thefiremargins (50 page)

* * *

On board the aircar, Ghezu squatted down beside him and placed a hypoderm against his neck. "You're mine now, Kaid," he said softly. "I've decided I'm not going to kill you. No, you're going to live, but you'll pray for death before I'm done with you. Now, say goodnight. We don't want anyone at Stronghold knowing you're my guest, do we?"
Kaid's last view of Ghezu as he pressed the trigger of the hypoderm was of a pair of eyes too wide and staring for sanity. As reality began to fade, he wondered where, or if, he'd wake this time.

* * *

"Kaid's been seen at Chezy," said Rulla as soon as Kusac let him into the family kitchen.
"Was he all right?" asked Carrie, speaking the thought on all their minds.
"Fine. In fact, he was training Fyak's troops."
"Never," said Garras.
"Not Kaid," Dzaka said flatly. "You must be wrong."
Rulla looked at him briefly, eye ridge raised, as he sat down at the long table with them. "No, it's been confirmed. I heard the news before I left Stronghold. I wonder what he's up to."
"What were the circumstances, and how did they find out?" asked Kusac.
"There weren't any details, just wind-borne gossip from one of the Brothers who's recently piloted out grain to the tribes. He said he'd heard that Kaid had arrived at Chezy. He'd been injured, and was bound as a prisoner— then a week later, there he was, training the troops."
"Fyak can alter minds," said Meral. "Look at what happened to the two telepaths at the medical center in town. He destroyed them. If Kaid's working for Fyak then it's not willingly, it's because his mind has been affected."
"I don't think so," said Carrie thoughtfully. "Much more likely he's playing for time— waiting to escape. It's what I'd do."
"That sounds more feasible," agreed Garras.
"Wait a minute, don't follow the wrong scent here!
I
don't think he's collaborating with them," said Rulla, looking round the little group. "You can mind talk, Kusac. Why don't you try to reach him, see if there's any way we can help?"
"There's an element of risk in trying to contact a non-telepath, Rulla," said Kusac.
"Especially if Fyak is targeting telepaths. Whoever is monitoring for them only needs to pick up Kaid receiving and he could be branded as a telepath," said Carrie.
"You've got a point," Rulla admitted. "How come this Fyak can alter people's minds yet you don't think he's a telepath himself?"
"We've no idea," said Kusac. "He obviously isn't, or else why would he want to abduct one from Laasoi? I'm afraid we've more questions than answers about Fyak at present. I do know if we interfere in his business, even to get Kaid out, we risk starting a civil war that could erupt out of the desert into these lowlands."
Murmurs of agreement greeted this, then silence fell. There was nothing they could say that hadn't been said already.
"Why the hell did you stay with Ghezu's lot, Dzaka? Why couldn't you leave like the rest of us?" asked Rulla.
Dzaka stirred and looked over at Rulla. "You didn't leave. Ghezu released you from your oaths. He refused me."
"Did you ask him? Did you think of disobeying him then? Even though you didn't leave, if you hadn't lashed out at Kaid like that, none of this would have happened," Rulla growled angrily.
"That's enough, Rulla," said Kusac sharply. "The matter's closed now. Over."
"Dammit, it isn't for me! Just because he comes back here with his tail between his legs, says he's sorry and that he's left the Brotherhood now, doesn't excuse his past actions! He's the one responsible for Kaid being Fyak's prisoner!"
Dzaka flung his chair back as he leaped to his feet, glowering at Rulla. "You've had it in for me from the first, haven't you, Rulla? There's only one way to settle this as far as you're concerned, isn't there?"
"Fine by me," Rulla snarled, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet.
"Enough!" said Kusac. "Dzaka's here under
my
protection, and the wishes of Kaid, his father! I'll have no fighting over this, d'you hear me, Rulla? Dzaka?" He stood, looking from one to the other.
Dzaka, his eyes still on Rulla, nodded slowly, the tension going out of his stance.
Not so Rulla. Eyes glowing, he lunged across the table at him. An unexpected blow to the side of his head broke his balance and sent him spinning away from the table.
Kusac followed it through by reaching him within two strides, grasping him on either side of the neck by the collar of his jacket and slamming him hard against the wall.
"This is
my
home, Rulla! You'll not bring your fights in here, nor will you disobey my orders a second time!" he snarled, his teeth inches from Rulla's face and throat. "I'm in charge around here, not you, not Garras," he paused, "and not Kaid. Don't mistake me for
just
a telepath, Rulla. It might be your last mistake. Have I made myself clear?" He thumped Rulla against the wall once more to emphasize his point.
Rulla's ears were down, his eyes wide as he slowly nodded. "Yes, Liege."
"Good." Kusac relaxed his hold a little. "Dzaka is sworn to
me
— as you all are. He's not here on sufferance: I chose to have him. You'll treat him accordingly."
Kusac released Rulla and stepped back, watching while the other tugged his clothing into place, then tried surreptitiously to massage his neck. Turning round to resume his place, he was surprised to see Meral, T'Chebbi and Garras standing not far behind him. Carrie alone was untroubled. Catching the glance the males exchanged, Kusac waited for them to resume their seats before returning to his own.
"Garras, how're Vanna and the cub?" he asked, changing the topic to something neutral to break the tension.
"Fine," said Garras, "if noisy and always hungry are anything to go by. Zhiloma, the kitling Rrai's mother, is helping her. She'd be happy to see you again— and Carrie— any time you want to visit. Especially when Marak goes in for his op."
"I'm sure he'll be fine," said Kusac, knowing Garras didn't want to dwell on the subject. "Did my mother tell you she plans to open the nursery and have Zhiloma run it? When Vanna's ready to start work again, she could leave Marak there. He'd soon have company as Taizia's near her time, isn't she, Meral?"
Meral's ears flicked and his mouth opened in a wide grin. "Neither Taizia nor I can wait."
"Believe me, you can," said Garras drily. "Enjoy your sleep while you can get it because in a few weeks, you'll have forgotten what a whole night's sleep is like!"
"We won't mind," he said. "Taizia and a family of our own is a dream I never thought possible."
Garras snorted good-naturedly. "That's your hormones talking! You young males are all the same. All you want to do is breed! You'll feel differently in a few years time, take it from me."
