The Destroyer Book 4 (19 page)

Claws ripped down my thigh and I spun away from two other creatures. Now that they had the smell of my blood, dozens more plunged through the smoking, dying bodies of their kin to charge me on the dais. I kicked two aside and moved up to the pile of meat on the altar. There were just too many. I was too tired. A half-burned beast launched itself into the air and smashed into me. I fell back against the massive leg of the dragon statue. The stone held me upright, but even with my arms pressed against the creature’s throat, its snapping jaws inched closer to my face. The creature’s steaming breath reeked of acid, vomit and decay.

I was running out of strength.

A scream reverberated through the cavern and my brain. It was so loud, it took every ounce of what little willpower I had left not to let go of the lizard to cover my ears and protect them from the sound. The horrid face of the creature contorted in unmistakable pain. I took advantage of the momentary distraction and slid out to the side, smashing the monster’s head against the stone of the dragon’s leg.

The scream sounded again, louder now. I covered my ears, but it did not dampen the sound. I fell to the ground and felt my own mouth open. I felt the air rushing from my lungs, but I could not hear myself scream.

Dozens of the lizard-spiders lay beside me, contorted in the same agony. Their hunger was forgotten as was my desire to move or even escape. I just wanted the pain in my ears to stop. It was so excruciating that I wished one of the monsters would just kill me now and put an end to the agony.

“Leave.”

The single word filled my head. It sounded as if several voices of different timbres were speaking at once. Most seemed angry.

The scream echoed again, but it was a short trumpet blare as opposed to a long, draining screech. The dozens of monsters on the dais with me jolted to attention and fled down the stairs like a retreating tide of sea water. They didn’t even bother to nip, claw, or look at me.

I struggled to my feet against the vertigo that bounced in my skull. The largest gash on the side of my thigh itched and bled profusely, but I sensed no poison in the wound. It was just the feeling of my healing working to put my skin and muscles back in their correct places.

I wiped my bloody hands on my bloody shirt. The monsters had cut me many more times than I realized and blood seeped from hundreds of shallow wounds. I looked around to see who had driven off the lizard-spiders, but I was alone in the shadows of the cavern.

“Eons have passed and at last you are here.”

The voices were not spoken, they simply sounded in my head, like my own thoughts.

“But I have long since left, Master.”
I realized the language was not one I had ever heard before.

Yet I understood it.

My brain connected countless memories of my many lifetimes and I felt my head spin again. I felt to my knees and looked up into the eyes of the dragon.

The voices came from the sculpture.

“Which dress do you prefer?” Relyara asked. She held up a black sweeping affair, another of my servants held a burgundy frilly one, and a third showcased a sleek, silver garment that looked like something I would need to wear without undergarments.

“The black. It matches my mood.” My voice came out as a growl and Relyara nodded. The other servants paused in their various grooming tasks and scurried to update the jewelry and ribbon decorations in my red hair to work better with the dress. I could smell the rotten fear that my words caused them and I noticed that a few of their hands trembled when they picked up brushes. I considered reassuring them that I was not particularly mad at them, but then I thought better of it. A healthy dose of terror would keep them alert to my needs.

I forced myself to relax on the plush stool. The outcome of tonight’s dinner meeting with my father and his elders was difficult to predict, and I hated surprises. Relyara’s network of eyes and ears in the tribe had given me interesting information on the project they had tasked Vertarus with managing. I speculated that the purpose of this dinner was either to ask me to get involved or to beg me not to interfere.

The servants finished the elaborate braiding of my hair and busied themselves with removing my silk dressing gown and putting on the black dress. While their hands worked over my body I let my thoughts wander from the upcoming dinner to more pleasant thoughts.

Kaiyer.

I almost said his name aloud just to feel it across my tongue again. Instead, I kept the sound in my mind. Even there it almost made me shiver with desire. The faint scent of my own arousal filled my nose deliciously. If the servants smelled me, they didn’t say anything or pause.

I recalled the feeling of his fingers along the arches of my feet when he washed them this morning. It was so delightfully erotic to have such contact with him. Perhaps after the dinner tonight I would make my way to the stables and teach him how to do more than wash my feet. My imagination frolicked with the idea and I actually did shiver when I imagined his rough hands caressing my naked body and his tongue licking my entrance.

The servants finished lacing up the back of the dress and I examined the end result. These tailors always surprised me. Their styling wasn’t up to date with the current trends in the desert tribes, but my father’s workers were not afraid to experiment. The black dress was bare on my right arm and shoulder and only covered the top half of the breast there. On the right side, a tight fitting sleeve extended to the back of my hand. The rest of my chest was covered on that side, but the stomach was left bare. The black material was a shiny satin and the fabric contrasted nicely with my white skin where it was exposed.

“You look ravishing, Mistress.” Relyara’s arousal was easy to smell. It mixed with the scent of my own and the combined aroma made me think of our lovemaking. “You will make an impression on the elders.”

“I always do.” I smirked and she waved the servants into the other room.

“What is your plan?” she whispered once we could hear the women begin to play their stringed instruments in my foyer.

“I don’t have one.”

“That is unlike you.” She motioned for me to sit and raise a leg so that she could place a shoe on my foot.

