by Xenia Melzer
“A mere slave would never be allowed to wield a weapon. And he would most certainly not be adorned with all kinds of riches. We’re not blind. Even though you claim to come from humble origins, you’re way too comfortable in your fancy clothing. You’re used to wearing it, just like you’re used to getting whatever you want, because your owners have always seen to it, haven’t they?”
“You’re right. I’ve always been taken good care of.”
Daran took another step forward. He could feel something inside him changing. It was as if the vicious words dripping from the sisters’ lips were somehow cleansing him. Arborja and Eliana sensed it too, the shift of emotions. They both spat.
“We were right after all. You’re just like them, a monster of the worst kind, doing their bidding for your own benefit. We should have tortured you some more before ripping your heart out.”
“I may be a monster—I can’t argue about that, not anymore. But at least I’m a monster who obeys a higher power. You two, on the other hand, simply yield to your own base instincts. Given the choice, I’d say you’re worse than me. What you had to endure was terrible, I give you that, and it was most probably not something you deserved, but what you made of it is beyond comprehension. You chose the worst path possible and to justify your actions, you pin all the blame on the divine brothers. They may have been the cause for your life taking a turn for the worse, but it was you who decided to become what you are now. When we first met, I even felt some pity for you, because I thought we were the same. But we aren’t. Never have been, never will be.”
“And to tell us this, you’ve come here?”
“No. I came here to find out about myself, and you helped me plenty. I have to thank you for that.”
Eliana screeched like a dying pig. Spit dripped down her chin, making her look like an imbecile. The hard lines around Arborja’s eyes and mouth seemed to deepen even more while she tried to soothe her raging sister by gently bumping into her side. At the same time, she glared at Daran.
“You had your fun. Now leave us alone, monster. We do not wish for your company any longer.”
Daran took the last step that had separated him from the prisoners. Almost lovingly, he caressed Arborja’s cheeks; his voice had now a steely undertone he had never thought himself capable of.
“You should be happy. Thanks to you, I’ve found my place. And it’s for your best as well. You don’t want to know all the terrible things the Wolf of War or the Angel of Death can do to you. I, on the other hand, will simply return the favor you did for me a few days ago. Rejoice, your death is going to be painful but rather quick, something the gods would have not granted you.”
Daran had already reached the door when the sisters finally realized what he had been telling them. Enraged, they threw themselves against their chains, trying to get free. The stench of freshly spilled blood wafted through the air. Daran hurried to get out and tell the guards to keep an eye on the two rioting females.
“DARAN, WHAT are you doing here?”
Noemi looked at the young man, slightly puzzled. After all the things he had gone through, she hadn’t expected him to come here.
The thief lowered his gaze. He really liked his god’s wife but still lacked the courage to look at her directly.
“I wanted to know whether Lord Canubis is here. I know it’s late, but perhaps he can spare me some of his time? It won’t take long.”
“I can always spare time for my first Echend’dim.”
Like a threatening shadow, the Wolf of War towered over his petite wife, who only rolled her eyes while asking Daran in.
A little shaken, the thief followed his god and the healer. He had never been to the chambers of the Wolf of War before and was curious. What he glimpsed was so contrary to what he had expected, he couldn’t help but gape. Daran was used to the sumptuous, almost decadent interior of his masters’ chambers and had somehow assumed Canubis’s living space would be the same. Instead the rooms were almost spartan. The walls were lined with shelves full of books and glass jars of all sizes. The jars were filled with pieces of plants, strange liquids, and sometimes things of a definitely organic nature Daran didn’t want to find out too much about. The books were all about the healing arts and had so many bookmarks, some of them had grown to double their original size. Lady Noemi did not only rely on her power to heal people; she was also genuinely interested in the basics of the craft.
