The Jewel of Kamara (The Delthenon Chronicles) (27 page)

“Hallam?”
Madoc rubbed his chin. “What makes you so sure?”

Teddy
frowned. “I’ve had my suspicions about him for some time so I’ve been watching
him. Had him followed by people I trust. He and Ricton have been meeting
privately. Away from the palace.”

“But
why kill his brother?” Madoc asked. “He already had an influence over him.”

“My
guess is he wants total control of the kingdom.”

“So
Nic will be next then? You need to warn him!” Tempani cried.

“He
doesn’t believe me,” Teddy said. “Besides, your father will keep him safe.”

“We
need to leave,” Darby muttered, coming out of his shock with a hard look in his
eyes. “Now.”

“And
where will we go?” Chae asked. “Disappear into the mountains?”

“If
Teddy found us so easily, then we need to leave quickly,” Madoc said. “They’re
probably right behind him.”

“Wait,
how did you know where to find us?” Darby asked.

“I
was told.” Teddy met his eyes. “You know where to go from here.”

Darby
nodded, understanding his meaning, and then turned to Tempani. “It’s time,” he
said.

“Madoc,
round up your men and tell them we’re leaving. Colbert, get Zadi and gather as
many supplies as you can,” Tempani ordered. “The rest of you, be ready to leave
in one hour. We’ll ride as hard as we can and get some distance behind us.” She
turned to Chae. “You must decide now. Are you in or out?”

Chae
gripped his sister’s hand. “Who’ll watch his back if I’m not around?” He nodded
towards Madoc.

Madoc
laughed and clapped his friend on the back. “Whatever you need to tell
yourself.”

“Let’s
all meet at the gate in an hour,” Darby said.

—

Tempani
trudged outside, dressed for riding in her breeches and shirt. She strapped her
sword to her waist and swung her bow behind her back. If they were followed,
she would be ready to fight.

Mother
Chennai was waiting for her, holding Mincha’s reins. She accepted the reins
from her hand and smiled weakly at her.

“You’re
ready for this, my daughter,” she said. “Practice what I have shown you and
follow your heart. It will lead you in the right direction.”

Tempani
was overcome by a sense of loss. “I wish you were coming with us. I would feel
safer if you were there to guide me.”

Mother
Chennai reached out and tucked Tempani’s hair behind her ear. “I will always be
there to guide you,” she whispered. “But now it is time to stand on your own
two feet. These people are willing to follow you. The rest is up to you.”

“How
do I do it?”

“Be
honest with people, and they will trust you as a leader. If not, show them what
you can do with a sword.”

Tempani
kissed the older woman’s hands. “I will make you proud.”

“You
already have, my daughter.”

“I
guess this is goodbye,” she whispered, trying to hold back her tears.

“For
now. May the Goddess protect you,” she said. “And promise me something?”

“Anything.”

“Keep
Darby safe. He is an old friend.”

Tempani
nodded, and as she walked away from her mentor, she couldn’t help but feel a
sense of foreboding. A sense that she really was leaving the protective circle
of Mother Chennai forever. She wiped away her tears and whistled for
Tilaw
to join her. He bounded over and launched himself
into his place in Mincha’s saddle.

As
she approached the gate she heard raised voices. She quickened her pace and
found Chae and Teddy staring each other down.

“You’re
not staying here,” Chae said. “You’ll be safer with us.”

“I’ve
told you, I’m not going. This is where I belong.”

Chae
swore at him and then pointed at a horse. “Get on.”

“What’s
going on?” Tempani asked as she shouldered her way through.

“He
thinks he’s staying here,” Chae said and pointed at Teddy. “Tell him how
ridiculous he’s being.”

Teddy
rolled his eyes and turned to Tempani. “You know why I have to stay. I belong
here.”

“Are
you sure?” She asked him.

He
nodded and pulled her into a hug. “If anyone comes for you here I will give a
false lead. I’ll be fine. This is a sacred place. No harm will come to us.”

“
All
right
,” she said. “But if at
any point you think you’re in danger, leave. Get everyone out of here and go.”

“I
will,” he promised. “And when you’re ready to lead the fight, I will be there.”
He turned to Chae and offered his hand. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m
staying.”

