Avador Book 2, Night Shadows

by Martin, Shirley

  Just recently, Cedric, the tavern owner, had told her that his wife was, indeed, with child, as she had predicted upon her first meeting with him. Now she felt vindicated and more certain of his confidence in her.

  As many mornings as possible, she found an isolated spot in the meadow, where she practiced throwing her dagger, satisfied she was even more skilled than she had been upon leaving Ros Creda. She tried to fit a few minutes of reading into her daily schedule, too, borrowing books from Moytura's well-stocked library. Her days and nights were quite busy, indeed. Only yesterday, she'd visited Talmora's Temple at the western edge of the city, to pray for her mother and brother, for the Goddess to take care of them and to permit her to see them sometime again soon. Ah, how she missed them, and even though her brother lived away from Ros Creda, still she and her mother visited him several times a year.

  She recalled Gaderian's warning about walking the city streets alone at night and decided to sit for a while on the wooden bench a few yards from the Snow Leopard. Mostly inns and taverns comprised this street, but an occasional shop occupied a space, such as the silversmith's shop not far from where she sat, as if the store had been added as an afterthought.

  She pressed her hand to her forehead and tried to recall everything about her visit to the fair and dancing with Stilo. She and Stilo had walked back to his apartment together, then had ridden in a strange contraption—an elevator—from the ground floor to his own. Memories slowly emerged , but as she focused on every minute of their time together, the remembrances coalesced, like fitting in the final pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. How close she had come to enduring Stilo's ravishment, this man who had cast a spell on her. And Gaderian! If he hadn't come after her . . . Could she have fought Stilo off? Not likely. And how had Gaderian rescued her? One minute she was undressing for Stilo–ashamed of herself, she blushed at the thought–and the next minute, Gaderian had burst upon them.

  First, he had immobilized Stilo–but how? After Stilo stood helpless, she and Gaderian were flying through the air, stopping at this very bench she rested on now.

  Light footsteps on the cobblestones wrenched her back to the present. She looked up and

  saw–Gaderian! It seemed as if her mind had conjured him. Spotting her, his eyes lit up, and her pulse raced as she tried to project a picture of cool nonchalance. Why did this man always have this tempest-tossing effect on her?

  "Well, hello." She smiled his way as he joined her on the bench, her every sense alive to his proximity. Shoving her tumultuous emotions aside, she focused on the previous night and his rescue.

  Fianna plucked at the folds of her skirt. "I've been thinking about last night. . . ."

  "As well you should," he said with a stern look. "You came very close to being ravished. Don't you realize he cast a spell on you?"

  "I realize that now. But how was I to know at the time?" She paused, gathering her thoughts. "How . . . how did you get me from Stilo's apartment back here?"

  "You don't remember?"

  "If I remembered, I wouldn't ask." She looked across the cobblestones, where other taverns and inns lined the other side of the street, along with an occasional shop. Oil lamps lit the area, casting shadows on the street.

  His gaze assessed her, as if he could see her unclothed, as he saw her last night. The images returned, heating her face.

  "Magic!" he gestured with his hands. "I transported you. How else can you explain your trip from Stilo's apartment? I have powers you can't begin to understand."

  Her heart hammered against her chest. His declaration overwhelmed her, but she hid her astonishment. "So you're a wizard?"

  He looked down for a moment, as if her question caught him off-guard, but then his face held an expression of utter frankness. "Yes, of course, what other explanation is there?"

  Indeed. Yet she sensed he was hiding something from her. Vampire. The word ricocheted through her head and knocked against her heart, dizzying her with confusion. She wanted to ask him–was dying to know–what her earlier scrying of him meant, that never-ending flood of blood that gushed and flowed, on and on. But caution–or fear—restrained her.

  His deep voice penetrated her thoughts. "You don't believe me, do you?"

