“Get him out of here,” Zakiel ordered. “I will deal with him soon.”
The Hunters nodded, then reached down and picked Saigar up, none of them inclined to handle the man any too gently. As soon as they were gone, Zakiel approached Karma.
“I’ll be back in a moment,” he said gently. She nodded, but her eyes were wide and even more shocky than they’d been earlier that day. Zakiel looked down at Nikura.
“Guard her, please,” Zakiel said. “I shall return in a moment.”
Nikura nodded as he continued to pace, clearly too wound up himself to remain motionless. Zakiel did not want to leave them, but he had to, just for a moment. Reluctantly, he turned and hurried out of the tent, grabbing the first Hunter he saw.
“Harmin, go down to Tomas’s tent and rouse him. Tell him he is to report to Garundel immediately, then do not allow him out of your sight. I want to know if he hesitates for a moment, or if he stops to talk to anyone.” Harmin bowed quickly, spun on his heel and raced away into the darkness.
Zakiel turned to another Hunter standing nearby. “Corbon, find out who had guard duty on the women’s tent tonight, and who is missing. Either Saigar had an accomplice, or there is a dead man around here somewhere. And tell Sir Bredon to double the guards, but relieve those who were on duty tonight.”
Corbon’s eyes widened. “Yes, Highness, at once,” he said before taking off at a run.
Zakiel went back inside the tent and spotted Lashi and Caral huddling in a far corner, Kapia standing before them with her staff in her hands. Pride filled him at the sight of his sister standing ready to protect herself and the servants, rather than huddling along with them.
He bowed solemnly to her, honoring her courage. Kapia blushed, but returned his bow.
“Thank you, Brother,” she said.
“Thank you, Sister,” he replied. “You honor our Blood.”
Kapia blushed again, and smiled. Then her eyes widened. “How is Karma? Is she harmed?”
“I don’t think so,” he replied. “Give me a moment.”
Kapia nodded but did not lower her staff or relax her vigilance. No one had told her that the danger was over, and she was acting accordingly. Zakiel’s sense of pride increased.
He went back into Karma’s chamber, not surprised to find her standing just as he’d left her. He crossed the space between them in three quick strides. His hands went to her shoulders, and he waited for her eyes to meet his.
“Are you all right?” he asked. “Are you injured?”
“No, not injured,” she replied, her voice shaky but clear. “A little shook up is all.”
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“No,” she said. “I mean, I don’t really know. I was sleeping, then I heard a terrible roar. I leapt from the bed and grabbed my staff. I think I might have screamed, but I’m not sure. I heard a struggle but couldn’t see anything. Then the Hunters came in with a light, and there was blood everywhere, and Nikura was on top of a man on the floor. The Hunters rushed to help him, then you came in.”
“Ask Nikura,” Zakiel said, watching the Sphin continue to pace, though he did seem slightly calmer, and his hackles had lowered.
“Nikura?” Karma asked. Zakiel watched Karma as she listened to Nikura. After a few moments Karma turned her gaze back to him, her eyes even wider than before.
“Nikura said that the man slit open the tent and crawled in,” Karma said, gesturing toward the back wall. Zakiel saw the neat slit and nodded. He’d already suspected as much.
“Nikura knew who it was by his scent, but he wanted to see what the man was after before interrupting him. He thought he was after the Ti-Ank, but wanted to be sure. Then the man pulled a knife and raised it over me.” Karma’s voice broke, and her body shook violently. Zakiel stepped closer and took her in his arms, uncaring of who might see them.
“When he realized the man meant to kill you, Nikura roared and attacked,” Zakiel finished. He felt Karma nod against his chest. “Why didn’t Nikura kill him?” he asked, knowing full well that Saigar was alive only because Nikura had chosen not to kill him.
“He says that dead men cannot answer questions,” Karma said softly.
Zakiel met Nikura’s eyes and nodded. He knew that had it been him, he would not have had the presence of mind to refrain from delivering a death blow, and he was grateful to Nikura. He almost looked forward to questioning Saigar.
