The Assassin's Destiny (Isle of Dreams) (69 page)

‘Mistral.  I have no desire
to change or even tame any part of your beautiful, wild nature.  Please
understand that I never imagined I was even capable of feeling the way I do
about you.  You are my first, my last, my absolution.  Do you
understand how important you are to me?  I am begging you now.’ 
Fabian moved onto one knee, mimicking the traditional pose of a suitor. 
‘Please.  Please do not deny me the chance to spend my life with you by throwing
yours away in a worthless competition.’

Mistral sighed, ‘You know I could
never deny you anything.’

‘Even though you understand that
my wish to protect you is based purely on selfishness?’

‘Now selfishness I can do.’
 Mistral rolled her eyes.  ‘Selfish, reckless –’ 

‘Oh I disagree.’  Fabian
shook his head slowly.  ‘You have already given so much to me that to ask
for any more is sheer greed.’

‘Ask Fabian.  There is
nothing in me that I cannot give to you.’

‘Then allow me to protect you in
any way I can today.’

‘How can I refuse when you look
at me like that?’  Mistral complained.  ‘And what part of me is so
selfish and bent on self-destruction to make me even want to?  I’m sorry
Fabian, yet again, I know that I’d feel the same about you if the situation
were reversed; in fact no, I would be worse, much worse.  You are, without
doubt, my better half.’

‘I think to call me that may be
stretching things a little too far.’  Fabian laughed and raised her hand
to his lips, brushing the skin with a soft kiss.  ‘But you are agreeable to
a few compromises?’

‘I’m listening.’

‘Permit me to request your
brothers to do their utmost to protect you during the event –’

‘Does that include the twins?’

‘Yes, but only if it becomes
absolutely necessary.  I am certain that Bryden not take kindly to the
twins using their gift to secure a Ri champion.  What I really want is for
you to listen to Cain.  Follow his advice and take whatever help he offers
you.’

Mistral pulled a face, ‘That
might be a bit difficult.  Cain and I don’t always agree on how I should
behave –’

‘Mistral.  You don’t agree
with anyone on how you should behave.’  Fabian interrupted wearily. 
‘Please just listen to him today.’

Mistral shrugged and looked
sullen.

‘Well?’

‘Well what?’

Fabian sighed, ‘Do you agree to
heed Cain’s advice?’

‘Oh, I suppose so.’  Mistral
rolled her eyes.  ‘So long as it’s nothing too ridiculous like –’

‘Not drinking poison?’ 
Fabian suggested quietly.

Mistral flinched, her petulance
diminished by shame, like her voice, ‘Sorry.’

‘Then we are agreed on the first
part.’  Fabian continued firmly.  ‘Secondly –’

‘There’s more?’

‘Yes, Mistral there is most
definitely more.  Now please try to just listen or you may find that your
persistent interruptions cause you to miss the event entirely.’

Mistral pouted and shrugged
sulkily.

‘Thank you for that, which I
think was your agreement not to interrupt further.  Secondly, whichever
creature you are presented with, I want you to use the most effective method to
dispatch it and not the most challenging.

Mistral hesitated then nodded
reluctantly.

‘And finally, whichever
competitor reaches the gorgon first I am certain Grendel will not be far
behind.  He could probably take on all the finalists plus the five
creatures and still be standing!’

Mistral gave a short laugh,
‘Definitely.’ 

Fabian’s brief flicker of humour
was gone, leaving him deadly serious once more, ‘I need you to promise Grendel
his moment of glory.’

Mistral looked at him, her brow
knitting into a small furrow, ‘Are you saying I can’t have a go at the gorgon?’

‘No.  I think that would be
expecting an unrealistic amount of restraint on your part.  I am merely
requesting that you to wait for Grendel before you attempt to approach the
gorgon.  Crossbows, throwing knives and longbow are all perfectly
acceptable weapons to use from a distance.  But if you could please
refrain from rushing in with your swords, or worse, just your dagger, then I
would feel that I stood slightly more chance of having you back still alive at
end of the event.’

‘Not even a gorgon could take me
away from you Fabian.’

‘Perhaps.’  Fabian
smiled.  ‘However, I am not willing to take that risk.  All I ask is
that you allow Grendel to be the one that deals the final blow.  Gorgons
fight hardest when they know death is imminent.’

Mistral was silent for a moment,
her expression puzzled, ‘Can I get this straight?  You’re giving me
permission to compete – ’

‘Within the boundaries we agreed
upon.  Namely listening to Cain and allowing your brothers to assist you.’

