Elyon's Blades, page 18
part #1 of The Daughters of Elyon Series
Calit wondered at the Arch Priestess’ clipped tones and sent a questioning look at Shirin, who saw it but looked away.
“Yes, My Lady. Um….” Nox had heard the irritation in Sábria’s voice, too, and began to get nervous. No one had given a second thought to her story being false. Until now. Maybe she was sensing things that weren’t there. She decided to plow on with her recounting of events as she’d told them to others. “The men disappeared around the corner, and Maeira was the first to follow them. We expected them to keep running, but they’d stopped, and when Maeira came around the corner, one man hit her in the face with his sword. It must have killed her instantly. I don’t know, but I think so.”
Calit had described Maeira’s wound to Sábria and Shirin, and there was no ‘I think so’ about it. Maeira had been dead before the blade had gone halfway through her head. They both wondered whether Nox had even taken the time to look at the Blade if she could so blithely say she wasn’t sure whether Maeira had been killed instantly.
Oblivious to their thoughts, Nox continued with her story. “The others already had their weapons out, and they charged us. I tripped and fell into the legs of the man who came for me. Dumb luck, really, because when he went down, his sword was trapped beneath his body, and I managed to kill him.”
Swallowing hard, she braced herself for the next part of her lie. Looking at the wall above Sábria’s head, she straightened and plowed ahead. “That was when I glanced up and saw Ailith ducking beneath another man’s swing. She looked back over her shoulder at us and then took off running.” Waiting a beat to see whether anyone said anything, Nox licked dry lips and flicked her gaze down to Sábria’s eyes to judge her reaction.
Sábria’s still features were completely unreadable to an untrained child. Shirin, on the other hand, recognized the anger and disbelief roiling just below the surface.
“Well, Jenx killed one man almost instantly, and I’m not sure what happened next. It’s all kind of a blur, but the next thing I remember was kneeling over Jenx and her telling me to go find Ailith to make sure she was okay. I went to look for her but couldn’t find her, and when I returned, Blade Soirin was kneeling over Jenx, who was unconscious by then.”
Sábria crossed her arms and leaned against her desk. “Killing two men is a blur to you?”
From the first time Nox had given the story until now, she’d decided the fewer details, the better. Even though her mother had trained her with her blade, she’d never been in an actual sword fight and didn’t know enough to describe what would have happened, so she’d decided to say she couldn’t remember how she’d killed the men. She’d also left out the part about the sailors because she didn’t want anyone trying to find them. “Then Ailith came back, and Prime Geller took her to the outstation to keep her safe from the other Blades who wanted to—”
When Sábria’s eyes flashed, Nox looked at the ground. “What did the Blades do to Ailith?”
When Nox didn’t answer, Sábria looked pointedly at Calit.
Calit shrugged, “I wasn’t there, but Geller told me they were beating the shit out of her before she was able to pull them off her.”
“Did Prime Geller see to her wounds?”
Shaking her head slowly as she tried to remember, she said, “Not that I know of. I’m sure she must have, though. After we brought Maeira and Jenx back to the Temple, Prime Geller brought Ailith here from the outstation and confined her to her room.”
There was a prolonged silence while Sábria reined in her temper. She glared at Nox. “Anything else?”
“No, My Lady.”
“You’re dismissed, then.”
Relieved that the interview was over, Nox brought her fist to her chest and quickly left the room. Worry niggled at the back of her mind. That was the first time she’d told the story, and the listeners hadn’t patted her on the back and told her what a hero she was for saving Jenx. Well, as long as she stuck to her story, she didn’t think there was much that could go wrong.
She didn’t know how very wrong she was.
Twenty-One
That something so momentous as having one of her Blades killed and another seriously injured while she was away upset Sábria immensely, but they lived and worked in a dangerous world, and while it didn’t lessen the import of dead and injured Blades, grief was different from anger.