Karma took a deep, shuddering breath and raised her head, her eyes catching on his bare bicep, where he usually wore his egora. Her body stiffened as she remembered the events of the day and she took a quick step back, pressing herself against the wall of the tent.
Zakiel saw her face go white, and reluctantly backed away, putting a little distance between them for her sake.
“Karma,” he said softly, using her name deliberately. She jerked, but did not try to escape him. “I do not understand what happened this morning.”
Karma flicked her eyes up to his, then dropped them again. “I cannot do this now, Zakiel,” she said. “Please, not now. It’s too much.”
“I’m sorry,” Zakiel said. “You are right, of course. Please forgive me.”
Karma opened her mouth, then closed it and swallowed hard before nodding.
“Karma, I want you to come out and sit with Kapia. Nikura will remain with you. Will you do that?”
“Yes, of course,” Karma replied with obvious relief at the change of subject. “Is Kapia all right?”
“She is perfectly fine,” Zakiel said. “She is protecting your attendants with her staff, and I dare anyone to cross her at the moment.”
“Good for her,” Karma said. “What I don’t understand is how Nikura roared so loudly.” She stepped toward her bed, bent down and reached beneath her pillow, withdrawing the Ti-Ank.
“Did you ask him?”
“Yes, I did,” she replied. “He said he was angry.”
“I suppose he was,” Zakiel replied, careful not to look at Nikura.
Karma attached the ankh to the end of her staff, then looked around at the blood splatter. “I’m not sure I will be able to sleep in here again.”
“You will not have to,” Zakiel said as he bent down to retrieve something from the floor beside the bed. He slipped it into his waistband, then guided Karma into the next chamber, Nikura at her side. “When we began this journey, we had two of these tents, remember? One for you and one for Kapia.”
“That’s right, I’d forgotten,” Karma said as she walked toward Kapia and gave her a quick hug.
“I will give orders for the other tent to be set up in a moment,” Zakiel said. “You may relax now, Kapia. By now there are Hunters surrounding this tent.”
Kapia nodded and lowered her staff. “Lashi, get a wrap for Lady Techu, please.”
Lashi got up and hurried toward Karma’s chamber. She hesitated for a moment, then entered.
“I am sorry to leave you, but I must go deal with the man who attacked you,” Zakiel said. “Will you ladies be all right until I return?”
“Yes, we’ll be fine, thank you,” Karma said as she accepted the wrap from Lashi with a grateful smile and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Zakiel waited for Kapia to nod her agreement before leaving the tent. He stepped between two Hunters on guard outside and turned to face them.
“Allow no one through but me,” he said, his eyes and voice both cold and hard.
The Hunters bowed, their eyes no warmer than his. That the single most important woman on their world had been attacked by one of their own was an insult that they would not soon forgive themselves, and Zakiel knew it. No one on Rathira was safer than Karma and Kapia at this moment. But at what price?
Zakiel turned toward his tent to finish dressing, and saw Corbon standing nearby. “Did you find the missing guard?”
“No, Highness,” Corbon replied. “The missing guard is Hunter Marl, but I have been unable to locate him.”
“Wait until dawn,” Zakiel s
aid. “There is no sense in risking more lives stumbling around in the dark.”
“Yes, Highness,” Corbon said, bowing quickly before hurrying away to call off the search for the missing Hunter.
Zakiel glanced over where Saigar was being held near the fire in the center of camp, and growled softly in anticipation. But he would not confront the man barely dressed.
“Timon,” he barked, entering his tent.
“Yes, Highness?” Timon asked, standing ready. “What may I do to help?”
“Find the tent setters and have them set up the other tent for the women,” Zakiel said. “I want it set side by side with mine, Timon. I want their chambers immediately against the wall of this tent with no room between them for a bug to pass. And strike their current tent. It is not to be used again. Am I clear?”
“Yes, Highness, very clear,” Timon replied. “I shall see to it personally.”
Zakiel nodded and reached for his boots as Timon rushed out to fulfill his duties. A few moments later he left his tent, still buckling his swords on. He made his way to where a group of Hunters surrounded Saigar, who knelt in the sand, his hands tied behind him. Zakiel’s eyes went straight to Tomas, who was staring down at his man with a bloodless face.
