The Blade's Shadow (Ishtar's Legacy Book 4)

by Lisa Blackwood

  I won’t either, Tirigan thought, vengeance burning bright in his soul. Asharru wouldn’t have to hunt down Ekurzakir. Tirigan would do that for her and make a gift of his head to his queen.

  His jaw clenched with determination, but just now he had another task.

  “The sword is just ahead. Slow your airspeed as much as possible and circle on my word.”

  Asharru screeched her agreement and did as he asked. Nutesh took up a position well above their heads and circled while he waited.

  Good. The others wouldn’t be endangered if his control of magic wasn’t as good as he hoped.

  Closing his eyes, he relaxed into the now gentle motion of Asharru’s lazy glide.

  His magic surged at his summons, and an answering reverberation responded. It was still far away even though they were almost directly overhead.

  Briefly, he doubted his ability to summon the sword up from the depths but then shoved all the doubt away. There could be no failure this time. It was time to live up to his title.

  He released one hand from where it was buried in Asharru’s feathers and stretched it out toward the ocean’s blue waves below him.

  ‘Come,’ he projected his thoughts down into the fathomless waters. ‘Your master summons you forth from the cold, dark depths. To my hand now.’

  Power leaped from his hand and crackled in the air before lancing down into the water. The twin power far below answered his summons, reaching back, rising from the ocean floor. It raced toward the surface.

  “Bank to the right now,” Tirigan ordered as he leaned forward over her neck, his hand swathed in power as he reached down as far as he could stretch from his precarious position on her back. As Asharru darted toward the center of the area she’d been circling, a churning column of water speared up from the ocean waves. The crystalline sword came with it, hilt first.

  Asharru adjusted her flight, sailing through the topmost spray of the geyser as Tirigan snapped up his sword.

  “Good catch, my Blade.”

  He snorted. “Nice aerial acrobatics, my Queen.”

  “I’m not the queen yet, and there was nothing acrobatic about that leisure flight.”

  “In that case, please make sure I’m not on your back when you do aerial acrobatics. As for the rest, you will be a great queen.” Tirigan would die to see that accomplished.

  Now that he had his sword back, he focused on the next task.

  “How are you holding up? And I mean being dosed with a drug and having to fly carrying my heavy ass.”

  “I’ll survive,” she hissed.

  Others might not, though, if her gryphon descended into a rage. And that wasn’t his greatest concern. The fertility drug hit the gryphons of the royal line harder than priests and priestesses. Sometimes it could even be fatal to a gryphon of royal blood if their beast couldn’t find or wouldn’t settle on a mate. There were other less lethal concerns, such as the council overriding a monarch’s wishes and matching the royal to a gryphon of the council’s choosing.

  Once they were home, he’d monitor Asharru and do whatever needed doing to assure her wishes were followed and that she was safe.

  Chapter 4

  The two gryphons and their riders weren’t spotted until they’d nearly reached Nineveh’s shores. The city’s garrison was swift to react as two companies of gryphons with armed riders took to the air and rapidly winged their way closer.

  Tirigan didn’t know all the gryphons, but some of their riders were familiar—the new recruits he’d stolen from Libluth. Once the airborne company reached Asharru’s location, they formed up around her and Nutesh, and the riders brought their fists to their chests in a show of respect to their future queen and addressed her by her title.

  Tirigan was about to issue orders when the first of the guards noticed the glowing sword resting across his thighs.

  “Blade,” the guard said and repeated the same motion of raising his fist to his chest. The other guards soon spotted what the first had seen and swiftly murmured his title with respect.

  So much for secrecy, Tirigan thought sourly. But even if he’d been able to hide the sword, the tattoo running down his naked back would be visible without a robe to hide it.

  Regrettably, this wasn’t exactly the first impression he wanted to make, but since the entire city-state would soon know he was Asharru’s Blade, he might as well use his new notoriety to get some answers.

  “You,” he said to the first guardsman to spot the sword. “What news of the guards that were with us in the slave market? Did any of them survive?”