Chae
took his hand and patted his back. “Just be safe.” He then turned and helped
Dahlia climb into her saddle, missing the fleeting sadness that crossed over
Teddy’s face.

Teddy
turned to Colbert. “Leandra is
fine
. She has been sent to a
safehouse
.”

Colbert
nodded and gripped Teddy’s hand in thanks.

“You’ve
got to be kidding me,” Madoc muttered.

Tempani
bit back a smile. Bhatia rode up to join them,
Thara
right behind her. Bhatia had picked up a sword from somewhere, and it bounced
against her leg as she trotted along.

“She
doesn’t need to come with us,” Madoc said. “We’ve got more than enough people
already.”

Bhatia
scowled at him, her green eyes flashing with dislike.

“She’s
my charge,” Tempani responded. “I need to train as many women as I can.”

“And
the other girl?”

“She’s
with me,” Bhatia hissed. “Someone needs to keep an eye on things since your men
don’t seem to be doing a very good job of it.”

Madoc
stepped forward, but Tempani placed a hand on his arm. “Leave it.”

He
muttered a string of obscenities and then cleared his voice. “Let’s go.”

Tempani
mounted Mincha and turned to Darby. “Where are we heading?”

“South,”
he said. “Let’s start gathering your followers.”

Tempani
bid a silent farewell to the convent and kicked Mincha into a gallop, sending a
prayer to the Goddess to keep them safe as the wind sent her hair flying.

~8~

The
sun beat down on them as they pushed on. They moved quickly, desperate to put
space between them and the convent. Tempani just hoped they wouldn’t be tracked
south.

Madoc
led the way with Rando, while Chae brought up the rear with Keane, their eyes
alert for any signs of trouble.

Zadi
rode close to Tempani, her eyes as alert as the men’s. Tempani often wondered
what Zadi’s role in all of this was. She seemed to be deeply invested in the
rebellion, and it couldn’t just be because Tempani was her mistress. There had
to be more, but she couldn’t work out what it was. And like most Kalaowins,
Zadi was good at giving nothing away.

Not
like Tempani. Her eyes gave everything away. And now so did the weather. She
had gotten better at controlling the effect her emotions had on the weather,
but when she was hit by a sudden, strong feeling, the control dropped. Just the
other day her anger got the better of her and a cluster of storm clouds rolled
in. She fought it and once she went inside herself and calmed her anger, they
slowly passed.

She
wondered what would happen in the heat of battle if she felt a sudden rise of
anger or despair. Would she be able to harness that and use it to her advantage
or would it grow out of control and be to her detriment?

This
was the problem of endless riding. Her mind ran rampant. It moved from one
thought to another and it was tiring. By the time they retired to rest at the
end of each day, she fell fast asleep, only waking when Zadi shook her each
morning and they started all over again.

It
had been four days since they left the convent. Darby had told her they were
going to reach out to the Kalaowins but that was all he would say. She assumed they
were headed straight to the Shiasa herself. It made sense. Get her on side and
all other tribes would follow.

They
sat around the fire after a long day of riding. Normally they would have broken
off into groups to discuss tactics or practice healing, but tonight they were
content to sit among friends and switch off from their task.

Out
here they were all equal. The commoners sat with the nobles and shared the
brandy as it was passed around the fire. The men joked with their commander and
teased her for tripping over a rock that morning.

Watching
them all, she felt a sense of hope that she could succeed in building the
Kamara she wanted.

“I
wonder what we’d be doing if we were back in Fenella,” Dahlia mused from her
spot on the ground, where she sat leaning against
Chae’s
legs.

“Probably
at some ball or feast where we’d have to make nice with everyone in the room,”
said Chae.

“And
dance with every insufferable man that asks me,” she laughed.

“Gee,
thanks,” Madoc muttered as he passed the brandy to Chae. “And here I thought my
conversation skills had improved.

“You’re
definitely one of the few gems in that snake pit,” said Tempani.

“Did
you just call me a gem? Am I not your fearless commander?”

“Well
you do shine from top to toe,” Keane said as he joined the circle. “
Indiro
, you’re on watch.”

Indiro
grumbled as he got to his feet. “If I climb up
your butt like Keane, do I get a break from watch?”

