Dark Warriors: A Dark Lands Anthology (Darklands) (7 page)

Quelling her grin, Vana said gravely, “Things are different where I come from. Women are well advised to take care of themselves, because we don’t have men following us around willing to do it for us.” She nodded at her guard as if he were actually doing her a useful service.

The shorthaired Devin considered that. “You have Dark Ones who would steal you there?”

In spite of her best efforts, her mouth twitched. “Ahem. I don’t know about Dark Ones, but there are muggers, and killers, and men with unsavory things on their mind. It’s just not safe to be ignorant when you’re the only one looking out for your safety.”

The boys looked at each other. Devin spoke. “You need an escort, lady. You are far too valuable to try to protect yourself. We can do it, it you’ll have us.”

The humor made her eyes water. They were good kids, but did they really think she had more value than a brood mare? “That’s really kind of you…”

Sensing a rejection, Devin demonstrated a few quick moves. “You see, lady? We are the best of our class. We can protect you well.”

The boy was very good, fast and accurate. And so gravely earnest she just wanted to hug him. “Um, yeah. I can see that.”

In a hurry not to be shown up, Vij backed up to give himself room and executed some quick moves. He was graceful for one so young. Even Vana wondered if she could take him in a fair fight. But when the twins got into the act and started showing off, she hurried to distract them. At this rate they’d be staging a full-blown tournament, and her bladder wouldn’t take much more waiting. “Wow! That’s great. Super, even. I tell you what. You guys point me in the direction of the bathroom, and I’ll think about it.”

They lit up like she’d promised to introduce them to Santa Claus. All four of them, and one highly amused guard, escorted her to the restrooms and waited outside.

“Are you hurt badly? You could go to the medic,” Vij said gravely as she limped out.

The memory of her encounter with that man made her eyes narrow. “I don’t think so.”

“Are you afraid?” One of the twins, Gamin, asked.

It never occurred to Vana to censor her words. It was her habit to be as frank with kids as she was with adults, barring certain material. “I don’t like him. He made it so I can only have daughters, and I wanted to have a boy, too.”

They blinked at her with identical looks of disbelief.

“Why would you want that?” Vij finally asked.

“Because I like the idea of snails and puppy dog tails,” she snapped crossly. “Varity is the spice of life, and all that.” She sighed at their odd looks. “Boys are just as important as girls. I like them. I’d like one of my own. Now, thanks to Dagon and that jerk medic, I can’t have one.” Angry, she turned and stalked toward the exit.

The light patter of feet behind her warned her before Devin jumped in her way. “Lady,” he said hopefully. “You can have us.”

She frowned, not understanding.

“Our mother doesn’t want us. Our father died in battle. You don’t have to claim us,” he added with a flush of shyness, “but we can serve you, if you like.”

The others lined up next to him. “Yes! You need guards and pages,” Vij said solemnly. The twins nodded so fast, she feared their heads would fall off.

She didn’t know what to say. No one had ever offered himself to her before. She didn’t even know if what they were doing was legal. Unsure, she glanced at her guard. “Are single women allowed to do such a thing?”

He looked at her as if she’d grown two heads. “Who would stop them?”

Well. Bemused, she stared at the boys. They stared back. Gamin bounced, while Vij seemed to be holding his breath. How could she tell them no?

Dagon stared at his little brothers and the guard that bore witness to their words. It wasn’t sinking in. “She did what?”

“She said she would be honored to serve as our mother,” Viej said with barely suppressed excitement.

“Lads,” Dagon said slowly, “your mother is still alive.”

“But she said that Lady Vana could have any of her sons that she liked,” Viej said solemnly. “I was nearby when she said it.”

Grieved, Dagon rubbed his jaw and looked away. He’d known for a long time how Ellyn felt, but to hear her say the words…

But his brothers were excited, and they needed his answer now. Not that his opinion mattered. Vana had accepted them. It only lacked the ceremony to make it official. “If that’s what you want, lads.”

