Challenges (24 page)

Jovvi nodded silently while Vallant gulped some tea, understanding only too well. Telling a bright, adventurous, outgoing child not to do something dangerous almost always brought about tragedy. Why people didn’t simply teach the child to do that something properly, with supervision, was beyond Jovvi. Was it simple stubbornness? A need to feel superior about something? Possibly a simple matter of laziness? Most street children learned not to take unnecessary chances, but that was because they had no families. Could there be circumstances where a family was more of a burden than a blessing?

“I remember how beautiful the day was,” Vallant continued, drawing Jovvi out of her own thoughts. “Hot almost to sweatin’, but not in the water. That was just perfect, cool and refreshin’ and all-around delightful. I’d grown up swimmin’ in those waters, and felt more at home in them than in our back garden.”

“Followin’ my brothers was easy, and they never even knew I was there. I saw them swim up to the rock formation that held the caves, then dive under. The caves were a short way down, you see, and there were a lot of them. That meant I didn’t have to pick the same cave that my brothers did, especially since I’d brought my own lantern wrapped in waxed burlap. I wasn’t too young to keep the water away from the lantern with my ability, but I wanted to make doubly sure. I did everythin’ right—except for pickin’ the wrong cave.”

“What made it wrong?” Jovvi asked gently as he gulped tea again. “Was it too deep?”

“Actually, it wasn’t deep enough,” he replied with a headshake, just short of looking haggard. “It was also small, which didn’t bother me at all to begin with. I lit my lantern and began to look around, noticin’ the signs on the cave walls that it filled completely with water at regular times. It had enough air for me to breathe right then, so what was the sense in worryin’ about later? And then there was a small earth tremor, nothin’ that didn’t happen from time to time—except this one shook loose a boulder from the rock above, and it settled to the ledge right in front of the entrance to the cave.”

“Oh, no,” Jovvi gasped, suddenly feeling what he had, all those years ago. “And you weren’t able to move it?”

“Not with every ounce of strength in my body,” he agreed heavily, his gaze apparently involved with studying that old, painful scene. “I was only a boy, after all, and even usin’ Water magic just made the boulder quiver some. I was trapped, with no way of tellin’ anybody where I was. And then, after some time passed, the tide started comin’ in. The cave began to fill slowly with water, on its way to makin’ more marks on the walls and ceilin’. And there wasn’t as much fresh air for breathin’ as there’d been to start with…”

“For goodness’ sake, Vallant, tell me how you got out of there!” Jovvi demanded, more disturbed than she’d expected to be. “I can feel just how horrible it was, how confining and terrifying… Did your brothers know you’d followed them after all?”

“No, it turned out to be my younger brother who saved me,” he replied with a wan smile. “He knew what I was plannin’ to do, but he didn’t say a word until I didn’t show up for dinner. That was when he told Daddy all about it, and Daddy and my older brothers came rushin’ back to search for me. They brought underwater flares, which was lucky. My lantern had gone out, and there were so many caves they didn’t know where to start lookin’. But I caught a glimpse of one of the flares, and used my ability to start a whirlpool in front of the cave I was trapped in. They got the boulder moved, and I was finally able to get out.”

“And you’ve been paying for a child’s mistake ever since,” Jovvi summed up, fighting off a chill. “Being trapped like that… I’ll have to think about it for a while, but I believe I’m getting an idea to add to the one Tamma and I discussed. That one concerned helping you and Lorand to trade problems, since each of you should be able to cope with the other’s. I still think we ought to do that, even if my idea on how to solve your problem completely actually works.”

“How to solve—! Jovvi, do you really think you can?” Vallant’s surge of hope had returned, much stronger than it had been earlier. “Gettin’ rid of it would mean bein’ free again! But I don’t understand why you would want Lorand and me to switch problems if our original ones were cured. What would be the point?”

“The testing authority is the point,” Jovvi reminded him. “Even if I do manage to help you two to cure yourselves—which is by no means certain—we can probably count on the testing authority to try to ruin our Blending. One way would be to strike at you and Lorand through your vulnerabilities, which could end up wrecking whatever you two accomplish in the way of a cure. But if we put a different problem in front of your eyes, it might work as a shield against whatever those people try. Are you following me?”

