Keeper: First Ordinance, Book 2 (30 page)

"I will get there," I said before opening my bedroom
door. "I promise."

* * *

"This," Kaldill set the bottle before Justis,
"is one-thousand-year-old brandy, made by those of my people most talented
for such. Would you have a glass with me?"

He'd found Justis on a terrace facing the bowl of Avii Castle.
It was a bar, tended by Yellow Wings and reserved for the Black Wing guards.

"Is it better than this ale?" Justis lifted his cup,
his dark eyes focused on Kaldill.

"Most assuredly," Kaldill replied before holding out
his hand. Justis watched as two small glasses appeared there. Each was
delicate, cut crystal such as the elves could make. "One glass of
this," Kaldill said as he poured, "would cost three thousand Alliance
credits."

"Is that a lot?"

"The ale you're drinking would cost one credit. Something
similar is served in most bars across the Reth Alliance. The shelf life and
preservation of it is of little concern, as it is so common."

"It achieves its purpose," Justis rustled his
feathers.

"Ah, but that is before you try this," Kaldill
handed a glass of brandy to Justis. "Don't worry, I'll help you back to
your suite if necessary."

"Are you saying I can't hold my alcohol?"

"I'm saying you may not where this is concerned. Come
now, share a drink with me." Kaldill lifted his glass. "To Quin. May
the next three years pass rapidly."

"Three years?" Justis sounded confused.

"It may take that long before she is ready for us."

Justis cursed before tipping the glass to his lips and
swallowing his portion of elvish brandy in one swallow.

* * *

Quin

"Elf, I know not what was in that brandy, but I'll
consider taking longer to drink it next time," Justis told Kaldill at
breakfast the following morning.

"Was it not effective?" Kaldill lifted an eyebrow,
although his eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Most effective. So effective the castle about me could
have melted and I would have slept through it."

"Then the goal was achieved," Kaldill laughed.

"What are they talking about?" Berel whispered next
to my ear.

"Drinking, I assume," I replied. "Although they
smell better than most who've spent a night in their cups," I added.

"And how would you know?" Justis turned to me.

"Because she saw more than her share of Fyris' nobles,
intoxicated and unconscious, when she cleaned their fireplaces every
morning." Wolter arrived, followed by Fen, Yann, Orik and Deeds.
"Thought we'd check in and have breakfast with you, this morning,"
Wolter grinned.

"I like it when you smile," I said. I knew, just by
looking at him and the others, that they'd been honing their blade skills with
Justis' guard. I imagined that the Black Wings were teaching them things they
never thought to learn.

"You won't be cleaning fireplaces again," Justis
growled and turned back to his food.

"Don't concern yourself—back then, she kept herself dirty
so as not to draw attention," Wolter said, taking a seat at the table.
"She was only Finder, the mute kitchen girl," he continued.
"None thought to look past that, or considered dallying with her."

"Because Wolter would have hit them with a wooden spoon,"
I said.

"I wanted to throttle the Prince when he came for
you," Wolter told me.

"I know."

"Commander Justis?" a Black Wing captain stepped up
to our table.

"Yes?" Justis said.

"The King wishes to see you."

"I'm on my way." Justis scooted his chair back and
stood.

* * *

"I'll take no chances with my child," Jurris paced
while Justis watched. "Our tenure as guardians for Fyris is long
over—they're gone and those responsible for Elabeth, Camryn and Lirin's deaths
are now dead. We leave when we have transport. While I regret leaving the castle,
I want my child to live and be healthy."

"Kaldill says that the ones providing transport can move
the castle to suitable waters elsewhere," Justis broke in.

"What?" Jurris stopped in mid-step to stare at his black-winged
brother.

"That's what I understand—that there'll be no need to
pack anything—the entire castle and its inhabitants will be moved as one."

"How can that be?" Jurris shook his head. "It
confounds my senses."

"I think we can petition to have the Avii as a separate
land, apart from the host planet. While we will be subjects of the Alliance, it
is my understanding that we will not be unduly burdened by it."

