The Destroyer Book 3 (39 page)

The servant put a small porcelain cup of hot lemon tea down beside me and the movement drew my attention back to the food. This next course was a bowl of cut and salted asparagus mixed with rolled mustard greens and sliced radishes. The vegetables were covered in thick oil that smelled lightly of strawberries. The empress seemed to be reading the letter again, but everyone else had dug into their salad so I took a quick bite with my fork and found it almost as flavorful as the skewers I had just consumed. My hunger flared up again and I quickly decimated the rest of the salad in a few bites.

"Give this to Kaiyer," the empress held up her right hand with the letter in it. Vernine moved from her standing position and delivered the paper to me. She and the others in Telaxthe's private guard were not eating.

The letter was on a plain tan sheet with a slight wax to the pulp. It was folded into fourths and I felt my disappointment grow as I started to read the familiar writing inside and the purple seal of Nia's royal house.

Empress Telaxthe,

I will be returning to the capital with my army and generals.

I look forward to partnering with your people and hope that you believe in peace and prosperity as much as I do.

Duchess Nadea Satina Nia

I read the words in less than two seconds, but it took a few dozen for the meaning to sink in and for my stomach to curdle into rancid cheese. What in the hell was she doing? This wasn't what we had agreed to and her decision destroyed the plans I had made over the last few days.

"Isslata has told me of your feelings for the duchess. Initially, we had been led to believe that you and the king's daughter were lovers." I looked at the empress's slight smile and tried not to growl. "The letter is great news for me."

"Why do you benefit?" I tried to say the words calmly, but there was a quiver in my voice.

"I do need her help to placate the nobles and merchants. We had believed Nanos could replace his father, but he has proven unsuitable. We have been unable to find his sister. Nadea and her father are well respected in this country. If she will cooperate with me, then I will fulfill what I outlined in the letter I wrote to her." She raised her wine glass to her lips and took another sip.

I forced a slow, deep breath out of my lungs and realized that this may not be such a bad turn of fate. As soon as Nadea met Telaxthe, they would know about their relationship. I doubted that my beautiful friend would be in danger after that.

I could only guess at the circumstances that caused Telaxthe to abandon her child in the first place. Maybe she wanted Nadea to be killed and someone else had saved the babe and sent her away via the Radicle?

"I take it that the human's decision was not what you planned?" Alatorict raised an eyebrow in question. I wanted to burn the smirk off of his angular face with a fireball.

"Not quite." I looked down at my food, but the bowl was still empty. Maybe there was a way I could quit this dinner, retire to my prison tent, and plan more before speaking to them. Now that Nadea was coming back I needed a new strategy.

"We already had delegates in Brilla of course,” Jayita said. "We've promised them profitable trade agreements and some of our craftsmen on loan in exchange for their refusal to shelter any soldiers or political refugees." I nodded and managed to gain control over my emotions. Of course they had planned that Nadea would try to flee. They would want to tie up all loose ends with death or alliance. Nadea must have found out about Brilla's inability to help her and took the only avenue available.

"That brings us back to the topic of discussion for tonight." Telaxthe waved her hand and the servants began to clear the salad bowls and bring out massive silver platters. "Have you given any further thought to my offer?"

I nodded and waited for the servant to set down the four-foot-long covered tray. He poured a new goblet of dark red wine and then cleared the tea and white wine that I had not touched. Once I focused on the smell, it became apparent that the next course was some sort of peppered, honey-coated beef. My server pulled back the tray lid with a slow ceremony and proved my guess correct. I couldn't tell exactly what kind of animal this was, but there was a massive rack of golden braised ribs laid out upon a mixture of blue, brown, and black wild rice. The slab of ribs probably weighed four pounds and I couldn't help but push magic through my nose to further enhance all the scents of the entree. Pepper and honey as I had guessed earlier, but also salt, vinegar, garlic, spicy peppers, and a bitterness that might have been coffee. There was actually a serrated blade and two-pronged fork on the platter. I could kill with these tools much easier than the wooden skewer under my leg, but for the moment the only goal in my mind was to taste the wonderful smelling ribs as soon as possible.

"We have had this salting for the last year. The empress and I agreed that this would be an appropriate meal to enjoy them." Alatorict and the other Elvens glanced down at their matching plates of ribs, but had not even picked up their flatware. I cut off one of the massive pieces and began to chew the soft meat off the bone.

It was the most amazing food I had ever tasted.

Even with the intense pepper, spice, salt, and sweet taste of the seasoning, the actual flavor of the meat tasted like something I could only dream of. It was like boar, only firmer and with a darker, thicker flesh. It was like beef, but not nearly as chewy. With the next bite, the taste of fowl came through, lean but packed with more flavor than what my enhanced taste buds could comprehend. My heart seemed to slow and my head spun gently, as if I was on a hammock relaxing in a summer breeze. I set the remainder of the bone down and I realized that the empress had asked me a question.

"Pardon?" My body felt so relaxed that my tongue almost slurred the words.

Then I realized that I could have been drugged and adrenaline shot through my blood a fraction of a second before the Earth flowed through me. The world came into sharp focus and time slowed while my senses sought possible threats from every direction.

"Does this entree agree with you?" she asked again.

"Yes." My eyes darted around the room. None of the generals nor Isslata had touched the meat, but they seemed to all be glancing at their plates with unusual expressions on their angular faces. The air pulsated like the Earth when it coursed through my blood. The feeling of alarm that had sent adrenaline through my body quickly calmed and I felt my muscles relax again. I closed my eyes and tried to bring myself into the present situation. This wasn't a safe place to relax. I was in the midst of my enemy and this was obviously some ploy to lower my defenses. Was this poison? Why was my body not shrugging it off quickly? Normally my magic healed me within seconds, but it seemed as if five minutes passed since I took the first bite and the pleasurable sensation only intensified.

