Shadows Past: A Borderlands Novel Read online

  There was silence; then Princess Rajya gave a soft laugh. “Well, it seems that we will spend at least part of this perfect night together, Sro Rabbit.”

  “So it seems,” I agreed, wondering how much of a head start I should give Berenice, and whether her father was out wandering the castle looking for her.

  Princess Rajya pushed back the hood of her cloak, revealing the intricate twist of her hair. It shone softly in the firelight, as did her skin, rich and darkly smooth. Munir, standing behind the princess, also pushed back the hood of his cloak. I eyed the tattoos on his bald head, wondering if they were clan markings or were connected with his talent. If they were talent-oriented, they were totally different from the runes and symbols I knew; they seemed to flow one into the other in fluid lines, the jots and tittles fitting into their curves. My eyes went back to the wizard’s face in time to see his own gaze drop, and I realized that as I’d studied him, he had been studying me—and my hovering air and fire spheres. I resisted the surprisingly strong urge to gather them to me, but something of the struggle must’ve shown on my face. His dark eyes narrowed in humor and he gave me a slight bow.

  “How do you say, Sro Rabbit? I give you good evening.”

  “Good evening, Lord Munir,” I said.

  “So polite,” Princess Rajya said, reclaiming my attention.

  “Yes, Your Highness,” I said.

  Princess Rajya smiled again, her eyes slitting in amusement. “Your mother must be a terrifyingly strong woman.”

  “All the women in my family are,” I said, keeping my face smooth at Princess Rajya’s unsurprising revelation that she had eavesdropped on Berenice and my conversation.

  Princess Rajya’s smile turned wry. “You should meet the women in mine, Sro Rabbit.” The night breeze shifted, bringing with it her subtle perfume as she moved to the walk’s parapet. Groskin, Ryson, and I followed her, Groskin and Ryson going to the edge once more to look down and then out, this time towards the harbor. The princess ignored them. “But as strong as they are, the sea is stronger,” she murmured. “I love it at all times, but especially at night, when it is full of moonlight, star fire, and dark mysteries.”

  I thought back to the demon fight when I’d become an avatar of the water aspect and had brushed up against the infinite. “It is vaster than we think, containing much more than we are aware of,” I murmured, shivering in spite of myself.

  Munir gave me a sharp look, but the princess continued her blind stare into the night. “I grew up on its edge and the sound of the surf is as much home to me as is my mother’s embrace. One day I will lose my mother, but to lose the sea—” She shook her head. “To live where I couldn’t see it, couldn’t hear, couldn’t smell, couldn’t taste or feel it would kill me.”

  I said nothing. Once I had thought the Weald containing my parents’ farm the summation of my life. I later learned that home was where I made it, and my heart traveled with me no matter how hard I tried to leave it behind.

  “Your family gave a son to the sea, correct?” Princess Rajya asked. “Didn’t Sra Berenice say your uncle is a sailor?”

  “Yes, Your Highness. My da’s brother, Vice Admiral Havram ibn Chause.”

  “I’ve heard his name,” Princess Rajya said. “If I’d been a son, I too would’ve been given to the sea. Or if I had been born in a sailing casim, my womanhood wouldn’t have mattered. But neither happened, so I remain on the edges of my desire, being satisfied with a part instead of the whole.” She drew in a deep breath, let it out, her face finely drawn in distress. “I don’t know how he managed to stay sane.”

  “Your Highness?” I asked, surprised at the sudden change in direction.

  “My father,” Princess Rajya said. “Twenty years in a garrison you yourself said was remote, twenty years in a place so far away from the sea.”

  “His Majesty wanted Captain Suiden somewhere safe,” I began.

  “Safe?” Princess Rajya said. “An oubliette is safe. The grave is very safe. But you wither in one and decay in the other. Twenty years of safely dying, yet when I arrive with the way back to life, he shuts me out.”

  I thought back to Suiden’s unexplained absence in the king’s chambers after dinner and opened my mouth to ask if my former captain had been with the princess. I then thought of Suiden’s reaction when he found out that I’d questioned Her Highness, and I closed it again. Tight.

  “And now you’ve shut me out also,” Princess Rajya said, her voice gently mocking.

