming.

No weapons to hand. Knife block—too far and they’d just take it away from me.

Between me and the knives, the microwave.

I punched the cook button and hit start, then ducked back. Saw a shape in the doorway.

Pain slammed me, but didn’t overwhelm me like before. I crouched by the counter, staying close to the microwave and its khi-disruptive field, praying it wouldn’t turn off.

I heard shouting and scuffling from out in the courtyard. The pain stopped abruptly.

The figure in the doorway was gone. I straightened, trying to summon the courage to go out there.

A piercing shriek, feminine. Instinct took over and I ran out.

Khi was flying around, so much that the hair on my arms stood up. A clump of people on the ground at the south side of the circle: Len, lying still; Caeran and Lomen, grappling with a white-haired male.

Struggle to my right, too, but I ignored it. Terrified for Lomen, I threw myself against the alben male.

It broke up the fight momentarily. The male turned to face me, snarling. We were both on our knees, facing off like savage beasts.

I swear his eyes seemed to glow red, though I knew they were black. Maybe I sensed the blood that he craved, that drove him. Pain licked at the edge of my awareness and I cringed.

No!

Lomen’s clasped fists bashed into the side of the alben’s head.

Get away, Steven!

I staggered to my feet. The alben aimed a blow at Lomen but Caeran caught his arm.

This had to stop. Barely thinking, I grabbed a patio table from the
portal
and upended it.

Caeran still had hold of the alben’s arm. The alben was trying to tear Caran’s head off with his free hand, but Lomen was interfering, one hand on Caeran’s shoulder and the other trying to peel the alben’s fingers off Caeran’s neck.

Holy gods! Memory of a lump of meat flashed through my mind.

“No!”

I brought the table down on the alben’s head, not caring if I hit anything else. It stunned him enough to make him release Caeran.

I followed through, pushing the table top against his head, pushing him down to the ground. I knelt on the table. A stab of pain seared through my brain.

The next few seconds were lost to me, filled with agony. My brain was on fire.

All saw was red; all I knew was that I had to stay on the table. Easy, since I couldn’t move.

It stopped abruptly. Gasping for breath, I blinked as my vision cleared.

Madóran had joined us. He, Lomen, and Caeran had the alben under control.

“The others?” I croaked. I didn’t want to say Mirali’s name.

“Safe,” Madóran whispered

I got off the table and stood, shakily. To my right, Pirian and Savhoran were struggling with the female alben. I’d never seen her face but it didn’t matter; I recognized her.

She let out a howl of rage that chilled me to the core of my gut. I wanted to run but instead I waded in.

My clan. My brothers.

Her attention was on them. I swept her feet out from under her with a kick, and nearly fell myself. She went to her knees with a startled yelp, falling against Savhoran.

I locked gazes with Savhoran over her head.

Use my khi.

His eyes widened, then I felt a pulling sensation. It didn’t feel good; made me sick to my stomach. I dropped to my knees.

It was enough. The alben slumped in Savhoran’s arms. Something glinted in the lamplight: a knife in her hand. Pirian took it from her.

“Drop her,” he said.

Savhoran’s gaze locked onto his. They stared off while my heart thumped three times, then Savhoran nodded and let the alben slide to the ground. He stepped back.

Pirian’s eyes were cold black and a snarl curled his lip as he stood looking down at his tormentor. Lightning-quick he bent, pulled up her shirt, and made three strokes on her torso with the knife.

She screamed.

Madóran started toward them, but Caeran caught him. “No! The blood!”

Pirian’s chin lifted, then he raised his arm and plunged the knife into the alben’s heart. I shuddered, even though I hated her about as much as anyone could.

Anyone but Pirian.

She was still. Pirian straightened, leaving the knife embedded in its owner’s chest.

The pulling sensation faded, leaving me shaking. The prickling had been there, too—not as strong as I’d felt it before, but definitely there. Savhoran turned his head to look at me, regret written on his face.

I heard Madóran’s voice, sounding concerned. The only word that resolved was “Lenore.”

Len!

I turned and saw her struggling to sit up, one hand against her temple. The other three were still piled on top of the alben male.

