Song Of Fury (Gods Of Blood And Fire Book 2)

by A. J. STRICKLER

  “Yes, I could not sleep and I needed to speak with you, without any of the others knowing.”

  Kian sensed a change in the woman’s normal demeanor. Whatever she wanted seemed to be of a private nature. The woman raised her hands to pull the cowl of her robe back and he looked on her for the first time. She looked no more than twenty. In the weak light of the cell, he saw long, silky black hair that framed an unnaturally beautiful face. The sorceress’s dark eyes and ruby lips stood out on her porcelain skin. Some of her features seemed almost familiar to him, but the swordsman could not quite place them.

  “I wanted you to see me, Kian. You have earned the right.”

  “You are a lovely woman, Tragedy. You shouldn’t hide your face behind that cowl.”

  She looked at the floor, seemingly embarrassed by the compliment. Kian could see that for all her beauty, the woman carried a deep sorrow on her face. “Why did you come here?”

  The sorceress reached up and pulled her hair around her neck, resting its full length on her right shoulder. “I wanted to tell you a tale. When I finish, I will to make you a proposition.”

  Kian had not forgotten who and what the woman was, and it made him wary. “I suppose I will listen to what you have to say. I am your captive after all, what choice do I have?”

  “That is very true, swordsman, but in this case, I am asking you to listen. To understand what I will propose, you must hear my story.”

  He said nothing but the sorceress had piqued his interest. He would listen to what she had to say. Kian gestured for her to begin.

  Slowly pacing back and forth in front of his cage, she began. “I am much older than I appear. Suffice to say that is due to the fact my father is a god. His divinity was not a blessing to me, it was nothing short of an abominable curse.

  “Most of my life has been filled with nothing but fear and loneliness. My mother died giving birth to me and my father was not…a loving parent. He took me to his home in Sidia. As an infant, I was given to one of the many slaver houses that infest the city. He bid the master of the house to raise me as his property, but I was not to be sold. My childhood is not important, but suffice to say, my early years were vulgar and cruel.

  “My magic manifested when I was sixteen. My power was undisciplined but abnormally strong. Eventually, I used it to destroy the slaver’s compound and slay the men who had abused and hurt me over the course of my young life. I took to the streets. I thought there could be little worse than to be in the chains of my former masters, but a young girl alone in the City of Black Gate is a fate more horrible than any I could have ever imagined. I was fortunate just to stay alive. Back then, my magic was wild and often disobedient to my desires, but if not for my power, I would have never survived.

  “After a few years of living that nightmare, a woman appeared to me. She was understanding and kind. It was she that took me away from the vile city. I was given a small home of my own in a secluded forest in the land of Trimenia. There I lived alone for a very, very long time, never taking the risk of going beyond the forest. I was too afraid my father might find me if I strayed from the shelter of the woods. It was not a displeasing life, if not for the unbearable loneliness.”

  Kian held up his hand to silence her. “Did you ever find out who the woman was?” Kian asked.

  “Yes, I did, many years later. Her name is Celestia. Though I have never seen the woman again after she left me in Trimenia, I have found out two things about my mysterious benefactor: she is a goddess and we share the same father.”

  Kian frowned. He did recall the name Celestia from his studies with Gildor, but he couldn’t remember who had fathered the Goddess of Medicine and Healing.

  Tragedy shook back her hair and continued. “The loneliness of my home in Trimenia grew to be too much to bear. So I dared to venture out.

  “I wandered the world, swordsman. I greedily devoured everything it had to offer. As time passed, my magical powers continued to develop, but my control was still lacking. I was about to return home to Trimenia and see if I could find a way to contact the goddess who had rescued me from Sidia. I thought she might have the answers I was looking for. That is when Vanguard found me.

  “One of the members of the Circle had been killed and he was searching the world for a new caster to take their place. He took me in and taught me the discipline I sorely needed to control my power. With my magic finally under control, he asked me to join his cabal. I readily agreed, so I became one of the Circle of Thirteen.”

