Sacrifice: The Queen's Blade (31 page)

Blade ran his hands over Olan's clothes, then pushed the servant away. Olan scrambled up and staggered to the door, where he paused to glare at the assassin.

"You'll pay for this, you bastard. I can do anything I like while you're senseless. Remember that when you wake without an eye or nose."

Blade paced to the end of his chain. "I would not advise it."

"You couldn't do anything about it, Jashimari dog."

Blade growled, and the servant left. After pacing about for a while, he sampled the beef stew Olan had brought, awaiting the imminent arrival of the King. Kerrion marched in a few minutes later, obviously keen to catch the assassin while he was awake. Blade ignored him as he sat opposite, continuing to eat.

Kerrion watched him, then, when Blade paid him no mind, he pulled a rolled up parchment from his jacket and banged it down on the table.

"Read it."

The assassin ate another mouthful before he picked up the document and read it, then he tossed it aside and returned to his meal. "So, you can write. I am impressed."

"This is your last chance. I have put my offer into writing, more than that I cannot do."

"My answer is still no. Not only because I do not trust you. I will not work for a damned Cotti, and it makes no difference if the Queen is your mouthpiece."

"You would rather go to prison?" Kerrion demanded, scowling. "Why do you care about this so much? You, who claim to care about nothing and no one, refuse to do this because I am Cotti. What difference does it make to you?" He glared at the assassin. "You do have feelings, otherwise you would not care for whom you worked."

Blade chewed, staring into the bowl. Spitting out a piece of gristle, he put it to one side, then glanced at Kerrion as if surprised by his impatient silence. "You expect an answer to that? It surprises you that I hate Cotti?"

Kerrion shook his head, the anger fading from his expression, leaving him tired and dejected. "No, it does not surprise me. It saddens me that you would let your emotions, which you scorn so much, interfere with your well-being. You condemn yourself to the misery of prison because of them. You came here to save me from the gallows on the orders of your Queen, yet you will not save her from Cotti conspirators. That makes no sense."

"I did not come here to save you. I refused to do it. Only the lure of killing Lerton persuaded me, saving you was the unsavoury part of the bargain."

"But you did it."

"I was paid well, not only in gold, but with the life of your brother."

"I am offering you the same bargain!" Kerrion thumped the table. "Some of my brothers will have to die before this is over, and into the bargain you will be saving your Queen."

"She may be better off dead."

Kerrion paled at Blade's callous words, his hands clenching. With a growl, he jumped up and walked to the door. "Then we have nothing more to discuss. You will be sent to prison directly. I hope you enjoy breaking rocks, because that is what you will be doing for the rest of your life."

After the door had slammed behind Kerrion, Blade pushed away the bowl of stew and sat back, his appetite gone. He stared at the wall for a long time, his mind blank, unwilling to envision what lay in store for him.

When the guards came for him, he allowed them to shackle his hands behind his back and place chains upon his ankles. They marched him through the palace, then pushed and shoved him across a broad, paved courtyard into another wing of the sprawling building. They manhandled him down several flights of steps into a gloomy dungeon where a huge, brawny man wearing a leather apron and chain mail over a sweat-stained brown tunic met him.

The bald giant eyed his new charge with evident pleasure, revealing rotting teeth in a welcoming grin. He stepped up to Blade, topping the assassin by more than a head, the stench of stale sweat heavy upon him. The lines of caked dirt that filled every crease in the greasy man's hide disgusted Blade. Although the assassin had not bathed for far too long, this man appeared never to have bathed at all.

"Well, what have we here?" The jailer reached out a dirty hand to tug open Blade's collar with banana-like fingers. "A Jashimari assassin. Never had one of these before."

One of the guards who held Blade stated, "He's to be kept alive, the King's orders. He has some sort of disease that makes him sleep a lot. He's to be put to work whenever he's awake, breaking rocks in the yard."

The jailer nodded, leering at Blade. "My pleasure. I'll look after him, don't you worry."

