Lord of the White Hell Book One lotwh-1 (27 page)

Javier smirked at this and then leaned close to Kiram and whispered, "Why would I touch any kind of pussy when I can have the taste of you in my mouth?"

Kiram felt heat roll through his entire body as he flushed. "I wasn't referring to ladies."

"Weren't you?"

Kiram hadn't meant the comment in that way, but now suddenly he realized that he should have. If he was going to stay with Javier, then he wanted some assurance of Javier's commitment to him in return.

A bellowed greeting from Elezar destroyed any possibility of such a conversation. Javier waved and both Elezar and Nestor hurried from the gates of the city stable to meet them.

"Cutting it close, aren't you? It's nearly first bell." Elezar grinned at Javier. "Why are you out wandering the streets when you should be inside, communing with that finicky horse of yours. I've got money on you, you know?"

"I've got money on me too." Javier didn't move away from Kiram but his stance shifted just slightly and Kiram could feel him distancing himself.

"For all three races?" Nestor asked.

"I expect to be in the top five for the short run. But Lunaluz won't take second to any other horse on either of the long runs. We could take those jumps in our sleep, we practiced them so many times." Javier spoke with such assurance that Kiram found himself feeling that he must be right.

The four of them joined the other students gathered inside the courtyard of the stable. Atreau and the other Hellions all informed Javier of the bets they'd placed on him. They slapped his back and issued absurd threats for his failure. Kiram watched them, saddened by the insight that this was the only way that these Cadeleonian men could offer him their affection.

Master Ignacio arrived and all of the students quickly arranged themselves in rows according to their years. As always Nestor stood beside Kiram.

"I noticed your uncle isn't here today," Nestor whispered hopefully.

"There was an incident at their lodgings and he had to stay in case someone needed a physician." Kiram was aware of how vague his reply was but Nestor accepted it without concern.

"So he hasn't changed his mind about taking you back?"

"Not that I know of."

They both went quiet as Master Ignacio walked through the ranks of second-year students, assigning them their duties for the races. Both Nestor and Kiram were in charge of keeping onlookers from crossing the track just before the finish. Kiram couldn't imagine anyone who would rush out past two lines of ropes at oncoming horses and he guessed the job was something just to keep them in one place and accounted for.

Once Master Ignacio was done with roll and assignments, the grooms brought the horses out from their stalls. Kiram stroked Firaj's muzzle. Firaj drew in a deep breath of Kiram's hair. He seemed excited to go for a ride, despite the wet chill of the morning.

By the time they reached the tournament grounds the sun had burned through most of the cloud cover. A fine mist hung in the air, catching the light and flaring briefly into rainbows.

Groundsmen had hauled bales of hay out across several fields and strung up rope barricades along side them. The hay bales formed a wide corridor, looping around stone walls, and circling out into a thinly wooded glade, marking the racecourses. Taking in the route firsthand, Kiram felt relieved that he wouldn't be competing but also worried. There were at least three walls and two wooden fences that the horses would need to clear in addition to whatever other obstacles lay out in the woods.

Kiram observed Javier, remembering how he had first seen him riding Lunaluz across the summer fields. He had looked so handsome and assured. This morning he still radiated beautiful strength, but shadows of exhaustion hollowed his eyes. The knowledge that Javier had spent the night searching for him instead of sleeping gnawed at Kiram.

Onlookers, both wealthy and poor, already gathered around. They thronged the rope barricades. Many of them had brought tall wooden stools, and some had hired men to wave banners displaying the colors of the riders they supported. Groups of girls clustered under bright parasols.

The only covered shelter was a dais near the starting line. Royal banners hung from the roof and armed guards stood at attention at the foot of the dais. Kiram thought he caught a glimpse of Prince Sevanyo sitting in the shadows, among his attendants and courtiers.

On the grounds, the black and yellow Helios' colors were well represented, as were the red and white stripes of the Fueres family. As the crowd grew the numbers and variety of banners and ribbons increased. Kiram had no idea who some of the more wild assortments represented. There seemed to be countless shades of blues, reds, yellows and violets and scattered throughout were simple flags displaying either Sagrada blue or Yillar green.