  Kian raised his hand. “An interesting story, but what does any of that have to do with me?”

  She turned her back to him and bowed her head. “I became an extremely powerful sorceress; my name was whispered in fear. It was that infamy that led to the torment that ravages my heart.” She turned to face him, her eyes filled with tears. Stepping closer to his cell, Tragedy reached out and touched his hand.

  “A few years ago, my father took a renewed interest in me. At first, I was pleased. He told me that he regretted what he had done and wanted to make amends. He seemed proud of what I had become and offered to aid me anyway he could. My father can be very persuasive, and I came to believe he truly cared about me. It was all a trick. One day we were in my quarters discussing a spell I had designed, without warning, he attacked. He set upon me with a magic that my power could not resist or counter. I fell quickly in our short battle, and he rendered me unable to fight back or even move. That is when he changed. His form altered into something from a nightmare. My mind froze. All I can remember are horns and wings and the feel of his forked tail as it slid across my flesh.

  “The fiend stripped the clothing from my wounded body and violently raped me. When it finished, the monstrous thing vanished, leaving me near death and pregnant with its child.

  “After I recovered, I planned to destroy myself. I could not even bear to think about what he had done to me, but then I felt the child come to life inside me. Though it came from evil, I grew more and more attached to the notion of being a mother. I would never have to be alone again. No matter what the circumstances of the child’s conception, it was mine.

  “I was happy, swordsman, something I had never been. With each passing day, I pushed the horrible deed my father had inflicted on me further and further from my mind. My thoughts turned to the sweet being inside me.

  “It seemed like forever but the day finally came. I was scared about what I might give birth to, yet excited to finally see what had been growing inside me.

  “The labor was severe. Vanguard and the others did what they could, but none of the Circle was skilled in the healing arts. I lost consciousness and when I awoke, Vanguard told me they had managed to save me, but my child had not survived. He told me it had been a perfect baby girl.”

  Tragedy stopped for a moment. It was clear she was trying to compose herself so she could finish the tale. Grabbing the cell’s bars and putting her face between them, the sorceress took a deep breath and went on. “I was devastated by the loss, but my mourning was interrupted by the devil that had caused my grief. My father came to me. He was furious that I had lost the child. He said I had ruined his plans and I was unfit to be his daughter. In a fit of rage, he cursed me to be forever barren, to never know the bliss of motherhood again.”

  Kian gently squeezed the sorceress’s hand. Tragedy had a less than virtuous reputation, but Kian felt compassion for her. No one should ever suffer the loss of their child. The swordsman could not imagine the pain of that kind of loss. “You have been wronged, Tragedy, and you have suffered greatly, but I still don’t know what this foul saga has to do with me?”

  Kian watched as the expression on her face changed. He was well acquainted with the guise of madness. “Don’t you see, swordsman? The power of the Forever Sea courses through your veins. You’re the only one in the world that may have a chance to break my father’s curse. Give me a child and I will set you free.”

  ***

  Tragedy leaned against the battleme
nts of the ancient fortress, her chin resting on her hands as she looked out into the darkness of the Synsarian waste. Vanguard had secured the abandoned monstrosity years ago, and the Circle had used their magic to repair and fortify the massive structure as well as drive out all the nasties that had taken up residence inside.

  The stronghold was immense; days could pass without the members of the Circle even seeing each other, if they so desired. It could easily house ten thousand warriors and boasted unassailable walls fifty feet high. The colossal fortress was called the Keep of Broken Souls, for it was said that the spirts of those who died trying to storm its unforgiving ramparts still roamed around the dismal citadel, seeking a way inside. She just called the place home.

  The men at arms walking their post paid her little heed; none of the warriors Vanguard had recruited to his cause would dare question a member of the Circle or bother them with conversation. Such was the malevolent reputation of the wizards that dwelled in the keep.

