Free the Darkness (King's Dark Tidings Book 1) (44 page)

Crowding her against the door, The Raven leaned forward so
close she thought for sure she should be able to make out his face, but somehow
his features remained elusive. “I am sure you do,” he said cryptically. His
focus lingered on her as he reached over and easily plucked the knife from the
doorframe, secreting it away as he did. The Raven’s entire demeanor spoke of
cool detachment that, combined with his predatory gait and the unnatural
blackness beneath his hood, made Breck’s earlier assertion that the man was not
human seem more than plausible.

He reached up and softly stroked her cheek with feigned
fondness. Hilith licked her lips salaciously, and just as her muscles began to
relax, the assailant suddenly gripped her jaw forcefully once again. The woman
whimpered in fear and pain, her chest heaved in a contained sob, and her eyes
watered with impending tears. “Please…” she whispered.

The Raven cocked his head curiously and said, “Perhaps you
can
be of some use to me.”

“Yes,” she uttered immediately, furiously attempting to nod
her head that was trapped in his firm, unyielding grip. “Anything you desire…
Master
,”
she whispered. Hilith’s eyes flashed with renewed hope and…
desire?

Rezkin could see Breck watching them, now, from the corner of
his eye. The man was curious and angry, although Rezkin did not know if the
man’s anger stemmed from jealousy or the fact that Rezkin had not yet killed
the woman. Hilith believed she had managed to use her so-called
Skills
to convince The Raven to spare her life. In truth, Rezkin never intended to
kill the woman – not unless she did something truly stupid like choose to
be uncooperative – but allowing her to believe that she had gained even
the tiniest hold over him would keep her trying to prove her worth. Even if she
did not believe she could defeat him, being the kind of woman that she was, she
might believe she had a chance at claiming The Raven for herself, thereby
attaching herself to a most powerful, albeit terrifying, man.

Rezkin dropped his hand from her jaw and stepped away.
Hilith released a heavy, relieved breath, but her eyes flashed with
disappointment. What did she think might happen? That he would take her here
and now, right in front of her lover?
Yes, she probably did think that
,
Rezkin conceded to himself. He was more familiar with her type than he wished,
but he mentally thanked his masters for that particular lesson. It had been a
terrible one to learn, but he now recognized the necessity.

“I assure you, Master,” Hilith said in a rush, “that the
Razor Edge Guild will serve you well.”

“Yes, they will, but that will not be your concern,” The
Raven asserted. “You are no longer Guildmaster, Hilith. I have another task for
you. I will give you the opportunity to prove yourself, but make no mistake. If
you are found unworthy, you will not enjoy the consequences. In fact,
henceforth, there will be little joy to be had in your life.”

Hilith raised a manicured brow and said smartly, “As if
there ever was.”

Breck growled and pounded his fist on the arm of his chair
but said nothing. Hilith turned her attention to the man, her lover. Her face
flushed with embarrassment, but she lifted her chin and shrugged with one
shoulder as if to say she felt no shame for her actions. Breck turned his face
away as he gritted his teeth and bit back any retort he might make.

Rezkin found the display to be curious. He commended the
Second for his adherence to
Rule 104 – Meet uncertainty with silence
and listen
. The man had not complied with many of the other
Rules
, but
at least he had this much self-control. Still, he was not sure the man was up
to the challenge of taking on the position of Guildmaster. While he had managed
to attain the position of Second, he had the countenance of a follower rather
than a leader. Still, if Breck could follow Rezkin’s lead and still get things
accomplished, the arrangement may work.

“What of you, Breck? Are you prepared to fill the position
of Guildmaster?” The Raven asked, almost as if he actually cared about the
response.

Before Breck could utter a word, Hilith interrupted. “
What
?
You’ll make
him
Guildmaster?”

Rezkin turned back to the flummoxed woman. “You chose him as
your Second. Surely he is the most
Skilled
and strongest of the guild,”
he observed wryly.

Hilith shrugged noncommittally while avoiding Breck’s
furious gaze. “Well…I had…
other
…reasons for choosing him.”

“Then you are saying he is not worthy of the position with
which you honored him?” The Raven asked calmly with unnerving patience.

Hilith risked a look at her
former
lover and then
lifted her chin and said confidently, “No, he’s not.”

“And, who would
you
choose?” The Raven asked.

Feeling as though she were gaining ground, Hilith strutted
forward. “Demky, perhaps…or Triald,” she said with a pert smile.

Again, Breck clenched his fist and gritted his teeth but
said nothing. He glared furiously at the woman but pulled his eyes away to
watch for The Raven’s response. The Raven nodded beneath his hood. “Hmmm…do you
know what I think, Hilith? I think you are worried that the new Guildmaster
will hold a grudge against you, and you are hoping to secure someone of
your
choosing in his place – someone you believe you have a chance at seducing
to regain a semblance of power.”

