Rogue Powers (16 page)

“Well, that won’t do,” Perno muttered. Bringing the flat of his blade down against Anson’s head, the commoner youth was slammed to the ground, his vision spinning.

Slowly walking away from the tree, Anson’s sword once again passed through Perno’s body, the hilt finally disappearing within his chest to reappear behind him. Once fully clear of the weapon Perno’s image ceased oscillating, clothes and body ostensibly returning to normal.

“Who...” Anson gasped, slowly sitting up, shaking his head. “Who are you?”

“Actually, I had much the same question about you, my young friend.” Standing back, sword held lightly at the ready, Perno studied him a moment. “You’re Tenen’s new man. I’ve seen you about the castle.”

Instead of answering, Anson spied a good sized rock a short distance away. Mentally grabbing it, he whipped the stone directly into the Demon.

Nothing happened, the rock passing harmlessly through Perno’s head.

“Enough!” This time Perno used the blade, slashing at Anson’s arm. Blood flowed freely into the leaves and grass. Crying out, Anson held his hand over the gash, pushing himself away from Perno.

“It would take more than one swordsman to defeat me.” The Demon slowly pursued, the now red-stained blade oriented on his wounded opponent. “Two or three, maybe, but not one.”

Breathing heavily, Anson helplessly backed up against a large trunk. “And I bet you could escape a gang quite easily.”

“Well, I’m not invulnerable, though I clearly have the better of you.” Advancing several steps, he placed the tip of his blade squarely against Anson’s throat. “Answer my questions, and you might live. Are there others like you?”

Anson said nothing, trying to twist away from the bloody steel.

Now Perno’s blade flashed down again, causing a shallow gash on Anson’s lower leg, the sword instantly orienting once more on his throat. “What is your relationship to the princess?”

“I won’t tell you anything.” Gasping in pain, Anson looked up at him. “You’ll have to kill me.”

“You leave me little choice.” Grimly, Perno smiled. “I’ll ask one more time...”

“Stop!”

The intense shriek burst out from behind Perno. Instantly spinning about, sword now pointed in the opposite direction, he was confronted with the anguished, irate form of Lydia some twenty feet away.

“Princess Lydia,” he breathed, eyes narrowing. “I’ll deal with you in a moment.”

“No!” Fists clenched at her side, Lydia’s entire body seemingly pulsed with suppressed might. “I think you’ll deal with me now.”

A surge of power slammed into Perno, draining away the Network chief’s own energy. Stumbling to one side, leaning against a large rock, Perno desperately held a hand to his head. “What are you doing?” he yelled.

Majestically striding forward, Lydia briefly glanced at Anson. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll live.” Painfully getting up, Anson caused Perno’s sword to fly up into his own hand. “What are you doing to him?”

“Blocking his power.”

“I, uh, didn’t know you could do that.” Coming to stand beside her, they both looked at the hobbled Demon, still pressed up against the rock.

“Neither did I.” Smiling, Lydia pushed dark hair back from her dirt-smudged face. “Until now.”

“I always suspected you were a threat.” Hesitantly, Perno drew himself up once more, stepping away from the rock.

“Stay where you are,” Lydia commanded.

But instead Perno rushed at them, Anson easily throwing him back against the rock. The Demon’s head struck the stone flush, dropping him to the ground, semiconscious.

“So what do we do with him now?” Anson asked. Both his wounded leg and arm were beginning to throb, the forest growing colder in the fading light.

“Well, he is alone, out in the woods.” Lydia nodded off to one side, where a large bear ambled into view. “That’s not always smart, now is it?”

“Are you sure?” Taking her arm, Anson forced her to look at him. “Taking a life is no easy thing.”

“He would have taken ours. And my mother’s, I suspect, if we’d let him.” Turning about, Lydia deliberately walked off, over a small rise to their rear. Hesitating only briefly, Anson then followed, both the bear and prostrate Demon soon out of view.

A half-minute later they heard a roar behind them, followed by a man’s scream. Both paused, listening to the sounds of combat and death die away.

Sighing, she anxiously looked away. “Oh Anson, it’s terrible to have so much power, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Anson paused. “You just discovered this new talent? That you can negate the power of other people?”

“Yes.” Slowly, Lydia drew a hand back through her long hair. “I just needed it, and somehow I knew it was there.”