“Not even from a distance,” he answered with a small, honest laugh. “And I was just rememberin’ somethin’ Lorand once said, about his bein’ afraid you girls were smarter than us. It’s a good thing he was only jokin’ about bein’ afraid, because I’m beginnin’ to think you
are
smarter than us. How about givin’ a poor, dumb man an explanation usin’ the kind of small and easy words he can understand?”

“You, my poor, dumb man, will have to wait for your explanation until I get the thing figured out so that my superior self can understand it first.” Jovvi chuckled as she said that, knowing that Vallant had been gently teasing her. Self confidence was no part of his problem, and the only thing he felt threatened by was small, tight spaces. “In the meanwhile, we can put off that decision I told you earlier that you would have to make. In its place I’ll need a different decision from you—assuming you’re amenable to the suggestion.”

“Have I ever mentioned that I like mysteries only up to a certain point?” he replied, confusion raising his brows again. “Nothin’ you just said made the least sense, and this time I
know
it isn’t me.”

“I must be spending too much time with Tamma,” Jovvi muttered, realizing he was absolutely right. “That habit of hers of talking all around a subject must be catching… What I meant to say was, I’d like to know if you’d be willing to lie with me. If so, we can see to it right now—unless there’s something more important that you need to do?”

Jovvi automatically added her best smile, the one no man had ever been able to resist. Vallant’s inner reactions matched the ones those other men had experienced, which made his immediate headshake completely incongruous.

“It pains me to say it, love, but I won’t be doin’ that,” he told her, the decision firm and unshakable. “You’ve come to mean a lot to me, but I won’t take the chance of hurtin’ Tamrissa again and maybe drivin’ her away permanently. Besides, I know how Lorand feels about you, and that no matter what he said. If he found out that you and I were lyin’ together, he’d be hurt for sure.”

“Then that means we now have another problem,” Jovvi said, partially delighted that Vallant’s decision was based on what Tamma might think. “I knew from the first that you were a gentleman, but personal preferences really don’t enter into it. Tamma and I have discussed it, and she and I agree that being intimate with you men makes for a stronger bond in the Blending. While I’m here talking to you, she’s gone to say the same to Lorand.”

“Gone to ask him to lie with her?” Vallant demanded, immediately getting to his feet at the urging of a monstrous jolt of jealousy. Then calm seemed to descend again, and he sat himself back in the chair. “No, there’s no need to go rushin’ over there. I know Lorand, and I haven’t the least doubt that he’s refusin’ Tamrissa the same way I’m refusin’ you. Rion may not have enough life-experience to understand somethin’ like this, but Lorand does.”

“I wish
I
understood it,” Jovvi said, staring at him. “Doesn’t it make a difference that the …
sacrifice
would be for our Blending? And isn’t it the woman who’s supposed to be shy and reluctant?”

“Nobody said anythin’ about shyness and reluctance,” Vallant returned, clearly amused by her annoyance. “It has to do with a gentleman’s honor, which usually involves men. You may not understand it, but I’m afraid you’ll have to accept it.”

“I’m not in the habit of accepting silliness,” Jovvi said, suddenly rising to her feet. “If Lorand is indulging in the same thing the way you claim he is, Tamma and I need to give you both a good talking to. Right now, so I’ll appreciate it if you come along.”

And with that Jovvi marched toward the door, set on getting that nonsense straightened out. Her attitudes had just changed radically, but that was something she could worry about later. As she opened the door, she realized that she was supposed to have spoken to Rion first, only she’d forgotten. Ah well, he’d probably hear the small war she was about to start, and would certainly come running…

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Delin sat his horse in the darkness, his inner senses stretched in all directions, his outer senses concentrating on the house that was visible through the trees. Lamplight spilled out into the night from two of the first floor windows, and even as Delin watched, one of the two windows went dark. That meant his wait would soon be over, but for once he was in no hurry. His thoughts were still too pleasant for him to want to abandon them.

A smile creased his face again, the same smile that had been visiting him since he and the others had managed to Blend. Only hours earlier he had almost been ready to give up all hope, having failed to realize just how effective his leadership really was. He hadn’t known that his people would try their utmost for him, but they had. They knew how much success meant to him, and had gone ahead and made it happen.

