Sisera's Gift 2: Sacred Blood

by Robyn Wideman

  The two guards looked at each other and shrugged. “We don’t know, Sir,” one of the guards said.

  “Where is Adina? Where is Rosalie?” Kai was desperately shouting. “Where is Amelia?”

  One of the guards perked up. “Lady Amelia is in the main reception hall. Delegates from Partha arrived earlier this evening. She is still receiving them.”

  Kai ran off toward the reception hall without another word.

  “Where’s Raven?” he shouted as he burst through the tall double doors.

  Amelia was seated around a table with a group of three men, all wearing dark robes. She excused herself and walked over to meet with Kai, who was in a fury.

  “Calm down,” she said. “We moved her up to her room so she would be more comfortable.”

  When Kai heard the words, he immediately felt a giant wave of relief pass over him.

  “Thank the gods!” Kai said, his body relaxing. He nodded his head toward the three men. “Who are they?”

  “Travelling missionaries from the Temple of Sol on Partha. They have just arrived. They have apparently heard about our troubles here and have come to offer Sol’s grace as well as assistance.”

  Kai scoffed. “What kind of assistance?”

  “They want to set up a church in the village.”

  “That might be good. This place could probably use a little faith and righteousness.”

  Amelia chuckled. “I need to get back.”

  “I need to get this to Raven. Is Adina with her?”

  “Rosalie, I think. Adina was taking care of the village ward. They have had some troubles settling in there.”

  Kai nodded and left the reception hall. As he went through the tall double doors, he looked back to find all three men staring at him. That’s unnerving, he thought.

  He quickly mounted the steps to the fourth floor where Raven’s room was. He knocked gently on the door.

  “Come in.” Rosalie’s voice came through the door.

  Kai entered the room to find it had been transformed into a makeshift infirmary. Raven lay unconscious on a bed in the middle of the room.

  Rosalie looked up from the workbench she was at and dropped the pestle and mortar she was working with. She ran to Kai and leaped into his arms.

  “I was so worried about you,” she said, crying as she squeezed him tight. “You got the beetle?”

  Kai nodded and handed her the vial. Rosalie grabbed the glass jar and immediately went to work.

  She grabbed a new mortar and a tray that contained a variety of small containers.

  “Adina instructed me on the preparation of the salve. We’ve premeasured everything already so it shouldn’t take me long.”

  “Where is Adina?” Kai asked as he watched Rosalie work with practiced precision. He noted that he’d never seen her so focused or proficient.

  “She is tending to the patients in the village. We haven’t had any new cases in the last day, which is a nice change from the trend lately. She has it all under control. I don’t know what we would do without her.”

  “I don’t know what we would do without you.”

  Rosalie looked up at Kai’s smiling face and grinned.

  “Get out of here. You’re distracting me.” She laughed. “Go get cleaned up. You smell like a wet goat in the hot sun.”

  Kai laughed and nodded. “I’ll be back in a short while.”

  He was smiling when he looked back at Rosalie as he walked out of the room. Suddenly a dark vision came into his mind, the day he walked into their tent to find the love of his life spread open, with Prince Erik of Kosal rutting away on top of her. The smile left his face and he walked away quickly.

  He hurried down the hall toward his room. He burst through the door and slammed it shut behind him. He rushed to the water basin and splashed his face. He peered into the looking glass. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen.

  “Exhaustion is catching up to me,” he said to reassure himself. “I just need some food and sleep.”

  He dried his face with a towel. He looked down at the dirt smeared cloth and thought “I need a bath as well.”

  After peeling off his armor, he made his way to the baths, using the back stairways and halls. He stripped himself down, throwing his dirt and sweat encrusted clothes into an empty basket, and lowered himself into a hot pool. As he let the hot water permeate the layer of grime that surrounded him, the revolting image came to his mind once again.

  “That was the past,” he told himself. “You killed Prince Erik. You have had your revenge. Why think about this now?”

  Kai sunk back in the pool until his head went below water. He held his breath for as long as he possibly could. He finally broke the surface of the pool and gasped for air.