Madoc
glared at him.

“Clearly
not,” he mumbled as he wandered off.

“Bhatia,
what would you be doing?” Dahlia asked.

The
fiery brunette raised an eyebrow at her. “Entertaining the men who grew tired
of your ball.”

Dahlia
blushed as she looked away. “Oh, well, that’s... um, that’s lovely.”

“Lovely?”
Tempani whispered to her friend.

“What
else am I supposed to say?” She whispered back.

She
squeezed Dahlia’s hand. She never had a harsh word to say about anyone or
anything.

“Don’t
worry Dahlia, your man never came looking for some fun.”

“I
wasn’t worried,” she stammered.

Chae
squeezed her shoulder. “You will never have to worry with me.”

Bhatia
rolled her eyes. “The younger ones are all the same. So full of promises of
faithfulness and love. Wait a few years, and then you’ll see how the world
works.”

“Some
men do remain faithful,” said Tempani.

“Yes,
in fairytales. I’ve seen too much to believe in happily ever
afters
.”

“Then
I feel sorry for you.”

“No
need to feel sorry for me. I don’t.”

“So,
Colbert,” Dahlia said, desperate to change the subject. “What would you be
doing?”

He
looked at her and smiled. “Sitting with Leandra. Possibly thinking of names for
our baby.”

“Now,
that’s lovely,” Tempani said and nudged Madoc with her foot. “Madoc, what about
you? Fighting off all those ladies who swoon over you, no doubt.”

He
groaned and stretched his legs. “Those men you call insufferable have nothing
on the ladies. I’ve never heard so much nonsense in my life.”

“Watch
it,” Tempani warned. “One of those girls may well steal your heart.”

“Not
for me.”

“You
need someone who can hold their own against you. Who won’t bore you to tears
with mindless chatter.”

Dahlia
nodded. “She will need to have some fire. And be intelligent.”

“You
know,” Tempani said slowly as she turned to Bhatia. “I think I know of
someone.”

“Over
my dead body,” Bhatia said through gritted teeth.

“Mine
first,” said Madoc.

“See
you’re already bonding,” Tempani laughed.

Bhatia
rose abruptly. “I’m going to bed.”

Thara
followed her wordlessly.

“Great,
now I’m going to have nightmares about her sneaking up behind me and slicing my
throat,” he groaned.

“I
wonder what Nic and Xanthir are up to,” said Chae. “It’s strange not having
them around.”

“Hopefully
they’re keeping an eye on Hallam. If Teddy’s right about him...”

“Don’t
even say it,” Tempani interrupted Madoc. “They will be fine. Papa was dedicated
to the king so now he’ll look after Nic.”

“It’s
weird to think of him as king now,” Chae said. “Just think, if you’d stayed
there, you’d be queen.”

“I’d
be dead,” she corrected him. “If Hallam could kill his own brother, he’d have no
problems getting rid of me. I’m surprised he hasn’t come after me yet.”

Madoc
stared down at his hands as Chae suddenly found the tree behind him very
interesting.

“He’s
come after me?” She exclaimed. “Why hasn’t anyone told me?”

“There’s
only been two men,” Madoc said quickly. “We caught them and disposed of them
quickly.”

“We
didn’t want you to worry,” said Chae. “You’ve got enough to deal with.”

“You
should have told me,” she snapped. “I’m supposed to make the decisions around
here, aren’t I? Next time, get me.”

As
she stormed off she heard Madoc mutter to Chae. “I knew we should have told
her.”

On
her way to her bedroll she noticed Darby sitting alone, leaning against one of
the trees as he drank. He had been distant since they’d left the convent. He
was with them in body, but his mind was elsewhere.

She
trudged over to him and sat beside him. “It’s quiet out.”

“Oddly
peaceful,” he murmured.

“It’s
all right to be sad about it, you know.”

“I
was relieved.” Darby shook his head and sighed. “The first thing I felt was
relief. How horrible does that make me? Pure relief that one of my oldest
friends was murdered. The problem was now out of my hands.”

Tempani
reached out and squeezed his hand.

“He
wasn’t a terrible man,” he said. “He accepted me and I was a commoner but the
older he got the more his beliefs changed. He changed. The influence of myself
and Tryphena became diminished as he surrounded himself with people like Hallam
and Ricton.”