  The night was pitch-black and the moonless sky foreboding; the only light was from the flickering torches set along the wall’s merlons. The murky night didn’t trouble her, she had always liked the dark.

  What she didn’t like was Kian’s rejection of her offer. The swordsman had outright refused her. It really shouldn’t have been a surprise after speaking with him over the last few weeks, he loved the Korlest woman beyond all else. Surprisingly, his devotion to the woman sparked a slight pang of jealousy in her. It wasn’t that she cared for the man, even though his exotic features did arouse her lust. Her envy of the woman was more a case of vanity than anything else.

  Time would bring the warrior around, and perhaps a little harsh persuasion. She had to change his mind, there was no alternative. Kian’s blood might be the only thing that could break her father’s curse. The swordsman was likely the only creature in the world that could sire a child with her. He would have to be convinced that there was no escape from the Keep of Broken Souls without her help.

  Tragedy hoped he would come to realize that fact on his own. With his unnatural resistance to magic, she could not charm him with her sorcery, and for all her dark beauty, she would not be able to steal his heart from the woman he loved. If his liberty was not enough enticement to coax him into laying with her, there were other ways. She didn’t want to threaten to hurt the people he loved, but if he continued to refuse, she would have no choice. Time was something she had little of. Vanguard was not going to give her much longer; he had his own plans for Kian.

  Movement on the parapet made her turn her head. Misfortune was coming down the battlements towards her. The woman’s wavy brown hair stirred with the night’s breeze as she strutted along the wall in a shameless ensemble made entirely of well-placed leather straps. The sorceress swung her hips with practiced mastery as she passed the warriors on the wall, smiling at Tragedy like school girl as the men turned to watch as she sauntered past. Misfortune was as clever and powerful as she was promiscuous and depraved.

  The sorceress wrapped her arms around Tragedy’s neck and wantonly kissed her lips. She gazed deeply into Misfortune’s violet eyes; she had always found them decidedly captivating. They had been lovers for a time. The relationship had been passionate and brief, neither having any interest in continuing their short-lived affair. If she had a friend among the members of the circle, it was Misfortune.

  “It’s chilly out here. You should come inside and get into a hot bath.”

  Tragedy tenderly pulled the woman’s hands from her shoulders and leaned back against the ancient rampart. “I was getting ready to do just that. What brings you out here so late?”

  “You. There is talk that Vanguard is concerned you are growing too close to our prisoner. He is starting to think you might be putting your own agenda before the Circle’s.”

  “And what do you think?”

  “I think you’re my friend and I am telling you this to try and keep you out of trouble. He has said your reports have been vague and you might have lost sight of the grand design for the half-breed.”

  Tragedy folded her arms. “He can’t stop me now. I need more time. My manipulation has to be subtle. Kian still thinks we want to know about the magic his brother used to transform him. If Vanguard would have taken more care in his solicitation of Tavantis, I might have had someone here that could help me find a way to get Kian to cooperate with me.”

  Misfortune cringed. “I wish you wouldn’t mention that arrogant bastard's name, Trag, I just ate, and you well know that wretched man makes me sick.”

  One side of Tragedy’s mouth lifted in a grin. “He can be infuriating and difficult, but his power can’t be denied. Few are born possessing the kind of relationship Tavantis has with magic. His mind is diabolical and he has an overabundant sense for the macabre, but he has the potential to be the most powerful sorcerer the world has ever known. That is, of course, if he weren’t completely mad. ”

  “Well, Vanguard hates him.”

  “Vanguard hates him because he couldn’t control him or bring him into the circle.”

  Misfortune giggled. “Vanguard was furious when he told him he had no intention of joining a troupe of oddly dressed court jesters.”

  “You do know he was insulting us as well,” Tragedy said, shaking her head and grinning.

  “I know but it was still amusing. It is unfortunate that the man is so completely detestable or I would lure him into the Circle myself.”

