Woman of Silk and Stone (12 page)

Shutting down the part of my brain that was
tormented by ending another being's life, I looked around the room
for something I could use to explain his broken arm and skull. I
paused, once again feeling the overwhelming sense that someone else
was in the room with me, was hovering just behind me, out of
sight.

The smoke seemed to be thicker than normal
around the fire, and under my breath, I thanked the flames for
giving me the vital moment of distraction that had saved my life.
The smoke seemed darker, almost making a recognizable shape for a
moment, but then dissolved into the air, leaving the fire burning
steadily. Rubbing my aching neck, I turned away, too freaked out to
consider the strangeness of that moment.

At last, my eye landed on a larger light
stone, slightly bigger than my fist, and heavy enough to have
caused serious damage had a normal woman wielded it. I grabbed the
stone and compared it to the dead man's wounds before pressing it
into his skin, coating it in blood and the slight sheen of sweat on
his arm our fight had generated. I didn't know what kind of
investigative capabilities they had in this world, but I knew it
couldn't hurt to have his DNA on the supposed murder weapon. There
wasn't much of anything I could do about the obviously broken arm
or handprint on his neck; I just had to hope people would be too
surprised by the attempt on my life to wonder how I had gotten such
a good grip.

Satisfied with the staging and feeling the
adrenaline that was keeping me going begin to wear off, I moved to
the door and opened it, peering out. The hall was empty, but there
was a faint light at the end of the corridor, so I ran toward it
and at long last let out the scream that had been building in me
since I woke up.

I was gratified to see that it took only
seconds for a guard to respond to my cry, but I did have to wonder
how my assailant had gotten into my room in the first place.
Deciding for the moment to let someone else figure that one out, I
pointed toward my room and waited for the guard to return.

"
Beleti
Honey, are
you well?" he demanded, taking my arms in a gentle but fortifying
grasp. I was beginning to give out, so it was nice to lean on
someone else's strength for a bit.

"I'm okay, but he got a few good shots in,"
I answered, unsurprised by the husky tone of my voice. I knew my
throat had to be damaged, but I hoped I had broken free before he
managed to do anything permanent.

Pounding footsteps announced approaching
company, and I allowed the guard to guide me back to my room and
sit me down on the couch in front of the fire, as far from the body
as possible. The moment I dropped on the couch, the fire blazed a
little higher, raising my suspicions. I had no idea what was going
on, or whether I was just hallucinating, but that was not the first
time the fire had reacted to my presence, and I was beginning to
wonder if here in Solis, the fire had some sort of elemental
intelligence.

Or maybe I'd just had my neck squeezed
really tight.

As people crowded the room, their gasps and
exclamations faded out a bit, leaving me with a sense of detachment
from the whole thing. Apart from my friendly guard, everyone else
seemed to forget about me in the face of the mangled body on the
floor.

"You have a warrior's heart," the guard said
quietly, kneeling down beside me. I glanced at him, surprised at
the statement. "You fought against a man twice your size and won.
Not many could have done so."

I gave him a wan smile and forced myself to
pay attention. "What is your name?" I asked, suddenly feeling
rather fond of the guy.

"Hamsum,
Beleti
Honey." Now that I was really looking at him, I was glad he seemed
to be on my side. The man was huge; even kneeling next to me he was
nearly as tall I would be standing. Heavy muscles were covered by a
close-fitting tunic and his tree-trunk legs were encased in soft
leather breeches. A belt lined with knives and other unfamiliar
sharp things was strapped around his thick waist, making him look a
lot like a really tan Rambo. His hair was a burnished brown, unlike
the typical sandy blond I'd encountered thus far, but his eyes,
they were what really caught my attention. In a face that was too
rugged to be considered handsome, his glorious teal-hued eyes
reminded me of Caribbean seas back home, serene and deep.

"Please, just call me Honey," I responded.
"Thank you for what you said. And thank you for your help."

Hamsum flushed, nodding at me before turning
away, a small smile on his face. As though the sound of our voices
had alerted the rest of the gawkers by the body that I still
existed, four people broke away and headed for us.

