Blood Lies (Dark Brothers of the Light #9) (19 page)

"You know I am." Stygean frowned, wondering
why Dahnig bothered to ask.

They sauntered over and looked him up and
down. "So you're our new battlemage. Not much to look at." He
examined Stygean critically, then stuck out his hand. "I'm Dahnig
Wheelwright, this is Grygg Lostan, also known as fearless leader."
He indicated the tallest youth. "And that's Iyan Helyt, our
slinger."

"I know that already."

"Not this way you don't." Dahnig winked.
"This is a formal introduction into the team. All of these things
need some formalities. So here goes: on the road and in the field,
Grygg's the boss. Captain Settlesby has put us together into small
special units."

Stygean realized then that his friends were
playing a joke on him and grinned. "Yessir, Boss."

"Now that that's finished, let's go find some
trouble," Grygg said.

"Can I go?" Stygean glanced at Nevin.

Nevin laughed. "There was no lesson planned for
today. It was all a ruse to get you here."

* * * *

Stygean felt strange and nervous as he went
looking for Farris. He found her in the nibari quarters with three
of her children, the two year old girl he had rescued months ago, a
four year old boy and another girl, this one looked to be about
ten. She smiled at him.

"Can I help you with something, Stygean? I
was just putting the children to bed." Farris tilted her head,
giving him a discreet flash of her neck.

"Can we talk outside?"

Farris tucked the children in and then went
down on her knees, assuming first position. "If all you wish is
blood, you may do it here."

Stygean felt his body react to her; his
fangs came down, and his cock hardened. His body was making it
harder. "I just want to talk. That's it." He waved his hands at
her.

Farris frowned and followed him out. He led
her around to a spot in the garden. "What is it?

Stygean dropped his eyes. "I have a couple
of friends. I – I–" Stygean was becoming flustered and it made
Farris laugh.

"And what? Come on, talk to me,
Stygean."

"I bragged about how many women I had had
and they dared me to prove it by bringing three females to them
tonight…. Well one is for me."

"That is no problem. Since you are one of
the masters, pick three and tell them to come. The masters are
always obeyed."

"No!" Stygean shoved his hands into his
pockets. "It must be of their own free will."

Farris gave him a peculiar look. "And what
kind of people are your friends?"

"Human."

"Ahhhh. Well you wait here. It will not take
me more than a few minutes. They are young? Your age?"

"Sixteen."

Farris stepped back inside. When she
returned, she had two young girls with her. Stygean noted that the
two were known to be somewhat fang-shy, having belonged to the
Scathwick herd and having been blooded roughly by Jingen's father.
Farris had made an appropriate choice, since all that his friends
wanted was sex and not blood.

"Who's the other one?" Stygean asked.

"I am."

"Ooooh. Okay." Earlier that day he and Grygg
had explored a few of the unused nooks and crannies of Edvarde's
mansion, tumbling on an attic with some aging mattresses and sofas.
When they reached it, Grygg and Dahnig were already there and had
liberated a couple of bottles of brandy and a set of glasses from
the kitchens.

"Wow!" shouted Dahnig. "I didn't think you
could really do it."

Grygg gestured with his glass, "Sit down,
ladies, and enjoy."

Farris took a bottle and poured for each of
them. She had dressed the two females in the best robes they had,
revealing most of their cleavage. Then she settled into position
one with her neck turned for Stygean. The other two did likewise.
Stygean shook his head at them. "Relax, no positions, until we
ask."

Dahnig grinned. The dark haired girl moved
close to him, leaning in against his body, which forced him to put
an arm around her shoulder. The nibari rubbed her neck against his
mouth. He kissed her.

Grygg's hand stole up to squeeze the breast
on the one beside him, and finding that she did not object,
continued to play with it.

They sat and drank until midnight, talking.
Grygg left the conversation first, taking his nibari to the pile of
old mattresses where he undressed them both. It was not long before
Dahnig drew the second one behind the sofas.

Stygean listened to the grunting and
moaning. With his head lowered, he glanced at his friends
enthusiastically poking the girls. He lifted his eyes to Farris.
"Farris…."

"Shush."

