ARC: Assassin Queen (18 page)

18

Embassy

Kyth and Alder sat by the fire in the heart of their camp when shouting from the side of the woods forced them to jump up to their feet. The foster brothers exchanged quick glances and rushed toward the noise.

Around them, Jades were drawing their crossbows and fanning out along the sides of the clearing. Mai strode through their ranks toward a spot invisible behind a small tree grove, a train of top gems forming in his wake. Kyth hurried to catch up.

The lone man waiting for them at the forest clearing ahead hardly seemed to merit such an upheaval. He wore no weapons, his worn clothes of patched brown and green blending with the colors of the forest at his back. He eyed his welcoming party with curiosity rather than fear, a touch of amusement in his gaze as he glanced at the impressive array of bows and crossbows pointing his way.

Kyth
’
s heart leapt as he recognized the newcomer.
“
Garnald!
”
He swept past Raishan into the man
’
s bear-like embrace.

The old Mirewalker had been around when Kyth and Alder were growing up in the Forestlands, a man who made the Dark Mire his home, whose closeness to Ayalla spawned rumors and fear among the villagers. Kyth felt relieved that Ayalla had chosen Garnald as her messenger. This, more than anything, told him they likely had nothing to fear.

Alder and Ellah pushed past him, exchanging greetings with the older man. Out of the corner of his eye Kyth noticed weapons lowering everywhere in sight.

“I can
’
t wait to catch up with you lads,
” Garnald said. “
But right now I am here on official business. I believe he is the one I need to be talking to.
”
He pointed at Mai, standing at the edge of the clearing at the head of his Gem-ranked retinue.

“
Of course,
” Kyth muttered. “
Who else?
”

“
I am sent by the Forest Mother,
”
Garnald went on.

Mai stepped forward, the Majat around him receding at his brief hand sign. Kyth was amazed at how they were able to do all of it without actually moving all that much.

Garnald looked at him with interest, measuring him with an unhurried gaze.
“
Lady Ayalla would like to speak to you. I believe you know why.
”

“
Actually,
” Mai said, “
I don’
t –
except that I assume she is holding a hostage I
’
d like to get back.
”

Garnald slowly inclined his head.
“
She does hold a member of your party, but not as a hostage.
”

“
As what then?
”

“
This is something she will tell you herself.
”

Mai moved to go, but Garnald
’
s gesture stopped him.

“
She will not allow weapons, or any of your men, into her domain.
”

“
Out of the question.
”

Garnald squared his jaw.
“
In Lady Ayalla
’
s realm, things are done on her terms, and no other way.
”

Mai lifted his chin, but before he could speak Egey Bashi rushed up to his side.

“
You need Lady Ayalla
’
s alliance, Aghat Mai,”
he said.
“
Not to mention that the leverage she holds over you right now is far too great to risk over something like this. Even with your weapons, you will be helpless as a child once you enter her realm. A confrontation over it would not only jeopardize your chances, but would also put Kara in even more danger.
”

Mai cocked his head.
“
Are you expecting, Magister, that I would venture into this forest alone without any weapons?
”

“
Not alone,
” Garnald said. “
You can bring Kyth and Alder with you. And the Keeper, if he agrees to join you.
”

“‘
The Keeper
’
would be delighted,
”
Egey Bashi muttered, his scowl a poor replacement for a friendly smile.
“
The name
’
s Egey Bashi, by the way.
”

Garnald
’
s eyes flickered with a strange expression, half irony half challenge.
“
Yes, I remember you, Magister. I also know that your gift of slow aging stems from Lady Ayalla
’
s own power.
”

Kyth frowned in disbelief. He knew that the Keeper was much older than he appeared, but hearing his age mentioned on the same scale as Ayalla
’
s didn
’
t make any sense at all. Magister Egey Bashi looked to be in his late forties, perhaps early fifties. Kyth always assumed that with the way people talked about him being older than he looked he might be actually closer to sixty or so, just very well preserved. Ayalla was completely different, a magical being who spoke of events centuries ago as if they were recent. Surely Egey Bashi couldn
’
t be nearly as old as that?

“
You may also bring one more person of your choice,
”
Garnald said to Mai.
“
As long as it
’
s not a Majat.
”

“
Ellah,
” Mai said. “I
’
d like Ellah to come. Will you?
”
He looked at the girl.

Kyth felt resentment rise in his chest at the sight of her cheeks lighting up with a faint blush as she nodded, even before Mai could finish phrasing his request. He knew that Ellah was attracted to Mai, who seemed to have no problems with using it to his advantage. Right now, he assumed the Majat needed her truthsense, and he was unlikely to consider the girl
’
s safety at all to get her at his side.

Kyth
’
s heart raced. Venturing into Ayalla
’
s realm on less than friendly terms, with Mai in a volatile mood, was dangerous, to say the least. While he supposed he and Alder definitely needed to be there, if only to do their best to keep Mai from doing something foolish, putting Ellah on the spot raised the stakes. The last thing she needed was to be asked to report if anyone told a lie and risk an outburst that could not possibly end well.

“
Couldn
’
t you at least leave Ellah out of this?
”
he asked.

