Page 87 of Queen Demon
Kai was one of the few people still alive who knew that when Tahren, who did not like being surprised at the best of times, dropped her hand to her swordhilt and tightened her jaw, it meant that someone had narrowly avoided death. Unfortunately it seemed that Ilhanrun Highsun had noted it too. His glance at her was wry. He said, “I apologize for overhearing. I meant only to thank the Witch King for his timely intervention.”
“Call him Fourth Prince,” Tahren said, and turned to regard Highsun. “And we asked to be left alone, to have a discussion among family in private.”
Highsun was just under Tahren’s height, his build more burly, and he had pale skin, a broad handsome face that had not been chapped and reddened by weather, and light straight hair that hung past his shoulders. Unlike the usual male Immortal Blessed style, it was tied back in a queue, like a Lesser Blessed. His clothes were Belithan, with bright embroidery on the seams of his long tunic, padded coat, and loose trousers. He had a plain cotton stole wrapped loosely around his neck in the casual way the Belithans did in informal circumstances. Bruises still marred his right temple and cheekbone just above a dusting of beard. If Kai didn’t know he was an Immortal Blessed, he might have thought Highsun was just a particularly large native of the archipelagoes. He wondered if Highsun had capitalized on that, in his wanderings since the end of the war.
“Fourth Prince,” Highsun corrected himself with a nod to Kai. “I believe we met while I was unconscious. I thank you for mylife and the lives of my friends.” Clearly aware that Tahren hadn’t accepted his apology, he added, “It was my error. I woke only a short time ago and didn’t realize you had asked for privacy. How can I make up for my transgression?”
Watching him carefully, Ziede said, “You can tell us how much you heard.”
“That you have a plan to render the Well unusable by collapsing the mound and burying it, and then remaining to guard its location.”
Kai carefully did not look at anyone in relief. This was complicated enough without anyone else knowing what Dahin had intended to do. What the Well’s vulnerability was. Though Kai figured the only people nearby whose memory of the Hierarchs’ ravages was vivid enough to make them seriously consider a sacrifice were all in this tent.
Highsun stepped further inside, his caution giving way to curiosity. “Are you certain that burying the Well won’t destroy it?”
Dahin, still sitting beside Ziede on the cot, sagged a little in weariness. “No, it’s like the Well of Thosaren. The surface opening is like the neck of a bottle: stuffing it up with a cork doesn’t affect what’s contained inside.” Dahin had long complained that the higher born an Immortal Blessed was, the less they knew about how everything worked.
Highsun looked thoughtful. “So it is the only way.” He nodded to himself. “I reiterate my offer. I would join you.”
Through her pearl, Ziede admitted to Kai,We can use the help. He’ll certainly be more useful than those two children Ramad brought with him.
Speaking of children, Kai needed to find Sanja and show her that he was alive. And they needed to get back to the Well before any constructs who might have survived managed to dig their way out through the blocked entrance. Kai caught Tahren’s gaze and lifted his brows. She tilted her head in agreement.
Kai’s anklebones had finally knit back together, so he swung his legs off the cot and stood, only swaying a little. He said, “We accept your offer.”
The others had brought along their bags, so Kai was able to dress in fresh unsinged clothing and one of the warmer coats of Blessed fabric. They found Ramad standing outside Veile’s tent, one of a few left in place as the expedition hastily packed. The Immortal Marshalls Eleni and Rafiem sat on stools near a small campfire, watching the mortals work.
The day was sunny, the cold wind pushing the clouds along. The camp was sparse now; from what Tahren reported, Sura had already taken the raft through the anchor stones to Ancartre, with seven of the most wounded. She would return as soon as possible for more of the group. The two young drovers had been laden down with supplies and sent off with most of the riding animals, heading north toward their home, one of the last outposts below Sun-Ar.
Ramad watched Kai approach, something raw in his expression he didn’t seem inclined to try to hide. The Blessed Eleni glanced up and said, “See, the demon lives. We told you it was inevitable.”
Ramad looked at her with something between exhaustion and supreme irritation. Kai found himself taking pity; Ramad had been traveling with these two and Arnsterath for a while, and it had to be exhausting. He said, “We’re going back to the tor to kill whoever’s in there, if you’d like to come with us.”
Ramad’s expression cleared. He came to join Kai. “Do you have a way to get inside?”
“If there’s another way in, Tenes should be able to find it. I’d prefer not to clear the front entrance if possible.” Going in through the front would just invite whoever was in there to use the Voice again.
Ramad nodded sharply. “Good, I’ll find us some supplies and make sure they leave us enough riding oxen. They’re going to release the rest before they leave.” He hesitated, as if he wanted to say something else. Kai lifted his brows, having no intention of making it easy. Then Sanja, barely recognizable wrapped in an oversized coat, ran up. Ramad turned away.
Sanja stopped two paces away, glared at Kai, then stepped over to take hold of his hand. She said, “They said you were all crushed up but they wouldn’t let me see.”
Sanja was not a hugger. Tanis and the other children of Avagantrum were, and Kai found he missed it. He said, “That’s too bad, because it was awful to look at.”
Reassured, she tugged on his hand and grinned at him.
He told her, “You’re going to need to stay at camp with Dahin.”
Dahin, standing nearby with the others, looked offended. “What, I’m not going?”
Tahren pressed her hands over her face and walked away. Shaking her head, Ziede gave Dahin a one-armed hug and followed.
“Right,” Dahin said, embarrassed. “I forgot for a moment. I can see why you wouldn’t—”
Kai sighed and gave up. “Come here,” he said, and when Dahin dragged his feet reluctantly over, Kai hugged him. Dahin huffed in surprise.
They saddled the last of the shaggy winter oxen and loaded them with a few supplies. As they rode across the plain again, Kai thought they might keep the beasts, since they were going to stay.
Ziede and Tahren rode side by side, with Tenes riding double with Tahren. She had never ridden before, as far as she could remember, and it was safer this way. After the Well was buried, Kai meant to send her back with Dahin and Sanja, and chargeDahin with helping her get to Palm where she could search for her family. Dahin would take Sanja to Tanis in Avagantrum and see if any of their family might want to join them up here, at least for a time.