"I've treated you terribly…." Stygean
struggled for words, finally placing his hand upon her belly. "It's
mine. I–I was thoughtless. At first, I was just trying to compete
with Jingen. You were an object. My father promised you to me for
my first rite." Stygean's head went up and down and from side to
side nervously, shame warming his cheeks. "I'm glad I ... didn't do
it. Forgive me."

"You are the master. Your will conquers and
I submit. I am nibari. There is no shame that I carry your child.
It is an honor."

"Farris..."

Farris ignored his protests and began
undressing. She spread out on the aging carpet, ignoring decades of
dust. "Come to me," she said, and Stygean did so.

Veranoctem 25, 1077

Alassance stood just inside the door to the
common room, watching everyone eat and trying to figure out which
side he was supposed to go to. Little herds of children were seated
all through it with adults minding them. A large N was sewn to
their left shoulders. Those were the nibari. The entire concept of
nibari would take some getting used to. On the far right sat
officers and others of rank. A long runner set the line of
demarcation between them.

A mon in an officer's tunic stopped and put
his hand on Alassance's shoulder. "Don't know where to go?"

"No one's had time to show me around ... not
with the king arriving last night."

"What's your name?"

"Alassance."

"You're the new apprentice." The mon
grinned. "I'm Captain Luck Settlesby. You're probably looking for
Stygean."

"Yes."

"He's over here," Luck led Alassance to a
round table near the south corner of the officers' section.

There, two dark-skinned, dark-haired boys
sat eating with a crimson-haired girl.

"Stygean. Jingen. I want you to meet your
master's new apprentice, Alassance"

Chinisi extended her hand to Alassance who
touched his lips to the back. She giggled. "Such courtly manners!
Well, I'm Chinisi Cordwainer. Lord Geoffry is my uncle."

Luck leaned and whispered in Stygean's ear,
"I know about Farris."

Alarm flashed across Stygean's face.

Before the boy could say anything, Luck
squeezed his shoulder. "Half the trouble you get into could be
avoided, boy. You need to start trusting folks."

Stygean gave a nod. Then Luck joined Travis
and Darianna at another table.

Jingen watched Luck until he was certain
that the captain would not be returning. Then he turned on
Alassance. "Human! I can't believe we're supposed to study with a
human. You can't be a dark brother; you're not sa'necari."

Stygean rolled his eyes.

Alassance's mouth slewed sideways. A nibari
placed a plate of food in front of Alassance, and the boy looked up
at her, "Can I have some extra sausages?"

The nibari nodded and left.

He dropped his fork and bent to pick it up
where it had fallen beneath the table. He tossed a piece of rope
down, retrieved his fork and started eating with a secret
smile.

Jingen's eyes widened. "There's something
inside my trousers. It's crawling up my leg. Snake!" He shrieked,
tumbled to the floor, knocking his chair over.

Alassance gave him a sneer. "Wrong season
for snakes."

Jingen got to his feet and the rope fell to
his ankles before slithering back to Alassance. "Filthy human.
Filthy fucking human." Jingen grabbed his plate and moved to
another table.

The three of them laughed at Jingen's
departure.

Alassance made the rope climb his leg, lurch
onto the table and dance. "It's not much of a talent, but I've
learned to do a lot with it."

"Are you attending the dance?" Chinisi
asked.

"Master Isranon has put me with the littles
in the upstairs drawing room. Says I'm a year shy for such things."
Alassance heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Not that I really wanted to
go. Too fancy for my tastes."

"I wish I weren't going." Stygean ducked his
head at Chinisi's glare. "I never learned to dance."

"And I promised to teach you." Chinisi
reached across the table and clasped Stygean's hand, whereupon the
rope tied their hands together.

Stygean laughed and soon they were all
laughing.

* * * *

The Great Hall sparkled with solstice
decorations: holly boughs, evergreen swatches and garlands, all of
it threaded with a variety of acorns, walnuts, cranberries and
crabapples. They were hung with blown glass animals, stamped metal
and painted wooden ornaments. Musicians occupied a platform with
two violins, a harpsichord and a large harp. A throne for the king
had replaced Edvarde's usual seat, which had been moved to the
side, on the dais with small tables between the chairs. All the
normal furniture had been moved to the side, and the tables filled
with food and drink.