It touched Daran to witness how the most powerful man in the world, a warrior who could obliterate entire cities, allowed his wife to take complete charge of his inner sanctuary, his living space. It was a side to Canubis the thief hadn’t known until now, and which made it easier for him to talk to the intimidating leader. It was exactly like Casto had stated. There was a beast slumbering inside all of them, but it also had a counterpart, one with a friendlier face, to keep the balance. And seeing even his god displaying this tender side reassured Daran immensely. When Canubis gestured him to sit down, he did so with newfound confidence.
“What is it you want to tell me, Daran?”
The amber eyes regarded him seemingly unfazed, but the Echend’dim could feel his god’s tension. He took a deep breath.
“I’m here to ask you to leave the punishment of the sisters to me.”
Those words were followed by a long, oppressive silence. Canubis’s gaze drilled into Daran as if he wanted to look right into his soul. “And why should I do that?”
Daran felt his confidence waver, but then he straightened his back and extended his chin.
“Because I’m asking you as your first Echend’dim. And because it is my right as a free member of the Pack. I was the one who suffered by their hand, so it’s my prerogative to decide about their end.”
Again silence descended, but it was broken almost instantly by a satisfied laugh. “Well said, Echend’dim. I’m going to oblige your wish, as is customary in the Pack.” The Wolf of War got up and pulled the thief in a tight embrace. “I’m so glad you found your way back to us, Daran. Welcome to the Pack again!”
Relieved, the first Echend’dim leaned against the hard, unyielding figure of his god. A feeling of peace washed over him, the kind of peace you felt when you were absolutely sure about something.
“I thank you, my lord. I thank you with all my heart.”
“It’s fine, Daran. You were definitely worth the wait. And now you better go and talk to your lovers. Knowing them, they should be quite impatient by now.”
AEGID AND Kalad were indeed waiting, and when Daran glimpsed the worry in their faces, he felt guilty. He had left those two in the dark for too long, had even looked at them with fear and contempt. Considering what he had just realized about himself, he suddenly felt childish and stupid. They had always given him their inviolable love, had protected and pampered him like a spoiled child. Daran had to smile. It was time to pay them back.
He took the warriors’ hands and kissed them, full of love, and then led them to the lounges in the middle of the room. Since he didn’t know how to start, a tense silence grew between them until Kalad broke it.
“Daran.” The mercenary’s voice was soft. “You don’t have to force yourself. If you need more time….”
The Echend’dim shook his head violently. “That’s not it, masters. Not anymore. I have reached a decision today, and I want to apologize for having taken so long.”
“You don’t have to apologize for anything, little thief. You’re the one who had to endure so much violence. If anything, it’s our fault for being so impatient.”
Daran sighed. Those few words showed how much his lovers had been suffering with him, how deep their love for him ran. It made it even easier for him to talk on.
“I think you’ve already guessed that what has happened to me has marked me in more ways than one. To be frank, the violence done to my body was the less terrible. What really got to me was the insight into what you really are. Although I’d lived with you for so long, I had always ignored your true n
ature. The sisters forced me to confront a truth I had been denying for too long. It terrified me to the bone. I thought I wouldn’t be able to love you the way you really are, that I was only attracted to the ideal I had imagined of you.”
Embarrassed, Daran stared at the ground, unable to meet his masters’ gaze after what he had just told them. The warriors were silent for a moment; then Kalad gently touched his hair.
“Daran, look at us, please.”
Slowly, reluctantly, the Echend’dim lifted his gaze.
“You don’t have to be afraid, darling. Whatever you want to tell us, we will accept it. It’s your decision, and we’re proud that you’re brave enough to share it with us.”
Daran closed his eyes, feeling utterly blessed.
“I’ve asked the Wolf of War to leave the sisters’ punishment to me.”
This one little sentence made Aegid and Kalad gape. They hadn’t anticipated such an outcome. A little breathless, Daran resumed.
