Allegra turned back to Markus and motioned toward the shackled man. “He wont survive your punishment.
Markus let out a breath, but she couldnt tell if he was angry or not. After a moment, he veered off and rode over to Borjan. The lieutenant saluted him with his fist turned upward. To Allegra, the salute looked as if the men were offering their prowess as warriors to the sky, the realm of their Shadow Dragon.
Markus tilted his head toward the thief. “Can he ride? he asked the lieutenant.
“I dont know, Sire, Borjan said. “Possibly.
Possibly? Allegra felt ill. If doubt existed as to whether the man could even ride, he certainly couldnt run behind Borjans horse for three days.
“Give him a horse, then, Markus said. “Take off the shackles and let him ride.
A flash of relief lit Borjans eyes. “Right away, Sire.
As the lieutenant vaulted to the ground and strode to the shackled man, Markus went on, riding his horse forward.
Allegra let out the breath she hadnt realized she was holding. Again Markus surprised her. She hadnt expected him even to listen to her, let alone act on her words.
“Thank you, she said quietly.
“For what?
“Sparing his life.
“Why are you thanking me? Do you know this man?
“No. But he didnt deserve to die for stealing a knife.
“He might not have died. Jazid men are strong.
“Even so.
Markus just grunted. Then he said, “Do you want to eat?
“Very much.
He took food out of his riding pack, oranges and peaches. When they finished the fruit, he gave her creamy cheese, a delicacy given how easily it could go bad under these travel conditions. They washed it down with clear, fresh water. His consideration confused her, for she didnt want to like him, and he was making it far harder to hold back that response than she would ever have thought possible.
They continued to ride as they ate. The company was soon moving through foothills, penetrating deeper into the desolate badlands.
CHAPTER 7
STONEBLUE SKY
As the sun rose, the prince regents company cut across the northern foothills of the Jagged Teeth and came out into open land, headed toward the distant peaks of another sharpened range. They had seen no other people since leaving the TAmbera, and nothing lay ahead but splintered mountains.
Markuss bodyguard soon rode up alongside them. When the prince slowed down, the man gave him a bundle of blue silk.
Markus squinted at the silk. “What is this?
“You asked for a robe, Sire, the guard said. “I found this in one of the chests.
“I meant the yellow one.
“My apology. The man hesitated. “The yellow was crumpled. I thought you might like a fresh one for her.
“Ah. Markus grinned at him. “Yes, thats good.
The guard spoke in a carefully neutral voice. “I also rolled up the rug and stored it.
Allegra wondered which rug he meant, given that the tent had so many of them. Then her face burned as she realized what they were talking aboutthe rug with the proof of her virginity.
“Thank you, Izad, Markus said. “Youve done well.
“It is my honor, Sire.
Markus thrust the robe into her hands, then kicked the horse and took off again, racing across the desert. She had a feeling he went fast because he liked it rather than because it served any need. His horse stretched out his powerful legs, and if her added weight tired him, he gave no sign. Markus held her around the waist, and the wind whipped back her hair in the exhilarating ride.
Eventually he slowed to let the horse rest. When they resumed a saner pace, she pulled on the robe and was surprised to inhale its scented fragrance. “Did you buy this from the TAmbera, too?
“I think so, he said. “I didnt look much at the clothes. I concentrated mostly on the weapons.
She blinked. “The TAmbera sell weapons?
“To me, yes.
“Charming people, she said. “Slave traders and arms dealers.
“They brought me you. He nuzzled her hair. “That alone was worth the trip.
“Markus, where are we going?
No answer.
She indicated the distant range. “To those mountains?
“Perhaps.
“Why wont you tell me?
“I dont consult a pleasure girl about my military plans.
“Well, you should.
He gave a startled laugh. “Whatever for?
She didnt really have an answer, so she gave one she knew would outrage him. “I can tell you if they are good plans.
“Is that so?
“Indeed.
“I will say this, Allegra. You are never boring.
“I would like to be boring. So much that you tire of me and let me go home.
His words burst out. “I would never throw away a woman because she wasnt new and perfect, especially not after I got her pregnant three times.
Where had that come from? She spoke carefully. “You must have a lot of children.
“Actually, no. Just one. After a moment, he added, “His mother doesnt acknowledge I am the father. But everyone knows he is mine. He looks just like me when I was fourteen. And he has three joints in his big toe. Who else has that? Only me, my father and my grandfather.
“How can your concubine refuse to say you are the father?
“She wasnt a concubine. He shifted behind her, gripping the reins so hard, his knuckles whitened. “I dont have any women. I havent for years. Except you, now.
Only her? “Then how She stopped, uncertain she wanted to hear the rest.
“She lived in a town I visited with my father and Dusk Yargazon. He spoke in clipped sentences, unlike his usual drawl. “Dusk saw her. He liked her. So he took her. He shared her with me. Thats it.
Allegra had a feeling that wasnt “it at all. “Does she say Yargazon is the father?
“No. She says the boys father is her husband.
“Her husband!
His voice had gone flat. “I didnt know she was married.
“You didnt ask?