  Please, great Goddess Ishtar, let Kuri and Hunzuu still live. Asharru needs her allies, but she needs her friends even more.

  “Nasir and Shamash had just returned from gathering garrison uniforms for the newly purchased slaves when they realized something was wrong. They put out the cry, and every city guard close enough to hear began the hunt for the Crown Princess. A patrol found Guardswoman Kuri and the others unconscious, about to be slain by unknown assailants.”

  “Traitors in service to Councilor Ekurzakir or Governor Ugurnaszir,” Tirigan spit out the names. “Were the traitors captured or killed?”

  “Most died in the battle, but a few survived.”

  “Good. Once we return to the palace, I want you to go to the garrison and oversee the prisoners. No one other than me is to interact with them. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, Blade!”

  “Good.” If Asharru hadn’t been drugged, he would have gone to interrogate the prisoners now, but he had to see to his monarch’s needs first.

  They continued flying at top speed and soon were over the curtain wall surrounding the island and then into the city proper. The palace was in view when another company of guards rose from the central courtyard.

  Tirigan sighed in relief when he recognized Kuri’s tawny-colored fur and coppery feathers. Hunzuu was riding on her back, a long bow in his hand, an arrow already out and at the ready.

  “Ho there,” Hunzuu called as the two companies closed in upon each other. “I’ve never seen such a welcome sight.”

  When the two groups were almost upon each other, Kuri darted to the side and banked, taking up a flanking position. The other guards with them did the same.

  “Thank the goddess,” Kuri said in the thickly hissing accent of a gryphon. “Princess. Blade. There are no words for the relief I feel right now. Forgive us for failing you both.”

  Tirigan snorted. “It is I who have failed all of you and my future queen most of all. But there is no time for regrets. Asharru and Nutesh were dosed with the Spring Rites fertility drug.”

  Hunzuu cursed under his breath, and Tirigan didn’t miss how the other man’s fingers tightened upon his bow as he glowered at Nutesh. “We knew Ugurnaszir was behind your abduction. Kuri and I later came to suspected Ekurzakir and his family of involvement as well since they disappeared at the same time.”

  Kuri snapped her beak at Nutesh and then hissed her deadly intent.

  “Peace,” Tirigan called. “While you are correct about Ugurnaszir, Ekurzakir, and Nuannin, this gryphon is an ally. Nutesh isn’t loyal to their cause. We’ll explain more once we’re in private.”

  Both guards nodded, though neither seemed happy about Nutesh. Still, they obeyed and trusted in Tirigan’s judgment in this.

  Good.

  He’d have enough fight on his hands with the two remaining Councilors and the Governors who’d already arrived in Nineveh. He didn’t need his friends questioning him.

  They soon landed in the gardens surrounding the palace. The thunder of over thirty gryphons landing drew guards, servants, and a few early rising nobles. Tirigan dismounted and rested one hand on Asharru’s powerful shoulder. The other held his glowing sword.

  The weapon had the desired effect of clearing a path better than even the garrison guards could manage. Laliya and Bashaa dismounted Nutesh and swiftly hand signed that they had Tirigan’s back. He nodded his thanks and told them to kee
p an eye upon Nutesh and to notify him if the Anunnaki couldn’t manage the effects of the drug on his own.

  Though, so far, the Anunnaki seemed far less affected by the fertility drug than Asharru was. The Anunnaki’s magic might naturally negate some symptoms. At least Tirigan hoped so. He had enough problems. He didn’t need a raging Anunnaki savaging everyone crossing his path.

  Tirigan and Asharru, followed by an entire procession, were soon within the palace walls. They’d only traveled a short way when Councilors Dipatusu and Isiratuu arrived from a side corridor branching off the main hallway.

  “Great Goddess Ishtar is merciful,” Councilor Dipatusu mumbled as soon as he saw them. “We’d thought the worst when word reached us of Asharru’s abduction.”