  “I was wondering if you had already drowned or if I should jump in and save you.”

  Kai opened his eyes to find Jaime squatted down at the end of the pool, a boyish smile spread across his face.

  “Jaime.” Kai greeted his friend. “What are you doing?”

  “I figured you had returned because I found your horse wandering around the front gate, looking for someone to unload his burden.”

  In frustration, Kai banged the back of his head against the edge of the pool. He had been so distracted in his own mind that he had forgotten about his horse.

  “Don’t worry. I took care of her.” Jaime laughed as he stood up. “Hurry up. Let’s go get some food.”

  Kai was about to refuse, perhaps claiming that he was road worn and needed sleep when it occurred to him that the company may distract him from the visions that plagued his thoughts. He pulled himself out of the pool and wrapped himself in a thick towel.

  “I forgot to bring a change of clothes. I will meet you in the dining hall,” he said.

  Jaime nodded and headed toward the kitchens.

  Kai grabbed the basket that contained his filthy clothes and returned to his room. He quickly dressed in the black leggings and tunic that was customary for the Daxrah. His tunic had a red insignia embroidered on the breast to signify his rank as high commander. It was exactly what Jaime was wearing except for Jaime’s insignia was blue. He cinched it at the waist with his sword belt.

  He walked down the hall and knocked on Raven’s door before opening it slowly. He peered in to find Rosalie applying the salve to Raven’s forehead. She turned and smiled to greet him.

  “Any progress?” he asked hopefully.

  She shook her head. “Not yet. It will take some time for the concoction to take effect. I will send word to you if there is a change.”

  “Thank you,” he said. “I am meeting Jaime in the dining hall. Can I bring you anything when I return?”

  Rosalie shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  Kai nodded and shut the door behind him. He made his way to the kitchens. Jaime had taken the liberty of laying out a platter of cold meats, preserved vegetables, cheeses, and loaves of bread.

  “There was no one there to tell me not to.” He laughed as Kai sat down and gave him a look of query.

  The two men ate in silence for a while. As soon as the first morsel touched his lips, Kai realized how famished he was. He ate ravenously, washing down the food with gulps of cold water from a pitcher on the table.

  “You’re like an animal right now,” Jaime said with a chuckle.

  Kai just nodded, shoving a piece of chicken on bread, dipped in gravy, into his mouth. When the meal was done, Kai sat back and let out a long blech, rubbing his midsection.

  “How is the wall holding?” he asked.

  “About the same as it always has, I suppose,” Jaime said. “The men are as sharp as ever. They’ve been drilling consistently. With the new mechanics installed, we can have the gate dropped and locked in about five seconds.”

  Kai sat up instantly. “Five seconds? That is unbelievable!” he said. “What new mechanics? Why have I not heard about this?”

  “I guess we forgot to tell you, so much has been happening her
e, and you’ve been so busy.”

  “Does Amelia know about this?” Kai was shocked that such a big change was made without his approval.

  “Of course, she does. She went over the plans with Hamza and approved them,” Jaime said.

  “Whose idea was this?”

  “Raven’s. I guess she had been talking to some of those engineers who moved into the village and they gave her the proposal. She thought it was an excellent idea and brought the plans to Amelia. It only took them two days to make the changes. It really makes a huge difference. We have tested them repeatedly, with a variety of different methods and tactics. They hold strong. It is a truly a wondrous invention.”

  Kai sat back. “That makes me a little bit nervous, having strangers tamper with our gates.”

  “That makes a lot of sense, but, like I said, we’ve tested them and they hold true as they ever have,” said Jaime, picking off and eating little bits of chicken from the bones that remained on the platter.

  “Well, I trust your judgement,” Kai said.

  “It doesn’t sound like you do,” said Jaime, his tone growing more serious.

  “Don’t get huffy,” said Kai. “There are too many bad things happening right now. It seems odd to me.”