Mai
’
s lips twitched.
“
And what are you, her guardian now?
”

“
For lack of a better one, yes.
”
Mai squared his jaw, but Kyth didn
’
t budge.
“
What are you going to do, scold me for insubordination? Or maybe you want to threaten to hack my head off?
”

Mai
’
s face went mask-still. Kyth wondered at the way he felt no fear, even if he knew he was probably risking his life by pursuing the argument.

Mai leaned closer, his voice terrifyingly quiet.
“
Stay out of my way.
”

Kyth lifted his chin.
“
Or what?
”

More people crowded around them now, Ellah tugging at Kyth
’
s sleeve, looking at him with wide, worried eyes.
“
Kyth! Mai is right, I can decide for myself. I
want
to go with all of you.
”

Kyth held Mai
’
s gaze a moment longer, then turned to the girl.
“Don
’
t you see it? He is using you. He
’
s putting you into danger for no good reason.
”

Ellah shook her head earnestly.
“I
’
m grateful for your protection, but you are the one who is missing the point, Kyth. Mai is trying to win a war. We all are. And if my ability can be of use
–
even if only by putting Mai at ease in a difficult conversation he is facing
–
I will be glad to go. It
’
s my decision, Kyth, not yours.
”

Kyth gave an exasperated sigh. Everyone was looking at him now, Mai with threat, everyone else with various degrees of surprise. He spotted Lady Celana at the back, watching him with the wonder that made his heart swell. He turned away from her before his eyes could linger any longer.

He knew that, tempers aside, Ellah was probably right. A lot in the upcoming conversation with Ayalla depended on Mai
’
s ability not to muck up, and the man needed all the help he could get, as far as Kyth was concerned. He hesitated, watching Alder approach, his foster brother
’
s face folded into a concerned frown.

“
There
’
s no danger for Ellah,
”
Alder said with quiet certainty.
“
Ayalla would never harm her. She knows that we are friends, that Ellah has a gentle soul and a pure heart. You of all people should understand that, Kyth.
”

Kyth gaped at the reproach in his foster brother
’
s voice. He could vouch for Ellah
’
s pure heart, but he wasn
’
t sure about her gentle soul at all. Ellah had a sharp tongue and wasn
’
t shy to express her opinion if anyone got on the wrong side of her. More than that, he did not know anything at all about Ayalla, except the fact that she commanded armies of deadly spiders and wielded magic beyond anyone
’
s comprehension. All this hardly made her seem any less dangerous or more trustworthy. He nodded nonetheless. Whatever he had to say didn
’
t matter right now. Besides, Kara
’
s life and safety likely depended on the outcome of this embassy, which made their time too precious to waste.

His gaze drifted to Mai, standing at the edge of the clearing beside Garnald. The Diamond
’
s face held a mix of anger and concern, but underneath them Kyth sensed a more complex mix. The guarded way Mai eyed Kyth was new, as if the Prince posed a previously unforeseen danger. And there was even more. Understanding? Respect? At the moment Kyth couldn
’
t care less. He stepped sideways, abruptly looking away.

He hoped Mai wouldn
’
t be asked to do much talking. He doubted the Forest Mother would tolerate his cockiness or cope with his constantly shifting moods. It seemed unfair that Mai was coming at all. The Majat Guild stood for everything Ayalla resented, and Mai was the leader of their force. If he and Ayalla could not agree, she would never help them
–
which meant that with the current turn of events they were likely, at best, to leave the forest empty-handed and rely on their own resources to defeat the Kaddim.

Mai strapped off his numerous weapons and handed them to Raishan before stepping up to Garnald
’
s side. Without his gear, he looked oddly vulnerable. Only by knowing him well could Kyth sense the tension building up inside, like a ball of flaming liquid ready to burst. He hoped nothing in Ayalla
’
s realm would trigger the explosion. Mai
’
s wrath could be terrifying, even in a one-on-one confrontation. And now, with the way his men
’
s obedience to him bordered on downright worship, things could easily get out of hand. No way of telling what a small Majat army could do, even when faced with the ancient might of the forest.

Rustles echoed around them as they stepped into the cool tree shade. Walking in Mai
’
s wake, Kyth did not realize at once that these sounds had nothing to do with the breeze, or the sound of their footsteps. The trees in front of them were parting way, opening a narrow path that closed behind them as soon as they passed through. When Kyth dared a glance back, he could see nothing but the dense forest thicket with no indication of the Majat camp behind.

He hoped they could leave this forest alive.

After about an hour of walking, the trees started to part wider. Kyth stretched his neck trying to see further ahead, but it seemed as if every time his eyes focused on something it shifted and became a wavering mass of branches and leaves. After a while he felt dizzy. He kept his eyes on Mai
’
s back instead, the only solid object in his direct view. The Majat
’
s black cloak with the gray and white embroidery of the diamond-set throwing star stood out like a beacon in the forest dimness. Up until now Kyth had always thought of black as the color that allowed one to blend in, assuming that the Majat favored it so that they could be inconspicuous if it came to an ambush. Now he realized this was far from true, leaving him to wonder if the Majat actually chose this color for flashiness and effect.