The Dread: The Fallen Kings Cycle: Book Two by Gail Z. Martin Page A

through. So you say one more word to anyone about ‘vermin’ and I’ll cut out that tongue of yours and pin it to the wall for a trophy. I’m expecting you to do your duty and keep your opinions to yourself.” He poked the tip of his blade into the soft skin beneath Gregor’s chin. “Do you understand?”
    “Yes.”
    Jonmarc pushed away hard from Gregor, giving himself space and slamming his opponent into the wall again for good measure. He kept his sword in hand as Gregor straightened his uniform and recovered his sword.
    “Is it your doing that my men and I are in the first wave while the Queen’s Champion takes his time to reach the battlefield?”
    “Thank the queen for that decision, not me. Perhaps you didn’t notice that, so far, there’ve been more casualties here in Principality City than on the coast?” Jonmarc sheathed his weapon in disgust. “I don’t have time for this. Now get out of my way or, by the Dark Lady, I’ll cut a door right through your hide.”
    “I’m leaving.” Gregor turned and strode away. Jonmarc did not relax from a ready stance until he was certain that Gregor was truly gone.

Chapter Five
     
    D rink this.” Kolin pushed a cup of
kerif
into Aidane’s hands. Aidane accepted the strong, bitter drink gratefully and sipped at it as she sat beside the fireplace in her room. “Why didn’t you tell me you were having nightmares?”
    Aidane shrugged and looked up at Kolin where he stood beside the fireplace. The glow of the fire made his
vayash moru–
pale skin less pallid. His dark blond hair framed a sharp-featured face that was distinguished if not quite handsome. By comparison, Aidane had the coal-black hair and dusky skin of a Nargi native. Dark eyed and with high cheekbones, she had heard more than one courtier describe her as “exotic.” She had yet to decide whether or not that description was meant as a compliment.
    “I’m a
serroquette
. I should be used to dreams—my own, and others.” She sipped the hot tea and repressed a shiver.
    “Are the dreams always like these?” Kolin looked at her with a mixture of horror and sympathy. “You wokescreaming and fighting for your life. If I’d been mortal, I’m not sure I could have contained you.”
    Aidane sighed and looked away. “I allow ghosts to possess me to make peace with their lovers. My sanity depends on being able to keep most ghosts at bay and allow only certain ghosts to possess me. But something’s going wrong.”
    Kolin frowned. “So are you dreaming, or being possessed?”
    Aidane sipped her tea again as she thought. “I think it’s something in between. Not a full possession; I can tell that my own spirit is still in control. But more than a dream. And they’re not just any ghosts. They’re young women, and they’ve been murdered.”
    “By whom?”
    Aidane met his eyes. “Buka.”
    Kolin’s eyes widened. “The killer in the city?”
    Aidane nodded. “He’s not
vayash moru
, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ve seen the ghosts’ deaths… felt them. It’s a knife, not teeth, that does the killing. But the funny thing is, I don’t think he’s Durim, either.”
    “Why?”
    “Through the ghosts, I’ve gotten glimpses of what he does in the moments around the deaths. He… carves up the bodies,” Aidane said, swallowing hard. “He takes pieces of them. But it doesn’t feel like what we found on the road, when we came upon where the Durim had fouled the barrow. And yet…”
    “What?”
    “I think that Buka does make some kind of offering. He mutters to himself as he does the cutting. Sometimes, I can hear him. He says things like ‘honor the master’ and‘make the master welcome.’ The Durim worship Shanthadura, a goddess. Whomever Buka is trying to please is a man.” Aidane finished her drink and set the empty cup aside. She stared into the fireplace, trying to dispel the awful visions from her memory.
    Kolin sat down across from her and gently took her hands