  Jaime relaxed. “I know what you mean,” he said. “Things have turned south for us, it is true, but there is still plenty of food, beer, and women. With those three things, we can handle whatever the gods throw at us.”

  Kai laughed. “Let us hope,” he said. “I am going to check on Raven. Would you care to join me?”

  Jaime nodded and pushed his seat back from the table. “I hope the old girl wakes up soon. I miss our delightful conversations.”

  “I do too,” said Kai.

  The two men made their way back up the stairs to Raven’s room. As they entered the hallway, Kai stopped.

  “Screaming,” Jaime said as both men took off running.

  Kai burst through the door of Raven’s room to find the woman up from her bed, half naked, and attacking her nurse.

  Rosalie had herself backed into a corner, holding a large platter that she was using to shield herself from the huge woman’s attacks.

  “He was mine. You took him from me,” Raven shouted as she battered the platter with her fists.

  “Raven,” Kai shouted.

  The warrior woman spun around. Her clothes had been cut open where Rosalie needed to apply the salve, and hung in shreds off her body. She was breathing heavily from her attacks on Rosalie. Kai could not help but notice her ample bosom, heaving.

  “I have never seen anyone look so crazed,” Jaime whispered.

  Kai slowly looked up at her face. Raven’s mouth was held open in a vicious sneer, as if her desire was to tear chunks from their flesh with her teeth. Her eyes were held wide open, unblinking, staring straight at him, burrowing into his soul. Her hair stood out to the sides, antennae radiating her hatred into the world. Kai shivered.

  “What do we do?” Jaime asked, hurriedly as Raven began to advance on them.

  “Lead her away. We’ll split up. Blindside her,” Kai said, a plan beginning to form in his mind.

  “Go,” Jaime shouted as Raven took a swing at him.

  Both men bolted toward the door. As they reached the hallway, Kai grabbed Jaime’s arm, signaling him to wait to make sure Raven was taking the bait.

  The giant warrior woman burst through the doorway just as the two men took off in separate directions, Jaime to the left toward the kitchens, and Kai to the right toward Isabella’s room. Raven immediately ran after Kai.

  Kai swore to himself. He had picked the wrong direction. There was nowhere to go but up. He would have to fight the woman and he did not want to do that. Hopefully Jaime had a plan to help. He ran towards the staircase, Raven closely behind. He bounded up the first flight, quickly looking back as he turned to the second flight. Raven was still close behind him, but clearly having more difficulty with the stairs than he was.

  “Raven,” Kai shouted at her but she only responded with a deep growl.

  Kai mounted the rest of the stairs, gaining a bit of ground on the big woman. He ran down the hall and burst through the door to Isabella’s quarters. He scanned the huge room, looking for a non-deadly weapon or something to defend himself with.

  Raven burst into the room and ran directly at him. Kai managed to dive over a couch to escape her grasp. He desperately scanned the room, looking for something that would aid him in the fight. Raven lunged at him again, once again narrowly missing him.

  “Jaime,” Kai shouted in desperation. He eyed the door but Raven situated herself in between him and the exit. He had to make a move.

  “All right, I guess we are going to fight,” he said, shifting his body into a defensive stance.

  Raven lunged at him again. This time, Kai punched her in the face and kicked her in the side of the leg. Raven fell to one knee, shaken from the attack.

  Kai made a move towards the door, but Raven recovered quickly. She grabbed him from behind, around the neck. She lifted him with ease and slammed him through a table, knocking the wind out of him. Relentless, she jumped on top of him, holding him down with her knee, as she used both fists to wail away on his face. Kai threw up his hand to try and defend himself but with little success.

  “Please, Raven.” He pleaded, as she pummeled him with a flurry of powerful fists, each finding its target.

  Raven got to her feet and grabbed Kai by the hair, pulled him up and forced him to stand. He crumbled to the ground again after she hit him with a vicious headbutt to the bridge of his nose. He quickly curled into a ball, as she proceeded to kick him repeatedly.

  Kai began to feel numb to the harsh blows as his consciousness began to fade. All sound was replaced by a high pitch ringing and his vision became increasingly blurry each time she kicked him in the head.