“Perhaps it is more appropriate to say I have many plans, depending upon how the conversation goes.” I followed her directions and felt the wetness of my warm entrance when I lifted my leg. Relyara’s lips shifted into an understanding grin and she tossed her blue-black hair over one shoulder. “It is unfortunate that you have to be downstairs so soon. It seems that you enjoy this dress as much as I.”

“It will serve its purpose during the dinner.” I returned her smile and tried to control my arousal. Relyara would wonder where I was if I visited Kaiyer at night. I would have to find something to task her with, or be satisfied with continuing my post-riding conversations with Kaiyer. These were easy to arrange with less suspicion. After riding, the members of my entourage took some time to bathe before our midday meal, no one noticed where I was then.

“It will.” She finished putting on the other shoe and I stood up from the stool. The thought of the upcoming verbal battle with my father and elders helped curb my arousal. As long as I kept thoughts of the human from my mind, I would be able to focus on the task at hand.

“Do you wish for me to walk with you?”

“No.” I took a last look in the mirror. I had better uses for my time than admiring myself, but the occasional appraisal was useful. Did Kaiyer find me attractive? I had never wondered if humans had the same feelings of disgust for my race as we did for theirs. I had never cared.

I left my suite and walked to the dining hall.

I rarely made dinner plans with my suitors or maidens. We spent almost the entire day together and I had little desire to extend those hours into the night. That was where my brother came to my aid. I had to admit that while I thought him only a few steps above a fool, he was proving very useful in keeping them occupied. He had even been able to dig up interesting gossip about each member of the group. I had already guessed at each of their motivations for courting or positioning themselves around me, but Grednil managed to ferret out various alliances transpiring between the two sexes.

He was probably entertaining them right now. I informed him yesterday that I had a dinner planned with the elders tonight and it would be of great assistance if he distracted them for a few hours. He lapped up the responsibility like a puppy and said he would take care of them so they would not bother me.

The elders awaited me in the dining hall. The mood smelled tense, and there was no conversation or laughter. The atmosphere seemed to brighten once the servants opened the doors and announced me.

“Dearest daughter, you look beautiful tonight.” My father entwined his fingers with mine briefly in greeting. He was wearing a thick coat of pleasing lavender oils that prevented me from smelling his actual scent. I quickly greeted the other elders and took my seat at the other side of the long table from my father.

I sat closest to Gnella. She was the youngest and the only female. Of the group, she was my favorite. She motioned for a servant to pour me a glass of wine. Oimon also sat near me. While I didn’t like the man as much as Gnella, we often spoke of Contania’s various antics. She was his only daughter, and while he had five other sons, I had rejected the one who tried to court me early on, his personality was grating.

The servants laid out the first course while I engaged Oimon and Gnella with small talk of my courting process. We kept the conversation light around the servants as it was an unspoken rule to keep the elder’s conversations private. I paid little attention to the food, less to the wine, and almost none to the questions coming out of Gnella and Oimon’s mouths. Instead my thoughts drifted back to the stables. I managed to keep Kaiyer in the background of my mind however, and thought about how wonderful it would be to saddle a horse and leave this place forever.

I would take Kaiyer with me.

“Iolarathe.” My father’s voice cut through the murmur of the dinner gathering. I jolted to the present and realized that the servants had left the hall. Anger rose in my chest and I struggled to contain the emotion. I needed to pay attention and not dream about something that would never happen.

“Thank you for attending this dinner with us.” The other elders nodded in agreement. Whether they agreed with his sentiment or not, they would unite for a common cause for the good of the tribe. I smiled back at him and tried not to laugh. Most members of the tribes, even descendants of the chieftain, would not be received in such a manner by the tribal elders. It was because I was the Singleborn.

“I am always happy to spend time with my family.” I raised a glass and the other elders followed my example before drinking. It was somewhat of a bold move and my father’s slight glare made it clear he wasn’t pleased about me making the first toast of the dinner. This was traditionally the chieftain’s role.

“We have many things we wish to speak with you about, Daughter,” he continued after everyone had sipped their wine. “Can you update us on the progress of your courtship? You have had the same set of suitors and maidens for almost six months now.” They turned to regard me from their seats.

“Progress is being made, Father.”

“Oh? Have you selected a suitor for breeding?” He raised an eyebrow and I inhaled to get the scent of the room.

“I am closer. It will be a male in this group,” I said with as much authority as I dared.

“Why has the selection process taken so long?” Dluuzit asked.

“I don’t care to answer your question, Elder Dluuzit. However, if it will facilitate the progression of this conversation, I will explain to you that as I am only able to produce a limited number of offspring, I take the decision very seriously and wish to take due time to ensure I am creating the strongest possible children for our tribe.”

“Have you narrowed the selection down any? Is there a particular male that you are intrigued with?” my father asked. Dluuzit, Vuma, and Zaarmo leaned forward to hear my response.

“Perhaps,” I said with a smile. “They all have their charms and strengths. I need more time to make my selection. I may choose a different male from this group for each of my births. That would mean I would remain in your care for the next dozen years.” The idea made my stomach churn, but it would be an answer that delighted them.