  “It’s not my place to speak, Your Highness,” I said.

  “Ah, so there is something,” the princess said. She turned to face me and, catching another whiff of her perfume, I took a step closer. “Is it that your king won’t release him from his oaths?” she asked.

  I watched the fire spheres warm the line of her high cheekbones and outer rims of her ears. Unweighted by gold and gemstones, they seemed even more delicate in the flickering light. Then all of her seemed delicate and small, and I vaguely thought that the top of her head would just fit under my chin. “His Majesty would not hold anyone against their will.” I saw her look of disbelief. “He wouldn’t. Someone conflicted in their allegiance, maybe, but never someone who has outright refused him as their lord. What good are unwilling liegemen?”

  “So he lets them go with a pat on the back?” Princess Rajya asked, skeptical. “It didn’t seem that way with Sro Gherat of Dru.”

  “That was different,” I said. “Gherat was false and a traitor. If he’d come in honesty to His Majesty and asked to be released, he would have been.” I shrugged. “Of course, he would’ve also had to relinquish the headship of his House, probably much of his wealth, and leave the kingdom, but he would’ve been free of his oaths.”

  Princess Rajya frowned, her gaze turned inward. “So it’s m’Hlafakyri,” she mused softly.

  While I had some Turalian, that one was new. “Your Highness?” I asked. At the same time, Munir made a small negating gesture with his hand.

  “My father,” the princess said, without missing a beat. Giving no indication that she’d seen the wizard, she smiled. “All right. What are you allowed to tell me?”

  “I haven’t been forbidden to speak,” I protested. I saw her smile broaden and I smiled in return. “Truly, Your Highness. I’m just being prudent. The captain wouldn’t be, uhm, pleased if I spoke out of turn.”

  Behind me both Groskin and Ryson made muted sounds of assent.

  “ ‘The captain wouldn’t be pleased,’ ” Princess Rajya repeated. “What about your king?”

  “Well, him too—” I broke off. “Wait. That didn’t come out right.”

  Princess Rajya chuckled softly, a sound as subtle as her perfume. My smile lingering, I moved closer, leaning against the parapet between her and my two guards.

  “See, Captain Suiden was my commanding officer for most of my time in the army,” I said. “While His Majesty demands loyalty, Suiden commanded obedience. Violate either and you’re in a world of trouble. But in the past, the king was sort of remote, while the captain’s retribution has always been more immediate.”

  “And painful,” muttered Ryson. “Very painful.”

  “He sounds a proper kyrie,” Princess Rajya said. “In control of his men.”

  “More than that,” I said. “He’s a good captain, and a fair one, and he takes good care of his lads, bringing us home from our battles alive and mostly whole.” I shrugged. “You just don’t make him mad with stupid stuff.”

  “Truth,” Groskin said.

  “He terrifies you?” the princess asked.

  “Yes,” Groskin, Ryson, and I all said at the same time.

  She laughed again, her almond-shaped eyes narrowing in amusement. “I remember him,” she said. “He was gone so much of the time, at sea, at court, at his other casimi. But when he’d come home, I’d run to him. He would swing me up and put me on his shoulders, and I was so high up I pretended I was flying. My mother fussed—he was a man after all and what did he k
now about children? But Abbin would calm Manon down with a kiss and everything would be good. It would be very good, until he left again.”

  Groskin, Ryson, and I all held ourselves still at Her Highness’ reminisces of Suiden’s home life in Tural.

  “Then one day,” Princess Rajya said, “he came home and there were no shoulder rides or kisses. I took one look at his face and ran away and hid in my room, under my sleeping couch. But it didn’t help. I could still hear Manon and Abbin shouting at each other. Their argument seemed to last forever and I fell asleep with it in my ears. When I awoke, he was gone and I never saw him again.” Her smile again turned mocking. “For the longest time I thought it was because I hadn’t stayed to ride on his shoulders.”

  “You should tell him that, Your Highness,” I said softly, watching the last of the town lights wink out as its folks finally went to bed, visions of fights probably dancing in their heads.

  “Perhaps I will,” Princess Rajya said. “If I could get him to talk to me.” She rested her hands on the parapet wall. “Can you at least tell me if he really did change into a dragon?”