That a shiv was beaten and confined to her room for days angered her beyond measure. She pushed off her desk and headed to her door, “Shirin, with me. Calit, we’ll discuss your actions after I’ve spoken with Ailith. You're dismissed.”
Shirin knew enough to keep her questions to herself with Sábria in this kind of mood. Silence allowed the Priestess to gather her thoughts, and Shirin knew that when she wanted her opinion, she’d ask for it.
Word had gone out that the Arch Priestess was heading for the dormitory, and as the two women walked into the atrium, they could hear doors slamming in every wing and, judging by the echoes, on every floor of the building. Sábria had been in the Temple long enough to know that people running to hide when she came near meant they didn’t want to be around when she discovered something that might just put her in a rage. It had only happened on a few occasions, but those had become legend.
They climbed the stairs to the fourth floor, where the cloying scent of floral incense filled the air. Sábria knocked on Ailith’s door. “Ailith. It’s Sábria. Please open the door.” Silence greeted her, and she tried again. “Ailith, open this door. Now.”
The door remained closed, and she turned the handle and pushed it open, intending to deliver a sound rebuke for ignoring her. What she saw made her blood run cold. Filth and garbage covered every inch of the room, including the bed and the woman lying on it facing the wall. Judging by the types of detritus in the room, she knew there was no way Ailith had done this herself. A putrid stench of garbage and excrement wafted out, and a horrified Sábria whispered, “Ailith.”
She began pushing aside trash with her legs to get to the bed, but when Ailith turned to look over her shoulder, the Priestess stopped short. The rage and hatred she saw burning in those dark brown eyes startled her. The only thing she could think to say was, “Ailith, I’m sorry I wasn’t here.” She held out a hand. “Come, Child. Let’s get you out of here.”
“Get out!”
When Ailith flew off the bed and bellowed, Shirin hurried forward to protect Sábria, who held up her hand to stop her.
“Ailith. We need to get you out of here, and I want to hear your side of the story. Come with me, please.” She held out her hand again, but it was ignored.
“Get the fowk out of my room!” Ailith took another aggressive step forward but caught her shin on a sharp piece of wood and blinked down in surprise.
Shirin’s hands clenched into fists, but still, Sábria kept her back and said quietly, “We’ll get you a new room. You can’t stay in here.”
“Watch me.” Ailith flung herself down on the bed and turned to the wall.
Deciding she needed time to think about how to best handle an enraged former Dreyuthan warrior, Sábria motioned for Shirin to follow her out of the room. Eyes blazing with a fury that vibrated through her very being, Sábria pulled the door shut behind them, turned on Shirin, and pointed a stiff finger at the room. “I want a guard you can trust on this door until I figure out the best way to proceed. If anyone opens that door without my permission, I will hold you directly responsible.”
Knowing her Priestess meant every word and that this was no time for familiarity, Shirin pulled herself to attention and brought her fist to her chest. “Yes, My Lady.”
“And you will find every person who contributed to that disaster in there and bring them to me immediately.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
Glaring at the door one last time, Sábria left for the infirmary to check on Jenx.
Shirin strode to the Sanctum and found Geller in her room. Speaking in a monotone Geller knew meant business, she got straight to the point. “You will stand guard at Ailith’s door until I relieve you with someone else I trust not to open that door without my express permission. No one is to enter. Do I make myself clear?”
Geller blinked several times, unsure of what was going on. She knew the Arch Priestess and the Commander had been due back that day, but for a Prime to be assigned guard duty was unheard of. “Yes, Commander, but…”
“But?”
“Why are we guardin’ her? She’s not left her room since I put her there and told her to stay.”
“You’re not guarding the door to make sure Ailith stays in. You’re guarding it to make sure no one else throws any more trash, rotten fruit, or horse manure inside or defecates on her floor.”
“What?” Geller straightened. “Who?”
“I don’t know who, but when I find out, people are going to be transferred to the farthest Temples I can find, and none will be going together. That’s after I whip the pox-infected skin off their sorry backs.”
“And, if Ailith does come out?”