  "I believe you." For now, she'd keep her speculations and fears to herself. She smiled at him to mask her confusion. "It's a lot to take in at once. I know magic is permitted in the kingdom of Avador, but it's not every day you meet a wizard." She licked her lips. "And Stilo–"

  "A wizard, too," he replied, "using his magic for evil purposes. And Fianna, you must remain vigilant against his magic. Best to stay away from him. He may well try to lure you again. Do not let him. But if you can't avoid him, and if you so much as see that intention in his eyes, fight his magic. He is evil, is Stilo, and he practices black magic. You are a strong woman. Don't let him get the best of you."

  Goddess, how she hated to admit she'd fallen under Stilo's spell, she, who had always considered herself capable of handling any situation. She would not let Stilo lure her again.

  "Let us talk of something else." Gaderian shifted his position and crossed his legs.

  "The renovations are complete at my house. I have already moved in. Should you ever need another place to stay–"

  "Thank you, but I'm managing fine where I am."

  "Stilo Mongan cast a spell on you and almost seduced you last night, and you call that 'managing fine'?"

  "I've learned my lesson," she said with as much confidence as she could muster. "And how in the world was I to know that Stilo would–or could—cast a spell on me?" She gestured toward the tavern. "I've made friends at The Snow Leopard, and for once in my life, I'm independent. I've learned I don't need to lean on anyone." She paused. "We've already discussed this, but I'll say it again. I doubt if either my stepfather or Angus Kendall would come after me. Either of them would send a servant. Even if that man had a good description of me, how could he find me in a city this size, one that has–what?–fifteen-thousand people?" She nodded with assurance, but agonized if she really was safe.

  "Gold talks, you know," he said, putting her doubts into words. If either Angus or her stepfather offered a reward . . . His assurance ate away at her confidence while doubts nibbled at her mind. A reward for her capture. The prospect sent shivers across her arms and legs. She saw herself being dragged back to Ros Creda and forced to marry Angus Kendall. But no, it wouldn't happen. She wouldn't let that happen!

  He placed his hand over hers, and a surge of warmth zipped from her heart to her stomach. "Let us drop the matter for now. But I want you to think seriously about moving, should the need arise. Independence is fine, and I understand why it means so much to you. But all of us, at one time or another, must lean on others."

  She had to admit, if only to herself, that his argument held merit. She may have been sheltered for much of her life, but she was no longer a naive child. Not everyone is honorable; hadn't her real father said that more than once? A sudden wave of nostalgia washed over her. A hundred memories teased her brain, traces of people and places she might never see again. She missed her real father so much, this dear man who now dwelled in the Otherworld. Her mother and brother–would she ever see them again? Her village, her friends in Ros Creda, and Tillie, her horse–all these images flooded her mind and saddened her heart.

  Gaderian stood, reaching his hand toward her. "Come, let's walk for a while. It's too lovely a night to sit on a bench so close to all the taverns." He smiled that smile of his that could melt the heart of a demon.

  As if by mutual agreement, they headed for the meadow, hand-in-hand. She reveled in the breeze that bathed her face, the heavens bright with a full moon and millions of glimmering stars. But more than the moon or stars, Gaderian's nearness aroused her like a lover's kiss, like the beat of a thousand drums. She liked his tall, sinewy build, his erect posture and easy walk that spoke of confidence. With each step, a burning need kindled inside her, a fever in her blood, as though life had been a c
old abyss up to now. With a look full of meaning, Gaderian wrapped his arm around her waist and eased her closer; her legs weak, her body heavy with passion.

  After passing Aventina's Way with its magnificent structures and Talmora's Temple, they arrived at the meadow, the breeze stronger here, the waters of the Nantosuelta glimmering by the moonlight.

