Heart of Fire (32 page)

“I don’t think most of them are
true.”

“Are you telling me the king’s
firstborn is the assassin known as the Black Death?”

She nodded. “And I love
him.”

He stared unblinking at the floor.
“In truth, I always thought the tales more fiction than fact,
stories told for frights and amusements...and now you tell me this
creature is not only real but the king’s own flesh and
blood.”

The king grasped Jessalyne’s hand.
“A son or daughter, Shaylana, please tell me...”

“A son, named Ertemis. You would be
proud of him, I think. His life has not been an easy one, but he’s
made his own way.”

The king stared out the window
again, and she wondered if he’d really heard anything she
said.

Laythan looked up. “Where is this
dark elf?”

She shook her head. “Unfortunately,
I don’t know.”

“But you love him?”

“Yes, I’ve tried not to but I cannot
help it. We quarreled and when he left he barely spoke to me. I’m
sure he’s forgotten me by now.”

“Forgotten a woman who bears such a
lovely resemblance to his lady mother? I doubt that. More likely he
berates himself for not finding a way to smooth things between you
before he left.” Laythan stood and patted Jessalyne’s knee. “Not to
worry. The Black Death is a man for hire and a man for hire cannot
be too hard to find or he will never get work.”

She brightened a bit. “I had not
thought of that.”

“This will be our secret, Jessalyne.
Do you understand?”

“But I must tell Fynna.”

“The pixie in Sryka’s
service?”

“Yes. She’s my friend and she
already knows about him.”

“Very well, but no one else. I don’t
want Sryka or Erebus learning of this.”

She nodded. “I agree. There’s just
one thing I don’t understand.”

“What is that, child?”

“In order to be king of Shaldar, a
prince must marry a woman blessed by his father,
correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Does that mean Shaylana was the
king’s mistress? I doubt Ertemis will find that happy
news.”

Laythan shook his head. “Nay, she
was not his mistress. His highness was married at his coronation,
as all kings of Shaldar are, but she died in childbirth, along with
the babe, about a year after they wed. The king fell into such a
state of sorrow that I thought he wouldn’t recover.

“Lady Shaylana brought laughter and
joy back into his life. He truly loved her and his hope was that a
successful alliance would polish the way for them to be wed. He
intended she be his queen.

“Some years after the failed
alliance, he realized he must have an heir and so he wed again and
Erebus was born. But it was a union born of duty, not love. She
passed two summers ago.”

Jessalyne kissed Sir Laythan’s cheek
as she slipped off the bed. “Thank you. Take care of his highness.
I fear this has been a bit of a shock for him. I’ll see you
tomorrow, Sir Laythan.”

Ertemis was King Maelthorn’s
firstborn son. Heir to the throne of Shaldar. It was almost more
than she could take in. She was rounding the last few steps to the
landing when she saw Fynna coming down from Sryka’s
quarters.

“You’re certainly alight with
something.” Fynna hopped onto the landing.

“I have news.” Jessalyne held a
finger to her lips and whispered, “I’ll tell you
inside.”

She pushed open the door and the
reek of her stained dress greeted them. “Ugh. I must throw that
dress out.”

Fynna stood in the doorway,
quivering. “What...what is that?” She pointed to the stain clearly
visible on the crumpled gown heaped upon the floor.

“I bumped into Sir Laythan and
spilled that foul tonic Sryka makes for the king all over my dress.
Have you ever smelled anything like it?”

Sinking to her knees beside the
dress, Fynna nodded. “Yes. I have.” She picked up the gown and
lifted it to her nose, inhaling where the stain was.

“Fynna! How can you stand
to—”

“She’s poisoning him. With the dust
off my wings.” Fynna shook, despair twisting her mouth.

“What do you mean?”

“Pixie wings are covered with a fine
powder like butterfly wings. That’s where pixie dust comes from.
Made into an elixir, it smells like the corpse flower.”

She held up the dress. “I would know
that smell anywhere. No wonder Sryka has taken such pains to hide
the tonic from me.”

“But you said she cannot harm him
because of the Oath.”

“She has found a way around it. In
small doses, pixie dust is a powerful restorative. In large doses,
it’s deadly. By giving him the elixir every day, she’s slowly
poisoning him.” Fynna sobbed. “And destroying my wings in the
process.”

“Not for much longer. I have news
that will change everything. Everything.”

Chapter Sixteen

Ertemis relaxed on one of the
pallets, arms folded behind his head. “We wait.” He closed his
eyes, ready for a nap.

“We wait? We just got here!” Brynden
muttered, his dissatisfied with Ertemis’s decision evident in his
voice.

“Just until lastlight. You’ll need
to be alert later. Once I leave, I want you to keep an eye on
Dragon.”

The boy sighed as he lay on the
other pallet. “Fine.”

“Brynden?”

“Aye?”

“Take my sword off, please. You’re
liable to slice yourself in two while you sleep. ”

“It’s still sheathed!”

“Take it off. Now.” Ertemis
suppressed a grin. The boy’s enthusiasm was undaunted.

With another great sigh, Brynden
reluctantly took off the sword and lay quietly.

As the boy’s breath slowly evened
out with sleep, Ertemis grinned. No doubt the excitement of the day
had taken its toll. Sleep would do them both good. His eyes closed,
Ertemis opened his mind and found Jessalyne’s heartbeat, drawing it
into his body until his heart beat in time with hers. Knowing she
was so close and not being able to go to her was excruciating. He
ached to hold her and kiss her. He would never leave her again. If
she would have him.

He pulled free the chain his mother
had given him and studied the delicate band of gold and diamonds.
It confounded him to think of himself, the infamous Black Death,
actually in love. And with such a woman as Jessalyne. He moaned
softly at the thought of her smooth skin.