“We want her out. Let her go wherever she wants to and come find me.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Having said what she came to say, Shirin returned to the dormitory and began pounding on doors, intending to ferret out every last person who’d contributed filth to Ailith’s room.
Geller changed out of her everyday clothes into her uniform, strapped on her sword, and took up her post in front of Ailith’s door.
Twenty-Two
Kara saw Sábria walk into the infirmary and hurried to her. Seeing the Priestess was in no mood for polite banter, she got right to the point. “You must be looking for Jenx. She’s in one of the private rooms. She regained consciousness a candlemark past, and Master Healer Haria is in with her now.”
“Take me to them.”
The barely suppressed fury pouring off Sábria startled Kara, who immediately swept her hand in front of her. “This way, My Lady.” They walked down several long corridors before turning into one of ten private rooms.
Haria had her middle finger just above Jenx’s eyelid and was peering into the eye with decided concentration. Without looking up, she spoke over her shoulder, “I said, no visitors. Whoever you are, you can leave now.”
Sábria stepped to the bed. “How is she?”
Startled, Haria looked up and smiled, “Sorry, Sábria. I hadn’t realized you’d returned yet.” She stood and faced the Priestess to give her report, her tone upbeat and hopeful. “As you can see, our Blade has finally regained consciousness.” They both glanced down at Jenx, who had closed her eyes again.
Sábria sat on the edge of the bed and took Jenx’s hand. “How are you feeling, Child?”
A tear slipped out of the corner of the warrior’s eye, and her mouth crumpled, “Maeira’s dead.”
“I know, and I’m so, so sorry. You were shivs together, weren’t you?”
At Jenx’s nod, Sábria squeezed her hand. “I’m so sorry.” She wanted more than anything to ask about what had happened in the alley but decided now was not the time to press her for details. “When Healer Haria says you can have visitors, is there anyone, in particular, you’d like to have come sit with you?”
The face crumpled again, and she whispered, “Maeira.”
Sábria’s brows descended, and she glanced at Haria. She was so preoccupied with Ailith that it took a moment for Jenx’s words to register. She lifted the hand and held it in both of her own. “You were lovers?”
When Jenx began crying in earnest, Sábria leaned down and carefully placed herself close enough to the Blade’s head that Jenx could cry into her shoulder without having to move. She remained holding her until the tears stopped, and Sábria heard the steady breathing of someone asleep. She straightened and asked quietly, “Sleeping herbs?”
“Yes. Kara mentioned that the two had been a couple for two or three full moons now, and while I knew I had to tell her about Maeira’s death, I wanted to give her something beforehand to ease the pain. She’ll sleep for several candlemarks.” Sábria stood to go, and Haria placed a hand on her arm. “She did ask me how Maeira died. She doesn’t remember anything that happened that morning.”
Sábria’s heart sank at her words. Without an eyewitness, there’d be no way to know what really happened in that alley. “Thank you for letting me know, Haria. I’m relieved beyond measure that Jenx has regained consciousness, but…well, let’s just say it’s a disappointment she can’t remember what happened.” On that depressing note, Sábria left the infirmary and headed to the keep to bathe and change into a clean uniform.
Two candlemarks later, she walked into her office to find Khaldo waiting in the anteroom and Shirin sitting behind the desk doing paperwork. The Commander also had her own desk in Sábria’s office, plus an office of her own across the hall. She didn’t greet either but simply said, “Bring her.” She stepped into her office and sat behind her desk, the place she retreated to when she needed to separate herself from what was happening in front of it.
Shirin stood just inside the door, and Khaldo took up a position directly in front of the desk. She saluted and then stood with her legs shoulder-width apart and her hands clasped behind her back.
“Did I tell you to take the rest position?” Sábria’s tone was low and controlled.
Khaldo immediately came to rigid attention.
“I understand you and your friends are responsible for that disgusting display in Ailith’s room. Is that correct?”
“The coward deserved it, My Lady.”