Stygean drifted along the edges of the
chamber to escape the dancers. The beauty of the music made Stygean
ache to play his flute, although he was still a long way from
mastering it and never played where anyone could hear him. It lay
hidden among his belongings with a handful of other treasures. The
gifts beneath the solstice tree had become a mountain, and he felt
tempted to try and hide behind them.

"Stygean! You make me so furious!"

He looked up and saw Chinisi coming toward
him. She wore a viridian green wool dress trimmed in butter yellow
silk. The scoop neck revealed the barest hint of the white mounds
of her budding breasts. Matching ribbons had been braided into her
wealth of flaming hair. Stygean's eyes went wide at how lovely she
looked, even as he cringed at her tone.

"What did I do?"

Chinisi's mouth twisted up. "You were
supposed to come to my suite and escort me here."

"I was?" Stygean's Adam's apple bobbed
nervously. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"Aunt Lobelia threw a fit when you failed to
arrive. But earlier she had thrown a worse one over Uncle Geoffry
consenting to you escorting me." She ducked her head to hide a
grimace. "Auntie is glaring at us."

Stygean glanced over his shoulder at
Lobelia's stern, disapproving stare. "Don't go getting me into
trouble again, please, Chinisi."

Chinisi snorted. "The only mon she would NOT
disapprove of would be Crown Prince Henry himself."

Cordwainer joined his wife, and Lobelia's
glower vanished into a pleasant smile as he led her onto the dance
floor. Stygean breathed a sigh of relief, returning his attention
to Chinisi. "You're pretty enough for a prince."

"Not you too." Chinisi rolled her eyes
heavenward in exasperation. "I know I'm pretty and I hate it."

Stygean's cheeks burned. "I meant that as a
compliment."

"Oh, I'm certain you did. But I'd rather
when people met me they said 'She's smart' and not 'She's pretty.'
Being pretty and smart usually equals being thought of as odd. I
adore Uncle Geoffry, but even he is quick to say I'm odd. In fact,
he said it just yesterday when he caught Captain Settlesby teaching
me how freerangers leave signs and markers on trails by arranging
rocks on the ground. Fascinating stuff, but Uncle Geoffry killed my
joy in the lesson with that remark."

Stygean swallowed back the temptation to
agree with her uncle.

"Enough talk. Let's dance." Chinisi grasped
his hand and headed for the swirling sea of dancers.

With pounding heart and shaking nerves,
Stygean allowed Chinisi to lead him. "I don't know how to
dance."

She whispered back to him. "Don't worry, I
said I'd teach you."

He had made certain that he fed before
coming so that he did not embarrass himself with an unwitting
display of fangs. Although there were less controllable physical
reactions to being this close to Chinisi for this long that made
him vaguely uncomfortable and which he prayed she did not
notice.

Glancing quickly at the others, Stygean put
his free hand on her shoulder.

His brown cheeks darkened to a dusky rose
when she moved his hand to her waist and began guiding him through
the steps.

He spied Jingen standing at the edges,
glaring at him before turning his attention to a young human that
Stygean did not recognize. Stygean felt conspicuous and began
scanning the floor over Chinisi's shoulders to see how others he
knew were handling the dance. Anksha danced with Isranon, so
sylph-like – delicate and lovely – that it quickened a passing
ambivalence in him. He wanted to hang onto his fear and dislike of
her and, yet, seeing her like that made it hard to. Nevin and
Gordain drew his attention to the left. Gordain winked at him,
bringing a smile to Stygean's lips, and that was when the boy
realized that the lycans were far more conspicuous than he was:
they were the only same sex couple on the floor.

His foot came down on something hard and
Chinisi squeaked. Stygean's cheek lit up again as he stared down at
his foot atop hers. He stepped back quick. "I'm sorry."

Chinisi glared her annoyance with
exaggerated severity and then relented with a giggle. "Nothing's
broken. Just please pay more attention to me than Gordain or I'll
start to wonder about you."