Boyett-Compo Charlotte - Wind Tales 01 (49 page)

himself. “I have vowed to uphold the sanctity of marriage."

“The rights of a husband over his wife,” Occultus put in.

Quinn nodded grimly. “Aye,” he agreed through a clenched jaw.

Kaelan's lips twitched for he knew Sorn had defeated himself with the admission of being One with the

Windwarrior Society.

“As a Windwarrior,” Occultus remarked, “you uphold the honor of your fellow Windwarriors."

“And are sworn to keep sacrosanct the purity of the women under your protection,” Hesar added,

gaining Arbra's stony glower.

“I know the tenets of the Society, Hesar!” Arbra snapped.

“Knowing them and practicing them are separate issues,” Occultus declared.

A muscle in Arbra's jaw bunched, his fists clenched, but he lifted his head. “I have made vows I would

die rather than break, Your Worship."

“That is good, for the gods, Themselves, would not have allowed you to break those vows anyway,”

Occultus declared.

There was a long silence in the room while the two younger men studiously avoided looking at one

another and Occultus organized in his mind what he needed to say to seal the bargain he would require of

these two warriors. When at last he had formulated the right thoughts, he looked hard at Kaelan Hesar.

“You are not to be a part of Nicholas Cree's pirate brigade, Kaelan."

Kaelan looked up. “Then what am I to do?"

“What you have always wanted to do,” Occultus stated. “Raise and sell horses."

The Viragonian's forehead crinkled with concern. “Your Grace, I have no money to begin a horse farm."

“You will after the booty is divided from the one and only pirate raid upon which you will go,” Occultus

informed him. He turned his eyes to Quinn. “And your partner here will add his share with yours and then

leave for Asaraba where he will buy four Rysalian breeding mares and a colt."

Quinn's eyebrows shot up into his thick blond hair. “You aren't talking about me!” he denied. “I set one

foot in Asaraba and I'll be arrested again.” A shudder ran through his lean body and he shook his head in

denial. “I'll not let that happen again!"

Occultus frowned. “Have you no faith in the gods’ will, Arbra?"

Quinn snorted. “I've no faith in anyone other than myself.” He looked at Kaelan, then corrected that

statement. “And my Angel."

The growl that came from Kaelan could be heard outside the hut. “Keep your adulterous thoughts off

my woman and don't call her that gods-be-damned name again, Arbra!"

The priest held up one bony hand before Quinn's temper could erupt. “I am taking the young Serenian

and his friend back with me."

“What the hell difference does that??” Kaelan began, only to have the sorcerer dart him a quelling

glance. Hesar clamped his mouth shut.

“Their ransoms have been paid,” Occultus continued, “and they wish to invest a portion of that ransom in

the horse breeding venture, as well.” He folded his arms. “There will be plenty of money left over with

which young Thècion will buy several

witnesses who will swear they saw Xavier Rahshobi push the Lady Nailah to her death."

“No one was there, but the three of us,” Quinn protested.

Occultus smiled. “The gods and Their ladies were there, Arbra. It is Their will that Xavier Rahshobi hang

for the murder of his sister.” He cocked his head to one side. “Have you an objection to that?"

“Aye, I have an objection!” Quinn grumbled. “I want the honor of running my sword through that

bastard's evil gut!” Even as Arbra finished speaking, Occultus was shaking his head. “Why the hell not?”

Quinn demanded. “I am entitled to satisfaction!"

“Vengeance is best served cold, Arbra,” Occultus reminded the young warrior. “Xavier will believe it is

your money which condemns him to the hangman's tree and that is all that is necessary for you to have

your revenge. That way, no blood will stain your hands."

“He's right,” Kaelan said softly. “If you let the Tribunal punish him, they will have no choice but to

restore your good name to you and erase the charges that sent you to Tyber's Isle.” He snorted

fatalistically. “Too bad you couldn't ask recompense for time served, eh?"

“The recompense will come from the Tribunal coffers we plunder, Stormy,” Quinn replied.

Occultus nodded. Whether the two men knew it or not, they were already bonding and he was pleased.