“Did you lead the group that threw trash into Ailith’s room?”
Khaldo had always considered herself a leader, and even though she knew the Priestess might look down on what they’d done, at least she’d see that others followed her lead. That would stand in her favor when she came up for promotion. She raised her chin, so it was parallel to the floor. “Yes, My Lady. She left them to die. She left my fellow Blades to die, and she deserves so much more than we gave her.”
Barely keeping her anger in check, Sábria nodded. “Do you remember what I said would happen the next time you bullied someone under my protection?”
“I’m willing to take the punishment, My Lady. I believe what me and my people did was the right thing to do. We needed to make an example of her so no other shivs, or Blades for that matter, would leave us or other Blades alone to fight our battles.”
Sábria listened without interrupting. She knew there was no rehabilitating this woman, and when she stopped speaking, the Arch Priestess slowly nodded. “Well, that won’t be your worry anymore. I am stripping you of your position within the Blades.”
“What?” That punishment had never entered Khaldo’s mind. “You can’t do that!”
“Commander Shirin. You’re to escort Khaldo to her room, where you’ll gather all her Blade uniforms and equipment. Then, since she has such a love affair with garbage, you’ll take her to Mistress Lyman, where she’ll be assigned to janitorial duty until further notice.”
Shirin stepped forward, and it was a good thing she did because something in Khaldo snapped.
Pulling her knife, the Blade lunged over the desk and slashed viciously through the air where Sábria’s throat had been moments before. “You can’t do that! You bitch! I’ll kill you! I’ll—”
Khaldo gasped when Sábria evaded the knife, grabbed her wrist, and jerked her forward until she was lying face-first across the desk. The Arch Priestess pushed up on the Blade’s elbow and twisted the arm around until the knife nearly stabbed Khaldo in the side.
“You’re breaking it!”
“I know how far I can go before it breaks. Would you like me to tell you when it’s going to happen? Not yet.” When Khaldo growled and stubbornly held onto the knife, Sábria wrenched the arm a little further. “Drop it.” She wrenched it again.
Khaldo gasped, “Stop!”
The knife clattered onto the desk, where Shirin grabbed it and tossed it into a corner. She then took the short sword Khaldo was so inordinately proud of wearing and tossed it there as well. Grabbing the ex-Blade’s other arm in a two-handed armlock, she wrenched it up behind her. When Sábria released her, Shirin said, “Let’s go.”
“I’ve changed my mind. Take her to the detention block. She can stay there until she decides to apologize to me and to Shiv Ailith.” The emphasis she put on the word shiv did exactly what it was meant to do. It drove the knife even further into Khaldo’s heart. “Maybe someday, you’ll earn the right to petition to become one of my shivs again, but until that time comes, you’ll stay away from my Blades and far, far away from me.”
Twenty-Three
Ailith lay up in her room, brooding. She knew she’d never be a Blade again. No one would trust her to be on the same shift, to protect their back, and without that trust, what was the use? Joining the Temple had been a lifelong commitment, but what could she do with the rest of her life if not fight? She hadn’t been eating any of the food or drink she’d found inside her door mostly because she could see gobs of phlegm on the food and floating in the water.
She had, however, been drinking water from the faucet in the privy, and that water was telling her it was time for another trip to that privy. She waded through the detritus and pulled the door open only to see Geller seated to the right of the door. Ailith sneered at the woman who stood and stepped in front of her. Ailith’s gaze traveled from the square, muscular shoulders down to the hardened, calloused hands, judging whether she’d have a chance if she tried to push through the Prime. When her gaze met Geller’s, it was obvious the older woman knew what she was thinking.
Geller cocked her head, waiting a moment to see what Ailith had decided. When the shiv didn’t move, she glanced over Ailith’s shoulder into the room. What she saw and smelled appalled her. Her shoulders sagged, and she looked back into the young woman’s eyes. “Ach, Ailith. Why didn’t ya come to me? I’d of stopped this in its tracks if you’d of said something.”