  Needing no words, they reached for each other. They kissed hungrily, as if they'd been

  separated for years, as though there would be no tomorrow. To kiss him like this, to be held in his arms–ah, this was pure rapture, his kisses magic! She tangled her fingers in his long locks, then let her hands roam to his neck and down his back, touching ever ridge and muscle, delighting in the joy she gave and received, the passion deep within her she never knew she possessed. Through the thin material of his tunic, she felt an unfamiliar pressure against her belly. With a swift awareness of the bulge, she gloried in his arousal, in his passion. He slid his hands down to her buttocks and held her tight against him, then released, as if taunting her, teasing her, driving her out of her mind until Gaderian was her world, his kisses all that mattered. He feathered kisses from her lips to her throat, then up to her earlobe, his mouth settling on hers again, kissing her long and fully as his fingers made sensual magic on her skin. He eased her away from him and caressed her breast; she gasped with pure pleasure as a slow heat spread throughout her body, an ache in her feminine core, a need like nothing she'd ever known. Her legs felt weak, and she knew she would slide to the ground if he didn't support her. Yet she knew they must stop now, for if they didn't, they would never be able to. With a heart-wrenching reluctance, she drew back, sorry for the agony she was causing him.

  "Ah, Fianna," he said with desperation in his voice. "What are we going to do?" He whispered in her ear, "I want you so much, more than anyone I've ever wanted in my life."

  And it's the same with me, she wanted to say, but could only give him a look deep with yearning. She knew they must end this madness but didn't want to stop; she could stay with him all night long and never tire of his kisses, his caresses. Yes, and for all their nights to come, until the end of time

  He stepped back, his face revealing his anguish. "You're driving me crazy, do you know that? Do you know what I want to do to you–with you? Do you know how I hunger for you?"

  She could only nod, finding no words to reveal her desire for him, this sweet yearning inside her that she must deny herself–and him, for where would it lead them? Once they made love, she could never live without the pleasure he alone could give. And how much did she know about him? Would he still be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the next? But Goddess, would she ever satisfy this craving for him that still burned inside her, this reminder of how much she wanted to make love with him!

  He kissed her lightly on the forehead. "You don't need to say a word, my darling. I had better take you back."

  Chapter Ten

  Returned from Ros Creda over two nine-days later, Stilo headed for Kane's apartment building, not far from his own, a magnificent structure of sarsen stone, with bas relief figures of gods and goddesses that embellished the outside. Splendid oak trees lined both sides of the cobblestone street that led to the apartment building, and an occasional rose bush added color and a lovely aroma. Mostly well-dressed men and women strolled the streets in this hour of early evening, when dusk had descended over the city and the air cooled with the sun's sinking on the eastern horizon. Grand apartment buildings and mansions comprised this area of the city on Granno's Way, where prosperous merchants and government officials resided, not to mention a few bandregas, unknown to the others.

  Before he'd left Moytura, Stilo had torn down the sign the courier had posted to the village bulletin board, in which Angus Kendall had offered a reward for Fianna's capture. A spurt of optimism quickened his stride, for he intended to try again to ensnare this beautiful woman, first using his magic to erase the memory of his previous failure from her mind.

  Rain fell from leaden skies, beginning as a drizzle, soon becoming a downpour. Men and women rushed for shelter, heading for their own homes. Stilo dashed through the streets, keeping close to the buildings as lightning scorched the sky and bursts of light fell all around him.

  Brushing raindrops from his hair and clothes, Stilo knocked on Kane's door at the ground level and was ushered inside the spacious apartment, where oil lamps revealed a long blue velvet sofa, a few occasional chairs of the same material, and a thick sheepskin rug. Where Kane's wife was he didn't know and couldn't care less. The bandrega women had learned long ago to recognize the men as their masters and knew their subservient place in society, their purpose to provide sex, produce children, and manage the household.

  He handed a leather satchel to Kane. "The rings, more to come very soon."

  "Ah, yes." Kane gestured toward a chair. "Sit down," he said, taking a place across from him on the sofa. Since Stilo was with a fellow bandrega, he'd dropped the glamour upon his entrance, both men revealing a feral look to their faces, long ears and noses, their furry hands with claws.

  "Only one hundred rings here," Stilo offered, "not nearly enough for all the bandregas."

