The Dawn Star (27 page)

“The man I was expected to serve, but cannot,” the lieutenant said grimly. “General Baz Quaazera, at command of the queen.”

Thunder exploded inside of Cobalt. The roaring in his ears stopped as suddenly as it began and left him in a deadly calm. He had thought Stonebreaker injured him with his cruelty, but those decades of torment were nothing compared to this moment.

Someone was speaking. Agate Cragland. “What proof do you have that General Quaazera did this?”

“I saw it,” the lieutenant said.

“And who are you,” Agate asked, “to see such an act?”

“Lieutenant Feldspar Kaj, of Her Majesty's personal guard.”

“Well, Kaj,” Agate said. “You are also a deserter. How do we know you don't bring this story out of spite?”

Kaj indicated the silk Cobalt held. “She was wearing that when they brought her in. I watched them whip her to death. I was assigned to guard her uncle, the man called Drummer, and I have also watched them torture him. Call me what you will, but I could not stay there after what I witnessed.”

Cobalt found his voice. “General Cragland, where is the envoy from the citadel?”

“I told the men to take them to your tent,” Agate said.

Cobalt jabbed Admiral's flanks with his heels. Despite the unusual behavior, the horse took off with a practiced gait. They had been together a long time, he and this horse, and Admiral knew what he wanted. He raced through the camp. The other men came with Cobalt, but he ignored them, for if he spoke, his control would shatter. People stared as he galloped past: cooks looked up from steaming pots, grooms stopped tending their horses and watched him with the reins hanging in their hands, archers sharpening arrows rose to their feet.

Warriors crowded the area around Cobalt's tent. His soldiers were guarding eight men in the fiery red-and-gold uniforms of Taka Mal. It took a concentrated effort for Cobalt to keep from drawing his sword. He reined in Admiral, and the black warhorse stamped up swirls of dust. As Cobalt dismounted, a groom ran up. Cobalt handed him the reins, never taking his gaze off the envoy. He strode forward, and Matthew and Agate joined him. Cobalt was aware of his men bringing Kaj, but he kept his attention on the emissaries. With a start, he realized one was General Spearcaster, a Queen's Advisor.

Spearcaster bowed. “My honor at your presence, Your Majesty.”

“Is it?” Cobalt stretched out his arm and pointed at Kaj, who stood a few paces away with his Chamberlight escort. “Who is that man?”

Spearcaster frowned at the lieutenant. “Kaj? What are you doing here?”

Kaj lifted his chin. “I cannot serve commanders who commit what I have seen.”

Spearcaster visibly tensed. “What are you talking about?”

Kaj looked frightened. “I can't countenance what is going on. Drummer Headwind—”

“That will be enough,” Spearcaster said sharply.

“It's wrong,” Kaj said.

Cobalt turned to Spearcaster, and the explosion inside him swelled. “What is it that he thinks is wrong?”

Spearcaster spoke carefully. “It isn't my place to speculate on what he may or may not have said to you.”

“What was his position?” Cobalt asked. “The one he deserted?”

“He was a guard for Drummer Headwind,” Spearcaster said. “But if he claims Goodman Headwind has been harmed, he lies.”

“Then why did this lieutenant desert his post?”

“I cannot speak of such matters.”

“Why
not?
” Cobalt demanded. “Where is my wife?”

Spearcaster blinked. “Your wife?”

“Where have you taken her?”

“Your Majesty, I know nothing of your wife.” Spearcaster narrowed his gaze at Kaj. “This man in no way represents Queen Vizarana, and if he claims we have news of your wife, he lies. I have come to discuss Drummer Headwind and to request safe passage for Sphere-General Fieldson, so he may join us as your envoy.”

Cobalt spoke tightly. “Take your queen a message.” He whirled around and strode to where the groom was holding Admiral's reins. Cobalt swung onto his horse. To Spearcaster, he said, “She has until sunrise tomorrow to return my wife and Drummer. If they are not in this camp when the first rays of the sun touch the earth, then I will break your army, loot your country and burn Quaaz to the ground.”

He wheeled Admiral around and galloped away then, riding hard through his camp, knowing that if he paused, even for one moment, he would incinerate in the flames of his rage.

Cobalt didn't know how far he went. He left his army behind and pounded south, with the Dawnfield army to the west and his own to the east. Finally he stopped, threw back his head, and shouted at the merciless sky. His anguish rolled across the land. But the shout couldn't quench the storm within him or lessen his agony over Mel's disappearance and the gruesome tales of her death.

Hooves rustled the grass behind him. Bringing around Admiral, he saw Matthew on Hawkspar, waiting a few paces back as if Cobalt were a wild beast that might attack. Cobalt said nothing.

Matthew rode over to him, slow and cautious. “You have no proof they did what Kaj claims.”

Cobalt was clenching the reins so hard his fingernails cut his skin. “Spearcaster was hiding something.”

“Yes, I had that impression. But torture and murder? It didn't seem so.”

“They have one day to bring Mel and Drummer.”

“And if they don't have them?”

“I attack.”

“It is a tricky proposition,” Matthew said. “Even if Kaj is lying, even if Mel and Drummer are fine, why would the queen give up her hostages? If you attack, they lose their value. She may have them killed.”

“I will see my
wife.
” The explosion was building again within Cobalt. He wheeled Admiral around and took off. But no matter how hard or how far he rode, it wouldn't purge the demons of fear that haunted him.

Jade paced the long balcony. She and Drummer were staying in this citadel tower, guarded by the Harsdown envoy and Spearcaster's men. She was meeting here with all her generals for the first time since before the wedding. Baz stood by the glass doors with his arms crossed and ignored his guards. They were loyal men who had refused his orders when he sought to stop the marriage. He was the only obvious prisoner on the balcony, but several soldiers were discreetly keeping watch on Slate and Firaz, who stood with Fieldson to her right. Only Spearcaster, who stood by the railing, had no guard. And Drummer. Her new husband leaned against the wall to the left and watched her pace.