  “I don’t even know if your wiles could turn that lunatic's head,” Tragedy said with a flip of her hand.

  Misfortune sighed and caressed her face. “Don’t stay out here fretting all night about the Slayer. If he can’t be made to give you a child, I will steal one for you myself.” The two sorceresses embraced and Misfortune left Tragedy to ponder her dilemma alone.

  It was still a few hours till morning when the wind picked up and the solution popped into her head. Tragedy flung her arms wide as the strong breeze whipped at her dark hair and pulled at the thin robe she worn. She laughed out loud. Misfortune had unknowingly given her the answer, it had been right there in front of her the whole time. Tragedy didn’t need Kian, she needed the Slayer.

  ***

  She went into the room that held his cell as if it was any other morning. Kian sat in the corner of his cage with his arms wrapped around his legs. When she came to the bars, he raised his head and from beneath a furrowed brow, he regarded her with those fierce golden eyes. He didn’t speak but she could read the tortured look on his face. He had been thinking about her offer. “Vanguard may soon forbid me to see you. I will come to you one last time tonight.”

  He said nothing. It wasn’t a lie, tonight would be her last opportunity. What Misfortune said had been true. Vanguard’s patience for her personal pursuits had run its course. The leader of the Circle had called her to him in the early hours of the morning and told her he wanted the swordsman released when the sun rose the following day. He had set his plan in motion and it could not be altered. If she wasn’t with child by tomorrow, she never would be.

  ***

  Just before midnight, she returned to Kian’s cell. He stood there with his arms folded across his chest. Moving closer to the cell, she gave the swordsman an alluring look. She had brushed her dark hair until it was soft as silk and bathed in rose-scented water. Any man would be hard pressed to refuse her feminine attributes. “This is the last time I will get to see you, Kian. I must have your answer now.”

  The swordsman shrugged “I just can’t do it. I am sorry.”

  She opened her robe, revealing her nudity beneath. The sorceress’s body was exquisite. She gently caressed herself as she looked into Kian’s eyes. “I assure you it will not be an unpleasant experience.”

  He tried to look away from her, but the attempt was futile. “It is not that I don’t find you desirable, Tragedy, and I have sympathy for your plight, but I love Endra and I can’t betray her.”

  “It’s not betrayal, warrior, it is the price
of your freedom. How can you help her or your children if you’re imprisoned here?”

  Kian’s arms dropped to his sides. “Help her? What has happened?”

  Tragedy tried to suppress a smile of satisfaction. She had him. Now for a little white lie. “I don’t know the details, but your enemies from the Church didn’t keep their word to you. Those you care about are in the hands of the Church, and I believe you know what the pope plans for all of us that carry the blood.”

  “They swore on their god,” he raged.

  She watched as he grabbed the bars of the cell and tried to bend them. Failing, he began to pace, and a low growl began to rumble from his chest. He threw his full weight against the cell door over and over, but the enchanted steel would not yield, even to his inhuman strength. He bared his fangs and roared at her. “Free me now, wench, or I swear I will kill everyone in this den of evil.”

  His ferociousness caused her to take a step back, and then she remembered this was what she wanted. “Yes, Kian, I will free you, but first you must let the Slayer take me. He will give me what I need and you will be blameless. Open his cage and I will open yours.”

  The warrior’s golden eyes flashed. “Come then, sorceress, if you dare.”

  She waved her hand in front of the bars, dropping the magical wards that had been placed on them. Tragedy had no intention of unlocking the cage, not just yet. Reaching into the pocket of her robe, she pulled out a handful of powdered iron. She spoke a word of power and cast it into the air. Making a sign with her fingers, the sorceress stepped through the iron bars and into Kian’s cell.

  Lying down on the cell’s straw mattress, she tore open her robe and spread her legs. “Take me, Slayer.” The brute ripped his clothing off. Kian no longer stood before her. It was the killer she had heard so much about, the Slayer, and in his blood was her salvation.