  The leader scratched his chin. "Almost time for our people to journey to the sacred well in Magh Eamhainn. That would be the best time to distribute the rings, when all of us are together." He opened the satchel and withdrew a ring, studying it from all angles by the light of an oil lamp on the table. "When I hand them out, it must be on a first-come, first-served basis. You know there are always stragglers who arrive at the well long after many of us have left. Perhaps when they see what they have missed, it will encourage them to arrive on time next moonphase. And some of our kind never do appear at Magh Eamhainn, preferring to stay as they are. Fools, who don't know what they are missing." He frowned. "I will enforce the rule, that all of our kind must appear at the sacred well at the beginning of every moonphase. If they don't, they will be ostracized, driven from the city."

  Kane's eyes lit up. "As for the rings, do you see what this means? Any vampire who attacks us will find we disappear as soon as they bite and draw blood." His voice rose in anger. "For too long, we have existed at the mercy of the undead. Time we fought back. And now that we have fooled the mortals of Avador into thinking it is the vampires who are killing them, we will soon be rid of the undead. Only a matter of time."

  Stilo frowned. "Yet we still have not gained immortality, not even I, part vampire that I am."

  "Ah, immortality!" Kane sat back, a look of cunning on his face. "Did you know I have several bandregas working on this very attribute? No, I can see you didn't know. That was the purpose of my visit to Fomoria, to discuss this matter with the bandrega leader there." He made a face. "A backward country, Fomoria, the mortals so primitive compared to those of Avador. But soon we will conquer them all," he said, gesturing widely, "the mortals of Avador and Fomoria, eventually the rest of the continent. Yes, and the vampires, too. We will defeat them all! But first, we must gain immortality, a matter of adding the right ingredients to the well water in Magh Eamhainn." He smiled slyly. "There will be no stopping us then."

  "Let that day come soon!" Stilo pounded his clawed fist on his knee. "Get rid of the vampires and mortals of Avador, then the entire continent."

  "Patience, my dear Stilo, patience." He leaned forward. "Until then, we still have our many skills. We can practice black magic and make ourselves look human. We can seduce mortal women by applying the glamour, to make ourselves appear handsome and virile."

  Except that his planned seduction of Fianna hadn't worked, Stilo silently lamented, damn Gaderian Wade! But he would try again . . . and soon.

  Kane's voice jerked him back to the moment. "A little less than one nine-day 'til the next moonphase. We shall all gather at the sacred well at Magh Eamhainn then."

  Stilo snickered. "Strange that the humans have not caught on to us. Here we move among them and they don't know what we are." He paused. "No, not really strange. T
hey think we disappeared long ago, stupid mortals! We are truly clever in applying the glamour. And now that we've made it look as if the vampires are killing the mortals–"

  "Queen Keriam has offered a reward for the capture of the vampires," Kane finished with a sharp look Stilo's way.

  "I could turn in every vampire I know," Stilo said, "and believe me, I know many. But it suits my purpose–our purpose–to mingle with them, discover their plans. Later, when the time is right, I'll tell on them. Let the authorities turn them out in the sunlight. It will soon be obvious that they are the undead." He smirked. "Let them burn to ashes. Only think of the reward money I'll collect. Their leader is feckless, no help at all to them. Spends more time with his mistresses than he does in guiding the undead." He paused. "I find my bandrega half growing stronger all the time. By the time I turn them in, I should be able to endure the sunlight myself."

  "What about the vampire you were telling me about a few ninedays ago–what's his name?" Kane asked.

  "Gaderian Wade. I've heard that he aims to become leader of the undead, a goal I will do everything possible to prevent. Much better for us if Orrick remains the vampire leader, lazy bastard that he is." He smiled slyly. "Funny how those vampires talk among themselves when they think no one else is listening. I pick up much information that way."

  "I've seen Wade with that new scryer at the Snow Leopard." Kane licked his lips. "What a woman! Beautiful face, tempting body . . ."

  "Angharad Cullain," Stilo said, irritation increasing his heartbeat. He didn't want to hear anyone else speak of Fianna, nor would he tell even his own leader her real name. "She fancies that she cares for Wade, but I intend to change her mind."