“I will not be threatened,” Jade said. “Harsdown sent an envoy to speak with us.” She motioned angrily at Fieldson. “We have spoken to him. We agreed to negotiate according to terms he proposed. Is Cobalt so hungry to fight that he refuses the envoy he
sent?
No! I will not be coerced by this tyrant.”

“You would go to war instead?” Baz demanded.

“What choice do we have? He will never rest. Not until he conquers every country from the Blue Ocean to the Endless Desert.”

Baz stalked over to her, ignoring his guards. One of them reached to stop the general, but Jade shook her head.

“You had to marry your pretty minstrel,” Baz growled. “Now Ozar refuses us the support we need.”

Drummer stiffened, but he shook his head slightly at Jade. She wanted to lash out at Baz, but she said only, “Ozar will not stand by while Taka Mal falls.”

“Don't know about that,” Firaz said. “He wanted your throne. Now that he can't have the blasted chair, maybe he doesn't care what happens to it.”

“You would have had me marry him?” Jade demanded.

“Hell, no,” Firaz said.

Startled, she said, “No?”

“The Topaz Throne belongs in the House of Quaazera,” he said. “Besides, this treaty business with Aronsdale is a good idea.”

“If it is so brilliant,” Slate said sourly, “why are we facing a war with no allies?”

“Have we any news of Jason Windcrier?” Fieldson asked.

“Nothing,” Jade said, disheartened. She went to the railing and looked out at her army, which was camped in the Rocklands below the Sharp Knife Mountain where this citadel stood. The Chamberlight forces were beyond hers, an ocean of warriors churning at her doorstep. The Aronsdale forces were a gray cloud on the horizon. An enigma. They might have come to ensure Escar left Aronsdale alone. Or they might be ready to support Taka Mal. She just didn't
know.

“We haven't managed to get a single spy out,” she said. “We think either Cobalt's or Ozar's men are catching them.”

Drummer spoke. “I should go to meet Cobalt.”

Firaz scowled at him. “You're the blasted Topaz Consort. After all that excitement getting you married to Vizarana, we hardly want you dead two days later. Defeats the whole purpose of the thing.”

Jade would die before she put Drummer in danger. If she told him, though, he would insist on protecting her and her country. So instead she said the other truth she knew. “If we give in to Cobalt, we are showing weakness. He will see it. He also wants the Topaz Throne, and apparently he is willing to take it by force.”

“Mel won't let him,” Drummer said. “She's the water that cools his fire.”

“Yes, well, what is this manure about us returning her?” Firaz growled. “Can't the man find his own wife?”

“Kaj has lied to him,” Spearcaster said.

“Why would he do this thing?” Jade asked.

“We investigated him,” Baz said. “It seems he had gambling debts.” He gave a snort. “Someone has mysteriously paid them.”

“Treason for money?” Jade said. “I cannot believe it.”

Slate spoke in as gentle a manner as his gruff voice would allow. “Men have betrayed their sovereign for less.”

Jade clenched her fist. “We must find out who paid him.”

“We will,” Spearcaster said. “But whatever troubles the king goes beyond Kaj's lies. Cobalt doesn't strike me as a man who is easily tricked.”

“He isn't,” Fieldson said. “But when it comes to his wife, he has no shades of gray. He would level the Jagged Teeth Mountains if that was what it took to find her.” Strain deepened the lines on his face. “As would any of the rest of us who watched her grow up from a child of sunlight to a woman.”

Jade wondered who was this Mel Dawnfield that she inspired such intense emotions. “I offer my hopes that she will be found, well and alive.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Fieldson's voice crackled with tension. “Cobalt needs to know that.”

Jade looked around at her advisors. “We will send an envoy at dawn to tell him and swear we know nothing of his wife. General Fieldson, half the men in your envoy are from the Dawnfield armies. If we can get Cobalt to talk we should say we're ready to commence negotiations with him
and
King Jarid.” Who just happened, conveniently, to be available.

“We'll try to arrange the meeting here,” Slate said. “In the citadel.”

“A good idea.” Jade turned to Drummer. “If we do, you'll attend the negotiations, yes? It will put to rest Cobalt's suspicions that we harmed you.”

His blue eyes, which had filled with such passion when he held her last night, were like ice this morning. “I wouldn't miss them for anything.”

Fieldson came forward. “I should go with Spearcaster. I was one of the people in the Harsdown meeting when we decided to send an envoy here. I can remind Cobalt of our discussions. And he may be more willing to believe me about his wife.”

Jade regarded the gray-haired warrior from Harsdown. He was older than her generals, even Spearcaster. As fit and hale as he seemed, she feared for his safety as she would for a grandfather. She liked him even if he was the enemy. He was restrained compared to her fiery Taka Mal commanders, but just as formidable.

“King Cobalt didn't grant you safe passage,” she told him.

“I don't think I'll be in danger,” Fieldson said.

“Send Drummer,” Baz muttered.

Jade scowled at her cousin. “Stop it.”

Drummer joined them. “He's right, much as I hate to admit it.” When Baz turned the full force of his irate gaze on the minstrel, Drummer raised his hands, palms outward. He didn't look too concerned, though. Jade suspected he had plenty of experience pacifying irate authorities.

“You can't go into the Chamberlight camp,” Firaz said. “Let Fieldson and Spearcaster set it up. I will go with them.”

Jade almost groaned. Firaz was a brilliant commander, but he had never been known for diplomacy. More than likely he would end up inflaming Cobalt.

“I thank you for your wise and magnanimous offer,” she told him. “But I am greatly in need of your invaluable services here.”