In the sea of color Kiram noticed the absence of the stark black and white of the Tornesal house. He wondered if it saddened Javier that no one flew his colors. Kiram searched the growing crowd for Fedeles but didn't see him anywhere. Then to Kiram's surprise he caught sight of two huge banners displaying the white field and black sun of the Tornesal crest. Lady Grunito stood between them, surrounded by attendants. She wore a magnificent golden fur coat that made her look almost like a bear. She waved at Javier and he waved back.

"I knew my mother would come through for him," Nestor said. "Elezar wouldn't stop nagging her about it all last night."

"I'm glad he did," Kiram said.

"It's not like she wasn't going to support Javier all along. She had the banners made months ago but she wouldn't let Elezar know that. She likes to tease him."

Kiram nodded. He could see how someone might want to give Elezar a hard time. He warmed to Lady Grunito, though he knew very little about her; she had cajoled his uncle on his behalf, no doubt to please Nestor-and she had brought banners for Javier knowing that Elezar would want them. For all her appearance of ferocity, Kiram imagined that she was in fact a very loving mother.

"By the way." Nestor reined his roan stallion a little closer to Firaj's side. "I had an idea about how to keep you at the academy last night during prayer service. It's a little crazy but I think it would work."

"Great. What is it?"

"You convert."

"Convert?" Kiram was so stunned by the suggestion that he initially thought he misunderstood Nestor.

"You convert and then request sanctuary at the academy chapel. There's no way your family could get you out of there."

"If I converted they wouldn't even want to. They'd never speak my name again. My mother would never forgive me."

"Is it really that serious an offense?" Nestor asked.

"How would your mother feel about you becoming Haldiim?" Kiram asked back.

"Very poorly," Nestor admitted after a moment of thought. He sighed. "Well, I thought I'd at least mention it."

"Thanks for trying. Who knows, if it comes down to it." Kiram couldn't even bring himself to say that he would consider it.

He and Nestor took up their positions near the finish line. Now and then Kiram shouted at a curious boy who had ducked under the rope barricades. He guessed that he looked a little imposing atop Firaj because the boys fled away and nearby parents hauled their children back from the ropes as well. The judges took their positions beside the green and blue ribboned finish line. Far across the field the riders from both schools lined up at the start. They saluted Prince Sevanyo and then the starting bell rang out. The pounding thunder of horses' hooves was instantly drowned out by the roars and cheers of the crowd.

Kiram's entire body tensed as he watched Javier push to the front of the riders. He saw crops slash and the rain soaked earth slide from beneath the horses' hooves. His stomach felt like a clenched fist when an animal stumbled. Each time Javier neared a jump or rounded a tight turn Kiram looked away, scanning the rope barricades. He felt like a coward but he was terrified of seeing Javier fall.

Then suddenly the riders were storming past both him and Nestor. The cold air smelled of sweat and horses. Wet clumps of sod and mud flew through the air and spattered the hay barricades.

The first race had been the short run. Javier took second, just behind his cousin, Hierro Fueres. The Helio twins took third and fourth, though Kiram wasn't sure which twin had won which place.

Javier looked flushed and happy, grinning and leaning close to Lunaluz's neck. He stroked the stallion's jaw and whispered something in his ear. Lunaluz pranced back to the starting line with his head held high.

While the groundsmen adjusted the bales of hay for the next race, Kiram thought he heard someone calling his name. He searched the crowd and caught sight of Alizadeh approaching. Rafie was nowhere to be seen.

Alizadeh glanced to where the riders were still gathering at the starting line and then ducked under the barricade and quickly strode to where Kiram sat atop Firaj. Alizadeh offered Firaj a sniff of his hand and the gelding seemed won over, allowing Alizadeh to stroke his shoulder and neck.

"Is Rafie all right?" Kiram asked.

"He's fine. He just stayed back at the camp." Alizadeh scratched a little harder as Firaj leaned into him. "One of the boys fell and hurt his arm. The ground is really slick right now."

"I know." At the thought of a rider falling, the sick dread in Kiram's stomach returned. He focused on Alizadeh instead. "Did you figure out what happened last night?"

"I have an idea," Alizadeh said. His expression turned grim and Kiram needed suddenly to reassure him that he and the Bahiim weren't in danger-or if they were that they hadn't been attacked the night before.