Mistral waved a hand,
‘Whatever.  Back to the main point.  I get to hunt some seriously fun
sounding creatures plus the chance to fire a few bolts into a gorgon, and in
return all I have to do is let Grendel deal the actual death blow?  Which
is usually the most boring one, by the way.’

‘I’m not sure I’ve ever heard any
of those creatures described as being “fun” before.’  Fabian sighed. 
‘But yes, I do not want you anywhere near that gorgon once it realises that its
time has come.’

‘Fine, so, just to double-check;
I can have a go at the gorgon, but if it’s just me and Grendel at the end he
can kill the gorgon and be the winner?  Because winning is definitely not
what I’m interested in!  I would rather walk out of the Arena leaving the
gorgon still standing than have to do any bowing and scraping and “thank you
Bryden” speeches.  That’s no compromise Fabian.  That’s just good all
round!’

 ‘So, you agree to my
terms?’  Fabian opened his arms, his smile inviting.

‘Oh, yes, they are perfectly
acceptable.’  Mistral slid into his embrace, shameless in defeat.

Fabian closed his arms around her
and drew in a deep breath, ‘And now all that remains is for me to find it
within myself to actually let you step foot into that Arena.’

‘Let me offer you some
incentive.’  Mistral titled her head up to kiss him, stopping only when
Cain announced his presence with a polite cough to request her throwing knives.

‘I’ll get them.’  Mistral
sighed, throwing Fabian a burning look she slipped from his hold and followed
Cain back into the tent.

Fabian sat quietly, seemingly
lost in thought.  After a while he rose to his feet and walked over to
where Saul was sat, calmly rubbing a polishing cloth along the bevelled edge of
his sword. 

‘Saul.’

Saul didn’t look up from his
task, ‘Mage De Winter.’

‘We both know that Grendel has no
need of a second and that as a Mage I am not permitted to enter the Arena,
whereas you are.  This leaves me in the unique position of being forced
into asking a favour from you.’

Saul smiled humourlessly and ran
the cloth down the length of his sword, ‘The irony of your situation is not
lost on me.’

Fabian gritted his teeth, ‘I need
to request that you protect my wife when I cannot.’

Saul looked up, meeting Fabian’s
cold stare unflinchingly, ‘I will fight for Mistral.’

Fabian’s eyes narrowed, reading
the double-meaning in Saul’s words, ‘Do not shorten your life by goading
me!  It is only out of respect for her wishes that you still draw
breath!  Mistral is not free to fight for!’

Saul smiled slowly, ‘You can’t
kill me.  Mistral would never forgive you.’

Fabian drew in a sharp breath and
exhaled slowly, ‘Saul.  She is not yours and while there is breath in my
body she never will be.  Do not waste your own life waiting for me to die
so that you can fulfil some fantasy – because that is all it will ever be, I
assure you of that fact.’

Saul pressed his sword point down
into the ground, his usually mild gaze aflame with anger, ‘She would have a
happier life with me!  I would never force her to embrace a gift she
doesn’t want.  You, Mage, are a hypocrite!  You deny your blood yet
force her to accept hers when anyone that cares can see she doesn’t want
it!’ 

‘Would you shorten her life by
allowing her to burn so brightly and die just as quickly?’  Fabian leaned
closer, hissing his words into Saul’s face.  ‘Because that is what she
will do without the tempering power of Sight!  Are you so blinded by
obsession that you cannot see what she is doing?  She’s running from her
destiny Saul!  All her recklessness, her innate wildness – it’s all an
unconscious fear, an attempt to shield her from what she was born to do!’

Saul shook his head stubbornly,
‘If she was mine I would respect her wishes.’

Fabian’s reply was dangerously
soft, ‘Ah, but she is not yours.  She is mine.  And I respect her
more than you have even the right to imagine.’

Saul snorted and returned his
attention to his sword.

Fabian abruptly stood upright,
‘This conversation does not serve the purpose to which I intended.  I ask
of you, brother of the Ri, will you defend your sister today?’

‘With my life.’

Fabian eyed him coldly, his
killer’s stare boring deep into Saul’s, ‘Despite the just cause you offer me, I
do not wish that.’

‘Fabian?’

Mistral’s voice cut through the
frosty atmosphere.

‘Yes?’ he responded quietly, his black
gaze still fixed on Saul’s.

‘Can you help me with my armour
please?’ 

