Shadows Return (40 page)

Seregil wanted more than anything to grab Alec, check him for damage, and never let go.

After all the weeks of uncertainty and abuse, he ached to hold him and be held. If Ilar and the rhekaro hadn’t been there, he probably would have, and damn the danger.

It hurt a little that Alec seemed more engrossed in caring for the unnatural creature. Seregil watched jealously as he bit off a small piece of apple and offered it to the rhekaro. The creature just stared at it, as if it had never seen food before.

As Seregil watched, Alec took out his knife and nicked the end of his own finger, then held it out. The creature grasped it eagerly and sucked it like a teat.

Seregil grimaced. “It eats blood?”

“His name is Sebrahn.”

“Oh lovely. You’ve named it.”

“That’s right. And it’s my blood he eats. Just mine. That’s why I couldn’t leave him. He’d starve. It’s all right, though. He never needs very much. See? He’s done.”

The rhekaro sat back and licked a last dark smear from its colorless lips. Its tongue looked grey in this light.

“Bilairy’s Balls.” Seregil leaned over and pulled off the rhekaro’s head scarf. Silvery white hair tumbled down its back, so long it brushed the ground behind it. “More hair to cut.”

“I’m not sure it will do any good.”

“Oh?”

“Things-grow back.”

The child-like thing was watching Seregil now, its eyes white and blank as a corpse’s in the starlight. Seregil’s every instinct warned him to get Alec as far away from it as possible.

“Why didn’t you kill the ostler so we could steal the horses?” Ilar whispered, eyeing them both as if they’d gone mad.

“If I wanted to leave no doubt of where we’d been, that’s exactly what I’d do,” Seregil snapped, taking it out on him. “Next you’ll be leading us back to the seaport to find a ship. And eat that apple core or bury it. They’ll have trackers on us soon enough.”

“Where are we going, then?”

“Let me worry about that.”

“You still don’t trust me? I helped you!”

Seregil bit back an angry retort. If it had been just the two of them, he could have just stuck a knife in the man and been done with him. Ilar had served his purpose, after all. He was nothing but useless baggage now. Still, hiding the body would be a bother, not to mention the time it would take to calm Alec down.

“We’ve got to get as far as we can tonight and find a good place to lie up. And get these off.”

He tugged irritably at the iron collar around his neck. “Is there any magic in them?”

“Not that I know of,” Ilar replied. “But you won’t find a smith who’ll do the job.”

“I’m pretty handy with a chisel. We just need to find the tools. And what about these?” He pulled his sleeve back, uncovering the brand. “I suppose we could cut them off. Or burn them over.”

“That’s the first thing a slave taker looks for. When a slave is freed, that mark is branded over with another, larger one, to prove he’s free.”

“What sort of mark?” asked Alec.

“The crest of his master.”

Seregil ran a hand back through his ragged hair. “No easy solution there, then, unless we can find one to steal. Stay here, both of you.”

Leaving Alec to keep Ilar under control, Seregil made his way back the way they’d come.

After some searching, he found the tools he needed in a lean-to next to the cottage. If there were dogs here, they certainly weren’t worth much as guards.

He returned to find the rhekaro curled up beside Alec with its head in his lap. It wasn’t sleeping, though. Its eyes followed Seregil as he approached, shining like a cat’s.

“These will have to do,” he said, holding up the small mallet and a cold chisel. He waved the mallet at Ilar. “You first.” If he was going to make any serious mistakes, it wasn’t going to be on Alec’s neck.

Seregil found a suitably large rock and had Ilar lay his head on it, bracing the loose part of the collar against the crude anvil.

“Hold still,” he warned as he set the chisel point against the riveted seam in the metal.

The hammerblows were dangerously loud, but he struck well and severed the joint in three tries without doing any significant harm to Ilar. It took him and Alec together to wrench it open enough for Ilar to slip out of it. There was a ring of pale, shiny flesh around his neck where the golden collar had rubbed for so long, and a wider band of reddened skin from the new one.

Seregil had a fleeting urge to smooth his fingers over it.

