Khalshir (Kingmakers Book 1)

by Jaye McKenna

  This was Dani’s first lesson in fighting, though for this session, he was strictly an observer. He was supposed to be studying Rio and Coryn’s demonstration of the style of fighting they were planning to teach him, but for the most part, he was simply enjoying it. While both men moved with the fluid grace of dancers or acrobats, it was Rio who captured both Dani’s attention and his imagination. Too bad the air was so cool; a shirtless Rio would be so much more interesting to watch.

  It was a week since he’d asked Rio to teach him to fight. He’d thought Rio had forgotten about it, until Rio approached him yesterday and asked if he was still interested in learning. Rio had spoken to Hawk, who had convinced Larrad that if he feared Dani might be a target for assassination, then he could do worse than having him taught basic self-defense. To Dani’s surprise, Larrad had agreed.

  The only thing marring an otherwise perfect morning was the prospect of accompanying his father into the city after lunch for a business meeting with Lady Eslian’s father, Lord Finnia. At least, that was what Larrad had called it. Dani hoped that was all it was; it was early to be drawing up betrothal agreements, but he wouldn’t put it past his father to try to rush things.

  He turned his attention back to the fight in time to see Coryn trip Rio, then drop down on his chest, pinning him. When Dani applauded, Rio shot him a rueful grin.

  “I thought you were cheering for me,” Rio said as he accepted Coryn’s hand up.

  Dani returned the grin. “Well, I suppose I could cheer for you next time, if it would make you feel better, but if you don’t mind, my money will be on Coryn.”

  Rio nodded, looking pleased. “That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d learn by watching us. Just because you’re small doesn’t mean you can’t win a fight. You can use a larger man’s size against him if you know how. Coryn knows how. He’s agreed to work with us occasionally, if you’re willing to get up early and practice before breakfast.”

  “I’m willing to get up, but…” Dani hesitated, frowning. “It didn’t look very fair. I mean, Coryn kicked your feet right out from under you.”

  Coryn snorted and gave him a derisive look. “Fair is for tourneys,” he said darkly. “In a fight for your life, your only goal is to neutralize the threat. Go for the vulnerable areas — eyes, groin, throat — and do as much damage as you can. And once your opponent’s down, run like hell.”

  Dani’s frown deepened. That didn’t sound anything like the rules of engagement Haiden had learned from his weapon master. “It sounds terribly… unsportsmanlike.”

  Coryn rolled his eyes and turned away, muttering, “We’ll beat that out of you in a hurry.”

  “Coryn’s right,” Rio said. “Sportsmanship has no place in a fight for your life. If you ever need to use the techniques we’re going to teach you, it’ll be in a situation where someone’s taken out your first line of defense — me or Coryn. We’ll show you every dirty trick we know, and if you ever need to use it, you’re going to know what to do. That, I can promise you.”

  Dani nodded soberly, but secretly wondered if he’d be capable of hurting someone, even if that someone was trying to kill him.

  * * *

  Coryn’s guess about Dani’s secret turned out to be dead on. Rio knew it the moment he stationed himself by the dressing room door.

  Dani shot a panicked glance at Pendrin before turning to Rio and demanding, “What are you doing?”

  “Guarding you, sir,” Rio replied.

  “You can guard me just as easily from the bedroom. There’s no other way in here except past you.”

  “It’s all right. You can take your anzaria. I’ll make sure no one sees.”

  Dani and Pendrin both turned ghost pale and exchanged an alarmed look.

  “I’m not going to tell Lord Jherek,” Rio hastened to reassure them. “I just want to know for certain what’s going on. I can’t do my job if I don’t have all the information.”

  “You… how did you know?” Dani whispered.

  “Coryn figured it out when I told him what I’d observed during your last two trips into the city.”

  Dani swallowed. “Then… then you know what I am.”

  “Not exactly,” Rio said. “Coryn said you can probably sense thoughts or emotions, but you don’t have adequate protection. So it gets worse when you get close to a large concentration of people.”

