The Way of the Blade (18 page)

“She’s mine,” Javery said.

“You had your chance,” Druzane said with a slick venom that he had never heard from her before. “But you’re too much of a coward to marry me, too much of a coward to stand up to your father, and too much of coward to fight in the battle. That’s right. You think I don’t know about that? You really think the entire town doesn’t know? They put Canto in charge because he’s a true leader, a true man.”

Javery looked up from the floor. “Why are you saying this? Don’t you love me?”

“I’m sorry, Jave,” Canto said, pulling on his robe. “I didn’t know the two of you still had —”

“We don’t,” Druzane said, gazing down on Javery as if she smelled something foul. “For a time, I thought he might be somebody worthwhile, but now that I’ve been with a real man, I see he’s nothing. I’d rather sleep with a Scarite before giving myself to him again.”

“Druzane,” Canto said. “That’s Shual’s son.”

“You’re Shual’s son, now.” She kissed him, pressing her breasts against him, reaching down and caressing him between the legs — all while Javery watched. “I can be a great woman to you.”

Canto grabbed her wrists and pushed her back. He looked from Javery to Druzane and shook his head. “This was a mistake,” he said and trudged off.

Druzane took two steps to follow before noticing she had no clothes on. “Wait,” she said, but he was gone.

Javery’s bitter laughter filled the air. He watched as she tossed a robe around her body and scowled at him. He felt the wetness on his face but made no move to wipe away his tears — even as his laughing turned into a wailing cry. “Why did you do this to me? To us?”

“When was there ever an
us?
Was it the time when you failed to announce our engagement? Or perhaps the times before that when you failed to acknowledge me to your family?”

“I was wrong. I admit it. I need you.”

“You need me in your bed, and now that I’m not there, now you notice me. That’s all I’ve ever been to you, and I played it up as much as I could, but it was no use. You’re too much of a coward to ever take control of the real power around here.”

Her words slapped him in the face and sobered him. His tears dried as he watched the contempt ooze out of Druzane. He got to his feet, fixed his disheveled robe, and wiped his nose. He dared one last look at her, but her burning glare left no room for his heart. He raised his head as if in victory, and with a dignified stride, he walked out of the room — all the time, praying to Carsite for the strength to keep his legs from buckling.

Outside, he took to the air in his autofly and hovered amongst the floating islands. For ten minutes, he cried. He let the tears pour unhindered, hoping to empty himself of every last sorrow. But it would not end — maybe it never would.

At length, his mind turned to Malja. He had to inform her of Canto and his betrayal to the Carsite people — sleeping with a whore like Druzane mere weeks after the death of Soralia.

But what of the things he overheard Malja telling Fawbry and Tommy? No. Those things came from sneaking in the night with Druzane. Who knows what Malja had truly been talking about? All he could be certain of was that if Druzane had wanted him to hear it, then he could no longer trust the quality of that moment. After all, Malja had given them the ability to stand against the Scarites, she had brought together the town and formed a unified force, and she could do the same for him — help him find the courage inside to take control of the town and set them on a prosperous course.

He guided the autofly over the rooftops until he reached the guest house. After landing behind the building, he strode towards the entrance. He had to pause a moment, his hand on the wall for support, as a wave of pain struck his chest and memories of Druzane followed — the real Druzane he had felt so strongly for instead of the monster he had just met.

As he stood there, fighting tears and nausea, he heard voices above him. Glancing up, he saw the window that opened into Malja’s room.

“Don’t fight me on this,” Malja said.

Fawbry’s voice came next, clear and firm. “I don’t like the idea of you going off without us. This isn’t Corlin. We don’t have places to go.”

“If you come with me, then it’ll all fall apart.”

A pause. “Tommy’s right. There’s nothing to fall apart except us. We have to stay together.”

“We will.” Malja sounded less certain. “Harskill told the truth when he said this situation would escalate. I need you here to make sure the Carsites are prepared. You need to convince Canto to make you his generals. You both know how to fight, you know tactics, you’ll do fine.”

“Of course we’ll do fine. That’s not our point.”

“I have to visit Harskill. I have to talk with him. See if there’s some way to stop this conflict.”

Javery covered his mouth as he slid to the ground.
Harskill? How could she think to deal with the enemy?
He wanted to scream and wail and throw up. He shoved his fingers in his mouth and bit down to keep from giving himself away.

He lay like that for several minutes. A rock stabbed his back, yet he did not move. He watched the shapes of clouds and islands above, and for a brief time, the idea that insanity might take over welcomed him. But the longer he lay there, sane and pained, the longer he knew that Carsite would not let him go so easily. The people deserved better.

Canto had betrayed them. Druzane had betrayed them. And now Malja betrayed them.

Chapter 17

Malja

After Fawbry and Tommy left her room, Malja cleaned and sharpened Viper. She thought little while doing this repetitive task, and that suited her fine. But as she braided her hair, he mind rehashed Fawbry’s arguments. She understood his reticence but hoped he would trust her once more. She needed both of them in charge here. If she didn’t return, if Harskill bested her, then she wanted to know that they had a fighting chance.

She hefted on her long coat, sheathed Viper, and climbed the ladder that led to the roof. She walked to the center, the afternoon sun hot against her face, and her do-kha reacted by cooling her skin.

“Okay,” she said to her do-kha. “Let’s see if you can make this just as simple.” She closed her eyes and pictured Harskill.
I want to contact this man. This Gate. Contact his do-kha
.

Nothing happened.

She felt nothing in her body. Heard nothing. Saw nothing.