Ilar raised a hand to his throat. “It feels so strange, not having it there. Thank you.”

“It had to be done,” Seregil replied gruffly. “You next, Alec.”

When that was done, he handed Alec the tools and held his breath as Alec struck off the hated metal band. When it was off he rubbed gratefully at his own neck. “That’s better!”

Ilar was still doing the same, but now he looked more frightened than grateful.

“What’s the matter? Do you miss it already?”

Ilar was trembling. “If we’re caught without these…”

“If we’re caught, that will be the least of our worries.”

He left Alec to bury the broken collars and took the tools back where he’d found them, not wanting to leave the slightest clue behind. As he made his way back to the orchard, he found himself picturing Ilar’s grateful smile again.

What is wrong with me?

They set off again, striking east, away from Riga.

“What are you doing?” Ilar demanded, balking almost immediately. “Mycena is north, and the coast that way! You’re just leading us deeper into Plenimar.”

“Then stay here,” Seregil muttered. “Of course, I’d have to kill you.”

As he’d expected, Ilar fell into step behind them, walking in sullen silence.

Alec caught Seregil’s eye and made the hand sign for “Aurлnen.” Seregil nodded. If they could make it to the Strait and steal a boat, they could cross to Virйsse, or better yet, coast along to Gedre, where they were assured of a warmer welcome.

He shot the rhekaro a dark look. And what will they make of you?

Alec, the better guide outside of a city, took the lead. The clouds were clearing and he kept the stars of the Great Hunter over his left shoulder to keep them going east. He wasn’t troubled by Sebrahn’s slight weight, or the odd coolness his little body gave off instead of heat. It was the simmering tension brewing between all of them that worried him.

The night air was cold enough that they could see their breath in front of them. It was poor country for shelter or hiding. Trees were sparse, and the few villages they passed were mean little places.

Seregil was grim, and Khenir wisely kept his mouth shut, though he was obviously in pain.

Alec could feel the tension crackling between the two of them. And no wonder, if he’d understood Ahmol and Yhakobin correctly. He tried to keep his mind on the way in front of them, but his heart was in turmoil. This wasn’t how he’d envisioned his reunion with his talimenios; Seregil was distant and clearly upset by Sebrahn’s presence, as well as his obvious loathing of Khenir.

Alec felt betrayed. Hadn’t there been signs enough that Khenir had lied to him? But deep down inside, he was also sorry to have his worst suspicions about the man realized.

When Khenir began to lag behind, however, it was Seregil who fell back and took his arm to support him.

“Are you going to kill me now?” Alec heard Khenir whisper.

“Shut up and keep walking,” Seregil growled back.

They’d gone another mile or so when he heard the sound of moving water. Veering to the right, he soon found a small spring. Alec put Sebrahn down to the ground and stretched, easing his stiff shoulders. Ilar collapsed where he was, shaking with exhaustion.

The spring water was sweet and cold. Each drank his fill, then sat a while to rest. Seregil settled beside Alec and hugged him close, obviously not caring what the others might think. Alec hugged him back. Khenir watched them with an almost hungry expression.

Alec glared back at him. “All that time, you knew, and you lied to me.”

“I-I didn’t dare tell you,” Khenir stammered. “Not while we were still in that house. Once Ilban had freed me, I would have explained.”

“I’m sure you would have, and enjoyed it, too,” Seregil said, in that dangerously calm tone that always boded ill for someone. “There’s a lot you didn’t tell him, isn’t there? Alec, I’d like to introduce you to an old friend of mine. This is Ilar í Sontir.”

For a long moment Alec felt numb. Then the pieces began to fall into place. “Then…why is he still alive?”

Seregil sighed. “When I figure that out, I’ll let you know.”

Alec barely heard him. He jumped to his feet, sword drawn, and advanced on the cowering slave. “Ilar? Ilar? You bastard! The spoon, and those walks…You played with me and lied to me, and all the time…”

Seregil caught him before he lunged at Ilar, locking his arms around Alec’s chest as he fought to get loose. “Listen to me! Right now we need to find somewhere to hide before the sun comes up.” Seregil held him fast and brought his lips close to Alec’s ear. “Trust me, too, talí.”

