Draggah (3 page)

“
Interesting,
”
Princess Ariel said.

“
Or disturbing,
”
Leonosis said. 
“
There
’
s got to be a reason for it, but I can
’
t put my finger on it.
”

“
You think he
’
s planning to oppose you,
”
she said.

“
It
’
s possible.  He
’
s smarter than he lets on and his friend is not just an able-bodied soldier.  He
’
s popular—all across the city people know who Rafe Grentzson is.  Half of the war band would follow him to the gates of hell and back.  But why leave the city?  What strategic advantage would that give him?
”

“
You really think he left willingly?
”

“
Yes, I just can
’
t fathom why.
”

“
Don
’
t worry about it,
”
she almost purred, as she put her hand on his arm. 
“
I
’
ve made a decision.  I want you to come back to Sparlan Citadel with me.
”

“
You do?
”
Leonosis asked.

He was shocked.  The Princess had treated him with contempt nearly her entire visit, and now she was asking him to come with her to the capital.  He couldn
’
t believe it.

“
You and I have common interests,” she said.  “I promised Tiberius that I would see to it that his friends are pardoned if they can make it to the Citadel.
”

“
You did what?
”
Leonosis said angrily.

“
No one has ever done it,
”
she said. 
“
But I have a feeling about your brother.  He may surprise us all.  If that is the case, then I want you there to rein him back in.
”

“
You think I want to go to Sparlan Citadel on a fool
’
s errand.  I won
’
t leave Avondale unprepared if Tiberius returns.
”

“
You think he
’
s just waiting, biding his time to attempt a coup.  I think he has other reasons for his departure.
”

“
What could you possibly know about Tiberius?  You
’
ve only met him twice and you think you know more than his own brother.
”

“
That is your weakness, Leonosis.  It is why you would make a poor King.  You can
’
t fathom that a woman could have ways of knowing things about a person that you can never understand.  And yet, it is true.  I
’
m guessing that if you dig deep enough into your brother
’
s recent activities, you
’
ll find the answer.  Or you could just come with me.
”

“
You intrigue me, I
’
ll admit that.
” 
He moved closer to the Princess. 
“
At first you seemed distant, cold, even a little vain.
”

“
Don
’
t misunderstand me, Lord Leonosis.  I have no interest in you as a lover.
”

She stood up suddenly and Leonosis was taken aback by the way she looked.  She was still beautiful, perhaps even more beautiful than ever, but she seemed darker somehow, larger, and much more terrifying.

“
What is this?
”
he sputtered as he stumbled back off the dais.

“
Your power comes from your position in this city,
”
she said, her voice so loud it echoed off the stone walls of the audience chamber. 
“
My power is much greater.  Do not underestimate me, or you will know pain you never thought imaginable.
”

Leonosis couldn
’
t believe his eyes.  The Princess seemed to grow before his very eyes, looming bigger and bigger, until she had to stoop over him to keep from banging her head on the ceiling.  She was smiling, but it was a look of terrible cruelty.  She raised her hand, pointing a finger at him, and he felt something moving inside him.  He tore at his tunic as she began to laugh.  The sound made his blood run cold as it echoed around the chamber.

He frantically pulled his shirt up, and there, visible just under the skin, was a writhing, serpentine creature.  He shouted in fear, and then passed out.

When he woke he was alone in the audience chamber.  He had no idea how long he
’
d been lying on the cold stone floor, but his body ached.  He raised up high enough to look at his stomach, but it seemed normal.  He touched it, trying to ensure that there was nothing foreign in his body.  Then he rolled to his side and pushed himself up.  His head was spinning, but after a few moments, everything seemed to settle into place.  He rose slowly and walked to the door.  As hard as he tried, he couldn
’
t explain what had happened with Princess Ariel.  She was more than she seemed.

He walked slowly back through the palace toward the banquet room, trying to figure out exactly what had happened.  Was it possible that Princess Ariel was some sort of demon?  Had he imagined the whole encounter?  He couldn
’
t put his finger on what was bothering him so much about the encounter.  It was easy to simply point out the fact that he had been terrified.  She might have drugged him somehow, he reasoned.  It would explain the hallucination, and the fact that he
’
d passed out.

“
Where the hell have you been?
”
Brutas asked as he came around the corner.

