Sorceress of Faith

by Robin D. Owens

  Marian smiled as she hurried away, then took a gulp of mead that tasted of spicy herbs, wine and honey. She tilted her head back and saw them.

  Heads. Mounted on the wall.

  Monsters.

  Her hand holding the glass went limp and crashed to the table. She forced herself to swallow instead of spew the drink.

  She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the awful creatures. These were the real thing of the holographic images Alexa had shown her. Render—black, bristly fur, wide mouth opened in a snarl with awful, sharp teeth. Two paws were mounted, too, each with six curved razor-sharp claws. Slayer—yellow head covered with spines, wicked tiny eyes. Soul-sucker—reptilian gray skin, round sockets for eyes and nose, a torso sporting two arms with two tentacles framing each arm. Her gaze went to Jaquar’s hat, which he’d put on the table. Definitely made of soul-sucker.

  Gulping again and again to keep her mead down, Marian tried not to think of them attacking the humans here. Attacking and killing.

  Her stomach rolled. She put a hand on her throat to force the sickness down, but still tasted the “tassy water”—as a young Andrew had named bile—preceding nausea.

  Alexa gripped Marian’s hands hard, and a soothing balm sifted through Marian from her.

  Jaquar scowled and said, “What is it?” He set an arm around her shoulders.

  “Just keep your eyes from the upper third of the room,” Alexa said in English. Marian got the idea that she was upset on Marian’s behalf, and slipped into the language for that reason. Lladranan would never be Alexa’s first language—but if Marian had the chance to stay, her English would dim.

  Marian took a couple of deep breaths, redolent of beer and fire smoke—oddly, the latter comforted her, too. The smoke carried the tang of fire and Marian drew it within her. “It’s the heads,” Marian said.

  “Whose heads?” asked Jaquar.

  Another thing that Alexa from Earth understood and Jaquar didn’t.

  Alexa grimaced. “Sorry, I was appalled when I first saw them, too.” She shrugged. “But now I face the real things often enough that they don’t faze me.”

  The fire smoke that had warmed her blood turned cold. Alexa battled these things. Marian wanted to hug the woman, wrap her close, take her home. But Alexa had found a new home and a new destiny and it seemed to suit her—she was truly a warrior woman at heart.

  Their eyes met and Marian saw wry wisdom in Alexa’s. “I’m happy here,” she said softly.

  Marian forced a smile and a nod. “I can see that,” she replied in Lladranan.

  Alexa wrinkled her nose. “Okay,” she said in English, then switched to Lladranan. “I could use a better skill for the language, and an easier time of riding lessons, both horse and volaran. Do you ride?”

  “Ayes,” Marian replied in Lladranan.

  Looking at Marian with narrowed eyes over her mug of tea, Alexa sipped, then put her cup down. “You have it easy.”

  “I was an Apprentice and am now a Scholar, still studying to become a Circlet. You became a Marshall that first night.”

  Alexa cheered. “You’re right. It was awful passing those Tests, but I did get them all over with.” She sighed. “But it took me a while to Pair, and until then no one considered me a full Marshall.” She shrugged again. “That’s over with.” Leaning forward with a renewed light in her eyes, Alexa asked, “Can you really ride lightning?”

  “Ayes.”

  Wriggling in delight, Alexa said, “That’s so cool. Could you teach me?”

  20

  Jaquar squeezed Marian’s shoulder and his attention was pulled back to Alexa and Marian. From the corner of her eye, Marian had watched him play male eye-and-attitude games, warning other men away from the table.

  He said, “No, Alexa, Marian can’t teach you how to ride lightning. She hasn’t mastered the technique herself, and you may not have Power that’s linked to Fire to learn.”

  Alexa pouted, then cunning crossed her face. Without a word, her jade baton appeared in the center of the table standing on end and the bronze flames burst into fire, both real and magical.

  An instant of silence, then came sounds of scraping chairs and rustling garments. Marian glanced around to see the Chevaliers—both male and female—who had been casually leaning at the bar now studiously faced it. The sharp whispers from the booth behind Marian stopped. No one looked at Alexa’s table.

  Only Marian felt Jaquar tense, otherwise he kept an impassive expression.

  “Point taken,” Jaquar said.

  “Very impressive,” Marian said.