‘Of course.’  he turned on
his heel and strode over to the tent.

‘What was that about?’ 
Mistral whispered over her shoulder while he pulled on the straps to tighten
her armour.

‘We were just reaching an
agreement Mistral, nothing for you to be concerned about.’

‘It didn’t sound like nothing!’

‘Well it was.’  Fabian
turned her around and began to adjust the clavicle straps, his eyes avoiding
hers.

‘Fabian!’ 

Fabian finally met her gaze, his
expression inscrutable, ‘I asked Saul to assist Cain in protecting you,’

Mistral frowned, ‘You did? 
But I thought you’d want the opposite.’

‘Why would I want that?’ 
Fabian asked, concentrating on tugging a vambrace up her forearm. 

Mistral sighed, ‘I wasn’t sure
how comfortable you’d be with the idea of Saul being in the final when you
couldn’t.  You know I’d rather have you with me than anyone.  But
that’s impossible, since you’re a Mage and this is the Festival of the Arcane
... d’you think I should have Phantasm?’ she suddenly asked.  ‘He’s a lot
taller than Cain and might draw some of the attention away from me –’

‘Definitely not.’  Fabian
snapped, taking his anger out on the leather sheaf on her arm.  ‘The twins
need to be together or their gift is useless.’

‘But what if I had Phantasm and
Grendel had Phantom as a second?’  Mistral persisted, her voice rising in
excitement.

‘No.’

‘Why not?’ 

Fabian finished positioning the
vambrace and looked up, ‘What if one of them sustained an injury, or worse?’

Mistral’s face abruptly fell, ‘I
hadn’t thought of that.’

‘They wouldn’t be able to use
their gift to help you or Grendel, and you may have lost a brother in the
process.’

‘Don’t say that Fabian!’ 
Mistral’s expression grew distraught.  ‘Phantom was nearly savaged by a
harpy today because he was running to help me!  I
hate
the thought
of the twins putting themselves at risk just to protect me!  I’m really
not worth it –’

‘You are to me.’  Fabian
gazed intently at her.  ‘And to the twins.  In fact, I don’t think
there is one of your brothers who would think twice about risking everything to
protect you.’

‘Well I have no idea why! 
All I do is storm around shouting at them most of the time!’

‘Maybe so, but let me ask you
this; would you hesitate to help if one of them were in need?  Even if it
meant risking your life?’ 

‘Of course not!  If any of
my brothers needed help I would be there in a heartbeat!’

He lifted a hand to caress her
cheek, ‘Such fierce loyalty can only inspire the same in return.’

‘But you always come first.’
 Mistral quickly caught his hand, holding it against her skin, her eyes
locked on his.  ‘Before anyone or anything.  You know that don’t you
Fabian?’

Fabian stared at her, his face
consumed by intense emotion, ‘Today … it is my worst nightmare.  To be
forced to stand back and watch you be placed in danger, over and over, and be
powerless to prevent it, or even allowed to try and protect you –’

‘It’s torture, I know.’
 Mistral whispered, thinking of the feelings Golden had forced her to
endure.  ‘But you are protecting me Fabian.  You will be there with
the twins, ready to use their gift, and I will have Cain, Grendel and now Saul
right beside me … and I promise –’

He suddenly smiled and bent his
head to kiss her lips, stopping her from speaking, ‘No more promises today,
remember?’

‘Is it safe to plan this event
yet?’  Cain demanded impatiently from the tent entrance.  ‘Only some
of us actually like to be prepared before entering life-threatening
situations!’

‘Are you ready?’  Fabian
asked quietly.

Mistral smiled, ‘Oh yes.’ 
she turned and walked from the tent, nodding a curt greeting to Cain as she
passed.  ‘Second.’

Cain turned to follow her, ‘I’m
not calling you “First”!’ 

‘Cain?  A moment please.’

Cain paused and turned back to
meet Fabian’s fathomless black gaze, ‘Mage De Winter?’

‘Tell me what you have prepared
for the event.’

Cain nodded and pulled his
saddlebag from his shoulder, ‘Basic medical kit, antidotes … a Theriac
actually, I was very impressed with the results on you … a flask of water,
poison, two daggers, more throwing knives –’

‘Tourniquet?’  Fabian asked
sharply.

Cain hesitated then nodded, ‘Yes,
I have one.  There’ll be no time to stitch any wounds, so a tourniquet
will enable me to slow any serious blood loss on the extremities.’