I got to my feet, not without some struggle of my own, and went to help Len up. Got her away from the alben, into a chair on the
portal
. I sat next to her, still feeling nauseated.

“You OK, Len?”

“Uh...”

“I’ll get you some water.”

“No, stay.” She caught my arm.

I put my arm around her. She started to sob.

Manda came out from behind a bush and stepped up to Savhoran. He turned when she spoke to him, then nodded. I didn’t hear what she said.

She went to the entryway door. Pirian stooped, caught the female alben’s hair in one hand and yanked. It was vicious, but it didn’t matter; she was dead.

Savhoran picked up her feet and they carried her out of the house, Manda opening the doors. I could hear her unbolting the front door.

I closed my eyes. If only I had locked the side door. I should have thought of it, when I saw Lomen bar the front.

Useless shoulds. I squeezed Len’s shoulders and looked back at the other alben.

Bironan and Faranin had come out and added their khi to the pile-on. Five ælven against one alben: that ought to take care of him.

Firelight gleamed on Madóran’s face. He was weeping, I realized.

Faranin said something in ælven. The three on the ground adjusted their positions, making room for Faranin to join them.

He knelt, took the alben male’s head in both of his hands, and jerked it sharply to one side. The snap made me jump.

Len gave a little gasp.

“It’s over,” I said.

Faranin stood, looking down at the alben as if he didn’t quite believe what he’d done. Len took charge even as Caeran was getting to his feet. She got up from her chair and returned to the courtyard.

“Go to Mirali and stay with her. All of you. We’ll let you know when we’ve finished cleaning up.”

Madóran raised heartbroken eyes to mine.

Go on. We’ll be all right. Go tell Mirali they’re dead.

He closed his eyes briefly, looking pained, then nodded and headed toward the west
portal
with the others.

It took us a while to clean up the blood, from the puddle at the edge of the circle out through the entryway and the front door.. Savhoran and Pirian came back and got the alben male’s body, then left again. Avoiding the work, I thought sourly, but it turned out they were working, too.

I was in the laundry room rinsing out rags when Savhoran came in smelling of smoke. In response to my querying look, he nodded.

“We have built a pyre.”

Pirian stalked past me without a word. I watched him cross the courtyard, then looked at Savhoran.

“What did he—carve? On her stomach?”

“Nyah. It means ‘no’.”

Oh.

“Thank you for coming to our aid. Your help was crucial.”

I met Savhoran’s gaze, and saw grief in his eyes. Like Madóran, he regretted the loss of the alben, even though they were beyond rehabilitation. I wondered what atonement he would choose. Whether he’d be able to get Pirian to atone at all.

I cleared my throat. “You two should shower up. I’ll come collect your clothes and wash them.”

Savhoran nodded and started after Pirian.

I got some bleach and scrubbed down every place that had been touched by alben blood, then washed all the rags and Pirian and Savhoran’s clothes, also with bleach. Finally, I was the dirtiest thing still around. I got the robe Madóran had brought for me, threw my clothes in the washer with more bleach, then showered and scrubbed, and scrubbed some more.

The shower gave me time to think. I would rather not have remembered all that had happened, but my hindbrain was yelling at me that there was something important I needed to acknowledge.

I thought through everything I knew. There were some gaps, like what had happened to Len, but the answer to that seemed fairly obvious.

By the time I emerged, the ælven had gathered in the great room. I felt a little self-conscious in the robe, but no one seemed to notice.

Mirali and Nathrin were there with Nathrali, looking frightened but gamely remaining. Faranin sat talking to them in ælven.

Len had made tea, and brought me a steaming mug as I came in. “You’re the hero of the evening, in case you didn’t know.”

I shook my head. I hadn’t done much.

“You OK? I gather the alben attacked you first.”

She took a deep breath. “Yeah. I’m OK. Not like it hasn’t happened before.” I could imagine what she was remembering.

Caeran joined us. “We could not have subdued him without your help. Thank you.”

He held out his hand.

I brought mine up, and he clasped my forearm. I returned the grasp, then left go. Simple gesture, but I knew it meant a lot. The ælven weren’t a touchy bunch.