  “Yes,” I said, figuring that was public knowledge. “Three times, twice here and once in Elanwryfindyll.”

  “Oh,” Princess Rajya breathed, while Munir’s gaze grew even more intent. “So it is true. What did he look like?”

  “Obsidian with gold-shot wings, full of fire and smoke,” I said.

  “Black and gold, and his eyes are green,” the princess said. “The colors of his casim.” Her hands ran restlessly over the stone parapet. “When he was in Elanwryfindyll, how did the Fyrst treat him?”

  “With courtesy and great respect,” I said. “The Border takes dragons very seriously—”

  One of her restless hands brushed mine and I turned my head and met her dark eyes. I stumbled to a halt.

  Princess Rajya gave another soft laugh, her perfume filling the air, filling my head. “I assure you, we do too …” She trailed off, as if she realized how close we stood together. Her mouth parted, her teeth even and white against her lips, her breath warm and sweet against my face as she looked up at me, her widening eyes containing the night sky. I leaned forward—

  And there was a thundering boom as a large wave crashed against the shore. I jumped a little, turning my head at the noise that had sounded so much closer than it could have been. At the same time, the wind shifted and the cloud of perfume around me dissipated, replaced by the salty tang of the ocean. I looked back at the princess—and snapped upright as my lips almost brushed hers. I hurriedly moved back, bumping into Ryson.

  “You know, it’s late and I should be returning before they send out search parties,” I said quickly.

  “Search parties?” Princess Rajya asked. “Does your king keep you on such a short leash?”

  I paused in my backing up. “No more than the amir keeps you, Your Highness,” I said.

  Princess Rajya’s challenging look disappeared, to be replaced by a smile that caused her eyes to flash, while behind her Munir raised one brow in sardonic acknowledgment.

  “Ah,” the princess said with a soft laugh. “I believe I shall enjoy my time here.”

  “I am glad, Your Highness,” I said, cold sweat breaking out on my body. Stepping around Groskin and Ryson, I backed up more. “In the meantime, it has been a long day.” Too long.

  “So it has,” Princess Rajya said. “I will see you tomorrow, Sro Rabbit. Perhaps we will together discover what delights Sra Berenice and Sro Idwal of Mearden have planned for us.”

  Oh, blasted hell. Berenice, whom I had totally forgotten. Berenice, whom I had been leaning towards with the same intent just a bit ago. Berenice who had every reason to expect me to discover said delights with her. My cold sweat now turning into hot embarrassment, I bowed, hoping that if Princess Rajya could see my flush, she would take it as a reflection of the fire spheres. “May I escort you inside, Your Highness?” I asked.

  “No,” Princess Rajya said. “It is a lovely evening. I think I’ll stay out here a little longer.”

  Swallowing my sigh of relief, I gestured at one of the fire spheres still hovering about us. “Do you need me to leave one for you?”

  The bald wizard’s other brow rose at my offer, but Princess Rajya merely shook her head. “No, thank you. Munir will see us inside.”

  I bowed again, and before she could change her mind, turned and quickly walked back to the passageway’s entrance, Groskin and Ryson keeping pace, the spheres trailing behind us.

  “You, my lad, just had a very close call,” Ryson said softly as we worked our way back to the great hall.

  “Truth,” Groskin said.

  “Two of them,” Ryson said. “One right after the other, in front of everybody as if they were serving wenches in some dump of a tavern. What the hell were you thinking?”

  “He wasn’t,” Groskin said. “At least, not with his head.”

  My flush deepened.

  “Lady Berenice was bad enough,” Ryson said. “But Suiden’s daughter—” He huffed out a breath. “Stupid, Rabbit.”

  While I’d plenty of experience being raked over the coals by Groskin, it was a novelty being chewed out by Ryson. It was even more a novelty in that he was right. I had been incredibly stupid, no matter that neither Her Ladyship nor Her Highness had been exactly discouraging. Still, I tried to palm off some of the blame. “You could have said something,” I said.

  “Said what?” Groskin asked. “Stop? Would you have listened?”