Meral shrugged, but kept his grin.
Kusac sensed Carrie becoming edgy. Now just halfway through her own pregnancy, she was beginning to get fretful— a mixture combined of dread and impatience. As yet she hadn't been to see Vanna and the new-born for those same reasons. She'd go when she was ready, he knew that, and he knew that Vanna wouldn't be upset by her staying away for the time being.
"I think it's time we left for our dig," he said, getting up. "We don't know how much longer we'll have before the authorities discover what we're doing at the monastery."
"Liege, I've a message to pass on from Noni," said Rulla quietly. "She'd like to see you and Carrie today."
Kusac's face creased in a frown. "Noni wants to see
me?
"
"Yes. She was most insistent that you go too."
"How long will it take you to get ready?" Kusac asked Carrie.
"Only a few minutes," she said, carefully pushing her chair back from the table so she could get up.
Kusac was there to help her.
Hey, I'm not an invalid!
I know, but I want to help.
"T'Chebbi, you and Meral come with us. Garras, you and Jack will have to take charge of the dig. I've got a training session over at Nazule this afternoon so I won't be able to join you at all today."
Dzaka followed them into the hall, and seeing no one within earshot, called out to Kusac. "Liege, I'd prefer to come with you, if I may?"
Carrie glanced over her shoulder at him. "Is Kitra following you around again?"
Dzaka looked surprised but quickly righted his ears. "Yes. I don't mind her usually, but she's been over every day this week and I'd like a break," he said, keeping a wary eye on Kusac.
"I'm sure Meral would enjoy a day off with Taizia," said Carrie. "You don't have any objections, do you, Kusac?"
"None. Kitra can be a handful, especially now that Jinoe and Rrai have paired. They're spending more of their time training with Ghyan, and what little leisure they do have, they're not so interested in spending running wild round the estate anymore." He chuckled. "We shouldn't really be calling them kitlings. They're rather proud of what they see as their elevation to adult status!"
"We've all been there," said Carrie, looping her arm through her mate's. "And Kitra's not far behind them. She'll be choosing her first lover soon."
"I still think you're imagining it. At the most she's just copying Jinoe," he said. "We'll need two aircars, Dzaka, as Carrie will be coming back without me. We'll travel out with T'Chebbi."
"Yes, Liege."
"You didn't tell me Noni was going to be acting as birther for you," he said to Carrie as they headed up to their rooms.
"It just sort of happened," she said. "It's one of the things she does as the village healer, and she seems to have sort of adopted me since Kaid took me there. I don't mind. She doesn't seem so intrusive— not so impersonal and clinical."
"As long as you're happy," he said, placing his palm on the lock plate and waiting for the door to slide open. "Wouldn't you rather have Jack or Vanna, or even one of the human females with you?"
She looked at him with a mixture of horror and determination.
Noni
was all she sent, and he accepted it.
Now that there were not only considerably more humans on Shola, but also a large proportion of females, Carrie found that getting human-specific clothes like trousers was a lot easier. The local tailor they frequented had asked one of the human females to teach him how to make their clothing— but his variety of garments was still very limited.
While the house was warm enough for her to wear only the split-paneled long tunics, outside the temperature had dropped quite dramatically and she needed the warmth of trousers and a woollen tunic.
Kusac stood by the door waiting for her to change. The olive tunic she was putting on clung to her figure, accentuating her more generous curves. There was a rightness in the way she looked now, he thought, watching as she smoothed the tunic over her gently swelling belly before turning to pull a sleeved cloak from her wardrobe.
Once again he was there to help, holding it for her to slip her arms into.
"I'm not helpless," she said, a faintly reproving tone in her voice.
He settled the cloak round her shoulders, then turned her to face him as he sealed the center edges together. He slid his hands round her disappearing waistline till they met behind her back and he was holding her close.
"I know. I just want to enjoy helping you, enjoy the fact that you're carrying our cub," he said, his voice a quiet purr. "I'm no different from Meral in that." His tongue flicked out, caressing her cheek. "You've no idea how proud I feel," he began, then stopped as he heard her mind speak.
Oh, haven't I?
He laughed, his amber eyes glinting down at her as his hands slid back across the curve of her belly, lingering there for a moment. Reluctantly he let her go. "You're right. Of course you know how I feel. It's just that you, carrying our cub— it means so much to me. I can't find the words to say it properly."
She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. "You don't need to." Her voice was soft as she pushed her fingers gently across his cheek into his hair. "It's what I want too." She hesitated. "I'm sorry I can't go and see Vanna yet. I'm still a little frightened about this, afraid to see her cub in case..." She stopped, knowing her thoughts were conveying the words she couldn't say.
"He'll be fine. It's not a serious complaint and the Surgeons' Guild Master himself is doing the operation. He couldn't be in safer hands. Actually it might be easier for you to see Marak now rather than waiting for our own cub to be born," he said, "then she won't seem so strange to you."
"Maybe, but I'm not ready for that yet."
"When you are," he agreed. "Until then, I'm sure Vanna will understand how you feel. However, I do think you should keep her company when Marak is undergoing the surgery. He looks very like her, you know."
Carrie sighed. "I'm sure he does, and I have every intention of waiting with Vanna, and visiting Marak. Now, tell me what all that leadership bit with Rulla was about."
"They've always looked at Kaid as their leader, forgetting that
his
loyalty is to you and me. When he went missing, I began to realize that it was important for them to be reminded that they gave their loyalty to us."
"No matter what the trappings of civilization you wear,
Liege,
" she said, reaching up to tweak his ear, "you're still my barbarian prince!"
"Imp!" he said, reaching out for her again, but she'd moved lightly away from him toward the door, grinning.
"Come on, we'd better get moving! T'Chebbi and Dzaka are waiting for us."