Hilith’s smile fell as Breck’s fists unclenched. The man released
a pent up breath.
Ah
, Rezkin thought. The man had been concerned that
Hilith’s manipulation had gained a hold over The Raven, and Breck had been
biding his time until the truth was revealed. It had been a test of sorts.

Breck’s voice was low and gruff as he said, “I am well
prepared for the position. It would have been mine had Hilith not…” He did not
finish the sentence. They all knew, now, what Hilith had done.

“You will serve
me
?” The Raven asked, as though Breck
had a choice.

“I…” he started and then glanced at Hilith before looking
back, “owe you a debt. I will serve you. You, at least, are forthright and
honest in your intentions.” It was a dig at the woman, but Hilith held her head
high and shrugged shamelessly.

“Very well,” The Raven replied. “Here are some instructions
to begin with, but I will return several times over the next few days to ensure
there is no
miscommunication
. Do not bother to set a trap. It will fail,
and you will die.”

Breck watched the highly armed shadow warrior carefully. The
man’s confidence in his threat was so overwhelming that if any thoughts of
traps or ambushes had existed in Breck’s mind, they had summarily fled. Breck
nodded once in affirmation but made no other move. Rezkin was pleased with the
man’s self control.

“W-What about
me
?” Hilith asked with a bit of a pout.

The Raven grinned wolfishly, the firelight highlighting the
white of his perfect teeth, so discordant with the black shadows that otherwise
concealed his face. “Oh, I have a task for you. I suggest you begin making
preparations. The Lady Gadderand is going on a trip, and I expect she will be
gone for quite some time.” Hilith was struck with the realization that The
Raven had planned this all along.

The following morning, after all the weapons training was
finished, Frisha, Tam, and Rezkin decided to partake of the midday meal at a
small restaurant Lady Adelina suggested. It was located in the upscale central
market district, but the lady assured them the prices were reasonable. The
quaint restaurant was busy but not so busy that they had to wait for long to be
seated. The table they were assigned was located on a patio that overlooked the
busy square. Along the wall of the building ran a trellis with flowering vines
that smelled sweet and fresh. The three shared a large salad made with fresh
greens and vegetables tossed with a savory marinated grilled fish. The salad
was followed by roasted rosemary chicken with seasoned potatoes. Everything
tasted superb.

As they were eating, Frisha made polite conversation with a
couple of young women who were dining at the table next to them. The two
ladies, Joselia and Meriana, ostensibly bestowed all of their attention on
Frisha, who was surprisingly susceptible to their doting. They complimented her
dress and hair and gossiped about all of the people she was sure to meet. All
the while, the two young ladies were surreptitiously batting their lashes and
casting eyes at Rezkin. Tam even received a brief perusal, but he was obviously
a commoner, so neither gave him any additional attention.

At the end of the meal, the three were standing to leave
when a group of raucous young men walked by causing a commotion. The young men,
who ranged from their late teens to mid-twenties, were lavishly attired, the
rich sons of nobles who flaunted their wealth with fine clothes and other
accouterments. The young men all laughed at something and then one of them
shoved another a little too hard.

The young man tripped over his own feet and stumbled toward
Rezkin. Ever aware of his surroundings, Rezkin sensed the young man’s
uncontrolled approach and instinctively stepped out of the way. He was unable
to stop the imminent collision, however. The flailing man crashed into the
table upsetting the dinnerware and spilling wine over Frisha’s fine dress. The
other young men laughed hysterically and offered no apologies.

Rezkin strode over to confront the dominant male who had
caused the disruption. “You will cease this offensive behavior and apologize to
the lady,” he demanded.

This particular young man looked to be about twenty-four and
nearly matched Rezkin’s height and breadth. He wore a gold-embroidered cream
silk doublet with matching breeches. At his hip was a rapier with an ornate
twisted silver handle. The silver scabbard was embellished with gold accents
and gemstones. The young man’s eyes traveled the length of Rezkin, sizing up
his opponent. Rezkin had dressed in his fine blue silk shirt and black pants
for the outing. The lordling snickered when he noticed the two swords at
Rezkin’s waist. He ran a tanned hand through his gold-blonde hair and grinned.

“And why would I do that?” he said haughtily. His friends
chuckled beside him but were decidedly more subdued.

Rezkin cocked his head as he stared with icy blue eyes.
“Through your negligence, you have upset the lady and ruined her dress. An
honorable man would provide recompense and an apology.”

The young lord scowled, “Are you questioning my honor?”

“Are you?” Rezkin retorted.

The man’s dark blue eyes flicked over Frisha, and he smirked
as he said, “I see no harm done. She would look better without the dress
anyway.”