The guards shoved Blade towards his new keeper, and the burly jailer gave him another, harder push, sending him staggering down the corridor, the chains almost tripping him. The jailer followed, and one of the guards called after them, "He's to be kept alive, remember!"

"The bastard won't die in my prison, no matter how much he begs for it," the jailer shouted back.

Minna looked around as Kerrion entered her room, his face thunderous. Waving away the handmaidens who awaited her orders, she turned to face the irate King as they left the room and closed the door.

"I know that look well. Chiana wore it often after visiting Blade."

"I know just how she felt." Kerrion poured himself a cup of wine. "The bastard will not listen to me. He will not agree. I even put it in writing to show that I am in earnest, and he mocked me."

She sighed. "Lord Conash is a difficult man."

"He is a fool."

"What will you do?"

Kerrion gulped the wine, frowning. "I have already done it. He has been sent to prison. Perhaps after a few tendays of breaking rocks he will listen to me."

"He may die."

"No, he will be kept alive. I have ordered it."

She turned away to hide her anguish. "He is not that strong, Kerrion. He was wounded badly in the desert, shot through the lung with a crossbow. It still troubles him."

"Do not worry, he will be looked after. My men know that the penalty for failing me is harsh." He walked closer, his tone softening. "I still hope to persuade him. I will not jeopardise his life, and besides, I do not want him dead. If I did, I would not have saved him from your Queen's Cup."

"Something may happen... an accident, the other prisoners..."

"He will be watched constantly."

Minna turned to find him standing quite close to her, and he lowered his eyes to the wine his cup. She walked over to the window, putting a distance between them again.

"You promised to tell me why you brought me here after we arrived, and we have been here two days already."

Kerrion nodded, keeping his eyes lowered as he put down the cup. "I know. But I still do not feel the time is right."

"What are you waiting for? Why is it so difficult to tell me?"

He shrugged, turning away. "It is difficult for me. A delicate matter, and you seem a little aloof."

"Of course I am aloof. I am at a disadvantage, not knowing what you intend for me. It puzzles me immensely. You save me from death at great cost, bring me here and house me in luxury you can ill afford, judging by the rest of your palace. Yet you make no demands of me, even though my presence here puts you in danger."

He faced her again, raising his eyes. "And you cannot guess the reason?"

"I dislike guessing. I am not accustomed to it." She found herself unable to meet his gaze.

Kerrion watched her. "You know as well as I do why you are here. You are not stupid, Minna. Tell me something that has puzzled me for many moons. The night you came to my bed, why was I unable to resist?" He smiled. "I have always prided myself on my ability to resist beautiful women. I have spurned many who were thrown into my path over the years, since I was little more than a boy. At first I did not object, but soon I decided not to be like my father. I decided that I would remain celibate until I wed, and then I would take only one wife. My resolve held firm from that day until the night you came to me disguised as a handmaiden."

Minna fiddled with the curtain beside her, frowning. "You were drugged."

"I thought so. You put it in my wine at dinner, did you not?"

Minna nodded, and Kerrion walked closer, his gaze intent, but she could not look at him. He cupped her chin and raised her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. She longed to slap his hand away, but his touch seemed to paralysed her.

The King looked deep into her eyes. "I do not think it was necessary. Had you come to me as yourself, I doubt I could have spurned you. I had already fallen in love with you."

Her eyes widened. "Then how did you know you were drugged?"

Kerrion laughed, released her and turned away. "I have just opened my heart to you, and you ask how I knew I was drugged." He picked up his cup and took a gulp of wine, setting it down again. "I felt light-headed and befuddled. Does that answer your question?"

She nodded. Her heart hammered and a lump clogged her throat.

Kerrion growled, "Are you as cold as that damned assassin of yours? Did you come to my bed only to conceive my child? Was it all part of your cold, calculated little plan to end the war, and nothing else?"

"No."

"Then what? Tell me, I need to know. I have risked everything to bring you here, and there is only one thing I want from you. Is it mine, or do you love another?"

"How can you say that? I..." She turned away, but he gripped her arm and yanked her back.