“No. I thought Dusk did. I didnt know him as well then.
“Gods, Markus, what did you do to her?
“I made love to her. He sounded defensive. “It isnt a crime.
Like hell. “What about Yargazon?
His voice turned leaden. “I didnt know.
“Know what?
“His tastes areharsher than mine.
“He hurt her, didnt he? Her voice cracked. “The two of you grabbed some girl, raped her, hurt her in saints only know how many ways and left her like a broken doll.
“Stop it! His fist jerked on the reins, and the horse neighed in protest.
“You feel guilty, she said. “All these years, youve hated what you did. Despite what his people allowed, what his title and status gave him, despite everything, he had a conscience.
“We broke no laws. He sounded almost as upset as she felt.
“Of course not. Your family makes the laws. Allegra took a breath to steady herself. “That means you also have the power to fix wrongs. The moral responsibility is yours, too.
“By the Dragon, you talk a lot!
“No, I dont. I just say things you dont want to hear.
“I didnt know. He spoke with unexpected pain. “Usually Dusk shared his girls with my father. I knew they did, but I never thought about it. I hadnt realized my fatherI mean, he never treated my mother that way.
That you knew. “Your mother was his pleasure girl?
“Concubine. He was good to her.
She didnt believe it. “Always?
It was a moment before he answered. “Until he tired of her. I was about five. She was pregnant with my second sister.
Allegra hesitated, unsure if she should ask more. This man had a lot more to him than it had appeared when she met him. She spoke with care. “Do you have a lot of siblings?
&
nbsp; “Not as many asbefore the war. He paused for a moment. Then he said, “I dont know what my father was like with the mothers of my other siblings. But maybe it was fortunate he tired of my mother. He hardened as he grew up.
“Grew up? It seemed a strange way for a son to characterize his father.
His arms moved as he shrugged behind her. “He was only twelve when I was born.
Her mouth fell open. “What?
“He wanted a concubine. Markus sounded uncomfortable. “So grandfather gave him one. She was sixteen.
Allegra could think of many responses to that. Choosing tact, she said, “You had an unusual childhood.
“But a good one. After a pause, he added, “I think.
“You think? It didnt sound good to her.
“I lived in a palace with a mother who doted on me, a father who gave me all the riches I could want and servants to cater to my every need. I wasnt the heir to the throne, so I didnt have to learn all those lessons my grandfather drummed into my father, and my father later expected from my half brother. I could do whatever the flaming hell I wanted. Yes, I would say it was a good life.
Then why are you angry? It sounded to her as if he had missed a great deal, like parents with the maturity to raise a child and love him without spoiling him.
“What happened to your son? she asked.
His voice warmed. “Hes done well, actually. I used to visit the family several times a year. He didnt hide his longing. “I liked those visits. And I sent gold coins regularly. I also offered him a commission in the army, when he was old enough. Dryly he added, “That was before Cobalt put a death sentence on my head. Now, what army can he join? I cant commission him in the official one, with Cobalt in charge, and mine is outlawed. His mood lightened again. “Hes very good at engineering, you know. He designed an irrigation system for his village, and it works beautifully. Hes a strong, kind boy.
She smiled, touched by his affection. “He sounds like someone to be proud of.
“So he is. After a pause, Markus spoke wryly. “I think this talks-too-much affliction you have is contagious.
“You have interesting things to say. It was true. He had lived a strange life, privileged certainly, though not one she would have wanted. She had a feeling he knew he had missed as much as he had enjoyed, but she doubted he could actually say what his sumptuous life had lacked.
“Come, lets ride, he said. “Shadow has had enough rest.
“Shadow?
“My horse. Named for the dragon, of course. With that, he surged into another mad race across the desert.
In the late afternoon, they stopped to rest at the southern border of Taka Mal and Jazid. To Allegra, the badlands of Taka Mal looked just as stark as those of Jazid.
“How do you know where the border is? she asked. They were sitting on the top of a small mesa that thrust up from the desert like the isolated, broken molar of some giant.
“By the cairns, Markus said, pointing. “Look over there.
Allegra squinted. A solitary pile of red boulders stood like a sentry in the desert, gnarled and weathered.
“Is someone buried there? she asked.
“A border guard, he said. “If they dont have family to accept their remains when they die, the army buries them on the border, to honor their service to the atajazid.
It sounded so lonely. “Does it bother them?
“Not at all. Its considered an honor. Often they have a place picked out ahead of time for their burial. He bit into a slab of meat he had taken from his riding bag. “The army doesnt have enough sentinels to guard the border anymore, though.
It didnt surprise her. Jazid had lost many men in the war, and Cobalt had executed those soldiers who refused him their fealtyexcept these outlaws who had escaped the long reach of his power.
“It must be strange, living as an exile in your own country, Allegra said. She bit one of the grapes he had given her.
He scowled at the border. “Its even more aggravating that Taka Mal is free when we arent, given the way they betrayed us.
Allegra knew little about Jazids northern neighbor beyond the geography she taught her students, but she had thought Taka Mal and Jazid shared similar cultures. A queen ruled in Taka Mal, though, which she could never imagine happening here.