  With a wave of Alexa’s hand, the baton disappeared, probably back under the table and into its sheath. Since Alexa didn’t peep, Marian deduced no fire had burned her, nor was the baton hot. Definitely impressive.

  Relief seemed to ripple through the room, voices wove back into normal conversation. Alexa gazed around thoughtfully. “They still think I’m an unknown quantity, ready to go off like a rocket.”

  “They aren’t the only ones,” Jaquar murmured. Marian agreed.

  “Two Exotiques and a Circlet Sorcerer, all strange folks, and the place is still full of Chevaliers.” Alexa nodded in satisfaction. “Goes to show how tough they are.”

  Marian thought anyone that could hang around in a rough place like this with a bunch of monster heads decorating the walls had to be tough.

  Jaquar said, “I think about a quarter of the room emptied when we joined you.”

  Shrugging, Alexa scanned the men and women again. “The crème de la crème of the Chevaliers remained,” she said.

  Marian decided Alexa personally knew everyone who was left. “I know I can’t have a baton like yours without becoming a Marshall,” she said, “but do you think I can have a magic wand or something?”

  Alexa’s eyes opened wide. “You’ll get a magic telescoping staff. All the Circlets of the Fifth Degree have them. Didn’t they tell you?”

  “No.”

  “They never realize the holes in our knowledge.” Alexa shook her head.

  “I’ve figured that out,” Marian said.

  At that moment the outside door opened. Alexa heard it, looked up and narrowed her eyes. The door shut, and a new, strong Song approached them. It was the most intricate, Powerful and potent Song Marian had heard since coming to Lladrana. The sheer richness of the music overpowered her for a moment. She realized it was the Song of a married couple—soul mates.

  A few seconds later the young woman Marian and Jaquar had passed on the way in stopped at their table. On her shoulder was a warhawk. The girl was followed by a young man who wore bright purple Chevalier leathers. These were the two with the wonderful Song.

  Eyeing the hawk—Sinafin—warily, Marian addressed her. “Salutations, feycoocu,” she said.

  Sinafin preened, then nodded. Salutations, Scholar.

  “Salutations, feycoocu,” said Jaquar.

  To Marian’s surprise, the bird stepped from the girl’s shoulder to Jaquar’s. He blinked as if also amazed.

  The girl gestured to Alexa to scoot over. With a frown, Alexa moved to the corner, muttering about people taking advantage of a small person. The girl sat next to Alexa and the young man seated himself next to the girl.

  “This is my personal assistant, Marwey, and my Chevalier Pascal,” Alexa said.

  Marian noticed a bright purple badge on Marwey’s cloak, and once again looked at Pascal’s tabard of purple. She couldn’t help staring at Alexa. “You like purple.”

  Alexa growled. “It’s the traditional color for Exotiques. Be glad you aren’t dressed in it and that everything around you isn’t purple.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Marian blurted in English.

  Alexa buried her nose in her large mug. “Tho.” The Lladranan “no” echoed hollowly.

  Staring at the young couple sporting the hideous color, Marian shook her head.

  Pascal’s eyes fired. “It’s a perfectly good color!”

  Marwey pinkened and n
odded.

  “Maybe they don’t see the exact shade we do,” Marian said weakly.

  Alexa’s eyebrows rose. “They are an aural society.”

  Interrupting Jaquar’s stare-down with the bartender, Marian addressed him. “What do you think of Alexa’s…livery?” She thought “livery” was the word for what a noble person dressed the subordinates in their household in.

  Jaquar glanced at Pascal’s purple leathers. “Bright. Interesting.”

  Marian and Alexa shared a glance.

  “I have purple clothes, purple bed hangings,” Alexa said gloomily. She glared at Sinafin, the feycoocu. “A purple muff!”

  “Really?” Marian couldn’t believe the being who’d frightened her so badly the night before could be anything as innocent as a muff.

  A crash of breaking glass diverted everyone’s attention to the bar. Then a streak of purple caught Marian’s eye as Sinafin—a muff—rolled off Jaquar’s shoulder and across the table to land in front of Marian.

  My visit last night was necessary, said Sinafin. Her mental voice was soft as a whisper, meant only for Marian’s ears. I am sorry, but it was necessary.

  Marian figured that was the best apology she’d get from the creature. The thickly furred muff rippled, exuding comfort. Hesitantly Marian petted the muff and it warmed under her fingers, sent her a few bars of “Over the Sea to Skye.”