  “Plus, we didn’t have time,” Ryson said. “One moment you’re conversing like a sensible person, the next you’re moving in for the kill.” He shook his head, looking worried. “Maybe the princess and her wizard won’t say anything about you and Her Highness. But I wouldn’t hold my breath that either of them will remain quiet about you and Lady Berenice, even if Her Ladyship does.”

  Maybe if I sneaked out before dawn, I could make it to the harbor undetected and steal aboard a ship, preferably one that was sailing far, far away.

  “You need to stay away from the ladies, Rabbit,” Groskin said. “They’re like a weakness of yours.”

  I scowled at that. While it did get rather heated on the broad walk, I was not like some of the lads at the garrison who bayed after anything in a skirt. Usually. “I can control myself—”

  “Yeah, right,” Groskin said. “If anyone else drops a handkerchief, call a servant to pick it up, and then run like hell.” He slowed down as we came to a cross passageway, Ryson and I slowing with him.

  “Damn,” Groskin said. “Which way?”

  I frowned, trying to recall the twists and turns we had taken to get to the broad walk. I glanced at the air and fire spheres, but they gave no hint of the way back to the royal chambers and remained placidly hovering about me.

  “Straight ahead,” said a voice behind us. “The other way leads to the kitchens.”

  We spun around, our hands going to our sword hilts as we searched the passageway, my fire spheres flaring bright. But there was no one there. At least no one standing on two feet. Looking down, we discovered the she-wolf sitting in front of us.

  “Kveta?” I asked.

  Kveta’s mouth fell open in a toothy smile as she rose and trotted around us to take the lead. “Follow me, Rabblet. I’ll see you to your quarters.”

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  We spun once more to see Laurel and Wyln appearing out of the gloom from one of the side passages.

  “Well, well,” Kveta said. “You’re out late, Laurel. Been terrorizing the little mousies in their holes?”

  “Perhaps,” Laurel said. His whiskers swept back and his eyeteeth gleamed in the light from my fire spheres. “And you? Out howling at the moon?”

  “Perhaps,” Kveta echoed.

  “It has been a busy night for all of us,” Wyln said, his voice mild, his face amused as his gaze rested on me. Like Munir, he lifted a brow at the aspects hovering about me. “Though it might be time to seek
our chambers. Wherever they may be.”

  “Yes,” another voice said, and we all turned to see Captain Suiden walking down the other hallway, still in his crisply pressed uniform he had worn at dinner, giving no hint as to where he’d been for the past few hours. Groskin, Ryson, and I all stiffened to attention as he stopped next to us, and I desperately hoped that he wouldn’t be able to smell any of Princess Rajya’s perfume on me. “Perhaps we can all find our way back together—”

  Suiden broke off, his head cocking as he listened—as did Wyln and Laurel, while Kveta’s ears pushed forward as she lifted her muzzle and sniffed. A moment later I could hear someone running, the sound of his pounding feet growing louder as he came closer. At the same time a bell began to toll. A castle groomer burst into view as he rounded the passage corner.

  “Fire!” he shouted as he ran past. “The barracks and stables are on fire!”

  Eleven

  The castle erupted as folks in various stages of undress flew out of doorways and into the hallways and passages. They swept us up, carrying us on a tide of people, the thundering sound of our passage competing with the tolling bell. As we neared the exit, I could hear shouts, clanks, dull thuds, and the scream of horses. We poured out of the doorway and into a scene of confusion as soldiers, castle armsmen, groomers, and agitated horses were silhouetted against flames licking around the edges of the barracks and stables that stood back to back, dark smoke billowing out of both. Coughing, I wetted my kerchief in a trough and tied it over my mouth before shoving through the crowd towards the barracks. I didn’t get far, though, as Groskin grabbed my arm and dragged me back.

  “Don’t be stupid,” he shouted. “Get the fire out first; then we see who’s missing.”

  He was right. Spying several bucket chains, I hurried towards the closest one. However, before I could reach it, there was a horse’s scream—this one filled with rage instead of fear—and turning, I saw a big rawboned brute being restrained by three groomers.

  “Damn it!”

  I glanced away from the raging horse to see Idwal, still in his evening clothes, standing with what looked like his head groomer.