“I’m ashamed for even thinking I couldn’t love you when you’re not like my ideal picture. Truth is, my feelings for you are overwhelming me. No matter what you’ve done or are going to do in the names of our gods, it won’t change anything about my emotions. I’ve finally understood this. There’s still a long way ahead of me, and I can’t promise I won’t feel the same insecurities again. But I promise you, I’ll do anything in my power to become a man worthy of your love.”
Stunned, the desert brothers embraced their precious thief, kissing him, full of love. Aegid spoke first, his voice shaking a little from relief.
“You’re more than worthy of our love, Daran. When we first met, we may have chosen you on a whim, although I’m beginning to doubt even that. It was our instinct that made us take you along, and it was dead-on. You’re the one for us, the only one. And we’re so glad to have you back. You had us worried for a while.”
“Yes, indeed. Now tell us, what made you change your mind?”
Kalad’s lips were dangerously close to the Echend’dim’s ear. Daran knew where this conversation was headed and realized with relief that he no longer dreaded, but rather craved what they would be doing very soon.
“Not what. Who. I talked to Casto, and he said some very accurate, unpleasant things to me. After I had gotten over the initial shock, I started contemplating his twisted wisdom and saw how right he was. It still hurt, though. He’s pretty direct.”
Aegid chuckled, his nose buried in Daran’s hair.
“You only realize that now? But I’m grateful to him.”
“Well, then you have to be grateful to the sisters as well. I know, it was they who made me doubt in the first place, but after Casto’s lecture, I paid them a visit in the dungeons. When I first met them, I thought they resembled me and the people I grew up with. None of us had many chances in life, except for going down even further. There was always the hazy knowledge of ‘someone above’ oppressing us, keeping us in place no matter how hard we tried. Basically, we tried to stay afloat by any means possible, nurturing hatred toward the unknown. I grew up with the conviction that everybody who had more than me was an enemy, was the reason I was so miserable. I tried getting out of it, I really did. But nobody would give me a chance. All the masters I asked for work sent me away. ‘Filthy street mongrel’ was one of the nicer things they called me. All my struggles were in vain. There was nothing I could do to change my fate. Just like Arborja and Elianna. I even pitied them.”
Daran paused, choosing his next words carefully, sensing how important it was to bring his point across.
“Then I took a good look into their eyes. They accused me of being a monster, but what I saw inside their souls was worse, if those were even still souls and not something else. I understood then that even if they hadn’t met all those unfavorable circumstances, they would have still become what they are now. Which means I am what I’ve always been as well. Nobody and nothing can take it away from me, and I’m definitely nothing like those two creatures.”
“If that is so, then what about us?” Aegid asked tentatively, still not sure where the conversation was headed.
Daran snuggled into his arms. “You are you. The love you’re giving me is real. It’s what I crave most in this world. The things you do—I will learn to accept them as part of what you are.”
“What more can we ask?”
Kalad grabbed Daran’s head with both hands, forcing him backward to kiss him hungrily. The Echend’dim reciprocated with delight, feeling the last doubts vanish from his thoughts like fog in the morning sun. Daran was finally home again.
2. BARGAIN
“SO WITH Aegid and Kalad taking care of Elgir and the pimps, and Daran finishing the sisters, there’s only those highwaymen left in our care.”
“Stop sounding so damn smug, big brother! Things went our way, which is terrific, but if you don’t get over the gloating right now, I’m going to throw up.”
“Pff, what’s gotten your panties in a knot? Did you have a fight with Casto—again?”
Canubis was way too cheerful to let his little brother’s bad mood affect him. Renaldo shot him an angry glare. Of course the Wolf of War was right—he did have a nasty argument with his beloved heart, bad enough to have him sleeping alone for at least two more nights, depending on how quickly Sic could manage to soothe Casto’s anger. Even though he should have been used to it by now, he still had a hard time whenever his capricious mate decided to give him the cold shoulder. It reminded the Angel of Death of the time when he had almost lost his heart, a time he was desperate to forget. Seeing his brother so happy didn’t improve his temper at all.
