Sytravious: The Lost Warlock Of Moruz (The Oathbreaker Book 1) (26 page)

              At the mention of the succession to the throne, his jaw dropped.  Jezra had just accused Kenshiro of being too ambitious, yet here she was plotting to remove King Lucas’ herself.  This woman was just as dangerous as the general was.  If only the king knew what was brewing, he may want to awaken from his slumber and take control of the kingdom.

              “What is in all this for you, though?  If it ends as you say and he dies without an heir and we are chosen to step in, why would you go through all this trouble to see someone else rise?”

              “If you have not noticed, I am an old woman, Sytravious.  The days of my prime are well behind me now.  My only ambition is to see this kingdom in the right hands, to protect us from the threat of Moruz, and honor our holy goddess, Vesalys.  I am here to serve her will, and this is her will.  I know it in my heart.”

              The fact that she might believe her own lies is what impressed Sytravious the most.  Someone who took all this time to plan everything around her own desires, and see the control of the kingdom fall into the temple’s hands, would not intend to hand that power over to others. 

              “How do you know Raiven will go for this?  Does she not have a say in who she marries and what she wants to do with her own future?”

              “Oh please, do not insult me.  I have paid attention to more than just
your
affection for the priestess.  Despite how subtle she is, I can still see her excitement every time you enter the room.  Sending those women to bathe you was my way of confirming my beliefs.  When her cheeks turned redder than the wine in this goblet, and you refused such an obvious pleasure, I knew I was correct.  How you have enraptured her is beyond me, as she has been very disinterested in romance up until now.”  She shook her head and snickered.  “And all after meeting you for the first time at the banquet.”

              He knew what she was getting at, but he would not say anything more on the topic.  Sytravious knew revealing the full truth about him and Raiven was much too dangerous for both of them.  He gave her a small laugh and said, “Yes, it must be my charm.”

              “I am sure.  I care little for these distractions, but Raiven can enjoy her youthful desires in time.  First, you must prove I have made the right choice in selecting you
for this mission.”

              “What about General Kenshiro?  He is a smart man, and is already suspicious about Raiven and me.  If what you have told me is true, he will not sit back and allow your plan to come to fruition.  Who is to say he does not pull another ‘Prince Just strategy’, and make one of us disappear?”

              She scoffed.  “The general is not the only one with tricks in his bag.  When you are up against the High Priestess of Valcrest,
my
ploys are always more effective.  I am an old woman, remember?  Time has given me more than wrinkles,” Jezra winked.  “I can handle Kenshiro.  Just make sure you follow through on your part.  Only then will I be justified in blocking his petition for Raiven.  You need to become the better option for her.”

              The way she addressed handling Kenshiro reminded him of his disturbed mother, and Sytravious wondered if Jezra was as ruthless as Nyxseous.  Was it possible that Jezra could
kill
someone as easily as his mother had many times?  By moving here, had he traded one insane woman for another?  No matter how crazy she was, the high priestess had already offered him more than his mother ever could.  She had presented what he wanted - permission to be with Raiven.

              “I must say, Your Holiness, you make it very difficult to say no.  How can I refuse the promise of Raiven?”  He hesitated, and then asked one more question.  “Will she be told about our future?”

              “She will be told of my refusal of Kenshiro, and that a more suitable match has been found.  I will let her connect the dots on her own when she witnesses your rise within the guardians.”

              With her confirmation, he made up his mind.  Raiven would be his and only his forever, and all he had to do was go along with a ridiculous plan to take over a kingdom.  It sounded easy enough.  He took a gulp of wine from his goblet and then smiled before replying, “I will do it.”

Chapter 23

Crossroads

R
abbit stew boiled on the fire, but the savory aroma of the meat did little to appease her sour mood.  As Nyxseous stared at the pot’s contents, she stirred supper and let her mind wander.  The shock of learning Sytravious had fallen in love with the priestess was bad enough, but then she had to watch him join the ranks of the guardians, too.  Knowing he abandoned his family for the temple only added insult to injury.  She knew she was never the greatest mother, but the idea of losing her son altogether had never crossed her mind. 

It had been two days since she watched the temple convoy disappear up the hill with her son alongside them.  Disheartened, Nysight was hardly speaking and had not bothered to show up at the forge.  All the while, Hellios continued to insult her with his lingering presence.  Nyxseous was in no rush to forgive his attempt on her life, regardless of his justification.

When the fire under the stew began to die, she rolled her eyes.  Any other day, Nysight would have already fetched the wood, but he had failed to, due to his miserable behavior.  She expressed her irritation with a loud, exasperated sigh.  “I hope you enjoy
undercooked
rabbit,” she said while glaring at her husband.

Nysight looked up and focused on her.  “I will get more firewood, my apologies.”