Is he shocked that his favorite Hunter did this, or is he shocked that he got caught? Zakiel wondered.
Zakiel reached into his waistband and removed the dagger he’d retrieved from the floor beside Karma’s bed. It had the long, distinctive ridged blade and bone handle of the weapon that Saigar was known to carry. He turned it slowly in the flickering light of the torches so that everyone could see it, then flung it toward Saigar with a flick of his wrist. The blade slid into the sand to the hilt an inch from Saigar’s knees, but the man did not even flinch.
“This was not just an attempt to steal the Ti-Ank,” Zakiel announced coldly. “It was an attempt to murder Lady Techu.”
The sudden stillness was a good indication of the shock that ran through the Hunters. His eyes fixed once more on Tomas, who appeared to be as stunned as everyone else.
“What do you know of this, Cousin?” he asked, his voice deceptively soft. All eyes shifted to Tomas, who took a small, involuntary step backwards, causing every hand to reach for a weapon. Tomas realized his mistake and froze, his hands at his sides, palms forward.
“I know nothing of this, Highness,” Tomas said, meeting Zakiel’s gaze steadily. “I am as shocked as you that a Hunter would do such a thing. More shocked, in truth. This is a man I trusted with my back.”
Tomas looked back to Saigar. “Why did you do this, Saigar?”
Saigar raised his head slowly. “You are a fool,” he said to Tomas, his voice dripping with contempt. Then he turned his face toward Zakiel and hissed like a snake, his once green eyes now completely black and so dead that they did not even reflect the light of the torches surrounding him.
“Cin-sahib,” Zakiel spat with disgust as he and all of the Hunters took a shocked step back.
Those who were cin-sahib, demon possessed, were not to be trusted, nor pitied. They chose to share their minds, bodies and souls with a demon, giving them the opportunity to move among the humans unseen. It was impossible to identify the cin-sahib unless you were lucky enough to catch one when the demon was in control. Only then did their eyes became black, empty pits such as Saigar’s were now.
Zakiel watched Tomas carefully, but he seemed as horrified by what Saigar had become as the other Hunters. He’d grown up with his cousin, and knew him well. After several long moments, he was forced to admit there was nothing suspicious in Tomas’s behavior.
He shifted his gaze back to Saigar, his fists clenching as he thought of how close the cin-sahib had come to murdering Karma. His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden exclamations of surprise from the gathered Hunters. He looked up and met the awed stares of the men around him. He glanced down at his arms, already knowing that the red and blue feather shaped markings of the Vatra were boldly displayed for all to see. The Tigren markings were displayed also, but fainter than usual. He had forgotten all about the Vatra, and in his anger, the marks had appeared.
“Yes, the Vatra is returned,” he said. He gestured toward Saigar, whose head was once again bowed. “That is why I chose to keep it secret.”
All of the Hunters glared at Saigar, then bowed to Zakiel, their fists to their foreheads, then their hearts.
If Saigar were still human, there were laws that, as Prince, he must abide by. But they could all see quite clearly that Saigar was no longer fully human.
“Take him into the desert away from camp, and destroy him,” he ordered, knowing there was no other option. Saigar had made a choice, and it could not be undone or revoked. Zakiel looked at Garundel. “You know how it must be done.”
“As you command, Highness,” Garundel replied, bowing. “Gladly.”
“Wait,” Tomas said, earning a hard stare from every man present. He ignored the Hunters and looked only at Zakiel. “Cousin, this man was my friend. He was also a good and honorable Hunter who served Isiben for many years. For that man, the man I knew, Saigar, I ask that you give his soul a chance and wait until sunrise. If he dies in the absence of light, ever will his soul be bound to the demon.”
Zakiel clenched his jaw angrily, but he respected Tomas’s plea for his fellow Hunter. At the same time, he could muster no sympathy for the man who had attempted to murder Karma. Acknowledging his inability to be impartial in this matter, he turned to his knights.
“What say you, Sir Garundel?” he asked.