Canubis offered him another cup of wine, trying to distract him from his gloomy pondering. “Stop brooding. He’ll forgive you eventually, as he always does. Until then, use your spare energy to help me decide how we’re going to send those highwaymen to the Mothers. I want to set an example.”
“Which won’t be easy. Aegid and Kalad are going to use the sand—that’s quite impressive. And Daran is planning to rip the sisters’ hearts out while they’re still alive. Even you should find it hard to top that.”
“I know. And strictly speaking, it doesn’t have to be too showy. I mean, the main culprits will suffer badly, but those thugs simply made one wrong decision. I almost feel pity for them.”
Renaldo cocked an eyebrow. It was rare to see his brother in such a forgiving mood. Only yesterday, he would have probably sentenced the attackers to death by the wolves. Daran coming into the fold had relieved the Wolf of War more than he wanted to admit.
“So no skinning alive, then? How boring.”
“Cut it out, Renaldo. They do have to pay. It’s just that I don’t feel like overdoing it anymore.”
“I understand. And forcing them to watch while the sisters and the kidnappers die should be punishment enough. Are you going to slit their throats?”
“Sounds like a good idea. Still—”
Canubis was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Since Noemi was still out, he answered it himself. It turned out to be the captain of the dungeon watch, a slim, levelheaded man named Borog, whom he had chosen for this difficult post because he didn’t tend toward cruelty.
Borog looked slightly uncomfortable when he entered the spacious main room. “My Lord Canubis, Lord Renaldo. Please forgive my intrusion.”
“It’s fine, Borog. We weren’t discussing anything important. What brings you here?”
“One of the prisoners, my lord. He seems to be the second-in-command of the robbers. Ever since he was brought here, he has been asking me to bring him to you. At first I thought he was only trying to find a way out, but he’s very persistent, and I’m getting the impression that this could be important. Tomorrow it will be too late, so I thought I should at least tell you.”
“How long have you been brooding over this matter, Borog? Knowing you, at least the last two days.”
“You know me too well, my Lord Canubis. I didn’t want to bother you with the petty
request of a lowlife.”
“What made you change your mind?”
“His eyes. He’s becoming more and more desperate, and not about his own fate.”
Canubis and Renaldo shared one of their famous looks. This sounded like something interesting. They both got up.
“We trust your intuition, Borog. Lead us to him.”
IN THE semidarkness of the cell, Da’Ryen stirred when he heard footsteps approaching. His heart sank. So the time to pay for his sins had finally come. The only thing he still regretted was that he hadn’t been able to save Nya. Once they reached the Valley, she had been taken to a different cell, and he hadn’t seen her since then. Slowly, with an ominous creak, the door opened, allowing the light of two torches to spill into his stone prison. It took some time for his eyes to get used to the sudden light, but then they widened in surprise. Right in front of him, the Wolf of War and the Angel of Death had taken position, looking at him the way a cat might regard a cheeky mouse. The man with the predator eyes spoke first.
“You wanted to talk to me. Here I am.”
Da’Ryen bowed his head in a gesture of respect. His voice was hoarse, for he hadn’t had much to drink the past few days.
“I thank you, Lord Canubis. I can assure you, I didn’t make this request on a whim. What I wish to ask you is very important to me, and I hope you can listen until the end.”
With a nod, the Wolf of War showed his consent.
Da’Ryen inhaled deeply. Being in close proximity to the two most powerful men in the world made him wonder how he could have ever been afraid of Ma’Duk. Compared to these two, the leader of the gang of robbers was nothing but a willful, notoriously short-tempered child. It took all of Da’Ryen’s courage to look Canubis in the eye.
“I wish to plead for a life. Not mine, since I’m well aware of the anger you must feel toward me. I’m asking you to spare the life of a girl named Nya. She came here with the rest of us, but I can assure you, she had nothing to do with the attack on your caravan. She only has the bad luck of being tied to the wrong man in the wrong place.”
