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Borealysyn persuasion. Why kill Isranon?"
"He's the last."
"Last of what?"
"Last of Dawnhand's descendants.Dawnhand cursed her with his dying breath
said one of his lineage would destroy her."
"And Dawnreturning?"
"He's dangerous.A renunciate battle-mage. She's afraid one of the Nine will
choose him."
"Who do you report to?"
The sa'necari gave a bitter laugh. I don't know. Zorozdin was our leader. He
knew, but we didn't. You didn't catch him."
Zulaika struck him in the face hard, breaking his nose. Corbienne, Jun,
Garin, she told off the Lemyari in their ranks. A taste of your venom for all
of them."
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The captives filled the air with their shrieks of fear and pleadings for
mercy, which went ignored.
The Lemyari came forward. At Zulaika's nod, they chose their victims.
Corbienne stuck the other two humans, two fingers each, and kept the nails
inside them until the entirety of her venom had pumped into their bodies. She
found a spot on the ground and sat down to watch them die, the sounds of their
death throes following her. Iuf joined Corbienne and she slipped an arm around
his shoulders. Are they dying well enough to suit you, my friend?"
"Yes, Iuf said.
Jun took the sa'necariwho was of the steeped-in-death variety, sliced his
chest open, and broke his breastbone.
Luck, seeing what Jun was at, came to watch. He had put nine arrows into this
sa'necari without so much as slowing him down.So what was Jun doing? Getting
ready to tear his heart out?
Jun regarded the beating organ, flexed his claws, and brought out his
secondary nails. One by one, he shoved five nails into the sa'necari's heart
and held them there. The organ turned black. Luck shuddered. The sa'necari
gave a last convulsive jerk and went still. Jun finished by pulling the heart
out and tossing it into the fire. The flames sizzled and consumed it. Jun went
to Nainee and squatted beside her. I gave him a quicker death than Haig gave
those who nearly butchered Isranon."
"Not that any of them deserve an easy death. Filthy soul-eaters, Nainee
said.
Garin, a slender blond, gripped his sa'necari by the arms and injected all
ten fingers worth of venom into him. Then he turned away and walked off with
an expression that suggested he did not enjoy executing people.
* * * *
Liuthan sat in his heavy, padded chair, his broad hands gripping the clawed
arms of it as the sa'necari was led in to see him. Two banks of candles, one
on the fireplace mantle and the other on the table beside Liuthan's desk, cast
a wavering light in the study; their flames flickering in a breeze from the
open windows. Liuthan laced his fingers together and leaned forward to see
themon better, his elbows propped on his huge ornate desk.
The newcomer was ragged and worn, more so than any sa'necari Liuthan had ever
seen. Mud and dust coated him. His face was drawn in lines of suffering.
Liuthan wondered how themon had been feeding to have ended up like this and
what could have done this to him.
"Lord Captain Liuthan, the sa'necari said, dropping to his knees. Forgive
me. The others are dead."
At this news, Liuthan unlaced his fingers and gripped the arms of his chair,
his hand tightening on the claw-shaped wood. How? Liuthan demanded.
"Rangers and Ymraudes.They tortured my companions for information. But only I
had any knowledge of you, so they got nothing useful."
Liuthan's eyes narrowed dangerously and, as they did so, lost all semblance
of humanity, changing to sa'necari amaranth without whites, iris, or pupil. He
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wondered how much longer he would need to keep up his pretense of humanity and
spell-cloud his eyes from the rest of the Five Captains of Ocealay.
The door opened abruptly. A boy ran in and stopped, glancing at the ragged
sa'necari. Father, I just learned how to oh, are you busy, father?"
"Not at all. He gestured at two servants. Take thismon to a room, draw him a
bath and find him some tasty nibari.And a rite? Would you like a rite to
refresh you?"
"Yes, the sa'necari said. Yes, that would be generous of you."
"Fine, we will finish this discussion after dinner. Liuthan gestured to his
servants. See that he has two nibari for his pleasures and that red-haired
depnane, the screamer, for his rite."
The sa'necari was led out and Liuthan took his twelve-year old son on his
lap. Well, Stygean?"
Stygean glowed. I have the entire formal rite memorized. I'm ready when the
time comes."
Liuthan ruffled Stygean's dark hair. I am proud of you. And it should not be
long. You'll be thirteen in a couple of months."
The glow went out of Stygean's eyes. He was a late bloomer, and sometimes it
worried both of them. He should have got his fangs two years ago. But both of
his parents had been born sa'necari, so there was no question that he had been
born sa'necari also. Furthermore the Readers said he was.
Liuthan saw the change in his expression and ruffled his hair again. Have
you chosen a nibari for your first rite?"
"Yes, father. I want Farris. They say she's a screamer."
Liuthan laughed. Remember, they always scream best when they're fresh. And,
Stygean, don't worry so much about being a late bloomer. There are ways to
trigger it. Stress does, and there are arcane ways also. If it hasn't happened
by the time you turn thirteen I will make it happen for you."
"Thank you, father."
"Now, off with you. I havework to do. As soon as Liuthan was alone, he added
aloud to himself, I have a free ranger company to trap and a mage to kill."
CHAPTER TEN: AMALTHEA
Hinkty Molly's Place, like most of the taverns in Rowanhart, was a two-story
chinked log structure that had gone up fast and was slowly being partitioned
and paneled on the inside. It was the most popular tavern in Rowanhart,
especially with the mages and students at theAzure Circle 's new school, which
had been built on top of the South Talon, the cliffs lining the southwestern
curve ofSophrenBay .
Edouina Briarcliff, Molly's silent partner took a damp cloth and began wiping
tables. All that most folks knew about her was that she was married to a
battle mage associated with the school. Edouina was tall and storkishly
slender with a narrow face and an overbite: unmistakably a Hornbow relation.
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Being of Sharani blood, her skin was a rich red-bronze and her long silken
hair was black. She had high, ample breasts that she kept bound tightly so
they would not get in her way. A pair of swords in Shaurone's Aluin borderer
style, which took substantial upper body strength to use, criss-crossedher
back the hilts jutting above her shoulders.
She looked up as a tall, slender young woman entered, her face hidden in the
depths of a cowled hood, the lower half muffled in a scarf. The newcomer wore
a double brace of blades crossing her chest and was dressed in black leathers.
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