“Id heard that Taka Mal and Jazid were allies, she said.
“No longer.
“How did they betray your country?
“How didnt they? He tore a bite of meat off with his teeth and chewed and swallowed angrily. “They allied with your country. Their infernal queen married a man from Aronsdale, some weak, pretty boy with yellow hair.
Allegra had heard about the marriage; such delicious gossip reached even her home, for the man came from southwestern Aronsdale. The stories always described him as handsome and charming, a minstrel and lithe acrobat with a dazzling smile.
“I can see how an alliance between Taka Mal and Aronsdale might surprise Jazid, she said. “But why call it a betrayal?
“The queen had agreed to marry my father, to cement the alliance between our two countries. Together, we would stand against Cobalt the Dark.
That didnt sound right. “If she wed your father, wouldnt Jazid laws have constrained her?
“My father would have expected her to behave as befits a Jazid queen, if that is what you mean.
Allegra scowled at him. “In other words, he gets her throne.
“I dont know what they would have done, he admitted. “Both of them were strong personalities. But its irrelevant. Instead of keeping her word, she took that boy as her consort. He clenched his fist on his knee. “Cobalt the Dark cut off my fathers head, and now the queen of Taka Mal sleeps with Cobalts kin.
“Im sorry about your father, she said quietly.
He stared out at the desert. “I saw it.
She stared at him, stunned. “You saw She couldnt finish, couldnt say, You saw a man behead your own father?
“Cobalt violated the Alatian Code of War. Markuss gaze had become distant, as if he viewed images far different from the empty desert below. “He called my father to meet him during the battle. A truce applies when leaders talk this way. But Cobalt attacked him. They were on a mesa above the battlefield. I was in the combat, leading a company. I saw Cobalt and my father fighting. In a dull voice, he said, “While I was riding to help my father, Cobalt killed him.
The blood drained from her face. “You saw it all?
“Yes. His eyes focused on some distant point. “I had almost reached them. But I never made it. The lightning hit first.
“Im sorry, she murmured. No wonder the emperor was called Cobalt the Dark. He sounded horrific.
Markus drew in a breath and turned to her. “My father was not an easy man, and he grew harder each year. But he loved me, and I loved him. I will avenge his death. Ill never rest until I hold the severed head of the Dark Emperor in my hands.
“Im not surprised you hate him. The more she understood about Markus, the less he seemed like a tyrant and the more like a strong, desperate leader doing his best to survive an intolerable situation.
“But, Markus, she said. “No mage could bring lightning down out of a clear sky. It isnt possible.
“I saw her do it. His gaze darkened. “You can, too.
“I cant!
“I know youre lying.
Every time she started to see him in a different light, he turned around and showed his other side, the atavistic warlord. She had to convince him before he decided to do something drastic, like tie her up until she sang the spells he wanted. She took a breath. “Yes, I admit, I can do spells. But only to soothe people, create light or warmth, help you sleep. Im telling you the truth when I say thats my limit. I didnt know I had put your guards to sleep. I wasnt sure I could even put you to sleep.
He smiled. “I know you didnt realize about the guards. You would have snuck out of the tent otherwise.
Damn. It hadnt even occurred to her to check on them. She had been
too exhausted to do anything last night, though. If she had tried to escape, she would have collapsed in his camp, which would have brought her a lot more grief when someone found her.
“Why did you need the compass? Markus asked.
“Its the curved surface, she hedged. “It focuses the spell.
“Curves. He laughed and brushed his hand over her breast. “Thats how you put a spell on me.
She wondered if he would ever stop pawing her. It flustered her, especially when he made her want to laugh at his jokes. If anyone had told her a few days ago that the prince regent of Jazid could be sensually charming when he wanted, she would have thought they were crazy.
“ Geometric curves, she said. “Like a circle.
“How many people can you put to sleep?
“Maybe five? Ive never done it before. She got up and went to the edge of the mesa. His company was spread out below, in the shade of the rock formation. Far to the east, small figures rode across the red desert, scouts he had sent ahead to check the land.
Markus came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. “Even five is an incredible weapon. A lovely girl, singing like a night bird. No one would ever suspect.
“I wont be your weapon. I could never hurt people with spells. She shivered despite the heat. “Its another reason the empress couldnt have attacked with lightning. What we do to others, we do to ourselves.
“You didnt fall asleep last night. He kissed her temple. “You moved across the tent. You had to be awake to do that.
“I did sleep for a while, she admitted. “But spells usually dont affect me quite as much as the people I direct them at.
“Hmm. He slid the robe off her shoulders and it fell down around her elbows. Nuzzling her neck, he fiddled with the gold clasp that fastened the halter between her breasts.
“Markus! She swatted his hand. “If anyone looks up here, theyll see you mauling me.
“Theyll wish it was them instead of me. He opened the clasp.
“Behave yourself. She grabbed the clasp, holding the halter closed so her breasts wouldnt fall out.
Markus suddenly hefted her up into his hold, with one arm under her legs and another behind her back. He carried her away from the edge and then set her down on her feet. “Better?
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