Frisha gasped and flushed bright red. Lady Joselia stomped a
foot and said, “Tieran, you are a cad!” To Frisha she said, “That is Tieran,
eldest son of the Duke of Wellinven of House Nirius.”

“Yeeees,” Tieren drawled. “You may call me
Lord Nirius
.
If you are
very
nice, you may call me Lord Tieran,” he said
suggestively.

“
I
am about to call you dead,” said Rezkin coldly,
“if you do not apologize to the lady. I will not stand for you besmirching her
honor with your lewd remarks.” Rezkin’s muscles flexed, and he seemed to expand
to fill additional space around him. His icy eyes appeared to barely hold a
deep darkness in check. To the young lord’s dismay, Tieran felt a sudden wash
of fear. Tieran was not sure why, but this man’s imposing presence had a
familiarity that unsettled him. His hand immediately went to his hilt but
stopped short of drawing it.

Rezkin subtly shook his head once. “We have already
determined you lack honor. Let us not find that you lack intelligence as well.
If you draw that sword, you do so with your last breath,” he warned
dispassionately.

It was that cold, emotionless assurance that got to the
young lord. Nothing in the imposing man’s voice or bearing said bluster. For
some reason, Tieran just knew he did not want to fight this man. It was like
staring into the maw of a hungry wolf. Tieran continued to grasp the hilt of his
sword, more for comfort than anything, as he glared at the other man.

Rezkin cocked his head curiously as he studied the noble.
Tieran continued to grasp his hilt but failed to draw the weapon, giving Rezkin
ample warning and time to prepare for the imminent strike. Surely a future
duke
would have greater
Skill
, he thought, therefore there must be some other
reason for continuing to grip his sword.

“I am aware that some blades are enchanted, giving their
wielders extra advantage. Perhaps this is why you continue to grip yours? Does
it make you more intelligent?” Rezkin inquired with a mixture of condescension
and genuine curiosity.

Tieran was not about to let everyone know he had been cowed
by this stranger, though. He donned his greatest smile, and with his usual
brash, haughty conceit he said, “Come now,
friend
. We were just having a
bit of fun. Perhaps you could do with some. Who are you? I do not believe we
have met.” Tieran thought he had met everyone of importance, but now he was
uncertain.

“I am Rezkin, and that is my
Girl Friend
, Lady Frisha
Marcum, and I am still waiting to hear an apology,” Rezkin responded without
blinking. He was a stone cold statue, unmovable…until the right moment.

Tieran’s eyes widened. “Marcum? Well, that does change
things. You must be the general’s
commoner
niece. I had heard that you
were coming to Kaibain to look for a husband. It seems you work quickly,”
Tieran remarked.

The young lord’s attention turned back to Rezkin, “She is
your girlfriend, eh? I can see why you are all bent out of shape, then.”

“The next words out of your mouth had better be an apology
or you will speak no more,” Rezkin remarked, his voice low and flat as though
he was simply commenting on the weather.

Tieran maintained his smile, but his eyes spoke of fear as
they flicked to Rezkin’s gaze. The young noble laughed boisterously and waved
his hand around as if the whole incident was insignificant, “Of course, of
course, friend Rezkin.” His steps were masked with confidence, but inside he
was shaking like a leaf. He stood before Frisha and gave an exaggerated courtly
bow as he implored, “My Lady Frisha, my most humble apologies for ruining your
dress. I will, of course, compensate you for the loss. And, I do hope my
comments did not offend you. My mouth does tend to run away with me when I am
in the presence of such beautiful ladies.” This last he said with a total lack
of sincerity as his eyes fell over each of the ladies, who actually were quite
lovely. Tieran considered them all to be insignificant and beneath his station.

In an effort to save face and discourage anyone from
thinking Rezkin had gotten to him, he performed the same courtly bow to his
friend who had picked himself up off the ground. “My dear friend, Lord Ambry, I
do apologize that your feet are so big that you could not keep them under you.”
Tieran then walked past Rezkin out into the street and performed a sweeping bow
to the first person he saw stating, “My fellow Ashaiian, I do apologize that
the sun is so unbearably hot. I will do my best to see that it behaves itself
in the future.” The young man motioned to his friends and then walked off
bowing and apologizing for more absurdities to each person he passed.

Rezkin watched the discourteous, juvenile performance with
dark eyes. His immature antics were an attempt to avoid shame in front of his
friends. The young warrior was considering plans to hunt the man down tonight
in his bedchamber and fix the problem. With his arrogance and massive ego,
Tieran was sure to present himself as a terrible duke. The kingdom would be
better off without such a man in power. The warrior would have to check into
the age of the current duke and inquire about his health. Given time, the young
Tieran
might
learn some humility. Rezkin nearly grinned when he thought
of all they ways he could teach it to the young lord.