I could tell that the others were preparing
to move the body, which was a huge relief. No matter how detached I
was trying to remain, it would be a lot easier when I didn't have
to look at the evidence of my attack.

Efrim was among those who approached me, and
based on their uniforms, the others appeared to be guards like
Hamsum.

"Honey Sullivan, you are a very fortunate
woman," Efrim declared, his face stony with repressed emotion. Was
it disappointment? I couldn't tell. But I also couldn't think of
anyone else in this world that I'd pissed off enough to want me
dead other than Jafar's evil twin here, so he was riding high on my
list of suspects at the moment.

Too worn out from the fight and the shock, I
didn't bother answering diplomatically. "You know, 'fortunate' is
the last word I'd use to describe myself, Efrim. Having someone try
to kill me in my bed my first night here seems pretty far from
'
fortunate'
to me." I narrowed my eyes at
him, wondering what devious little plot was swirling around behind
his closed expression. "And I promise you, my surviving had nothing
to do with luck," I added, menace clear in my voice. I was
beginning to rethink my earlier determination to keep my newfound
strength and durability a secret. I might be safer in the long run
if these people were a little afraid of me.

He flushed and opened his mouth to speak,
but I forestalled him. "I was under the impression that
Halqu
were valued here, treasured."
Shaking my head, I allowed my gaze to wander about the room, noting
the varying degrees of distress and, in some cases, unnerving
antipathy in the occupants' expressions. "If this is how valued
guests are treated, I have to wonder if I really wish to remain
here in Solis."

There was a general gasp as my audience took
my meaning and I nodded, feeling satisfied that I'd made my point.
Deep down, while I had no idea what they really wanted with me, I
had to believe they felt they needed me somehow. So, as I often
told my clients, make the public come to you.

Efrim's face was a dark shade of orange,
reminding me vaguely of George Hamilton's famous tan. I supposed
the color was an indication of rage, given the vicious look in his
eyes as he stared me down, clearly holding in whatever it was he
really wanted to say. Oh yeah, Jafar was definitely involved in my
attack somehow.

Before he could say anything, there were
shouts in the hall and Tam burst through the door, his aunt hot on
his heels, an exasperated expression on her face. Ninna glanced
around the room, taking in the broken body on the floor with a
brief look of disgust before she turned her gaze to me, her face
softening in concern.

Tam, on the other hand, was inconsolable.
I'm not sure what bothered him more, that I had been attacked, or
that something so violent could happen in his sheltered world, but
his young face was gaunt with fright. He paled when he saw the
body, and Ninna gestured at one of guards; he threw a sheet from
the bed over the corpse, shielding the bloody wreck of a man from
view.

Relief made my shoulders sag and I leaned
further back against the cushioned sofa with a sigh. Tam
immediately snapped out of his state of panic and ran to me,
dropping to his knees before me.

"Honey, are you well? Did he harm you?" His
earnest, violet eyes ran over me looking for injury. He reddened
when his eyes settled on the fading bruises decorating my neck, and
tears glimmered in his eyes. "Oh, no. I am so sorry, Honey. I don't
know...I don't know how this happened."

He sounded so lost, so unbearably raw, that
I ignored the crowd around us and opened my arms to him.
Immediately, he crashed into them, a wounded bird seeking its
nest.

"I'm okay, Tam. I promise. Just shaken up a
bit," I assured him, holding tight to his trembling body. Having
known him for so short a time, it was ridiculous for me to feel the
amount of affection I did for the boy-king; and yet, something came
over me then, some deeply buried longing for approval and love, a
sense of family for this child who had lived longer than me. When I
was little, I used to dream of having a little brother or sister,
someone to play with and love, someone to tease and guide. Someone
who would depend on me, need me. For a child who was left to her
own devices most of the time, the idea of a sibling was
all-consuming. Up until the day I got up the nerve to ask my mother
about it, and she assured me she'd gotten her tubes tied after my
birth so she wouldn't be 'distracted' by any more children. When I
finally understood what that meant, and the dream of having a
brother or sister died, some part of me that had once been open and
giving shriveled up and disappeared.

