Savage

by Lila Dubois

  Savage

  Book Two of Zinah

  Lila Dubois

  Published 2007

  ISBN 978-1-59578-386-8

  Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © 2007, Lila Dubois. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Liquid Silver Books

  http://LSbooks.com

  Email:

  raven@LSbooks.com

  Editor

  Kate Cuthbert

  Cover Artist

  April Martinez

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Dedication

  For Kari:

  Thanks for all the encouragement. I was going to dedicate “Sultan’s Sacrifice” to you, but since that thing died a slow, clichéd death, you get this book instead.

  *

  And for Kate:

  Thanks for coming back to edit this one.

  We survived fire, flood, famine, mental breakdown, and major abdominal surgery to get it done.

  Acknowledgements

  I owe many thanks to Stacy and Tara, who read this in its icky first-draft incarnation. You ladies are the best!

  List of Principle Characters

  Anleeh: Lord Justice for the new monarchy, formerly the third ranking Zinah. A warrior of Den, Anleeh came to the Temple to train with their warriors, but was chosen to be a Zinah instead.

  Cryessa: Queen, wife to King Tamlohn, formerly High Priestess. As Priestess, Cryessa, with the aid of her Zinahs, tried to protect the Great City from the sadistic King. She was meant to treat them as slaves, but Cryessa cared for the Zinahs, and though it was forbidden, loved Tamlohn. Her story is told in Forbidden.

  Jahrl: Anleeh’s uncle and leader of the Clan.

  Moregon: Minister of Agriculture for the new monarchy, formerly fifth ranking Zinah.

  Rohaj: General of the combined Temple and Palace armies for the new monarchy, formerly the second ranking Zinah.

  Siara: Head Mistress of the Temple College. After a lifetime in the Temple, Siara longs for adventure. Her companion on the journey is Anleeh, whom Siara has secretly loved for years.

  Sedrick: Anleeh’s father.

  Sesah: Minster of Ceremonies and Protocol for the new monarchy, formerly fourth ranking Zinah.

  Tamlohn: King, husband to Queen Cryessa, formerly Prima, or first Zinah. His story is told in Forbidden.

  List of Terms

  Den: Land to the far west of the Great City. Known for their fierce warriors and independent nature, the people of Den want nothing to do with outsiders.

  Great City: Capitol city to the Land Between the Sea, home of both the Temple and Palace.

  Land Between the Seas: Great kingdom that houses all peoples and culture. The kingdom has fractured over 1000 years of poor reign by the old monarchy. The new King and Queen seek to re-unite the kingdom.

  Zinahs: Five chosen warriors who served the High Priestess of the Temple as both trusted advisors and sexual partners. The Zinahs were disbanded when the old King was defeated and the Priestess became Queen.

  Prima: title used to denote the head Zinah. Tamlohn, before becoming King, was Prima Zinah.

  Chapter One

  ”Are you a virgin?”

  The startling question ruptured the silence in the stone chamber. The final word seemed to echo off the floor and ceiling, bouncing into the books that lined most of the walls. What little wall space was not consumed by books was made up by windows, and the dust mote-speckled rays of sunlight haloed the question’s intended target.

  Siara, Headmistress of the Temple College turned Royal Scribe and historian, completed her sentence, finishing the final letter with a precise flourish, and set down her quill. She wiped her ink-stained fingers with a rag as she sat back in her chair. She looked up, steady golden-brown gaze focusing on the speaker.

  “Could you please repeat your question?” Her voice was smooth and well-modulated, that of a seasoned teacher.

  Anleeh, Lord Justice of the new monarchy, carefully examined Siara’s face in case he gave offense, but found neither disgust nor anger in her features. Her smooth face was as controlled as ever.

  “Are you a virgin?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Your answer is vital to our mission.” Anleeh stressed the possessive.

  “I fail to see how my state of sexual knowledge has any bearing on an ambassadorial mission.”

  “Then you prove me right. I should go alone. If answering this simple question in the comfort and seclusion of the Palace bothers you, you will never survive this mission.”

  Her back straightened, though Anleeh hadn’t thought it possible. She looked as if she were strapped to a board.

  “I assure you, Lord Anleeh, that I am more than capable of accompanying you on this mission, and am fully committed to completing it.”

  “Committed enough to answer my question?”

  Siara turned her face to the side, the sunlight striking cheeks that were crimson with a blush. “If it is so important for you to know, then I will tell you. Yes, I am a virgin.”

  Her shoulders slumped slightly, and suddenly she was not the stiff Head Mistress but an embarrassed young woman. Anleeh cursed himself. He was being cruel to her, deliberately so, and she did not deserve it. He leaned forward and touched her hand, drawing her attention to him. Working to suppress his anger, Anleeh smiled at her, the cocky half-grin he’d cultivated as part of his debonair attitude.

  “I ask only because your answer will affect our mission and the story we will tell to explain your presence.”

  “Why must there be a story?”