"I recall Kaldill saying as much. It is Wimla's wish that
she be attended by Master Ordin and Quin during her pregnancy," Jurris
went on. "To ensure the health of our child."

"I think both will be pleased to do so," Justis
agreed. "When do you intend to make the announcement to the others?"

"Soon. Perhaps in an eight-day. Until then, the
information stays with us."

"Of course, my King."

* * *

Quin

Justis was frowning when he walked into the Library after
landing on the terrace outside. Berel and I were already working on our
interview, but I looked up to watch Justis walk toward us.

What I saw sent frozen fear through my heart. "Quin, I
wish to speak with you. Alone," Justis snapped.

"All right." I struggled to keep my voice even. The
place for that, it appeared, was my old bedroom down the hall. I hadn't been
inside it for a long time—since before I'd traveled to Fyris, in fact.

Justis shut the door behind us before turning on me.
"What in the name of Liron did you do to my brother?" he hissed.

"What?"

"When you healed him," Justis went on. Every muscle
in his body was tense while anger washed across his features. "My brother
is gone—replaced by—by—I have no idea who that is I just spoke with."

I didn't want to say that Jurris was rational. Reasonable. That
would only anger Justis more. "The only thing I did was save his
life," I said, crossing arms defensively over my chest to keep my hands
from trembling.

"You did something," Justis accused. "He hasn't
been the same since that night."

What good would it have done to point out that Jurris no
longer had Halthea pouring poison in his ear?

"I saved him for you," I quavered. "Because you
love him. That's all I did—I healed his injuries. That's all. I swear."

It didn't help that the Orb chose that moment to appear, when
it had been absent for days. It floated above my head, its light bright and
pulsing, forcing Justis to back away. "What power do you have over that
Liron-forsaken thing?" Justis demanded, shielding his eyes with a hand.

"I have no power over it," I unfolded my arms and
brushed tears away with trembling fingers. "I have no idea why it does as
it will."

Justis cursed, then, before flinging the door open and
stalking away. I knew the moment he reached the Library terrace, he would take
flight.

Like words that couldn't be called back, once they were
spoken, Justis was just as irretrievable.

* * *

"I'm sorry Quin isn't here to greet you," Kaldill apologized
to Willow. "There was an unfortunate incident earlier and she's, well,
she's not herself."

"What happened?" Willow set two covered cages on the
Library floor.

"Quin is an extraordinary healer," Kaldill sighed.
"She recently healed the King. Before that, I'd have said that the Avii
King was somewhat affected, shall we say, by his parentage. His father was what
I'd term a sociopath."

"You believe Quin healed that in him, too? That would be
incredible," Willow shook his head.

"It's possible. Now Justis, the King's half-brother and
Commander of the black-wing guard, is accusing Quin of tampering with his
brother. Can it be tampering if you heal a genetic aberration?"

"An unusual question," Willow nodded. "Not so
easily answered. Do you believe lives may have been saved?"

"At least one," Kaldill said. "Perhaps the
entire Avii population as well."

"Then why quibble?"

"I'm not the one quibbling."

* * *

Quin

If Daragar and Berel sat any closer, I'd be squeezed between
them. Writing an interview now was out of the question—I was too upset by
Justis' accusations. We were inside Berel's suite—I had no desire to go back to
the bedroom in Justis' suite.

Ever
.

A small part of my mind worried, though—had I affected Jurris'
actions and decisions? I couldn't see that anyone was harmed by it if I had. In
fact, lives had probably been saved, Ardis' first among them.

Omina, on the other hand; when I healed her, she hadn't been
affected in that way. She'd retained her prejudices. She'd died for them, too.

A part of me blamed myself. Another part of me blamed Justis,
for being unreasonable.

"People change for all sorts of reasons," Berel
huffed. "If I read this correctly, this is a change for the better and not
for the worse. Why is he complaining?"

"It doesn't matter," I shut my eyes and leaned my
head against Berel's headboard. "I'm moving out of his suite."

"I will move your things to Kaldill's suite, if that is
your wish," Daragar said softly.