  With a sigh, Marian gave up her anger and continued stroking Sinafin. Lovely animal, ugly muff.

  Marwey glanced at Pascal. He studied Jaquar and Marian, shrugged.

  “Alyeka?” Pascal said.

  “Yes?” said Alexa.

  “I have something of importance to ask and think it must be spoken of now,” Pascal said. He squared his shoulders, discreetly nodding toward the booth behind Marian and Jaquar.

  Jaquar straightened and gazed at the younger man. The muff rolled away from Marian and off the table to the bench beside her, then onto the floor.

  “What is it?” Alexa had set her mug down and had tilted her head as if trying to hear any Songs coming from the booth.

  Marian herself heard erratic, harsh rhythms. Two Songs inextricably melded together, both hopeless.

  Alexa frowned. “I don’t understand what you want.”

  Marwey’s lips tightened. “Koz and Perlee Desolly. They’re friends of ours. They’re—”

  “Desperate,” Pascal finished. “They Paired against the wishes of the noble they flew under and both were dismissed from his service. They’re independent now and penniless.”

  “Reynardus,” Marwey said flatly.

  Glancing at Marian, Alexa explained, “Bastien’s father. The former Lord Knight of the Marshalls.”

  In urgent tones, Pascal said, “The Desollys need support. A helping Song. Knowledge that they’re good Chevaliers, good people.”

  Hands wrapped around her mug, Alexa nodded. “I understand. Most of Reynardus’s fliers are now with Luthan or Bastien and me.”

  “The thing is—” Marwey wet her lips, swallowed “—we’re not sure how Luthan and Bastien feel about Koz. He’s antagonized them both in the past. And—uh—Bastien and Perlee—well, they played together for a while.”

  Alexa scowled.

  Marwey continued. “But only for a month or two, and they both moved on. It was a long time ago.”

  Alexa was shaking her head.

  “Please, Alyeka,” said Marwey. “Take them on. We will—”

  Holding up a hand, Alexa stopped the girl’s tumble of words. “I can’t believe you hesitated to ask. Of course they can fly under my banner,” she said. Then her tone sharpened. “They’re good, and will fit in with my team?”

  “We’ll make sure they do,” Pascal assured her.

  “All right, then.” Alexa screwed up her face. “I think I still have plenty of zhiv to pay two more Chevaliers.”

  A yip came from under the table and a small dog scrambled up to Alexa’s lap, then hopped onto the table, where it panted, swiped Alexa’s cheek with a long, pink tongue and curled into a ball. It was the shapeshifter Sinafin, the feycoocu frog-fairy-vulture-hawk-muff.

  Marian stared at it. “A miniature greyhound?” she murmured.

  “Yes,” Alexa said, petting the dog. “They don’t exist in Lladrana.”

  “Of course not,” Marian said politely. “That would be too easy.”

  She shared a smile with Alexa. Then the other woman stood on tiptoe to peer over Marian’s head into the booth behind her.

  Alexa looked at Pascal. “What rank do you want to give the Desolly Pair?”

  Pascal jutted his chin. “Koz deserves Fourth.”

  “Fourth rank. He must be good, then,” Alexa said.

  Pascal slipped from the bench and strode to the other booth. The voices behind Marian stilled, took on the lightness of casual conversation. Then Pascal began speaking in quiet, reassuring tones.

  Moments later the emotion throbbing from the booth behind Marian was a relief so pure it held giddiness.

  Jaquar tapped a finger on the table. The small gesture had the three women looking at him. “Alyeka, do you have any dreeth teeth left, or, better yet, a spur? There are several Circlets who want those and will pay dearly for them.”

  Alexa rubbed her hands, grinned. “Oh yes.” She looked at Marian and wrinkled her nose. “Gruesome trophies.”

  The couple from the other booth approached Alexa’s table with Pascal. Koz was a big, raw-boned man of bluntly handsome features. Under his arm he sheltered a startlingly beautiful woman with amber eyes and dark brown hair that grew from a widow’s peak. Marian hypothesized that she, like Jaquar, had some old Exotique blood—interesting, since progeny from Earth-Lladranan unions were rare. She wondered if a Circlet had kept track of the bloodlines, the genetic code…

  “Swordmarshall Alyeka Vauxveau, I present to you Koz and Perlee Desolly, who I think would make an excellent Chevalier Pair of the Fourth Rank for your household.”