“Try
to remember the man who befriended you and not the weak king he became. As a
man, I’m sure there were good things. Look at Teddy and Nic. They are a product
of him.”

“Oh
no,” he said. “Teddy is all Tryphena. Without a doubt. Nic, on the other hand…”

“Could
become his father,” she finished for him. “I worry about that too.”

His
hands shook as he brought the wineskin to his lips. “I have to tell you
something,” he said before taking a long drink. “I’ve wanted to tell you
sooner, but we couldn’t afford for you to lose control at the palace.”

Her
body tensed.

He
glanced at her. Tears swam in his eyes. “Hamalia’s death. They weren’t ordinary
bandits. Wimarc didn’t order it directly. He knew how much his wife loved her,
and he truly did care for your father... he could have stopped it but he
didn’t.”

Tempani’s
eyes widened in horror. “So that makes him blameless does it? He didn’t want to
do it himself, but he didn’t want to stop it either? Does my father know about
this?”

Darby
lowered his head, and Tempani had her answer.

“How?”
She cried. “How could he be friends with a man who did that? She was his wife!”

“Tempani,
please calm down.” He anxiously looked up at the sky as the thunder roared.

“Calm
down? You just told me that the palace ordered the murder of my mother!”

“I’m
sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

She
glared at him. “If Wimarc didn’t order it then who did?”

Darby
shook his head. “I shouldn’t have told you.”

“Who
was it?” She demanded. “Darby!”

“Hallam.”

“We’re
going back,” she snapped. “I want him dead.”

“If
you go back, you will be dead. Don’t you see that? He went after Hamalia
because he thought she was the one. The only reason you’re still alive is
because of Nic. The protection his courting you brought was too much. You were
never alone. He just needed to drive a wedge between you.”

“That
night Nic turned up drunk.”

“
Hallam’s
doing. With Nic out of the picture, you would be
easier to take out. We killed an assassin on our way to the convent. And two
scouts since we left there.”

“But
if we kill him, it’ll all be over.”

“And
Lord Ricton?” He asked. “He’s powerful. You can’t just march up to the palace
and expect to kill them both. You’re not ready.”

She
glared at him, knowing he was right. If she tried to take them on now, she
would be killed in an instant and the people suffering now would continue to
suffer. Her revenge would have to wait. “I’ll get ready. And when I am, he will
pay.”

“Tempani,”
he called out after her as she started to walk away. “I’m so sorry.”

“You
told the truth in the end,” she said. “That counts for something.”

—

Today
their pace was slower as the ground grew rockier. They were close to the
mountains that belonged to the Kalaowins. Tempani sat up straighter in her
saddle. Finally, she and Chae would be among their mother’s people.

The
sun was high in the cloudless sky, and it burned her skin. She saw the dense
forest ahead and was anxious to reach it and have a break from the heat. She
let out a sigh of relief once she was completely immersed in the forest.

She
leapt from her saddle and waded into the cool stream,
Tilaw
at her heel. She bent over and threw her head into the water and quickly out
again. She flung her head back and shook out her wet hair, loving the feel as
it trickled down her neck and back.
Tilaw
jumped up
on her, his paws resting on her shoulders, and licked her face.

“
Bleh
!” She cried and wiped the back of her hand over her
mouth. “I love you too,” she laughed sadly. The chat with Darby was still fresh
on her mind. She was trying not to dwell on it when there was nothing she could
do about it. Not yet anyway. In the meantime she would do everything she could
to prepare herself for battle.

Tilaw
pushed off her and ran after a butterfly that
was flapping near his nose. She was about to run after him when she heard it.
An arrow being strung to a bow. She spun around to the group, some were wading
in the water, and others were stretching out their muscles after hours spent in
the saddle. They hadn’t heard it. Tempani shrugged, assuming she’d imagined it.
She was on edge after all. She reluctantly pulled herself from the water and
strode over to Chae, just to double check that he hadn’t heard anything.

She
had chosen not to tell him about Hallam. Knowing Chae he would want to act
straight away, and unlike her he may not be able to see the bigger picture. His
commitment to their journey was not as strong.