"Would you like to eat more? You have only had two bites," a voice in front of me said. I opened my eyes and saw that the generals were looking at me with puzzled expressions. There was another emotion on their faces, hidden mostly by their training and a strong desire to keep me from seeing it.

Fear.

Why were they afraid?

"No. It is delicious, and I am hungry, but I would prefer a different dish." I regretted the words almost as soon as they left my mouth. Alatorict and Isslata exchanged quick glances, but I couldn't read what they communicated.

"Very well." The empress gestured with her hand and my personal servant picked up the plate. I almost grabbed his arm to stop him but resisted at the last second. The taste of the meat still hung in my mouth, filled my nose, and tempted my tongue. "While my chefs create another entree for you, would you find it rude for us to begin?" the empress asked casually, but I could feel the tension in the room.

"No. Go ahead."

"So you will allow us to eat?" she asked again.

"I was not aware you ate only with my permission, Empress." I sat back and took a long drink from my glass. It was a buttery vintage and was followed with a plum aftertaste that paired well with the grapes of the wine and whatever creature I had just eaten.

The Elvens exchanged glances and began to cut the meat with the sharp knives provided. Except for Isslata, who didn't seem to care for the etiquette the gathered generals showed. She tore one rib from the rack with her sharpened nails and bit into the meat with an eagerness that made me think she had fasted for the last week. She let out a soft moan of appreciation once she tasted the food, and the other generals spared a glance her way before taking their first bite.

The effects of the meat seemed to be fading. Or at least, my mind felt as if it was actually contained again in my skull, instead of floating a few feet above me. I concentrated on my breathing, the Earth, and the sound of my blood pumping through my arteries.

The gathered feasters seemed to be enjoying their meal. I observed them for five minutes and the look of pleasure on their faces and sounds of appreciation they made almost had me asking for my plate back. Soon enough my servant brought me out a platter of beef ribs that were crusted with pepper and crushed acorns, and glazed with thick molasses. While not as amazing as the ribs that made my head spin uncomfortably, this new entree had the perfect blend of sweetness from the molasses and bitterness from the acorns.

I had started eating my ribs after my captors, but my hunger and smaller plate meant that I finished a few minutes before them. I could sense the effects of the narcotic that was within the flesh of the animal. Their hearts slowed and their breathing became heavy and relaxed. Isslata finished first and slowly licked the dark honey off of her fingers. She noticed me watching her and her eyes met mine. They were cloudy and full of desire, just as they looked after we had fucked for a few hours.

Even the empress appeared a little dazed by the meal, although she was eating at a slower rate than the rest of her generals. She noticed my gaze and smiled before she wiped her face with a cloth napkin. The movement was probably one of habit since she ate carefully and did not have a speck of the food on her lips.

"It is rare to meet one of your kind that passes up an opportunity to indulge in such a feast."

"It was delicious, but I did not like the way it made me feel. What type of animal is it?" I must have asked a foolish question, because they looked at me in confusion.

"You jest with us?" Jayita narrowed her blue eyes.

"No." I shrugged. "I've enjoyed many types of game in my life, but never something that relaxed me in such a way."

"You've never eaten the flesh of a Mastkur?" Dissonti asked with sudden interest, setting down a rib and leaning forward toward me.

"No. The ribs are large. How tall do they stand? What do they look like?"

"He is fucking with us." Yillomar's voice had lost most of its previous anger. He looked like he was almost done with his ribs and might take a nap.

"Let us speak to business, then." Telaxthe took another small bite of her food and closed her eyes for a second before continuing. "I want something from you, and now you want something from me."

"I don't want anything from you." Now I was grateful that I had not eaten anymore of the Mastkur. Perhaps the plan the whole time was to get me stupid on the meat and then have me agree to something ridiculous.

"Oh, but you do, Kaiyer." She smiled and patted her mouth again with the napkin. "You want the guaranteed safety of your duchess."

"I believe you already promised that to her in your written terms." My stomach knotted. Vernine turned away suddenly and walked behind the curtain but none of the other guards or generals seemed to notice.

"I did. It would be a shame for me to break my vow. I take it very seriously, but of course, the safety of my people is more important than the life of one human." Her face hardened. "You will lead a group of my soldiers to the Radicle that brought you to this world. Then you will leave through it. Nadea will not be a threat to me after that, and I will ensure her safety. I mentioned before that I have uses for her."

"Once you meet her, you will change your mind about killing her. Your threat is empty." I took a sip of wine to steady my nerves. I should have thought of a reason to excuse myself from this meeting once I found out Nadea had changed her plans.

"I will never meet the girl. Instead, someone who would enjoy the task and knows her scent will make a purposeful sojourn." Her eyes turned to Isslata. The golden-haired woman gave me a pout and then shrugged her shoulders.

Fuck.

"I'll need some time to think." I began, but the empress was quick to respond.

"No. You have had three days to think. Answer now."

"Is there another course or two to this meal?" I forced a smile and the room seemed to hang on the empress's next words. Her eyes met mine and we stared at each other for what felt like five minutes. Her face was angry and reminded me of the times I had tried to seduce Nadea while she resisted.

"There are three more courses. Then you will answer." She looked down at her half-eaten dish and then waved it away with a pained expression. The other generals quickly ate their remaining Mastkur ribs before the servants could take theirs away. I guessed that unlike the relationship I had with my generals, the empress gave her own commanders little leeway to defy her.