  “That’s right.” Dani glanced toward Pen. “We might as well tell him the truth. Maybe… maybe he’ll help me.” Wide, golden-brown eyes met Rio’s.

  Rio met that frightened gaze steadily. “If I can, I will.”

  Dani’s shoulders sagged, and he wiped a shaking hand across his brow. “It started after Haiden died. Well, I mean, I suppose it started before that, but… I never thought anything of it. It was only Haiden I could sense. And he could sense me. Not in a mind-reading kind of way, you understand, but I always knew when he was near, and I often knew how he was feeling, in a general way. It was like that as far back as I can remember, and I suppose we assumed it was normal for twins. We didn’t realize there was anything strange about it until King Nezaine outlawed mythe-weaving. Then we decided it might be safest to keep our mouths shut about it. It wasn’t as if we could do anything with it. We couldn’t communicate. We just had this awareness of one another.

  “But when Haiden died, it… it broke something inside me. All the emotions around me poured into my head, and it was awful. All that grief for Haiden. Everyone loved him, and everyone was torn apart… I had to suffer my own grief and everyone else’s. Mother realized what was happening immediately. She… she told me she was an empath, and so was I, and if I valued my life, I must keep it a secret from everyone, even Father. She tried to teach me how to protect myself, but she only knew one shielding pattern, and it doesn’t work very well for me. She said I must be a great deal more sensitive than she is. There are other patterns, more powerful ones, but she didn’t know them, and we dared not seek out a teacher.”

  Rio grasped the problem immediately. “So you can’t go into the city without anzaria.”

  “I can’t. I-I’ve tried. It’s awful. Enough to drive a man mad. Only, the side effects of the anzaria are horrible, too. It makes me stupid and slow and dizzy. You saw what I was like at the tailor’s. When we went to Lady Eslian’s, I tried taking only half the amount I’d used before, but it didn’t change how I felt, except it wasn’t nearly as effective at blocking out the noise. I have to take it. I’ve no choice. Only… Father’s going to see me staggering about, and he’ll think I’m drunk or worse.”

  “You’ll have to tell him you’re not feeling well,” Pen suggested. “Perhaps that will be enough.”

  “This time, perhaps,” Dani said glumly. “But what about next time? If I’m ill every time we have to go into the city, he’s going to guess something’s going on.”

  “It’s more serious than that,” Rio said. “What happens when you run out of anzaria? Do you have access to more?”

  Dani shot Pen a questioning look. Pen’s shoulders lifted in an almost imperceptible shrug, which was followed by a slight nod. “Not… no. But… I might not be here for much longer anyway. My mother is working to get her sister’s husband to intercede with the king on my behalf. She wanted to bring me with her when she left for Altan, but… Father wouldn’t allow it. He wants me here, to take Haiden’s place as his successor.”

  “How likely is it that she’ll succeed?”

  “I don’t know,” Dani whispered. “I’m still waiting to hear from her. She’s been gone over three weeks. I’d hoped she might have news for me by now, but there’s been no word yet.”

  The clock in the bedroom chimed the quarter hour, and Rio said, “You’d better take that anzaria now, Master Danakho, if it’s to be working by the time we reach the city.”

  Pen shot him a grateful look. Dani opened the top drawer in his dressing table and removed a bottle that certainly hadn’t been there when Rio had searched. He started to pour some into a small
cup. “I have to take the full dose, Pen. Last time, it was awful. And you were right. It didn’t make any difference to how sleepy and dizzy I was.”

  “Do what you must, Master Dani. I don’t see any other choice. Perhaps he’ll believe you’re ill. And perhaps by the time he wants to take you into the city again, we’ll have heard something from Lady Jherek.”

  “I hope so,” Dani whispered. He gulped down the drug and pulled on his jacket. “I’ll just have to do my best to stay awake.”

  “I’ll try and see that you do,” Rio said, and hoped that if questioned, he could convince Bajhan that protecting his charge from an abusive father was part of guarding his life.