Delin’s horse shifted restlessly, and he patted it to let it know that it would indeed be allowed to return to its stall and its sleep in just a short while. Most of those back at the residence had been either ready for bed or already asleep when Delin had left, especially Kambil. The Spirit magic user had really produced results, making Delin wonder if he hadn’t misjudged Kambil. He still disliked the man to a certain extent, but dislike can be overlooked in the presence of gratifying results.

Even if the basic reason for the results is frightening beyond ordinary comprehension. Delin felt the clutch of terror again, just as he had when he and the others came face to face with the truth: they were all doomed if they didn’t win the competitions. They would not be simply separated, or even exiled to various remote parts of the empire. At best they would be killed out of hand, at worst they would have their memories destroyed, their
selves
wiped out before they were put to lifelong menial labor.

It continued to be hard for Delin to believe that
he
could be treated so, but that didn’t mean he
dis
believed. It was absolutely typical of the way the powerless and socially unacceptable were treated, which two categories he and the others certainly fell into. It was their fathers who were too well situated to be brushed aside, but their fathers had stepped out of the way so that the Advisors might do as they pleased. Another thing hardly unexpected, but a shock nonetheless.

But shock tends to fade and behind it rage flows in, hot and burning and demanding the soothing of revenge. It was almost laughable that they’d all underestimated him so badly, actually thinking he would stand still and let himself be erased. That wasn’t going to happen, and when he took the Fivefold Throne they would all learn the truth the hard and painful way. The Advisors were talentless nothings who manipulated the empire through their various weak-willed Blendings, a situation that was about to come to an abrupt halt.

Delin was caught up in his thoughts, but not so deeply that he failed to see the lamp which had appeared at the recently darkened window. The lamp was moved back and forth three times before it receded again to restore the darkness, the signal Delin had been waiting for. He patted his horse again before dismounting, tied his reins to a tree, then headed for the house on foot.

By the time he reached it, the back door was no longer locked for the night. Relana waited just inside with the lamp, and once Delin had closed the door softly behind him, she smiled and led the way back to her private sitting room. That door, too, had to be closed quietly, and only then was Delin able to take Relana in his arms and give her a proper kiss hello. It would never do if they were discovered by her husband, which might have happened if they’d dallied in the hall.

“He’s already snoring,” Relana said after the kiss ended, apparently having shared his thoughts about her husband. “Would you like to make love to me again in the room right next to his?”

“All in good time, my lovely,” Delin replied with a soft laugh. “I’ve never failed you yet, I think, nor do I plan to. But before we get to the main reason for my visit, I believe you have things to tell me?”

“Oh, my dear, I certainly do,” she agreed enthusiastically, taking his hand to lead him to a couch where they both might sit. Relana enjoyed passing along gossip at least as much as she enjoyed lying with younger men, possibly even more.

“You really should have been there,” Relana continued after they were seated, her right hand casually touching his left thigh. “Kilia’s guest list usually includes just everyone, of course, but no one expected Ollon to show up last night—or that Rigos boy. Rigos has always adored Kilia’s parties, though, and after being forced to miss one or two of them, he seemed almost desperate. I was there early, and saw him arrive.”

Delin nodded his encouragement as his left hand slid to the opening in the top of her wrap. He’d run into Relana the night before when he’d gone out to dinner, and she’d mentioned intending to go to Kilia’s latest late night party. He’d bemoaned the fact that he was unable to attend himself, and she’d promised to tell him about everything that had happened when she saw him tonight. It wasn’t the first time he’d asked that, so she suspected nothing—including the fact that it was Delin’s hasty and anonymous note to Ollon which had brought him to the party.

“My dear, you would never believe how strange those two have grown since Elfini’s death,” Relana continued, her smile appearing as she pretended to feel nothing of his hand on her breast. “To see Ollon, one would think Elfini had been the love of his life rather than simply his sister. And Rigos tells just everyone how thoroughly he was cleared of guilt in the murder, as though anyone would risk angering his father by speaking up in disbelief.”