But it was alive and blooming now.

Ninna strode towards us, anxiety creasing
her weary face, but I just shook my head at her. I think if anyone
had tried to pry that child from my arms just then, I would have
come out swinging. The feel of his thin arms wrapped around my
neck, his warm weight and utter dependence on me comforted me on a
level I never knew I needed.

"It won't ever happen again, Honey. I
promise," Tam was rushing his words together so much I could barely
understand him, but it finally dawned on me that he was worried I
was angry with him. "Please don't leave! I promise you'll be
safe."

"Hey, hey," I interrupted, taking hold of
his chin and shifting him so he looked me in the eyes. "I'm not
going anywhere, okay? I like it here, and we're friends now,
right?" He looked at me uncertainly, his heart in his eyes, and I
thought of the parents he had lost, and the seeming lack of people
his age running around, and recognized a soul as lonely as my own.
"Hey, none of this was your fault. You didn't order that guy to
attack, did you?"

Tam looked so appalled at the thought I had
to laugh. "Yeah, I didn't think so. So don't worry about it, okay?
You're stuck with me."

His shimmering purple eyes searched mine for
sincerity and then he relaxed in my arms before regaining some of
his composure. Darting a glance over his shoulder, he saw Ninna
eyeing us disapprovingly and straightened his shoulders, donning
some of that intrinsic royal attitude. I released him and he sat
himself more conventionally on the sofa, sending a hesitant smile
at his aunt.

I was at little surprised at her reaction.
As the apparent guardian and only living family member to Tam, I
would have imagined she would want to shield him from what had
happened. If he'd been my little brother in truth, or my nephew,
and one who had already suffered more than his share of burdens in
life, I would have tried to prevent him from coming to the scene
until things had calmed down. Not only was he witness to the rather
grisly remains of the attacker, he had to see me injured and
shaken, something I wouldn't have ever wished.

It was on the tip of my tongue to say
something, to admonish the woman for exposing him to the aftermath
of such violence, but I stopped myself, not wanting to embarrass
Tam in front of his overly observant subjects.

Ninna watched her nephew with furrowed brows
for a moment before shaking her head and joining us. "Sweet son of
my sister, I know you are worried about Honey, but you must
remember that you are king. Dry your eyes and do not show weakness
now," she said, her voice kind but stern. Personally, I thought for
a kid he was handling the whole dead body on the floor thing pretty
well, but what did I know?

"It's fine, Ninna. He's just comforting me,
as he should any guest of the crown," I reassured her, my voice
loud enough to carry. "I am
fortunate,"
I
said with a glare at Efrim, "to have the king care so much for
me."

Some of the tension in the room eased until
the moment I realized the guards were carrying out the body of my
assailant.

"Hang on, did anyone recognize him? The man
who attacked me?" I asked, stunned by immediate look of shame that
descended over my new friend Hamsum's expression.

"Forgive me,
beleti
Honey, but I cannot tell you much until we investigate further. It
appears..." he hesitated and looked over his shoulder at the other
guards, all of whom were avoiding my gaze studiously. Hamsum sighed
and shook his head. "He is one of our number, a
Litum
. We are elite warriors; why he would do
something like this...I cannot say until I know more." He looked at
me apologetically, seeming to take the attacker's identity as a
personal failing.

Ninna moved closer to me and patted me on
the shoulder in an awkward attempt at reassuring me. "Don't fear,
Honey. This attack is highly unusual, and against a Halqu! Unheard
of. Perhaps
Sukkall
Efrim can help shed
some light on the matter; he often meets with the
Litum
."

My eyes darted to Efrim and I noted with
suspicion the blank look on his face as he stared at Ninna, his
eyes unreadable and jaw clenched. Something about the moment struck
me as wrong; perhaps that it was too easy to connect Efrim to the
attack, or just the strange vibe that passed between the king's two
most trusted advisors. I reached for Tam's hand and squeezed it,
abruptly more afraid for this sweet-tempered kid trapped in a court
that was clearly burdened with an abundance of hidden agendas.