  * * *

  Larrad Jherek did not look amused as he scrutinized the document Lord Finnia had pushed across the desk to him. After scanning it, he scowled and handed it to Dani. “What do you make of that, boy? Last season’s prices compared to this season’s.”

  Dani squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, willing himself to wake up. During both breakfast and lunch, he’d primed his father for his exhaustion by making offhand comments about not sleeping well. Which turned out to be good planning on Dani’s part, since he fell asleep soon after the carriage pulled out of the drive, and didn’t wake until they’d nearly reached their destination.

  Now, though he was struggling to focus through the drug fog, at least the anzaria was protecting his mind from the raw emotions of the city full of people.

  When he opened his eyes to stare at the document, the numbers danced about on the page like they always did. He pretended to study it, all the while trying to frame an appropriate apology. Before he could come up with anything, Larrad let out an impatient huff and snatched the paper back.

  “Never mind,” Larrad muttered under his breath. “Useless as tits on a boar, you are.”

  Lord Finnia suppressed a snort, and the blood rushed to Dani’s cheeks. He stared down at the floor and wished it would open up and swallow him. He’d never liked his prospective father-in-law, and he liked him even less now. Finnia was a tall, gangling man with sunken cheeks and hollowed eyes. He looked to be at death’s door, though he’d looked that way for as long as Dani could remember. As a child, he’d found the man frightening, and had either run from the room or hidden behind Haiden when he’d been about.

  There was no Haiden to hide behind now, and Dani had never felt his absence so keenly. Did you have to put up with this, Haiden? No… Father was proud of you. He’d never have made fun of you in front of his associates.

  “Since you can’t be bothered to learn your numbers, I’ll explain it to you.” Larrad’s tone was biting. “And I’ll use small words, so you’re sure to understand.”

  Dani’s shoulders curled toward his chest, and his cheeks grew so hot he was certain they must be glowing. What must Rio think? He didn’t dare turn around to look at the bodyguard, who was stationed behind him, near the office door.

  Larrad began reading off the items and their prices. Most of them were spices and medicinal herbs, and for every single item, the price had risen between last season and this season, some of them by a significant amount.

  When his father paused and looked at him expectantly, Dani ventured, “They’ve all gone up, haven’t they? Did… did they have a bad growing season?”

  Larrad’s thin smile suggested he might approve of Dani’s hesitant question. “You heard the boy, Finnia. Did he give any reason for the price increases? He can’t be blaming it on the weather. My sources in Vhalion tell me the spring was exceptionally mild.”

  Finnia pursed his lips. “He says the caravan was attacked by bandits, and he lost half his stock.”

  “Ai, and I’m sure they’ll hear the same sorry tale in Cathan when he delivers the half he’s claiming is lost.” Larrad’s tone was sour. “Send someone to talk to his drivers, or better yet, find out who he hired for caravan guards and talk to them. I’d like to know if this attack was real or not.”

  “And shall we buy the goods?” Finnia asked.

  “At those prices? Fiora’s tits, no.” Larrad stared off into the distance for a few moments, then said, “We might have someone mention to him what a pity it would be if the warehouse burned down before he had a chance to move the goods.”

  Finnia’s thin lips curved in a cruel smile. “Ai, that sort of suggestion does have a way of keeping prices reasonable.”

  Dani’s mouth went dry as he realized they were talking about threatening the trader. He turned his head to glance at Rio, but Rio’s face was the same blank mask he wore whenever they were out in public.

  “While we’re on the subject,” Larrad continued, “someone needs to have a quiet word with that Redik fellow. Tell him to keep his nose out of the medicinal herb trade. That market belongs to me, and I’ll not have him elbowing his way in. Rugs and silks, jewelry and such, even tea, but not the herbs. Or the spices. Tell him I’m watching him.”

  “I’ll see to it,” Finnia said. “Best to nip it in the bud before he manages to pick up too much of the market. Last thing we need is competition driving the prices down.”