  For a brief moment, the beating stopped. Kai let out a low groan which was answered by a sharp pain and the crack of his cheek bone.

  “I think she’s punching me again.” It was the last thing Kai thought before he faded out of consciousness.

  39

  Isabella’s hands would not stop shaking. She clasped them together but she could not cease the trembling.

  “Just take deep breaths and try to calm down. She’s not scary. She’s actually funny,” Sisera said through their link.

  Isabella knew that she was not lying. She could feel that Sisera truly loved and respected the Alpha. That did not change the fact she was terrified of the white-gold leader of all dragons.

  “What do I say?”

  Sisera laughed. “You are being silly. She’s not like a queen. Not really, anyway. There is nothing to be frightened of.”

  Isabella took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  The two walked across the wide open, grassy plain toward the middle of the spiraling rock formation where the rest of the dragons and Shayla were already. In the middle of the formation, on the large, flat rock in the center, sat a mighty white-gold dragon. Isabella stared at her in awe. The dragon’s nearly iridescent scales caught the last rays of sunlight, giving her entire body a reddish glow.

  “She is magnificent,” Isabella mindlinked.

  “She’s probably enhancing her look with magic. For effect,” Sisera said. “I bet she does that.”

  As they approached Shayla and Caritha stepped forward to greet them. Shayla took Isabella’s hand and looked her in eyes.

  “You’re fine,” she whispered. She gave Isabella a warm smile and squeezed her hand.

  The gesture meant the world to Isabella. She felt her nerves settle a bit. She looked up at Apophis and walked forward to meet her.

  “Greetings, Dragonkin,” Apophis said, nodding her head toward the young girl.

  “Hello, your Grace.” Isabella curtsied.

  “That’s a bit much.” Sisera chided her playfully, through their mindlink.

  Isabella knew that her scales had turned a sha
de of red.

  “No need of formalities with me, Dragonkin,” said the white-gold. “Apophis will do. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  “For me as well,” Isabella managed to say before her mouth dried up completely.

  “Greetings, Apophis,” Sisera said, quickly stepping beside Isabella.

  “Greetings, Sisera.” Apophis gave an understanding nod, “Seems you’ve had an exciting experience, much like your sisters, which is an interesting coincidence. I would like to hear the whole story later if you can accommodate me.”

  “Yes, of course. It has definitely been quite the trip,” Sisera said. She gave the girl a forward bump with her wing. “This is Isabella. She’s usually talkative, but she is very nervous to meet you. She thinks that you’re a big deal or something.”

  Apophis chuckled and hopped off the rock. She landed softly in front of Isabella. She looked down at the girl and smiled. “If you can manage it, I would like to hear your story. Walk with me?”

  Nervously, Isabella walked beside the great beast around the field. Apophis asked her questions. As she answered the dragon’s questions, she found herself getting more relaxed. By the end of their first lap around the field, Isabella had opened up and was telling the dragon all about Mara and the Tower of Kings.

  They talked for a long time. Isabella barely noticed the light fading. Soon the dark sky was filled with twinkling stars and air got cold. Isabella shivered.

  “Perhaps it is time to retire for the night,” Apophis said, stretching her huge wings.

  Isabella looked around and found Sisera slumbering, curled up next to Caritha and Shayla who were also sleeping.

  “I didn’t realize how late it was,” she said as she got to her feet.

  “We will continue in the morning. Sleep well, dragonkin,” Apophis said as she flew off.

  Isabella lay down next to the gold-purple, snuggling herself underneath the dragon’s wing. As she waited for sleep, her thoughts turned to Makal. She wondered how he was and what he was doing. She wondered if he missed her in the same way that she missed him.

  “How is she doing that?”

  Isabella slowly opened her eyes to find Sisera and Caritha standing over her. She watched as Sisera threw a large rock directly at her head. Instantly she was awake, her hands quickly covering her head so that she wouldn’t get smashed by the large stone. The blow never came.