She would say yes. She had to. He
would find them a place to live, near Valduuk perhaps. Jessalyne
could work as a healer or maybe just stay home and fill their home
with babes and every night he would hold her tight and inhale her
intoxicating scent and remind himself that she was his. He would
make sure she wanted for nothing.

His head full of the promise of the
future, he fell asleep clutching the ring, his hand over his
heart.

* * *

Fynna kept her eyes fixed on the
blotch staining the gown.

Jessalyne took her friend by the
shoulders and turned her, forcing her to look up. “Listen to me.
When I was with the king today, he was lost in remembrances of the
past. Sir Laythan told me to expect that at times, but today is the
first I saw of it. He was mumbling and staring out the windows and
making little sense. I started reading to him and when I paused, he
was staring at me.

“I thought he was himself again,
then he called me by someone else’s name. I went to his bedside to
hear him better and he said the name again, as clear as a summer
day.”

Jessalyne hesitated, looking into
Fynna’s weepy eyes. “Fynna, he called me Shaylana.
Shaylana.”

Fynna shook her head slowly. “I
don’t understand.”

“He called me Shaylana and asked me
if I had finally brought our child to him.”

Still, the pixie looked
confused.

“Of all the stories you’ve made me
tell you about Ertemis, does that name not mean anything to
you?”

The fog in Fynna’s blue eyes
cleared. Her mouth dropped open. “Do you mean...” She covered her
mouth with her hand. “He is...His mother was... is it true? Can it
be?”

“Sir Laythan confirmed it. I told
him everything about Ertemis and me. Well, not everything, but the
important bits.”

“Your dark elf is heir to the throne
of Shaldar.” Fynna whispered the words as if saying them too loud
might make them untrue.

Jessalyne nodded and whispered back,
“Fynna, we must keep this between us and Sir Laythan. Sryka and the
prince must not find this out.”

“A secret of the utmost importance.
Keeping it will be my first duty to his highness, King
Ertemis.”

King Ertemis Elta-naya. Except the
Elta-naya no longer fit, Jessalyne thought. The firstborn son of
Shaldar’s king could hardly be called the son of none.

“Fynna, I must take this dress down
to the scullery and throw it into the fire. I cannot bear the
stench any longer. You must also keep secret what Sryka is about
with your wings. I can only imagine how terrible it is for you to
know she’s doing this, but I promise it won’t be for much
longer.”

“The knowledge that Prince Erebus’s
day is coming will help, rest assured.”

Jessalyne bundled the dress so that
the stain was in the middle. “Is there anyway to get Sryka out of
her chambers?”

“Why?”

“I want to try my hand at scrying
for Ertemis. I must find him and I don’t know how else to do it. I
need her crystal.”

Fynna smiled. “You leave that to me.
Now get that foul dress out of here and ask cook for some chocolate
biscuits while you’re down there.”

Jessalyne laughed. “I’ll see what I
can do.”

* * *

Sryka was in no mood for the
prince’s behavior. After searching inside the castle for him, she
had finally found him in the front courtyard, playing childish
games. “Your highness, we must go see the king.
Immediately.”

“I’m busy, old woman.” Prince Erebus
kept his eyes on Salena as she took her turn at Fox and
Geese.

She moved closer and whispered in
his ear. “You no longer wish to be king, then?”

His eyes sparked with interest. “Why
didn’t you call me sooner?” He spun on his heel and Sryka hobbled
after him, leaving Salena pouting in the sun.

Sir Laythan greeted them warily.
Never had both Prince Erebus and Sryka come to see the king at
once. “His highness is not well today. Perhaps tomorrow would be a
better time.”

Erebus pushed Laythan out of the
way. “How dare you tell me what I can and cannot do? Out of my
way.”

Sneering at Laythan as she passed,
Sryka had the prince secure the bedroom door to keep the old man
out until they needed him. How odd. Fresh air wafted in through
open windows and the king stared out at the blue sky.

“He looks well enough to me,” Erebus
grumbled.

She moved toward the bed. “Your
highness?”

The king twisted, revealing a
faraway look in his eyes. Even better. She smirked. “Let Laythan in
to witness. The king will give the blessing.”

Prince Erebus stepped away from the
door and Laythan burst in. “You should not be in here. The king
needs his rest.”

“Be quiet, old man. You knew this
day would come.” The prince stroked the hilt of his sword in a
poorly veiled threat.

Sryka focused her attention on the
king. “Your highness, we are here to receive your blessing on the
child Jessalyne. Your son wishes to wed her and take his rightful
place on the throne.”

“My son?” The king’s words were
feeble.

“Aye, your son wishes you to bless
Jessalyne as his bride so that he may marry her.”

“Jessalyne?”

Sryka ground down her exasperation.
Just a little while longer and she’d be free. “The pale-haired girl
who has been visiting with you?”

“Beautiful hair.” A faint smile
crossed his face.

“Aye, lovely hair. Do you give her
your blessing to wed your son?”

“Hair like moonlight...” The king
seemed to be searching his memory. “My son is here?”

“Aye, Sire, your son is
here.”

His face lit in a way Sryka had not
seen in a long time. “I give my blessing.”

* * *

Jessalyne returned with a bundle of
the requested biscuits tied in linen.

“Oh good.” Fynna smiled. “I brewed a
pot of tea. I knew you’d come back with them. Cook loves you. Did
she say anything about that dress?”

Jessalyne handed the biscuits to
Fynna. “She sent me down to the laundry, to pitch it in one of the
furnaces so it wouldn’t stink up the scullery. I promised her a
recipe for pepperberry preserves.”

“Do you have to go to the great hall
for dinner?” Crumbs spilled out of Fynna’s mouth.