“Just forget it.”  She shot a small black flame at what was left of the wood, and watched the stew begin to boil again.  She despised living in Havencrest all these years because she has to conceal her magic for fear of being persecuted for something as simple as cooking supper.  Yet this was the life she had chosen when she escaped the wrath of the bloodthirsty king. 

              Hellios helped her move the pot of stew to the table, and they gathered around to eat.  It was a quiet meal, until Nysight finally spoke up.

              “Did you two have to corner him that way?  What young man in their right mind would not take offense to such an act?”  He slammed his fist on the table.

              “It is over and done with.  There is no use in talking about it now.”  She shrugged.

              “Sytravious belongs in the south with the Fifth Legion.  He does not belong here, and the sooner we stop wasting time sitting around, the better,” Hellios declared.

              Nysight and Hellios continued arguing over where Sytravious fit in, and Nyxseous shut her eyes in an attempt to block out the noise.  She had spent the last twenty years trying to prepare her son for every sort of threat he might face, but she had failed to take into account the biggest danger of all, falling in love.  She slipped her hand into her pocket, and felt the familiar amulet she had spent so much time creating.  No matter how stubborn Sytravious was, she had to see to it that the amulet made it to him somehow.

              “Are you toying with that trinket of yours again?”  Nysight asked with annoyance.  “You have been obsessing over that thing since we left Moruz.  I bet it is just something else that has to do with your obsession with Fheng.”

              Her husband was oblivious as to the amulet’s intended purpose.  She knew it always bothered Nysight when she fooled around with the charm, but Nyxseous could not find the courage to explain it to him.  Since the day Sytravious was born, she had started working on it, and poured a majority of her power into its essence in the process. 

              She sneered at him.  “Do not trivialize my work with your jealous accusations.  You would not even begin to understand the usefulness behind my actions, and frankly, I do not have the time to enlighten y---”

              “Enlighten me, please.”  He mocked her.  “I have come to realize how things work around here.  You only summon me when it is convenient for you, but after that, I am nothing until you need me again.  Does that sound about right?”  Nysight scowled across the table.

              Nyxseous gawked at her husband with shock and hurt.  The unease in the room was obvious, and in an attempt to avoid being a part of such a personal conversation, Hellios excused himself.

              “Is that it, then?  You think I have been using you all these years?” she asked.

              Nysight heaved a sigh and placed his face into his hands for a few moments, before he looked back up at her.  The sadness in his eyes struck deep into her soul.

              “Have you not?  You needed me to help you escape Moruz after the legion turned their backs on you.  You needed me to protect the two of you when things got dangerous.  I worked tirelessly for twenty years, forsaking my entire life as the general of the most storied legion, all for you, and what have you given me in return except put your feelings for Fheng, be it love or hate, above everything else?”  His voice was strained with emotion.  “Your mind and focus have remained in Moruz, fixated on a man who never cared for anything but his own glory.  You are not
here
!  Sytravious needed you to be present in reality, and I need that from you even more.”

              She stared at her husband.  His eyes were welling up with tears.  Nyxseous clenched her jaw to control her emotions.  Surely, Nysight could not be right about her, could he?  The life she had led in Havencrest had been just as much for Sytravious and Nysight, as it had been for her need to avenge her family name.  Nevertheless, had she pushed them both away in the process, or even worse, turned her own child against her?

              “You are right, I might have remained fixated on rectifying my mistakes, and dedicated too much of my attention to the past in the process, but my heart has always belonged to Sytravious,
and
you!  I know what you sacrificed for both of us, and how lost we would both be without you, but I was not using you, my love.  I was
leaning
on you with all my heart.  My inner darkness prevents me from showing it properly, or saying the right words, but you have been our rock and I have always known I never deserved a minute of your love,” her voice was a whisper as hot tears fell down her cheeks.

Nysight rose from his chair and walked around the table to stand by her side.  She leaned her head against him as he cradled her in his arms.  They stayed in the embrace awhile, listening to the fire crackle with enchanted flames.

              “Nyxseous, if only you could have found the courage to explain your feelings when Sytravious was still here.  Now, I fear he is gone for good.  We have failed him as parents.  I never wanted to keep him in the dark about what was going on.”

              The reminder of Sytravious being gone brought Nyxseous’ depression and anger back to the forefront of her thoughts.  She needed to get away from the house for a short while so she could clear her mind.  She stood up to leave, but Nysight grabbed her arm and pulled her into a tight hug, not willing to let her leave his side.  She held his face in her hands and placed a soft and gentle kiss on his lips.  He grabbed her around the waist, pulled her close, and fiercely kissed her back.  The strong hunger behind it surprised her.  For the next blissful moments, the world was the way it should be.  He had made her forget the many worries and fears in her heart, filling it instead with the passion and love only he could have for her.

              A few hours later, as she watched Nysight snoring beside her in bed, Nyxseous recollected all the years her husband had served as her protector, even when he found out she betrayed her own father.  Her heart had been evil, and it had not improved after all the years away from Moruz, as the deep hate for Fheng still burned bright in her soul.  However, she believed that the love for her family was her one redeeming quality.

