title had ever devolved to him, and could not, unless they had decided he and their mistress were sharing power. Did they understand the feudal system enough to know what they implied?
No question of that.
He sighed, exasperated and amused. “The ship arrives tomorrow. I will arrange for Bryer’s passage.”
Sascha grinned, ears perked. “There, see? Wasn’t so hard, was it.”
“It’s almost as if we can read your mind,” Kis’eh’t added blandly.
Hirianthial shook his head. “What is she to do with the lot of you.”
“Unfortunately nothing I’d suggest,” Sascha said, grinning. “But Angels willing, I’ll be around to keep suggesting it until she gives in or finds me a few wives to keep me busy.”
CHAPTER 7
The prisoner was gone.
Surela stared at the empty cell and turned to the guards who’d led her into the catacombs, her guards, in her livery, men she’d been sure were at very least competent at their duties. “Has he been moved?”
“No, my Lady,” her guide said, his nervousness palpable. “He was here when last we were informed.”
She glanced down the corridor, hating the chill and the damp and the moisture that gleamed on the floor and made her small, tidy heels feel unsteady beneath her. “You there,” she said, spotting a priest in the Lord’s dark robes. “What has happened to the prisoner?”
“I cannot say, Your Majesty.”
“Cannot say?” she asked, astonished. “You deny knowledge to your own Queen?”
“Your Majesty,” he repeated, impassive. “It is not for me to say. The High Priest has sealed the matter.”
“Oh has he,” Surela said, lips drawing back from her teeth. “You may go.” To her guide. “We return.”
Her mind roiled with frustrations as they mounted the stairs leading back into the palace. Hirianthial gone! Where? Had Baniel killed him already? She had given him to the priesthood, of course—a mind-mage could not be suffered to live, much less one that consorted with mortals—but that was before she’d understood him to have knowledge that she needed. She wondered suddenly if Baniel had known about these things, and if that was one of the reasons he wanted his brother dead so quickly? She paused on the stairs, and her guards halted immediately, waiting on her pleasure.
A foreboding came to her then. “Take me to Liolesa,” she said to the guards. No, surely she was wrong… Hirianthial had been Baniel’s to dispose of, but the Queen—the former Queen, she reminded herself angrily—had been her prisoner. Baniel would not have touched her—
There were no guards waiting at the suite. She flung the door open and stared at the empty room. To search it would be futile, she knew; Liolesa was gone. But she ordered it done anyway and returned to her study while they worked, and there she brooded and grew more and more wroth until they delivered the inevitable report that the Queen was gone.
“Get me Baniel,” she hissed.
He arrived—in his own good time, she noticed—and by then she was so infuriated she didn’t even wait for the guards to close the doors before saying, “What did you do with her?”
“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?” he said. How she hated his urbane manners and the cold green glitter of his eyes! Would it be worth it to throw him in his own cell for a while? Could she keep him there? Except then who would conclude the transaction with the mortals and send them away? She would have to sully herself with the arrangements.
“Where is Liolesa?” Surela said. “And Hirianthial? Or did you kill him already?”
“He was mine to kill.”
“This sidesteps my question. Where are they? Answer me! ”
“Gone, Your Majesty,” Baniel said. At her expression, he finished, unperturbed, “Escaped.”
“ Escaped! ”
“Off-world, in fact.”
She stared at him, shocked that he could admit to this catastrophic failure with such equanimity. Did he truly think himself beyond punishment?
“That is all you have
No question of that.
He sighed, exasperated and amused. “The ship arrives tomorrow. I will arrange for Bryer’s passage.”
Sascha grinned, ears perked. “There, see? Wasn’t so hard, was it.”
“It’s almost as if we can read your mind,” Kis’eh’t added blandly.
Hirianthial shook his head. “What is she to do with the lot of you.”
“Unfortunately nothing I’d suggest,” Sascha said, grinning. “But Angels willing, I’ll be around to keep suggesting it until she gives in or finds me a few wives to keep me busy.”
CHAPTER 7
The prisoner was gone.
Surela stared at the empty cell and turned to the guards who’d led her into the catacombs, her guards, in her livery, men she’d been sure were at very least competent at their duties. “Has he been moved?”
“No, my Lady,” her guide said, his nervousness palpable. “He was here when last we were informed.”
She glanced down the corridor, hating the chill and the damp and the moisture that gleamed on the floor and made her small, tidy heels feel unsteady beneath her. “You there,” she said, spotting a priest in the Lord’s dark robes. “What has happened to the prisoner?”
“I cannot say, Your Majesty.”
“Cannot say?” she asked, astonished. “You deny knowledge to your own Queen?”
“Your Majesty,” he repeated, impassive. “It is not for me to say. The High Priest has sealed the matter.”
“Oh has he,” Surela said, lips drawing back from her teeth. “You may go.” To her guide. “We return.”
Her mind roiled with frustrations as they mounted the stairs leading back into the palace. Hirianthial gone! Where? Had Baniel killed him already? She had given him to the priesthood, of course—a mind-mage could not be suffered to live, much less one that consorted with mortals—but that was before she’d understood him to have knowledge that she needed. She wondered suddenly if Baniel had known about these things, and if that was one of the reasons he wanted his brother dead so quickly? She paused on the stairs, and her guards halted immediately, waiting on her pleasure.
A foreboding came to her then. “Take me to Liolesa,” she said to the guards. No, surely she was wrong… Hirianthial had been Baniel’s to dispose of, but the Queen—the former Queen, she reminded herself angrily—had been her prisoner. Baniel would not have touched her—
There were no guards waiting at the suite. She flung the door open and stared at the empty room. To search it would be futile, she knew; Liolesa was gone. But she ordered it done anyway and returned to her study while they worked, and there she brooded and grew more and more wroth until they delivered the inevitable report that the Queen was gone.
“Get me Baniel,” she hissed.
He arrived—in his own good time, she noticed—and by then she was so infuriated she didn’t even wait for the guards to close the doors before saying, “What did you do with her?”
“I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?” he said. How she hated his urbane manners and the cold green glitter of his eyes! Would it be worth it to throw him in his own cell for a while? Could she keep him there? Except then who would conclude the transaction with the mortals and send them away? She would have to sully herself with the arrangements.
“Where is Liolesa?” Surela said. “And Hirianthial? Or did you kill him already?”
“He was mine to kill.”
“This sidesteps my question. Where are they? Answer me! ”
“Gone, Your Majesty,” Baniel said. At her expression, he finished, unperturbed, “Escaped.”
“ Escaped! ”
“Off-world, in fact.”
She stared at him, shocked that he could admit to this catastrophic failure with such equanimity. Did he truly think himself beyond punishment?
“That is all you have
Similar Books