  “The people of Den would neither understand nor accept you as a delegate of the Great City.”

  “But your people will accept you back to your homeland.”

  Anleeh didn’t want to be reminded of that. It was days before their planned departure and his stomach was already knotted. He rose from his chair and went to the window. They’d commandeered this antechamber in the Palace for the headquarters of their operation. Preparation for the journey had begun only a week ago, the moment after Anleeh caved to the pleadings of the King and Queen to accept this mission.

  Strangely, in all that time, he and Siara had spent very little time together. He knew her, of course. Had known her since he came to the Temple. They were of an age, and had each come into positions of power, he as Zinah, she as Headmistress, around the same time.

  Despite these similarities Anleeh could count their conversations on a single hand. As Zinah, Anleeh had very few dealings with any woman besides the Priestess. Siara’s domain of innocent young girls and learning was far removed from his darker world of sex and war.

  But now she would be his companion in the single hardest thing he’d ever done: returning home.

  Anleeh turned, putting his back to the window, and examined his new companion.

  She should have been plain. Her body appeared as one massive lump beneath the heavy brown cloth of her shapeless dress, no defining curves anywhere. Her hair was also brown, braided down her back—a woman decidedly fashion-unfriendly and uniformly brown. And yet, her face. Her eyes, too large, were a pale brown with a rim of black around the iris. Her other features seemed unremarkable when compared to those eyes, but upon closer inspection, he realized she possessed well formed lips, t
he bottom one pleasingly plump, a small nose with a slightly pointed tip, and an equally-pointed chin.

  Siara stared back at him, seemingly fearless in the face of his regard, and it was in her eyes that Anleeh found that which separated her from other women.

  They sparkled. Not with humor or lust, both emotions he’d seen light a woman’s eyes. Siara’s brown eyes shone with the light of fierce intelligence.

  He stepped away from the window, moving to stand before her, shadowing her with his body. Testing her, he cupped her chin. Siara did not turn from his touch. This close, he felt that he could drown in all he could see in those eyes—passion and anger mingled with strength of spirit. Dismissing the thoughts as flights of fancy, he released her chin.

  But as he turned away, his fingers tingled from just that brief moment of contact.

  Siara watched as Anleeh turned away from her, roaming like a caged cat around the perimeter of the room. She waited until his back was turned to drag in great gulps of air, slumping as she did so.

  “You have read much. What did you read about the women of Den?”

  The moment he asked she snapped to attention, all nerve endings tingling awake once more. She’d read everything there was in the library on Den, and had been preparing for this journey by doing selected re-readings, so she readily answered his question.

  “The women of Den are known to be strong and willful. There are stories of the women raising arms and fighting to defend their homes when the men are away.”

  “Yes, my aunt was severely injured while fighting to defend my Uncle’s Hall.”

  “Did she die?”

  “Yes.” He said it with neither remorse nor grief. “What did you learn of the men and women of Den and how they relate to one another?”

  Siara’s brow furrowed. “I don’t remember reading anything specifically about that.”

  “Very well,” he said, and then returned to his chair next to her. He sat for a moment, tapping his fingers on the table, before speaking again. “I will train you as we travel.”

  “Train me?” Siara considered the rather odd choice of words. For someone as devoted to the written word as she, deciphering the nuances of speech was one of her greatest strengths.

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t you mean teach me?”

  “I say what I mean. I must train you to act like a woman of Den.”

  “How do they act?”

  “In some ways you are much like them: strong and outspoken and determined.”

  Siara felt her cheeks heat with pleasure at the compliment, and turned her face into the sunlight, hoping to hide her blush.

  “Than why do I need training?” she asked once she was under control.

  Anleeh sighed, “In Den, while it is true that the women are strong and independent, they must always, always submit to their man.”

  Siara blinked once, very slowly. “I do not understand.”

  “Women are like—like animals.”

  “Animals?” Siara heard the shock in her own voice. He was supposed to be a learned man. For all his care of fashion and power in battle, he was intelligent and knowledgeable in many things. Anything less would have made him unworthy of both his previous title as Zinah, and now the title of Lord. His words betrayed the ideal of him in her mind. That struck Siara, and she stopped to examine the complex idea. So intent was she in her study that she almost missed his next words.

  “Let me explain.” He returned to his chair, resting one hip on the armrest. He leaned forward, his eyes brilliant and intent, forcing her to return her attention to him. “They are like wolves, wolves that have been trained. When given their freedom, they are fierce and dangerous, but at their Master’s call they heel and obey their Master’s will.” He stopped, and Siara waited for more explanation. When it was clear no more was forthcoming, Siara did her best to understand what he’d said.

  “The women of Den are … slaves?”

  “No.” His denial was immediate, but footnoted by his next comment. “Though if there were written laws there, as we have here, women would be the property of men. A man reveres his mother and protects his sisters, but a man’s wife is his, obedient to him in all things. A beautiful woman who is both wild and obedient is prized above all others.”