“
What?
”

“
Father is looking for you.  It
’
s almost time for the final feast before the King leaves and you
’
ve been missing all day.
”

“
Night has fallen?
”

“
Uh, yes... where have you been?
”

“
I wasn
’
t well,
”
Leonosis said. 
“
I took a nap.
”

“
Well, you picked a perfect time.  I
’
m sure the King won
’
t mind if you need to retire early,
”
Brutas scoffed. 
“
You
’
d better clean yourself up, you look terrible.
”

“
Tell father I
’
m on my way,
”
Leonosis said.

Brutas shook his head and hurried away.  Normally, Leonosis would never have permitted his brother to speak to him in such a fashion, but his mind was still on the Princess.  There were other explanations for what had happened, but the most worrisome involved magic and no matter how hard he tried, Leonosis couldn
’
t shake the feeling that the Princess was a witch.

Chapter 2

Tiberius

“
Gather our things,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
I
’
ll saddle the horses.
”

“
We
’
re going after her now?
”
Rafe asked.

“
Of course we are.
”

“
But we don
’
t even know where she went,
”
Rafe said.

“
It
’
s most likely that she went back to Avondale,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
She must have thought you were defeated in the Tuscogee last night.
”

“
Alright, alright, but let me check on Olyva.  And we
’
ll need supplies as well.  We can
’
t just go rushing off and leave the tribe without guidance.
”

“
I
’
ll take care of it. Just get your weapons and get back here,
”
Tiberius said.

He watched as his friend walked away.  He was so frustrated that he wanted to scream.  Lexi had saved their lives and made a huge sacrifice to leave Avondale with Tiberius, but Rafe acted as if she didn
’
t matter in the least.  If Lady Olyva had gone missing, it would be a different story, he guessed.

“
Swanee,
”
the Hoskali man who had been tending the animals said. 
“
You are leaving the tribe?
”

“
I have to go find my friend,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
She could be in danger.
”

“
The Rogu will help,
”
the man said. 
“
They read the grasses.
”

“
The Rogu?
”
Tiberius said. 
“
Who is that?
”

“
Hunters,
”
the man said excited. 
“
Come, I show you.
”

Tiberius wanted to stay and saddle the horses, but he decided that if the Hoskali had people that could help him find Lexi, he would be foolish not to include them.  The man smiled and spoke as they walked.  Tiberius could tell he was very excited.

“
It is good to have a new Swanee,
”
he said. 
“
Moswanee was cruel, even to the animals.  I don
’
t think you have a shadow on your heart.  You have a sign of the Great Father on you.
”

“
The Great Father?
”
Tiberius said as he walked along beside the man.

“
He makes the light shine in the sky and gives the healing rain,
”
said the man. 
“
You not know the Great Father, Swanee?
”

“
You mean God?  Addoni?
”
Tiberius asked.

“
Addoni, means Great Father, yes,
”
said the man. 
“
I am Quntah, it means horseman in the old tongue.  I care for your animals.  Te
’
sumee leads the Rogu.  Te
’
sumee means shadow hunter.
”

“
He can track animals?
”
Tiberius asked.

“
Animals, people, horses,
”
Quntah said. 
“
Te
’
sumee can track fish through the water.
”

Tiberius smiled.  He was beginning to like Quntah.  They went to a part of the camp where a group of men slept out in the open.  Most of the tribal folk had shelters made from animal hides stretched over pliable wooden staves.  The shelters looked like giant mushrooms on the grassy prairie.  Some were only large enough for two people to take refuge inside, others, like the one Tiberius had slept in, could easily hold over a dozen.

The tribe was beginning to stir now. Small fires were kindled and food was being prepared.  Tiberius could smell the flat bread, which was a staple for the tribe, being cooked and it made his stomach rumble.  The group of men who had no shelters were still sleeping for the most part.  One stood up—he was short and thin, his hair a bushy mass.  He stretched and approached Tiberius.

“
You have need of the Rogu, Swanee?
”
the man asked.

“
Are you Te
’
sumee?
”

“
Yes, Swanee.  I can hunt anything on the plains.
”

“
I need you to find a person.  Lexi, the girl that came with us.  The one with short hair.  She left last night, on horseback.  Can you find her?
”