  “Thank you,” the woman whispered.

  Koz’s jaw worked. “I promise you, Swordmarshall Alyeka, you will never regret this.”

  “Welcome to my household, Chevaliers.” Alexa held out her hand.

  Desolly touched her fingers briefly with his own, then half bowed. “Thank you.”

  The woman and Alexa shook hands.

  “I will pay for your lodgings in Horseshoe Hall or the Keep,” Alexa said.

  “Thank you, Lady,” Perlee said. She smiled up at Koz. “We’ll have our own rooms. How wonderful!” She bit her lip, glanced back at the booth they’d left. “We can move in immediately…we have our dufflecases.”

  Alexa smiled and waved a hand. “Fine. I’m sure Marwey and Pascal have it all planned out. Go ahead.” Her eyes twinkled at Marwey, who slipped from the bench and started out of the inn.

  The Desollys and Pascal followed.

  Alexa tilted her cup. It was empty.

  “Do you want more tea?” asked Jaquar.

  “Not here. I have a better cache up at the Castle. Let’s go there.” Alexa looked at Marian and a small trill of notes ran in the Song between them. “You can stay in the suite under mine. In my Keep Tower,” she said proudly. “It’s really great except it’s always been assigned to an Exotique, so there’s the purple factor.”

  She turned to Jaquar. “You can stay in the…” She frowned. “Where do Sorcerers and Sorceresses stay when they’re at the Castle?”

  “We have never stayed in the past, but perhaps it is time to be more active,” Jaquar said.

  “Didn’t stay in the past?” Alexa jumped on the admission. Her eyes narrowed. “Since this war with the Dark has escalated, all the Marshalls are living in the Castle rather than on our own estates. It’s time the Tower Community establishes a presence in the Castle, too.”

  Jaquar’s teeth gleamed in a smile that wasn’t quite nice. “I agree, but you bait me. Well, let’s see. We could raise a Tower in the middle of one of the Castle courtyards.”

  Staring at
him, Alexa said with heavy irony, “Oh yeah, that will work.”

  His brow furrowed as if he pondered her phrasing. Marian chuckled.

  “The Castle is called The Marshalls’ Castle,” Jaquar pointed out. “We of the Tower would be on your grounds—you would have the strategic advantage.”

  “Heaven forbid that any of the communities of Lladrana would work together to save us all from the Dark,” Alexa snapped. “Turf wars. Shee-oot.”

  Jaw flexing, Jaquar said evenly, “I said I want to end that, but I will also remind you that the Marshalls kept the knowledge that the fence posts were falling and the horrors were invading from the rest of the country until far too late. No wonder the Marshalls have alienated other segments of our society.”

  “Did we hide that knowledge, indeed?” Alexa stood, planted her hands on the table and leaned forward, every small inch of her exuding menace.

  “Not you—those before you.” Jaquar raised a hand in peace.

  “Can you tell me that none of the Tower Community knew what was going on?” she said in a dangerously low voice. “That no one tracked the Dark? Tell me that you all didn’t remain quiet, too, watching the Marshalls struggling to staunch the flow of horrors. That you didn’t hesitate to inform the other members of Lladranan society. That you stood back and let Chevaliers die fighting until I asked for your help. That you didn’t really join this action until you all knew a sangvile was loose and it was feasting on your own.”

  The inn had fallen silent, everyone focused on their table. Anger and suspicion swirled in the atmosphere. Did Alexa know she was stirring up a mob? The wait staff had vanished.

  Jaquar paled beneath his golden skin. He stood, looming over Alexa. It had no effect on her. “I will say that we made mistakes, individually and as a community.” He swept a glance around the room. Many of the Chevaliers turned back to their own business. One tough, rangy man met Jaquar’s eyes. “Mistakes we have paid for.” Grief laced his voice.

  Alexa sighed and raised her hands, palms out. “Peace between us. As we say in Exotique Terre, ‘That was then, this is now.’” A considering look came to her eyes. Her smile matched the one Jaquar had given her earlier. “I suppose we Marshalls could claim one of those islands off the west coast that you Circlets like. Establish a presence among you, instead of making rooms available here in the Castle.” She straightened.