  Siara’s mind raced, piecing together all his words and actions. “That is why you were upset I was a woman, and why you ask if I am a virgin.”

  Anleeh turned to face her. “Yes.”

  “We must … marry?” Siara rubbed her fingertips against her cuffs with such vigorous intensity that the fabric grew hot. The thought was terrifying and thrilling. It would be insulting to take the sacred trust of marriage in vain by committing only for the sake of their mission, but he would be hers. Even if it were meaningless, he would be hers.

  Don’t be foolish, she admonished herself. But the euphoria remained.

  She’d loved him from the first moment she met him.

  Siara knew, with painful clarity, how pitiful her unrequited love was. She’d become a scholar of his homeland for no other reason than she wanted to be near him, had never married or looked to another man for companionship because of her unwavering regard for him. It was madness that what should have been no more than a school-girl crush carried on for five long years.

  It was her greatest secret. Siara was a background character, a player unnoticed on the stage of life. She could have lived like that, could have spent the rest of her days loving him from afar, if the revolution hadn’t happened.

  Many things had changed when the usurper-King was overthrown and the former High Priestess and one of her Zinahs were placed on the throne as Queen and King. A nation that had lived in darkness for a thousand years learned to hope again, remembered what it was to plan for the future.

  Siara’s passion had always been for books detailing the explorations of travelers, especially those to Den. In the time of peace, 1000 years before, the Land Between the Seas had been a place of great learning. Explorers had traveled to the far reaches of the land, to the sea and beyond. Many had written of their travels, detailing worlds that Siara could only dream of.

  When the calm after the storm of the revolution revealed a multitude of paths open to Siara, she’d chosen to leave behind her safe life in the Temple, and had requested the position of Royal Historian and Scribe, making her a vital part of any exploration. She longed for the adventure of travel with a fierceness that scared her, but she’d never even been beyond the borders of the city.

  When the King and Queen told her that the first expedition to leave would be an ambassador mission to Den, one of the wildest and far-flung parts of the Land Between the Seas, led by Anleeh, she’d volunteered without hesitation.

  She’d intended to leave behind her hopeless regard for him when she left her old life behind, but here she was, at the dawn of her greatest adventure, closer to him than she’d ever been before.

  Afraid her thoughts were visible, Siara lowered her eyes, staring at his knee, hoping he would not know that the treasonously loud pounding of her heart was caused by desire.

  “I would not force you to do that, but we shall say that we plan to marry.”

  Siara’s heart gave one more thump, and reason returned. Of course she did not want a forced marriage of pretense.

  “We shall be betrothed?” She clarified, voice steady, eyes still on his knee, outlined by the fine cut of his dark leggings.

  “Yes.”

  “If we will not truly marry, why does it matter if I am a virgin?”

  “Den is a sexual world, decadent by the standards of our city, and the way that women are trained, and the most expressive aspect of their submission, is through sex.”

  “So you will … train me … to submit, when we … have sex.”

  Siara could barely force the words out. Her conclusion seemed preposterous. Two days ago she was not sure he knew her name, and now they sat calmly discussing how he would train her through sex.

  “I will
teach you to submit in all ways necessary, but the training will come when I touch you, yes.”

  Siara shuddered in pure, vibrant arousal. To hear Anleeh speak of touching her, his explanation imbuing the word “train” with deep sexual connotations she had not known it could have, brought a flush of heat, chased by a shiver, to her skin.

  Staring down at Siara’s bowed head, Anleeh clenched his fists as he watched her shudder in horror. Hating himself for what he would do to her, Anleeh mentally cursed the King and Queen once more for saddling him with her.

  Den was a savage land, and would have been hard for any person not of the culture to visit, let alone a woman. When they’d told him that morning who his companion was to be, Anleeh had threatened to quit, stating that any man would be better than a woman. His arguments had not swayed the Queen, who possessed the insane notion that women could do anything a man could. When this journey changed Siara, taught her to want things that were taboo and decadent in the great city, made her crave a man’s touch on her flesh, it would be on the Queen’s head.

  But he would be the one to change her, to teach her passion and then control her with it. He would not hurt her, at least, not more than was absolutely necessary to make her understand, but however pure his intentions, it would change her. She was a woman of great strength and steady nature. She should remain at the College, marry and birth babies she could raise with a steady hand. Come to think of it, she’d be perfect for Moregon. She should not be dragged halfway across the world, stripped and subjected to his lust, for the sake of a kingdom she’d already served long and well.

  “If there is a boy, someone you desire, I suggest you go to him before we leave.” The thought of Siara with a solider or simple farm boy, who would no doubt be a clumsy and selfish lover, displeased him. Realizing he was frowning, Anleeh ran a hand over his face, as if he could scrub away his thoughts.

  “There is no one.”

  The rubbing had not worked, but her simple statement, spoken as nothing more than fact, pleased him. His honor, though, forced him to be sure. They were little better than acquaintances and she was surrendering her virginity to him, with little time to find any alternative.