She sighed, and walked to the back corner of the roof where a stone prong reached high enough to create a wedge of shade. She waited for a half-hour. Nothing changed.

Picturing Harskill again, she walked to the center of the roof. “I want to contact Harskill.”

Still nothing.

For several hours, she tried every approach she could think of — silent, out loud, walking, standing, sitting, anything that would make her do-kha behave. The sun lowered to the horizon, and she kicked her heel into the roof. What was the point of having a do-kha that would react to her needs when it wouldn’t help her when she needed it the most?

“Well, Fawbry, looks like you don’t have to worry about me leaving,” she muttered as she headed towards the ladder.

“Don’t give up yet,” Harskill said.

Malja whirled around, but nobody was there. Her left hand tingled as if an army of insects crawled over it. She glanced at her hand — the do-kha covered it like a gauntlet. She held her hand up and watched as the do-kha stretched from her palm several inches high.

“Harskill?” she said, as the stretched fabric reshaped into a semblance of Harskill’s face.

He smiled. “Not bad. Keep practicing and you’ll be able to get a much clearer connection.”

“I don’t know what I even did.”

“All of your attempts were fine. The do-kha listens to you, to your body, so it’s hard to do it wrong, once you know how to speak to it.”

“You know I tried several attempts? How long ago did I actually make contact with you?”

“From the first, of course. But it wasn’t until this last try that you made a solid connection that we could speak on.”

“You didn’t think to help?”

Harskill raised an eyebrow but offered nothing more as an answer. “Should I assume that this contact is because you wish to do as I asked? To come visit the Scarites? Or is there something else that brings you to me?”

She wanted to curl her fingers into a fist, to crush this image of Harskill sitting on her palm, but when she tried, the motion disrupted the do-kha’s connection with him. Easing her hand, the connection regained its strength.

“If you try anything,” Malja said, “Fawbry and Tommy will lead the entire Carsite army against you.”

“Of course.”

Malja couldn’t be sure, but she swore she caught a malicious grin sneak through the odd image. “So how do I get to you? You want me to take an autofly?”

“A little patience. Transportation is on its way.”

Twenty minutes later, a talionog landed on the roof, it’s massive wings stirring up clouds of dust as it settled. It moved to Malja and lowered its head. With a clear tremble in her hand, she reached out and stroked the feathered head. It lowered its right shoulder to the ground and waited.

Malja exhaled and shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve only been using the autofly a short time. Riding on your back doesn’t sound too sane.”

The talionog snorted and peeked up at her. In her mind, Malja imagined its words —
It’s up to you lady, but I’ve got to answer to Harskill, if I show up without you.

That did it. No way would she let Harskill harm this majestic creature. She swung her leg over its side and mounted its back. Lowering her body and gripping tight, she patted its thick neck. The talionog smelled musky and its feathers grew from a soft hide of fur.

It lifted its head and walked a circle. Malja figured it was trying out the new weight on its back before it attempted to fly. “Be as cautious as you want,” she whispered.

She felt its muscles tense beneath her and knew the moment had come. And just before they launched into the sky, she had the thought —
What if all of this was Harskill’s trap to kill me?

With two strong flaps of its wings, they were airborne. A cool wind pressed against her. Her heart dropped to her stomach as the town shrunk beneath her. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on breathing, tried to pretend that more than an animal’s whim stood between her and a horrible fall. Malja wanted to grip the creature’s fur even tighter but she feared she might choke the poor beast.

Once the talionog leveled off and only required a few flaps now and then to keep them in the air, Malja found her pulse calming and her grip loosening. The creature never dipped to the side or tried to shake her off — apparently Harskill truly wanted to see her. Despite the creature’s steadiness, she never fully relaxed. Although, after about ten minutes, she accepted that she would not soon be tumbling to her death.

She kept close to the creature’s body, but she still managed to see around her. The world slipped underneath them, silent and graceful. Puffy clouds drifted above.

Malja let an inch of air seep between her and the talionog. Then another inch. Though she kept her strong grip on its fur, she rose upright, letting the wind toss her braid behind her like a war flag.

The talionog snorted and bounced its head. Malja dropped forward, hugging its neck tight. Then the creature spread its wings and made a slow circle, descending little by little, until it landed on the pebble shore.

The low-tide ocean waves dribbled in, wetting the clawed feet of the talionog. It lowered its head and shoulder, and Malja took this as a sign to dismount.

“Did you enjoy the flight?”

Malja stepped from behind the talionog to find Harskill standing by his own talionog. “Much different that an autofly, but enjoyable enough.”

Harskill chuckled. “We need to give the animals a little time to eat, drink, and rest. Then we’ll cross the ocean and you can see the Scarites.”

With a shake of her head, Malja crossed her arms and gazed across the gentle waters. “I don’t understand why you care about any of this. What does it matter to you who wins on this world?”

“It matters to you, doesn’t it? Why can’t it matter for me, too?”

“I only got involved after the Scarites slaughtered these people for no reason. I’m trying to find some way to put right what you’ve torn apart. I care because your interference caused all this bloodshed.”

Harskill stood next to her. “That statement is why you need to see the Scarites. You don’t understand these people or their conflict. But you will.”

“You still haven’t told me why you care about any of this.”

He turned his body a quarter towards her, and she could feel his eyes roving up and down her body. “Ah, Malja. You are an exquisite woman. Perhaps someday you’ll see the wisdom of what I seek to do. If you were at my side, we would be unstoppable.”

“If I recall, when you told me of your great plan to bring the people of Gate back to power, to rule all the worlds with you as the King, you also set me up to be killed.”