Viej whooped. “Now we’ll have a mother. Come on! We need to plan who will be our new father. Then we’ll get sisters…” their voices trailed off as they headed for their apartments.

Alarmed, Dagon listened to them plot. Did Vana know what she’d taken on? He sent for her immediately.

Vana wondered if she were still sane. That’s what she got for thinking with her emotions. How was she supposed to run away after adopting a full brood of alien children? Assuming she could even get home. What would customs think?

It was hardly a surprise when a guard came to escort her to Dagon. Someone had been bound to object to the impromptu adoption. He probably had a zillion forms for her to fill out, or a lengthy discourse on why it wasn’t possible. Secretly, she was a little relieved. Someone like her had no business taking responsibility for four children. She was a captive. Soon to be married to heaven-knew-who. She’d been crazy to ever say yes. Having talked herself into letting the adoption idea go, she was surprised when Dagon met her at his door without a lecture.

“Are you sure you can handle this?” He looked tense, but not angry or stern. And he was wearing a jacket that made her avert her eyes in mortification. Or rather, it was the lack of a shirt under it, and the resulting view of his hard body that made it so risqué. Couldn’t the man ever wear something that covered him?

Expecting him to talk her out of it, she eased into the room, but remained standing. “Are you going to tell me that I can’t?” It would certainly ease her conscience. Once given, she couldn’t go back on her word. Not unless a higher power vetoed it.

Blue eyes studied her with frank appraisal that was in no way sexual. “I hadn’t thought you were the type to take on such a responsibility.”

For some reason that made her blush. “I guess you don’t know everything about me.”

He frowned and waved her to his pile of cushions. “You do know that the boys who’ve petitioned you are my brothers, don’t you?”

In the process of sitting, she lost her balance and went down with a soft whump! “Your brothers?” What kind of wacky place was this? And why would the boys want her when they had him? A shocking thought occurred to her. She looked at Dagon in alarm. “This won’t make us mother and son, will it?”

He looked slightly ill. “No! I am of age. It is only for the boys.”

“Thank God.” That could be really icky. She didn’t care to examine why it was important. Besides, a chorus of ‘whys’ sang in her brain. “But if they have you, then they don’t need another guardian. Why would I matter to them?”

“It’s for the prestige. An acting mother is a rare thing. Should you match up with a powerful warrior, it will make them more important in the eyes of their peers, as will the birth of sisters, for their friends will grow up to vie for the girl’s hands. The better the girl’s matches, the more connections and power they will grow to have. Even now, they discuss who is the best warrior they know in hopes of introducing you to him. I’ve no doubt they followed you to the practice room and stood outside your door, waiting to waylay you.”

Nonplussed, she considered that. She was about to adopt budding politicians. “Did they learn these bad habits from you?”

His answer was a sly smile.

She sighed. Compassion had prompted her to extend her word to the boys. Honor wouldn’t let her take it back. It was disappointing to hear that they hadn’t been prompted by a real need for her, but surely her instincts hadn’t been that far off. Maybe deep inside, they really did want a mother. The passage of years hadn’t stilled the fierce yearning that she still felt for hers. Though they might not admit it, the boys might feel the same.

It made her edgy that Dagon was their guardian, and that she was about to become the other half. It was too much like…best not to go there. Determined to go into things with her eyes wide open, she asked, “Who is their mother? Does she really not care what happens to them? I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”

All expression left him. “You won’t. Ellyn said you might have any of her sons.”

Shock made her eyes widen. Vana didn’t know what to say. If Ellyn was his mother, too…ouch. Now the kid’s search for a new mother made more sense. The woman’s callousness toward her sons made Vana want to slap her. “Does she have any more sons? She spoke of fifteen.”

He raised a brow. “Four aren’t enough for you?”

“I’m just curious.” That came out a trifle defensive. She hadn’t even adopted the first batch yet, and already she wanted to mother the rest. Why couldn’t she listen to her selfish instincts when it really mattered?