So pleased, that he had one more thing he wished to say to the Ionarian Lord that he knew would seal

the comradeship.

“There will be a woman in Asaraba,” Occultus decreed. “Her name is Cantara. She is a distant cousin of

the House of Jaborn.” He frowned. “But that can not be held against her."

“What of her?” Quinn asked suspiciously. He knew of the Jaborns. Theirs was a very powerful

sheikdom that was greatly feared in the Hasdu world.

“You will marry her,” Occultus informed him. Before Quinn could erupt into further denials, the sorcerer

went on.

“You will give her twin sons, Hern and Balizar,” the priest said. “Both will be mighty warriors. One will

be the teacher of the Dark Overlord and be the one to bring that man into the light. The other, will stand

at his side and fight; he will save the Overlord's life."

“It's seed of my seed from which the Dark Overlord will come,” Kaelan bragged and blushed when

Occultus threw him an admonishing glower.

“Is that true?” Quinn asked, his eyes worried.

Occultus nodded. “And your son and his son will be great friends, though they will...” The sorcerer

stopped. Why borrow trouble by telling these men that their sons would love the same woman just as

they, themselves, loved the same woman? That one man would sire the Dark Overlord while the other

man would believe it had been his seed planted that grew in the woman's womb?

“They will what, Your Worship?” Kaelan pressed.

“Live in different worlds,” Occultus finished smoothly. “As you two will live in different worlds."

Kaelan looked at Quinn. The two young warriors regarded one another silently for a moment, then

shrugged, giving in to their destinies. What would be, would be.

Occultus smiled. “Then it is settled.” He looked from one knight to the other. “You will join together and

begin the task of defeating the Brotherhood."

Hesar surprised himself by extending his sword hand to Arbra. “Truce?"

Arbra let out a long breath. “Truce,” he grunted and reached out to grip Kaelan's wrist.

Occultus Noire watched the two men for a few moments then dismissed them. There were prayers and

be made to keep these two knights safe as they journeyed side by side along the dark paths of evil. As

he cast the runes of protection for the men, he did not fail to include within the Circle of Safety the main

reason the two of them were sure to remain together for as long as they lived: Gillian Hesar.

[Back to Table of Contents]

Gillian looked up from her sewing and grinned. “Bad day, my love?” she asked, a twinkle in her eye.

Kaelan limped over to the hammock and sat down heavily. “That man is devoid of humor!"

His lady-wife laid down the shirt she had been mending. “What did the two of you do, now?"

A sheepish look came over Kaelan's face. “I did nothing. I but watched."

“What did you watch, milord?” she inquired.

The sheepish look gave way to a genuinely pleased smirk. “Riordan put Arbra's arrogant ass down."

Gillian rolled her eyes heavenward. When would the two of them stop being such children? She sat back

in her wicker chair and regarded her husband much as a mother would her errant little boy. “Was he

hurt?” she asked.

The smirk was replaced by a look of pique. “What difference would it make if the fool was?"

“Was he hurt?” she repeated.

Kaelan shrugged. “Unfortunately not. The man's head is too thick."

“Why were they fighting?"

“They weren't,” Kaelan answered and when she gave him what he had begun to call her ‘exasperated’

look, he shook his head. “They weren't! Arbra asked to be shown some self-defense moves Riordan had

learned in Chrystallus, and he found out he wasn't as good with his hands and feet as he is with his

sword."

For her husband to admit Quinn Arbra was good with his sword was an improvement. Up until that

week, Kaelan would as soon have his tongue ripped out at the root as admit Quinn excelled in anything

other than arrogance.

“Has Nick set a date for leaving, yet?” she asked, picking up her mending once more.

“Next week for sure,” Kaelan replied. He glanced at his wife. “Are you worried?"

“Of course,” she answered. In all truth, she was terrified that both her husband and her brother would be

taking to the High Seas to go a'pirating. That they were going after only Tribunal ships and transports was

reason enough to be afraid. She could have justified the pirating of Diabolusian ships: everyone robbed

those arrogant bastards and the Tribunal turned a blind eye to the pilfering. But to rob Tribunal ships?

The thought made her shudder with unease.

“We know what we're doing,” Kaelan said gently.