  Dani licked his lips. This sounded a bit like Mistress Orlina’s last economics lesson about supply and demand. Struggling to keep his words from slurring, he said slowly, “But… I don’t understand. Mistress Orlina said… I mean, low prices on medicinal herbs… that’s good, isn’t it? It means the apothecaries can purchase their ingredients for less, and the medicines they make won’t be as expensive. That means the sick can more easily afford them.”

  Larrad exchanged a look with Finnia and both men burst out laughing. “No, boy, that’s not how it works,” Larrad said. “Medicinal herbs can be the difference between life and death.”

  “Exactly,” Dani said, aware that something was wrong here, but not sure what. He thought he’d remembered Mistress Orlina’s lecture correctly, but his mind was so full of fuzz, it was entirely possible he was confusing it with something else. “So… why wouldn’t you make them easily affordable?”

  “Look at it this way,” Larrad said patiently. “If your child is ill, you’re going to pay whatever it takes to get your hands on the right medicine, ai?”

  “Ai, but… but what if they can’t afford the prices you’re charging?”

  “Then they find a way to get the money. Stealing, whoring… it hardly matters, as long as I get paid. And a sick or dying child is plenty of incentive.”

  “But—”

  Larrad’s eyes went cold, and Dani shivered and bit back his protest. His gut writhed and his throat burned at the thought of his father profiting from the misfortunes of others.

  With weaving the mythe being a capital offense, the medicines brewed by the apothecaries were in more demand than ever. Any healer who had the means had fled seven years ago, when the king had first made the decree, and the ones who couldn’t were in hiding, not daring to practice their art.

  Larrad and Finnia moved on to other matters, but Dani barely heard them through the buzzing in his head. The drug was dragging him down, and he could barely keep his eyes open. His father asked him a few questions, but soon grew impatient with Dani’s barely coherent, mumbled replies.

  When Dani stumbled over an answer for the third time, his father said, “Danakho, you’re looking quite pale. Are you unwell?”

  “Ai, sir, I… just… I’m so tired.”

  “You had better head home. Take the carriage, and have the driver come back for me at the club. I’ll be taking dinner there tonight. Finnia, your man can take us to the Briarwood, can’t he?”

  “Ai, he certainly can.” Finnia nodded ingratiatingly. “Do take care, young Danakho. My Eslian is very much looking forward to seeing you later in the week.”

  “Th-thank you, sir. I will.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast,” Larrad said. “We’ll talk then about how Mistress Orlina’s economic theories work in the real world. Go on, off with you.” He smiled, but his eyes were cold. Breakfast tomorrow would not be pleasa
nt.

  Dani managed to get up from his chair and make his way clumsily across the office to where Rio stood. They left, with Rio surreptitiously supporting him.

  The moment they were in the carriage, Rio pulled him down and settled Dani’s head on his lap. “You did well. Sleep now.”

  Dani didn’t have to be told twice. He closed his eyes and let the drug drag him down into oblivion.

  * * *

  Dani slept most of the way home. When the carriage finally rounded the last bend in the road and the Jherek house came into view through the trees, Rio woke him. Dani blinked up at him. The beginnings of a smile quickly turned into a frown as he struggled to sit up.

  “Did you know?” Dani asked quietly.

  “Know what?”

  “About my father. He and Finnia were talking about threatening people to keep them from competing with them. Weren’t you listening?”

  Rio might not know the details of Jherek’s business dealings, but he knew his place, and it didn’t include voicing opinions about his employer’s business ethics. He’d seen far more corrupt souls than Larrad Jherek moving through polite society disguised as upstanding citizens; he’d even protected some of them.

  “It’s not my job to listen to your father’s business meetings, sir. It’s my job to keep you safe.”

  Dani edged across the seat and stared out the window. “They were talking about driving up the prices of medicinal herbs so the people who need them can’t afford them. That’s the sort of thing he expects me to do.”

  Rio ached to pull Dani into his arms and comfort him, but the carriage was slowing down, and in a few moments they’d be in front of the house. “Perhaps there’ll be word from your mother soon,” Rio offered. It was the only hopeful thing he could think of to say.