  “The worst almost happened,” Tirigan barked. “I need to stay close and see to the Crown Princess’s needs. In the meantime, you both will work with Councilors Laliya and Bashaa to hunt down the traitors. They will fill you in on all that we know and all that has happened.”

  “As you wish.”

  That the councilors didn’t even bat an eyelash at him naming his two friends to the council told him just how disturbed the elders had been at the thought of Asharru’s loss. Though, both elders would know what his glowing sword meant—Death to any fool stupid enough to get in Tirigan’s way.

  “Good. Laliya and Bashaa will go with you now, and you can begin planning how best to hunt down this newest threat to New Sumer.” He looked to Nutesh. “Do you need to sequester yourself away or do you wish to take part in the council meeting?”

  Nutesh prowled closer but stopped before Asharru hissed at him again. “My powers are returning, the spell trapping them diminishing. I shall be fine, and I would like a chance to get revenge against the ones who attempted to enslave me.”

  “Very well.” Tirigan nodded toward where his friends stood. “Go with Laliya and Bashaa. I shall come once Asharru can tolerate others again.”

  Tirigan ignored the weight of all the unasked questions. There would be time for further explanations later.

  “Come,” he ordered the surrounding guardsman. As expected, they fanned out at his barked order.

  Asharru paced beside him, sometimes reaching over to rub her feathered cheeks against his skin, reassuring herself he was real.

  ‘I’m very real, my Princess,’ Tirigan thought to himself. ‘I’ll prove to our enemies just how real my sword is.’

  Once the group reached Asharru’s quarters, Tirigan ordered a thorough search even though he sensed no dangers within. When the guards entered, Tirigan tracked them with his gift as they went from room to room.

  After a short time, the first guard who had recognized him as a Blade returned.

  “Blade Tirigan, all is secure within.”

  “Good,” he paused as he realized he didn’t even know this man’s name. “What is your name, soldier?”

  “My mother named me Zarnin.”

  “Thank you, Zarnin. Station a double guard around Asharru’s suite but keep them to the outer chambers and in the gardens below the windows. I want guards on the balcony as well.” Tirigan paused. “Though none in her inner chambers. She is likely to grow more territorial now that she doesn’t have other activities to burn off excess energy and distract her. If Libluth questions your actions, tell him the order comes from me.”

  “I’ll see to it at once.”

  Then something else occurred to Tirigan. “Have Libluth attend the Council meeting.”

  “As you command, Blade Tirigan.” The male saluted him and then went to carry out his orders.

  Tirigan was still assessing the safety of Asharru’s chambers and trying to recall anything else that might need his attention when she gently grabbed his fingers in her beak. With a gentle tug, she guided him deeper into her domain.

  “Ah, going to have your way with me now, are you?” Tirigan said it in jest, and the big gryphon chuckled in answer, a deep throaty sound of merriment. Finally, the knot of tension between his shoulders eased.

  She led him to the bathing chamber and then sat on her haunches. After a moment, he understood. She was doing this for him, not herself.

  Goddess, he’d been doing his best to ignore the stink of the fragrant oils Ugurnaszir had used upon his skin. Not to mention the odor of Ugurnaszir himself, where he’d touched Tirigan.

  Shuddering, he pushed away those memories and reminded himself he was free once more, his friends were safe, and Asharru was here with him. By some mercy, everyone that mattered to him was alive. Everything else could be fixed later.

  And by fixed, he meant killed. For he planned to hunt down every last traitor and present their heads to Asharru.

  His gaze sought hers. “Thank you, my Princess. I’d very much appreciate a bath.”

  While he worked the levers that allowed water warmed from tanks on the palace roof to flow into the tub, he turned his thoughts to remembering everything he’d learned about the Spring Rite and the fertility drug priestesses and priests sometimes used to allow a yet unmated pair to overcome any hesitation that might endanger the rite that allowed the Harvest God to bless all of New Sumer’s crops.