"Do not lie to me, and do not turn away when you speak to me."

She jerked from his hold. "Do not test your strength on me. There is no need for violence."

"Violence!" He laughed. "You have never seen violence in your entire sheltered existence, never mind experienced it."

"You have taken me by surprise, and you rush me. Allow me time to gather my wits."

"Or think up a good lie. Damn you, Minna, I love you, is that so difficult for you to say? If you feel it, then it should not be."

She gazed up at him, filled with confusion. "I do not want to make a mistake. I have not much experience with such things. I think I do, because I... found your company very pleasing. I wanted to see you as often as I could. When you left I was sad, bereft. I longed to keep you with me, but I could not. I watched you ride away, hoping you would look back, give some sign that you did not wish to leave, but you did not. And after the night I came to you, you were cold and distant. You hardly spoke to me, and declined to dine with me. I did not understand it."

Kerrion ran a hand through his hair, looking contrite. "I was also confused. I did not know it was you that night. I felt guilty. I thought I had betrayed you with another and I was ashamed. I did look back many times."

Minna smiled, a flush warming her cheeks. "Then it seems we felt the same way, and if what you feel is love, then I must feel it also."

"I am sure of it. I have thought of little else since we were parted. When you sent Blade to testify for me, I thought you felt the same."

"I did. I wanted to write to you and tell you of our child, but I was afraid you did not care for me."

He placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. "You must have been blind. I was certain you knew. I could not hide it." He kissed her brow. "I am sorry I was angry just now. Blade told me a huge lie. When you were so reluctant I became jealous, thinking he may have told the truth."

"What did he tell you?"

"That you love another."

She laughed. "But I do."

Kerrion recoiled as if slapped. "Who?"

"Our daughter, Kerra, of course."

He smiled, then grimaced and rubbed his brow. "Of course you do. I am sorry. It must be terrible to be parted from her. I too wish she was here with us. She is a beautiful child."

"Yes, she is." Minna's eyes shimmered with tears, and he pulled her into his arms with a sigh.

"She will be well looked after. I will visit her every year and make certain of it. I know you miss her terribly. I wish I could bring her here so you could raise her, but you know that is impossible."

Minna nodded and clung to him, surrendering to the longing to be sheltered and comforted. For an instant she wondered what it would be like to be held like this in Blade's arms, but thrust the thought aside, angry with herself. She loved Kerrion with all her heart, why did she think of Blade at a time like this? Sighing, she pulled away, and Kerrion released her.

Minna wiped her eyes and forced a smile. "I must confess there is another I love."

"Chiana, I suppose, or Shista?"

"No. I love both of them of course, you know I do, but that is not who I am talking about. I love him as I would a brother, not as I love you, you understand? There is no need for you to be jealous of him, for he does not love me, nor will he ever, even as a sister."

Kerrion frowned. "Blade."

"Yes. Do not be angry."

He shook his head. "I am not. I just wish he would not keep cropping up in every conversation we have. Does he know?"

"He must suspect that I am fond of him. He certainly knows that I would never punish him, even when he disobeyed me, which he did often." She smiled at the memories, her expression tinged with sadness. "He even tried to hit me once, but Chiana stopped him. I arranged their marriage, you know. She was desperately in love with him."

"But he is a eunuch."

"That does not stop women from loving him. Fortunately for me, I met you, and Blade became the brother I never had."

Kerrion turned and picked up his wine, sipping it. "Yes, I suppose the bastard is attractive to women. The face of a damned saint with the eyes of a granite statue."

"An apt description." Minna sank down on a pile of cushions and poured herself a cup of wine. "But that is only part of his attraction. He is a good man. Even you can see it. A strange thing to say about a man who is a liar and a killer with a heart of stone, but he is. He has many failings, yet there is something about him. I cannot describe it, but you must know what I mean."

He nodded, settling on the cushions beside her. "I do. I have glimpsed it, especially when he smiles. Although it is an expression that never reaches his eyes, it is the damnedest thing."