Ladies Joselia and Meriana both ran up to Rezkin, each
grabbing onto an arm. Rezkin drove off his instincts to throw the women away
from him, but kept a close eye on their movements. He did not want to fall
victim to a dagger through the ribs.

“Rezkin, that was
amazing
,” said Meriana with
fluttering lashes.

“I never thought to see Tieran cowed. I have never seen
anyone
put him in his place before,” Joselia tittered excitedly.

Meriana continued speaking as soon as Joselia took a breath,
“I was so scared. I actually thought that you were going to kill him for a
minute there!”

Shaking off the anxiety of the moments before, Tam laughed
and said, “Don’t worry about that. Rezkin is harmless. Well, unless he
needs
to kill someone, I guess.” As he said the last, he furrowed his brow at his own
contradiction.

“Oh?” Meriana said with a thrill. “Have you killed many
men?”

Rezkin was trying to follow the rush of words coming from
the excitable women. “I have killed many,” he replied honestly.

Joselia’s eyes widened, “How many? Were they all bad?”

“Of course they were all bad,” Tam replied. “They were
bandits who attacked us on our journey.”

“Have you killed any women?” Meriana asked curiously.

Rezkin glanced over to see Frisha standing alone and pouting
as though she had been forgotten. She scowled at the two ladies who were
clinging to his arms and hanging on to his every word. Extricating himself from
the women, Rezkin said, “If you will excuse me, ladies, I believe Lady Frisha
would like to return home to change her dress.” Rezkin strode over to Frisha
and bowed slightly before offering her his arm, as was the proper way to escort
a lady. Frisha blushed and smiled coyly.

Tam followed several paces behind Rezkin and Frisha, content
to let them have some privacy. They walked in silence until Frisha asked, “Why
did you call me Frisha Marcum? My surname is Souvain.”

“General Marcum has named you his heir. You now have the
honor
of using his family name,” Rezkin answered.

“Oh,” she said. Frisha finally worked up her courage and
remarked, “You called me your
girlfriend
.”

Rezkin cocked his head as he looked down at her imploring
brown eyes. “Well, you are, are you not?” he asked.

Frisha blushed and bit her lip before answering, “Y-Yes, if
you want me to be. Are you sure you would not prefer one of
them
?”

Rezkin furrowed his brow. “One of whom?”

“Joselia or Meriana,” she replied, secretly pleased that he
had not instantly jumped to thoughts of the other women. “Actually, they would
probably
both
agree to be your girlfriend. They’d likely be willing to
share.”

The young man frowned at the idea. Why would he possibly
need another
Girl Friend
? Protecting one was difficult enough. Having
multiple
Girl Friends
would amount to a lot of work, and so far he had
not really seen any gain from the position. Rezkin once again met Frisha’s eyes
and said, “I cannot possibly think of any reason I would ever want any other
Girl
Friend
.”

He must have said something Frisha liked because she beamed
up at him as though he had just granted her the kingdom. Rezkin glanced behind
him at Tam who had also heard and was grinning ear to ear.

As they neared the house, Frisha stopped Rezkin and looked
up at him with concern, “Um, you know when you leave in a few days I won’t be
able to go with you.”

Rezkin frowned but nodded. “I am not sure that I should go
to the tournament if it means leaving you here. I will not be able to protect
you, as is my purpose.”

Frisha’s jaw fell. “You would stay for me?” she asked
breathlessly.

“Of course,” Rezkin replied. “I cannot fulfill my duties to
you if you are not with me. It is complicated, though, because I have another
duty that I must fulfill, and my best chance of furthering that is at the tournament.”

“No, you should go,” Frisha said regretfully. “You need to
be there, and Tam and Jimson…and Reaylin…are all depending on you. Besides,
whether you’re here or there will make little difference to my uncle. He said
he has been putting together a list of suitors that he would like me to start
meeting.”

“About that,” Rezkin said. “I do not want you to marry
another. I do not want to replace you. I cannot think that any other woman
would fill your role to my satisfaction, and, frankly, I do not care to find
out.”

“My role?” Frisha asked.

“As my
Girl Friend
,” Rezkin clarified.

Frisha smiled and nodded her understanding. She loved
hearing Rezkin call her his girlfriend.

Rezkin took a deep breath and plowed ahead. Why was this so
hard? “I am not ready for marriage,” Rezkin stated. Frisha’s heart sank. She
had known it was too much to hope for but could not stop her fantasies. “I have
only just come to the outworld, and I have many things I need to do before I
think of taking a wife and having offspring.” He did not mention that he had
been warned against such things. “I cannot provide properly for them at this
time.” Frisha’s heart plummeted further.