Thinking back to Senter’s story of self-discovery, Anson nodded. “That’s how it works for all of us, I guess.”

Embracing him, Lydia looked up into Anson’s deep blue eyes. “Oh, my love. You don’t think the less of me now, do you?”

“No,” he replied, smiling. “I just hope you don’t turn me into bear food one day.”

“Don’t worry. You’re too cute for that.”

“Wait! I have an idea.” Anson briskly started a small fire, using nearby wood as fuel. Then, grabbing one of the larger sticks, he carefully singed the trunks of several nearby trees, causing obvious burn marks.

“What are you doing?” Lydia asked.

“Hopefully making Tenen’s life a little more difficult.”

Calling Xander in, they soon made their way back to Brenlaw, splitting up in town and returning separately to the castle.

CHAPTER TEN

T
HREE DAYS LATER THE KING moodily consumed his second glass of wine of the morning within his chambers.

There was a brisk knock on the door. “Come,” growled the monarch, rising to his feet.

In full princely regalia, Tenen strode into the King’s inner sanctum, the door closing behind him. “You wished to see me, Your Majesty?”

No, the King decided, he didn’t like this young upstart at all. The haughty smile, the affected stance...it just wouldn’t do. “Prince Tenen,” he peremptorily announced. “You have much to answer for.”

Taken aback, Tenen carefully eyed the King. “I know not what you speak of, my Lord.”

“My head Demon, that’s what!” Furious, the monarch advanced. “You killed him! Just two-hours north of here by Stallion! Burned him to death, and then left his remains for the bears!”

Remaining very still, Tenen didn’t look away. “I have killed no one, my Lord.”

“You’re a liar!” Grabbing the younger man by his lapels, the King shook him. “There were burn marks on a half-dozen trees! Your calling card, so to speak. It must have been quite some battle.”

“My liege.” Their faces inches apart, Tenen hands remained at his sides. “You are misinformed. I have not been outside Brenlaw in over a week. And I most certainly have not fought or killed your head Demon, even if I knew who that was.”

“You know exactly who he was!” the King snapped, now turning about and walking away. “He passed information to you from time to time, rumors he wished spread about the castle.”

Indeed, that was true. It was Perno who had apprised Tenen of Aprina’s supposed disloyalty, giving the young prince the pleasure of watching Lydia squirm when he’d first asked her to marry him.

But Perno was now dead, with burn marks left at the scene? Someone was setting him up.

“My liege.” Abruptly, Tenen ripped off his outer coat and shirt. “Look at me. I am unwounded, without blemish. Do I appear as one recently in combat with your most powerful Demon?”

Studying him with bloodshot eyes, the King grunted. “You might have taken him by surprise.”

“I doubt that. And if so, why would you find a half-dozen burned trees?”

It was a legitimate point. The King sank back down within his favorite chair, refilling his wine mug.

“Perhaps you are correct. I’ll admit, for you to kill Perno makes little sense, on the face of it.” Taking a large gulp, the King sighed. “But do you know who was gone from the castle the entire day in question? Who, in fact, Perno had been following when slain?”

“Who, my Lord.”

“Princess Lydia! Your betrothed.” Grunting, the King sat back. “Though you appear far more betrothed to those harlots in town than any princess here in the castle.”

The monarch’s words stung. “I have done nothing inappropriate, my Lord.”

“Really? What about failing to keep that girl under control!” Suddenly enraged, the King again struggled from the chair, spilling wine all over the floor. “How can you allow her to traipse about the countryside, alone, getting into all kinds of mischief!”

“You seriously believe that Lydia killed Perno?” With difficult, Tenen kept a straight face.

“Maybe she had help!” the King bellowed. “I don’t know! But the point is, neither do you!” Taking a moment to gather himself, the King then continued. “But from now on, you will keep Lydia in line. She disparages you without respite. The whole castle knows it. She barely looks at you in public! Why, Tenen, this girl spurns you at every turn! Are you not a man? Should I give her to someone else? Tell me.”

The fusillade hit home. “That will not be necessary.” Turning crimson red, Tenen shook his head. “I will control Princess Lydia.”

“Good!” the King snarled, finger now pointing straight at him. “You will also discover who killed my head Demon! Because someone will pay, Tenen. If not you, then someone else. But a killer will be found! Do you understand me?”