Dagon sighed. “Some of them died in battle. One did not survive childhood.”

There was pain upon pain; they were definitely not the Brady Bunch. “I’m sorry. Does anything good ever happen in your family?”

“Possibly you, though I’m reserving judgment just now,” he said with the hint of a smile.

The soft light in his eyes made her uneasy. She cleared her throat. “That still leaves a few, doesn’t it? Where are they?”

“The others are with their fathers. Ellyn was not always faithful.”

Gape mouthed, she blinked at him. His revelation was at odds with the reserved, elegant picture she’d formed of Ellyn. “But…what did your father do about that?”

“What could he do? She was a woman,” he said harshly. Apparently that said it all.

“Why do you act so offended? I saw some of your television programs while I was on Earth. Your women do worse things. As far as I can tell, they have no morals at all.”

She sputtered. “You can’t judge us all by what you saw on TV! Everybody knows that it’s filled with garbage. Besides, look at me. You took me because I was…” She clamped her mouth shut. Had she really almost brought up her virginity with the man?

Eager to change the subject, she said, “But that’s not right! Ellyn, I mean. You make it sound as if a woman could get away with murder. Isn’t there any penalty for these things? I know that women are important to you, but still…”

A shrewd gleam appeared in his eyes. “Perhaps, as a woman, you could be impartial in these matters. Do you truly believe that a woman would be better tried by a jury of peers?”

Like she had to think hard to answer that one! “Well, yeah. You guys don’t seem to be doing so hot.”

The gleam turned into a satisfied, piratical smile. “I’ll remember you said that. In the meantime, you have a ceremony to prepare for. We’ll hold it at the end of the week. If you change your mind before then, let me know. I won’t announce it until the last minute to save you face if you back out.”

The way he said it made her burn. As if she weren’t trustworthy enough to stick to her guns. “What do I have to do?”

“We’ll go over it later. In the meantime, spend time with the boys. Make sure you can handle them. We’ll talk again later.” He waved her out as if she held no more interest than a gnat.

Burning with a surprising amount of resentment over his attitude, she left. The man had a way of pushing her buttons. With any luck, he’d get stuck with a woman who would push back.

“You should have her tested.”

Dagon looked at Ser over his breakfast table. They’d been friends for many years, yet Ser still managed to surprise him with comments straight from the blue. “Who?”

“The girl. Vana. I see the way she looks at you when we’re in the harem. How quickly she turns away if you look at her. She likes you. I think she’s worth testing.”

As a trusted advisor, Ser’s opinion held weight. Dagon toyed with a stick of spiced bread as he considered his words. There were many reasons he hadn’t let himself romanticize about his future wife. The council was still reviewing the secret recordings of the women and observing them when they were unaware. It was important to know what they were like when they thought no one was watching. As Dagon had been elected for the right to be Tzar, his consort also had to pass the council’s scrutiny. “You think she would make a good queen?”

“It’s possible,” Ser said firmly. He wouldn’t have spoken if he weren’t convinced. It was his way.

Encouraged by Ser’s words, Dagon allowed himself a small smile. Vana was a choice he could bear. Of course, he didn’t have to choose whomever the council selected. He could go without. That option was hardly palatable.

And Vana was…acceptable. He ignored his quickened pulse. True, her soft heart would have to be governed, but he could easily do that. It was preferable to the alternative.

Perhaps she was too contentious for her own good, but at least she had spirit. She was athletic, intelligent and good with children. Her body…

He glanced casually at Ser. “Very well. Since you suggested it. We’ll test her.”

The ceremonial robes they’d insisted she wear kept tripping her. Tired of stumbling over the layered silk hem, she plopped into a chair and fingered the gold embroidery. The high-collared robe was stiff, blue, and weighed on her shoulders, reminding her that what she was doing was no light matter. In contrast, the pale blue sheath under it was nearly weightless, making her feel as if she were about to strut around in public in her pajamas. At least the robe had gold closures, though they were chunky and designed to show the sheath beneath.