"It is my wish," I said, keeping my eyes closed.
What I feared most, I think, was that Justis, who told his brother everything,
would tell him that he'd been tampered with, when that had been neither my
intention nor my purpose. I'd only wanted to heal Jurris because Justis cared
for him.

He'd told him about Halthea. About Treven and Yevil, too. For
the first time, Jurris would be a father. Why was it so impossible for Justis
to imagine that his brother might be changed by that?

"Berel, we have to write the interview," I sighed
and opened my eyes. "No matter how upset I am, that's more
important."

"Want to stay here or go to the Library?" Berel
asked.

"I suppose the Library. Kaldill said Queen Lissa was
sending somebody to help. He's probably already here."

"Are you hungry?" Berel asked. "It's midday. We
can eat and write." His stomach growled, telling me how hungry he was.

"Yes. We'll eat and work." I held his hand as we
slid off the bed.

"Would you prefer to walk?" Daragar asked.

I looked up at him—at the earnestness in his beautiful, blue
face. "Yes. Perhaps I can stop shaking if my legs have a purpose."

"Very well. Send mindspeech if you need me." He
disappeared.

"Someday, I want to do that," Berel breathed.

"Yes. Someday." We walked out of Berel's suite
together.

* * *

"This is Willow." Kaldill introduced the tall man
sent by Queen Lissa. His hair was a pale, flaxen color and he had bright-green
eyes.

He was also old. Perhaps not as old as Kaldill, but old
nonetheless. Still, he looked young, as most immortals do. He studied me before
smiling, the corners of his eyes crinkling nicely as he did so.

"Your wings are magnificent," he said. "I have
never seen such in all my life."

"Thank you," I said, the words automatic.

"I brought these," Willow pointed to two covered
cages. "From Morningsun. Come."

Long legs carried Willow to the cages; he gripped both covers
and pulled them away, revealing birds and an animal I'd never seen before. Did
he know, somehow, that animals were precious to me? That any would come to my
hand if I asked?

"These are fruitbirds," Willow pointed to the brightly-feathered
birds hopping from perch to perch inside the cage, their tiny feet clicking
happily as they settled on one post then another. Their feathers were yellow,
blue and green and I thought them beautiful. Kneeling beside the cage, I had
their attention immediately.

"May I open the door?" I asked.

"You may—they come to me willingly," Father Willow
said. "If I offer seed." He pulled a pouch from a pocket and held it
up.

"Oh, come," I opened the cage door. All six birds
flew out, circled my head and then perched on the tops of my wings, chirping
happily.

That's where Berel ended up feeding them—his hand held out as
they sat on my feathers having their meal. Willow and Kaldill watched in
fascination—Willow said that fruitbirds were difficult to tame. These he'd
raised as hatchlings after animals killed their parents.

"Birds and other animals always trust me," I said,
trying not to move too quickly; I had no desire to dislodge my feathered
guests. "I never told anyone in Fyris about this, because I was worried
they'd order me to lure the animals they hunted so they could kill them."

"What a horrific thought," Willow sounded outraged.

"I think so, too," I agreed.

"What about Pink Paws—he looks lonely," Willow
smiled again.

"Will he eat birds?"

"No. He likes mice."

"Ah."

I studied the cat-like creature in the second cage—he watched
me patiently, as if waiting his turn.

"Open the cage, please," I said.

Willow opened the door and Pink Paws slipped out. First, he
wound his way sinuously around Willow's legs before hopping on the table and
coming to my hand. Like a cat, he could purr, although he looked more like one
of the weasel family to me.

"Animals develop differently to suit their
environments," Willow said as Pink Paws walked beneath my outstretched
hand before turning and going the opposite way, each time begging for a
scratch. I obliged.

"Willow has been on too many worlds to count,"
Kaldill explained while fruitbirds chirped happily from my wings and Pink Paws
purred affectionately. "He likely knows more about the plants and animals
on those worlds than most scientists. If anyone from Kondar or Yokaru wish to
know anything about Morningsun, Willow can supply that information."

"Will the same crops thrive there?" Berel asked.
"After all, Kondar is quite fond of the vegetables available here."