  The islands didn’t possess the best lands for growing crops, but with the Harvest God’s aid, New Sumer had more than enough to feed all her people. Tammuz was always generous with his power.

  As Tirigan descended into the warm water armed with a rag and soap, he set to washing while he planned.

  The drug, if given in significant enough quantity, could pose a risk, but after studying Asharru on the return trip to Nineveh, he was sure she hadn’t received too high a dose. Asharru was still rational. Otherwise, he’d be on his back instead of here, having a bath.

  That was another cause for relief.

  At least this way she’d be rational enough to understand what he was offering her and if she wished to accept that offer. He was even certain he could accomplish the task of sating the future queen without triggering mating bonds between them.

  For the duration of his bath, the big gryphon just sat at the edge of the pool and watched him through lazy eyes. He’d become used to being on display, but surprisingly, with the gryphon, he felt none of the usually disquieting emotions that tormented him in the depths of his own mind.

  He knew the reason.

  It was because even though her judgment had been compromised, she still saw him as a person, not an object.

  “Thank you for that, my lady.”

  When the gryphon tilted her head in question, he smiled. “For seeing me as a man, not a thing.”

  Asharru’s beak gaped open, and she chuckled. “Yes, my Blade, I see that you’re a man. I’ve noticed it for a while now.”

  He grinned back at her as he ascended the stairs and exited the pool. He didn’t mind if she looked her fill. He was hoping she’d grow interested enough to shift back.

  Stalking across the chamber to the clean towels piled on a bench, he took his time, making sure Asharru looked her fill if she so wished.

  He was in the middle of toweling himself dry when Asharru padded up to him and laid down just a few paces away from where he sat on the bench.

  When he finished drying himself, he slung a new towel around his waist and sat on the bench, waiting for her to make the next move. When it became clear she was holding herself in check, he made his decision.

  “Asharru, come here.” His voice was low and firm.

  He half expected a snort of humor from her, but then to his surprise, she heaved herself up and padded over to him and placed her head in his lap. Instincts guiding him, he reached for her soft tufted ears and began grooming them.

  Her eyes drifted closed, and she purred.

  “Like that, do you?” He grinned, though his smile faded as her emotions flowed into him.

  She was holding it together admirably, but the need the drug had spawned was ever-present and wearing upon her will. She shifted in discomfort and pressed her head harder against him as if his nearness
could chase away some of the other demands of her body.

  “Shh… everything will be fine,” he soothed. “Shift to your human form.”

  “No,” she growled out softly. “I won’t use you. I won’t take from you like just about everyone else you know. I will not break my word to you.”

  Ah, that vow she’d sworn to him and he’d held her to until now was coming back to bite him. But this wasn’t a situation he’d planned for. This was different. He wished to help her even as she’d helped him through their Blooding Ceremony.

  “You cannot steal something I give freely, my Lady.” He ran his hands along the gryphon’s ears. “You are a priestess of Ishtar, and I was until recently an elite among pleasure slaves. I think the two of us together can appease the demands the fertility drug has summoned in you without either of us breaking vows. Shift for me.”

  She raised her head and stared at him with large, fathomless eyes. If he’d had only visual cues to go by, he never would have guessed what went on behind her soulful eyes, but his gift allowed him to sense her thoughts, her need, and her desperate desire to feel his body against hers.

  “I cannot shift to a gryphon yet,” he continued in a gentle tone. “If you wish for us to enjoy each other as only a man and woman can, you will have to be the one to shift.”

  The gryphon took his fingers in her beak again and bit down gently. “My Blade likes to play dangerous games.”

  Then light surrounded her and suddenly a very human and very naked Asharru was kneeling between his knees, head bowed, silent and unmoving. He curled his fingers around her one shoulder.

  After a moment she looked up at him and then pressed her cheek against the back of his hand.

  “My Tirigan, promise me you will not let me take more than you’re willing to give. I mean it. I care for you too much to use you. I don’t want to live with guilt for years and years to come because of tonight.”