“So you keep telling me,” Gilly reminded him.

Kaelan swung his legs up into the hammock. “Occultus would not have left if he thought we could not

handle what we're setting out to do, Gilly."

That the men who called themselves Alel's Force had the sorcerer's protection was a given. Gillian only

wondered how much that protection was worth. She, herself had gone to the Shadowlands, the secret

haven of the Daughters of the Multitudes to ask for the renegades’ protection and she hoped the Great

Lady would heed her prayer.

“Nothing will happen to me, Sweeting,” Kaelan said, turning his head to look at her.

“I know,” she replied. She pierced the muslin fabric of his shirt with the needle and drew the thread

through to the other side. “But it would set my mind at ease to know you and Quinn could stand back to

back and protect each other."

“Why should we not?” Kaelan inquired.

“Your dislike of one another?” Gilly suggested.

Kaelan laced his fingers together and put his hands behind his head. “Leave off, Gillian,” he admonished

her. “I can work with the man, dearling, but I don't have to like him to do so."

“It would help,” his wife advised.

“Leave off, Gillian,” Kaelan admonished her. “There is too much between him and me for either of us to

ever be friends with the other."

Gilly paused for a moment with the thread pulled taut, the needle glinting in an errant ray of sunlight. She

turned her head and looked keenly at her husband then let her hand fall to her lap. “And why is that,

Kaelan?” she questioned. “You hardly know Quinn."

Kaelan shifted uneasily in the hammock, setting the canvas to swaying. He knew it wouldn't do to tell

Gilly he was jealous of Arbra. She would fan away his concern and ask him why he felt the need to be.

That she had no clue as to the other man's feelings toward her should have put Kaelan's mind to rest;

instead, it worried him and he lay there pondering the wisdom of enlightening her.

“Hesar?” she grunted. “Why is there such dislike between the two of you?"

Kaelan stared up at the lacy palm fronds overhead. “Have you any idea how he feels about you, Gilly?”

he asked.

“Grateful, I would imagine,” she replied. “In some small way, I believe he thinks I saved his life."

Kaelan glanced over at her. “Aye, he does, but that isn't what I meant."

Gilly lifted her hand and thrust the needle through the shirt fabric once more, not looking at her husband

as she continuing mending the rip in its sleeve. “Do you refer to his crush on me, then?"

Kaelan blinked. “Crush?” he gasped. She knew?

Gilly shrugged as she ducked her head down to bite through the thread. “Aye,” she acknowledged. “The

poor man is a bit enamored of me, I think.” She stuck the needle into her spool of thread then laid them

inside her sewing basket. “It's to be expected, isn't it?"

Kaelan swung his legs from the hammock—almost losing his balance and tumbling over backwards to

the sand—and stood up, his hands on his hips. “You know he is in love with you?” he demanded.

Gilly looked up at him, her eyebrows raised. “Did I say ‘love', Kaelan?” She shook her head. “I said

crush and that is precisely what it is."

“The gods-be-damned hell it is!” he snarled. “The man is besotted with you, Gillian, and was ready to

fight me to prove it!"

Gilly blushed, but she didn't seem embarrassed that such was the case. she smiled—secretly, it seemed

to Kaelan—then lifted one delicate shoulder. “He'll get over it."

“He'll get over it?"” Kaelan strode to her, bent over, reached down, and drew her to her feet, ignoring

her protest as the shirt she had just mended slipped to the ground. She was about to chastise her

husband, but he shook her, none too gently.

“Quinn Sorn Arbra is in love with you, Gillian Hesar,” he grated through a tight jaw. “And I can tell you

from my own experience, he will never get over it, woman!"

Gilly's head bobbed as he shook her again. She stared at him, mesmerized by the possessive gleam in his

dark brown eyes. “Kaelan...” she began, but he shook her again, more roughly.

“I'll not allow him to come between us!” Kaelan roared.

“He ... will ... not!” Gilly managed to get out before her husband dragged her up against him hard enough

to knock the breath from her body and slammed his mouth tightly over hers.

The assault on her mouth was more rape than kiss. Kaelan's tongue forced its way past her lips and