“Completely, my liege.”

“Then get out.” Turning his back, the King stared out the window.

Bursting out of the King’s chambers, Tenen angrily strode down the stone passageway.

Unbeknownst to the King, there was someone with the strength to kill Perno nearby. That same someone had also acquired a set of mysterious wounds in recent days.

Anson had claimed the injuries to have occurred on the training fields, which hadn’t made much sense. After all, Anson was a very skilled swordsman. Tenen had thought it unlikely his new sergeant would sustain two serious gashes during sword practice, but had let the matter go.

Only now did Tenen recall something else. Three days past, the same day Lydia had left the castle and Perno had apparently been slain, Anson had also been absent. Supposedly he’d been off hunting until late at night, a common enough occupation for soldiers in their leisure time, but still...

So Anson and Lydia were both absent the castle on the same day. Yet Perno had been stalking the princess, no doubt hoping to find her renegade mother. But if Anson had then killed Perno, that would mean...

Thinking of a possible connection between Anson and his betrothed, Tenen felt his fingers become hot, sparks of flame hissing down onto the cold flagstones.

***

“Sergeant Anson! A word, if you please.”

Inspecting the guard at the outer castle gate, Anson turned about to see Tenen some twenty feet behind, hands clamped behind his back. Clearly, the young prince was furious.

“My Lord.” Warily approaching, Anson respectfully inclined his head. “Is there a problem?”

There were only a few other people in the courtyard that day, most everyone staying well clear of Tenen. Wandering out into the center of the grassy field, Anson and the prince were effectively isolated.

“Don’t play games with me, Anson!” Tenen now snarled, suddenly turning on his sergeant. “It was you who killed Perno three days past! There’s no other explanation.”

Rage burst from the young prince’s gaze. Realizing he would have to tread very carefully, Anson took a deep breath. “If you are speaking of a powerful telepath, one who could manipulate his own body and surrounding matter at will, then you are correct.”

“Why? How could this happen?”

“As you know, I was out hunting, my Lord.” Smoothly, Anson repeated his earlier lie. “I knew not his name, but this powerful man appeared as if from thin air, demanding I betray your Lordship for his own benefit. We fought, and I was victorious.”

“Really?” Tenen seethed. “You were hunting that far afield?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“So you were not injured on the practice field, as you first claimed?”

“No, my Lord.” Evenly, Anson matched his gaze. “That was a lie.”

“You imbecile!” Tenen snapped, grabbing Anson’s arm. “They’ve found his body! Do you understand the King suspects my hand in this?”

“I could do nothing else, my Lord,” Anson continued. “When I told this...this man that I would not bear false witness against you, he attacked me.”

“And what of Lydia?” Visibly corralling his own emotions, Tenen let his sergeant go. “Was she there?”

“Lydia, my Lord?” Anson seemed genuinely perplexed. “I know not where the princess was. Here in the castle, I would assume.”

“Here in the castle?” Breathing heavily, Tenen’s eyes narrowed. “You would lie to me again? After injuring me so with the King already? I would fry you this instant, Anson, and no one would lift a finger to stop me!”

“Prince Tenen.” For his part, Anson didn’t back away. “I think you forget yourself.”

“No Anson! It is you who forget!” Throwing down his riding gloves, Tenen shook a finger in his face. “By the King, you swine, I will have the truth in this!”

“And now you have it!” Standing at mild attention, Anson made a point of looking about, ensuring no one was close enough to hear. “What was I supposed to do?”

“You killed the King’s chief Demon!” Groaning, Tenen held a hand to his face. “Do you know what that means?”

“But I never dreamed any suspicion would fall on you!” Innocently, Anson raised an eyebrow. “Why would the King suspect your Lordship in this matter?”

“Apparently, someone made a point of burning several trees, to make it seem as if I was involved!” Laughing, Tenen now threw out his arms, nearly shouting. “Who do you think that might be, Sergeant? The Evil Witch of the Forest?”

“Perhaps they were simply old marks, or unfortunate lightning strikes?”

“There’s little lightning in that area. This wasn’t the Outlands, damn it!”

“My Lord, if someone really did burn the trees, then you are indeed being set up.” Anson advanced a step, lowering his voice. “We must find out who.”