* * *

Garras rose and stood in front of Rulla, preventing him from leaving. "What happened between Kaid and Dzaka is their business, Rulla," said Garras. "We may have our own private feelings about it, but they remain just that: private. If Kaid can forgive him, then so can I. You'll have to do the same." His eyes took on a hard quality. "Like Kusac, I'll do what it takes to protect Dzaka, let there be no mis-understanding on this."
"But to lose Kaid because of Dzaka ..." began Rulla, but Garras cut him short.
"We haven't yet. And even if we do, it was Kaid's decision to remain and let Dzaka escape, and we'll
all
respect it. Dzaka is worth having in his own right. Don't forget we've all been caught at one time or another by Ghezu's tricks, this was Dzaka's first time. His delay in leaving the Brotherhood only shows how serious an oath is to him, and that's no bad thing. You were lucky, Ghezu released you. Saying you'll leave and actually doing it is a very different matter, Rulla. Dzaka's life is at risk because of his decision. You were never put to the test, just remember that."
Rulla sighed. "All right, I'll admit I was wrong. I've never questioned Kaid's decisions before. I should have accepted that he trusted Dzaka."
"You still don't get it, do you?" said Garras, grasping him by the jacket front and hauling him closer. "You'll accept it because your Liege
orders
you to accept it!" He grinned, pulling his lips back to expose his teeth.
"I understand, Garras," Rulla said hurriedly, ears flat again, hands held open at shoulder level. "Kusac is our Liege. I'll not make the same mistake again. I hadn't realized how much of a warrior he'd become."
"To tell the truth," said Garras, releasing him, "even I'd forgotten how well he handled that Death Challenge on Keiss, and that was before he'd been trained to fight properly."
"Kusac's point was well made— to all of us," said Meral drily as he rose from the table. "He
is
our Liege."
"It's not one I'll forget again, I assure you," said Rulla, slowly lowering his hands. "He fought Guynor
before
he'd been trained?"
"Yes, before. You combine the ability to mentally acquire any skill with an intelligent mind, and the body of someone entering his prime, and you'll get a male
I'd
think twice about taking on," said Garras candidly. "What I said to Rulla goes for all of you," he added, looking round at them. "Make sure everyone realizes that. Our first loyalty is to our Liege. Even if Kaid returns."