"I think I know what happened." Kiram leaned down, lowering his voice. "It wasn't the man on the hill who disrupted your wards. Javier was looking for me and he opened the white hell."

Alizadeh gave him an amused, disbelieving look. "And you think that your duke's Cadeleonian hell affected the Bahiim wards?"

"Yes,"Kiram insisted, annoyed by Alizadeh's apparent dismissal of his theory. A horn sounded as the riders of the second race were called to the starting line. "I'll explain when I'm finished here."

"Yss, I'd be interested to hear the finer points of your argument." Alizadeh cast his gaze out over the racecourse, as if he'd just noticed it. "So, races today? Anyone I should cheer for?"

"Javier. He's there on the white stallion."

"He does cut a fine figure," Alizadeh remarked.

Kiram felt his cheeks warm slightly. "He has a good chance of taking first place in the next two races."

"Well, I'll cheer for him as loudly as I can. Is there somewhere in particular that I should stand?"

"Anywhere as long as you keep behind the rope barricade. It's my job to keep people back, you know."

"In that case I'll slink away as quickly as I can." Alizadeh quickly slipped back behind the rope barricade. Kiram watched him go, wondering what it would take to convince Alizadeh to take his side and help him stay at the academy. Then the loud clang of the starting bell captured all Kiram's attention.

Javier and Hierro Fueres took the lead immediately. But even before the second lap Kiram could see Hierro Fueres' mount tiring. The Helio twins steadily gained ground. One of them edged into third place and the other fell in just behind his twin in fourth.

Lunaluz cleared the last stone wall, but Hierro Fueres' horse shied from the jump and the Helio twins surged ahead. The first of them cleared the wall but the second didn't.

A sick horror flooded Kiram as both rider and horse crashed down, half across the wall half over it. The horse let out a wrenching scream and the Helio twin's body flipped through the air and then smacked into the muddy ground. Two men in Sagrada colors rushed past the barricade and pulled him up to his feet. He hung between them, sobbing as they dragged him back off the field.

Hierro Fueres turned his mount aside and jumped the wall a little to the left of the convulsing horse. The five other riders followed his example.

The fallen horse thrashed in a revolting, spastic manner. Its hindquarters collapsed over the wall. The horse tried to stand but its legs splayed out, buckling like broken sticks. Its head twisted at a wrong angle and still it cried out. Firaj folded his ears back and shivered in seeming sympathy.

The surrounding crowd went silent and motionless as the horse's cries carried over the course. Kiram felt like he might vomit but he forced his revulsion back. He couldn't believe that the horse was still alive, or that the race was still going on.

Then suddenly Javier wheeled Lunaluz around. He cut across the field, riding back to where the horse lay, thrashing and crying. Lunaluz balked as they drew near, shaking his head and whinnying. Javier swung down from his saddle and ran to the fallen beast.

Terror coursed through Kiram as the horse flailed, nearly striking Javier with its hoof. Riders raced past Kiram, crossing the finish line, but Kiram hardly noticed them. He stared at Javier and the pathetic, trembling ruin of a beautiful roan stallion.

A tiny flicker sparked up between Javier's hands and then it spread into a luminous glow. Javier held his hands out, basking the horse in the white light and the horse quieted. It stared at Javier, shudders still passing through its body but it made no noise. Javier moved closer, kneeling beside the animal's head.

Javier lowered his face and whispered something to the horse. Then the soft light between his hands crackled like lightning and a blinding bolt shot straight down through the horse's head.

The horse went entirely limp, its head falling into the mud and its legs drooping like hot taffy. Javier returned to Lunaluz and stood for a long moment, stroking the stallion's neck. Then he rode back to the starting line, clearly forfeiting.

Neither of the Helio twins took their places for the third race, and Kiram was shocked that the war masters hadn't canceled the final race. The remaining riders were called to their places and the bell rang.

The start was slower than either of the two before and the cheers from the crowd were thin and subdued at first. But after the second lap, as Javier and Hierro Fueres rode neck and neck, voices rose and groups of men chanted in booming voices. Elezar managed to shout over everyone, howling out Javier's name and taunting Hierro Fueres.