Nyxseous shivered as a cool breeze blew into the dim room while she laid in bed with nothing but a sheet over her body.  Nysight always fetched firewood, along with doing every other chore that was ever required around the house, so she hesitated to wake him.  As evil as she may be, the least she could do was let him sleep tonight.  After all, he might be having a peaceful dream, and there was no reason for both of them to lie awake with dreadful thoughts plaguing their minds.  She kissed her husband’s forehead, before slipping on a robe and leaving.

              When Nyxseous stepped out into the crisp night air of Havencrest, she found the city to be noiseless with the exception of distant sounds of laughter, which she believed to be coming from the home of a neighboring family.  She imagined enjoying that simple pleasure with her own family, instead of dealing with the harsh environment that was forced upon them.  Would it ever really have been possible?  She convinced herself it was not conceivable because the oath would not be broken so easily. 

She kept on traveling towards the community woodpile a short distance away.  The movement happened so fast that Nyxseous questioned if she had seen it at all, but instead, she followed her instincts, knowing she was no longer alone in the darkness.  She readied a spell in her mind.  The VanDrake magic was best used in the darkness, and she prepared to slip away into the shadows at a moment’s notice.  She was tempted to turn around and go back home, but she did not want to alert her stalker, or lead them straight to Nysight.  As she hurried ahead, a waft carrying a familiar scent hit her nose.  It alerted her to the
real
danger she faced, the supreme warlock from her past.  She recalled how he would go into coughing spasms in which he would spit up blood.  It was something only his homemade elixir soothed.  The distinct scent of herbal potion and blood was a unique aroma that only those close to Saliz would recognize. 

Hellios had been right in urging them to flee to the south.  The presence of Lord Fheng’s top lieutenant in Havencrest could only mean one thing - they were going all out to eliminate her for good this time.  Knowing that Saliz never traveled alone, she figured she was facing a pack of assassins.  How could they have gotten here so fast?  It would have taken weeks for most ships to cross the sea.

              Once she reached the firewood, she stacked small logs in her arms, even humming a soft tune as she worked.  The scent of Saliz was getting closer.  Nyxseous turned around and headed back to her home.  She wondered if they would wait to attack until she was back in the house with the others, when a dark hooded figure emerged to block her path.  He cleared his throat as his beady red eyes glowed in the night.  Saliz stared at her while the sounds of forthcoming footsteps loomed.

The assassins encircled her.  She took a quick look around to count her enemies, the sound of her own pulse hammering in her ears.  Nyxseous sneered at the warlock.  She had no intention of being captured or killed tonight.  The black flame sparked beneath the woodpile in her arms, and she tossed the lumber skyward.  Each log blazed with magic while suspended in the air, and Nyxseous directed them to whirl around the circle of assassins.  Her magic created a barrier between her and the enemies in the form of an enchanted ring of fire.  Saliz glowered at her and then gestured for his team to reposition.  His henchmen moved with a sense of urgency and some of them made an effort to slip past the flamed obstacle, only to be rebuffed by the powerful magic.

              “You have the cowardice to resist your condemnation even now, at the end of your insignificant life, Nyxseous?”  Saliz asked.

              “My life has been far from insignificant, a lesson you are about to learn the hard way,” she retorted.

              “Do you intend on teaching me that lesson the same way your father taught Lord Fheng?” he jeered.  “I have been asked to bring you back alive, if possible.  Otherwise, I will be taking your head as a trophy, which is preferable to me.  You know I have always wanted to tie your head to my scepter for all to see.  So by all means, resist me.”

              The warlock produced a lengthy silver scepter that was topped with a radiant green orb.  He commanded the activation of the weapon causing it to pulsate with light.  Saliz began to recite his spell, fixated his eyes on the fiery blockade she had produced, and a commanding gust of wind encircled Nyxseous.  She observed as he sent the logs flying into every direction, and the wood crashed into neighboring homes and shops with loud fiery eruptions.

              “So much for a stealthy kill,” a soft, childlike voice teased.

              Nyxseous had not noticed the young girl standing next to her.  How long had she been there?  The short adolescent was cloaked in a crimson cape.  Her golden blonde hair framed her youthful face, and her doll-like green eyes stared with malice and curiosity.  The same laughter Nyxseous heard earlier, escaped the girl’s mouth before a playful smile spread across her lips.  Upon second glance, she realized the girl was anything but a child.  Beneath the cape, the girl wore a low-cut corset, revealing her voluptuous breasts and a short skirt.

              Nyxseous sucked her teeth and eyed the young woman up and down.  “You do not leave much to the imagination.  I assume you are one of Fheng’s whores.”

              “If my memory serves me right, the one who is Fheng’s whore is
you
.  I am Saycerach, the one he sends to clean up his filthy past,” the girl shot back.