Garundel stared at what had once been Saigar for a long moment, then spat on the ground. “It is only a few hours till dawn,” he said gruffly. “We can wait that long.”
Zakiel nodded, then shifted his gaze to Bredon. “As he says,” Bredon said shortly, though the expression on his face told a different story. Of course, Zakiel thought, Kapia slept only a few paces from Karma. Who is to say she would not have been next?
“Very well,” Zakiel agreed. “Find a tent to put him in so that none have to look upon him, but surround it with guards. We will honor the man that Saigar once was by waiting till first light, though for myself, I am not convinced he merits it. Do not forget that a demon must be invited.”
“Thank you, Highness,” Tomas said, bowing low. Zakiel nodded, then shot a look at Garundel who, as always, read him instantly.
“Jenz,” Zakiel called once he received a brief nod from Garundel, “have Saigar’s belongings brought here and searched. And remove that knife from the sand. This one is not to be trusted.”
“Hunter Marl is currently missing,” Zakiel said. “Whether he is an accomplice of the cin-sahib, or a victim, we do not yet know. If anyone sees him, beware. Otherwise, the search for him will continue at dawn.”
Zakiel turned away, relieved to leave the presence of the cin-sahib. There was something draining about being too close to one when the demon was in charge, which was why he’d told the Hunters to put Saigar in a tent. It was safer for them if they did not have to look upon him for too long.
He started back to his own tent automatically, then remembered that he’d promised Karma and Kapia that he’d return. He paused a moment to see that the tent setters were following his orders, then turned toward the women’s tent.
***
Once Zakiel left to deal with Saigar, Karma allowed herself to relax a little. It hadn’t been easy to resist the desire to let him hold her. It seemed more than a desire. It was more like a need that she had to struggle against every moment that he was near. His obvious concern for her hadn’t helped. She could not deny the fear and worry in his eyes, the warmth and tenderness in his touch.
But what difference did it make? she asked herself sternly. Even if he did have feelings for her, he’d made it clear that he could not break the customs and laws of his own people. Which was just a nice way of saying he couldn’t go back on his commitment to Marene.
She couldn’t really blame him for that. A comm
itment was a commitment, after all. But she did blame him for not telling her about his relationship with Marene. For that there could be no excuse.
She could not leave. Not the desert, not Isiben, not even Rathira itself. She was here by her own choice, and she could not go back on her word any more than Zakiel could.
Nor could she refuse to speak with him for the remainder of this journey, or quest, or whatever it was. That would raise as many eyebrows as their kissing would have. If not more. No, she had to find a way to continue as she had begun.
She would be polite to the Prince, but no more than that, she decided. She would neither seek him out, nor avoid him. She would continue to speak with him, and work with him, but she would guard her heart carefully every moment of every day. No more dinners together in front of the campfire, no more late night discussions, no more personal stories or revelations of any kind. And no more of him lifting her onto and off of Dippy either. She would speak with a drover first thing in the morning and get them to put a stirrup on her saddle. Just one would be enough.
“Karma?” Kapia asked, her worried frown indicating she’d called her name more than once.
“I’m sorry, Kapia,” she replied as she accepted the cup of tea Kapia was offering her. “Just thinking.”
“Well, stop thinking,” Kapia said firmly. “Zakiel will handle the matter, you can be sure of that, and no one else will dare try such a thing.”
“Kapia, would you agree that everyone in this caravan is aware that Nikura and I are almost never out of each other’s sight?” Karma asked, wrapping her cold hands around the cup for warmth.
“Yes, of course,” Kapia replied as she poured herself a cup of tea and settled back on her cushion. “Why do you ask?”
“Look at Nikura,” Karma said as she turned her own eyes toward him. Now that he had calmed enough to stop pacing, he lay near the doorway, cleaning the blood from his fur. Karma set her cup down and stood, grabbed a clean towel from a basket and knelt down beside the Sphin.
“What about him?” Kapia asked as she watched Karma use the towel to wipe the blood from his fur. She put her own cup down, stood up, got another towel and went to help.
Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira Page 25