Alec lowered his sword, but any compassion he’d felt for his false protector was gone. Ilar was now his betrayer, too.

Seregil took Alec by the arm and drew him away from the others.

“Let it go, talí,” Seregil whispered. “Ilar’s a silky customer, and always was. Whatever happened between you-”

“You think something happened?” Alec sputtered, stung by the notion.

“I saw you two down in the garden, by the fish pool,” Seregil told him, sounding pained to have to speak of it.

Alec took his hand. “He tried to seduce me. Even though I trusted him then, I wouldn’t betray you. I wasn’t even tempted.”

Seregil raked his fingers back through his shorn hair, the way he did when he was particularly uncomfortable or exasperated. “It’s all right. But I remember what he was like-what he’s still like.”

“And yet you didn’t kill him?”

“You stopped me, remember?”

Alec clenched his fists in frustration. “And now we have to anyway, or keep dragging him along so he doesn’t betray us.”

Even in this light he could make out Seregil’s strained little half smile. “I’ve never been much for killing in cold blood, and neither are you. I suppose we’re stuck with him, at least until we’re far enough away from Yhakobin that it doesn’t matter.”

“I still don’t understand. You always said you’d kill him on sight!”

Seregil shook his head. “I’ve seen his scars, talí, and what’s been done to him all these years.

He’s not the man I remember. He’s-broken.”

“You pity him?”

“You’re no more surprised than I am. But what could I do to him that his life here hasn’t done already?”

Alec paused, trying to take that in. “Were you with him, all the time we were apart?”

“No, not for the first part. There was an old woman who looked after me while I was sick.”

“I saw you, on the ship. At first I thought you were dead.”

“I damn near did die from the magic they put on me. I don’t know how long I slept, or what he did to me while I did, but when I woke up it was just the old woman for a long time. Ilar showed up later, after he made sure I saw you two together in the garden.”

“That bastard!” he hissed. “How was he with you?”

“He had me at his mercy, and he enjoyed it.”

Alec thought he caught just the slightest hint of uncertainty in his lover’s voice. “Did he force you-”

“You saw what they did to him. But if that had been what it took to get to you, I would have, without a second thought.” Seregil pulled him close again. “Would you have hated me for that?”

Alec looked deep into his own heart. “No,” he murmured, and felt Seregil’s sigh of relief.

“Besides, I attacked him the first chance I got,” Seregil added, clearly pleased at that. “After that, he knew I’d kill him the minute he let his guard down. Whatever else Ilar is, he’s no fool.

Come on, now. We’ve got to find someplace to lie up before the sun rises.”

“How far to the Strait?”

“I’m not sure, but if we turn south tomorrow, we’re bound to strike it.”

“And then?”

Seregil gave him a crooked grin. “We take what the Lightbearer sends. Hopefully in the form of a nice swift little boat, eh? Luck in the shadows, Alec. It hasn’t failed us yet.”

“And in the Light,” Alec murmured, hoping the Immortal in question was listening.

As they moved on, Seregil half expected Alec to drop the rhekaro and attack Ilar again.

Instead, when Ilar fell behind, Alec resumed their earlier conversation. “So, who do you think betrayed us to Yhakobin in the first place? The queen, or Ulan í Sathil?”

“I don’t know. Maybe both. But having had a good long time to ponder the matter, I’d say that if the queen was looking for an excuse to cast doubt on her sister’s loyalty, our disappearance with the only missive might be a good starting point.”

“What about Prince Korathan? Would he do something like that to you?”

Seregil frowned. “I wouldn’t have said so, but who knows? If things are really that bad, there isn’t much point in going back to Skala.”

“Do you think Micum knows we’re in trouble yet? Thero must have figured out there was something wrong when the messages didn’t come.”

“We don’t know that they didn’t get them, Alec. Whoever caught us might have figured the sticks out and used them. There’s no way of telling. It’s just us, talí. We’re on our own.”

Alec shrugged. “Well, we’re free, and we’re together. That’s a start.”

Seregil’s grin was all the answer he needed.