Scarred Man (30 page)

Myrrhini closed the door behind her, confused and a bit afraid. She leant against it and wrapped her arms tightly across her chest. The air was warm, humid and close, yet she shivered. All around her, the smell of polluted water filled everything, but she hardly noticed it in her confusion.

The Ce Atli, whom she had never even seen during the voyage from Usterust, had not left her side since the terrible passage through the shoals that protected the harbour here in Sullito. He had been kind and solicitous, yet he had taken every opportunity to touch her. Never overtly, never inappropriately, always gently, but always warmly and slightly lingeringly.

Myrrhini knew she was naïve, certainly when compared with the worldly cynicism of Maida, but she had watched the flirting of the servants in the Place, had given her virginity to Hinrik and had read all her life. She was not a fool. This tall, sensitive, intelligent man desired her.

He wants me. He has hardly met me, and he
wants me. He can barely keep his hands off me. How do I feel about that?

Myrrhini pushed herself away from the door and stood tall, stretching her arms high above her head.

I feel good.

I feel like a woman.

Without realising it, Myrrhini had just made a decision. Warmth spread through her body. She looked around the room, trying to keep her eyes off the large bed that dominated it, but failing. There was only a wardrobe, and a small table which held a basin and water jug in the room. She moved to the wardrobe and pulled it open. Nothing in there, either.

No matter, the Ce Atli wants me wearing what I am wearing now. I don't need all the silly things she was wearing.

Her mind flickered back to the sight of Maida in the flimsy undergarments, standing in front of a wardrobe not unlike this one. The lush, inviting curves of the red-haired woman had been enhanced by them in ways that Myrrhini knew her own skinny frame would not be. She was all long limbs and bones, where Maida was all muscle and curves. And breasts.

There was a soft knock at her door. Myrrhini spun around, her mind emptying of all such thoughts as she looked at the door. The knock, soft and diffident, came again.

‘Who's there?' she said unsteadily.

‘Ce Atli.'

Her heart seemed to stop, then pounded as if ready to burst. It thudded painfully in her chest as she stood motionless. He knocked again.

‘Onaven? Are you all right?'

Move. Put one foot in front of the other. It's called walking. Move.

She rested her hand on the door handle.
Breathe. You can do this. It does not have to be what you fear. You don't have to do this.

She opened the door. The Ce Atli was standing there, concern on his face.

‘I was worried about you, Onaven,' he said.

‘Come in,' Myrrhini said, stepping aside.

He smiled — a smile that lit up his face — and stepped past her into her room. Inside, he looked around.

‘At least it is better than your cabin aboard the
Queen's Quest
,' he said. ‘And it doesn't move.'

‘I liked the movement,' Myrrhini said.

The healer shuddered, a little theatrically. ‘I hate the sea, I hate boats and I hate sailing in them.'

‘So why do you do it?' Myrrhini asked as she closed the door.

‘My queen demands it of me. I obey.'

‘Why?' Myrrhini took a step towards him.

‘I love my queen and serve her willingly.'

‘Why?' Myrrhini took another step towards him.

‘Who cares?' the Ce Atli said as he moved quickly and gathered Myrrhini in his arms.

His arms were strong and gentle as he lifted her off her feet and held her close, his lips seeking hers. Myrrhini felt herself weaken, as if she were melting. The Ce Atli kissed her firmly and carried her to the bed where he laid her down and then stood up. Looking down at her, a strange expression crossed
his face briefly before he knelt beside her and started to unlace her dress.

Myrrhini did not feel uncomfortable or vulnerable as he undressed her. She felt inexplicably happy and at peace. Memories of Hinrik faded as he lay beside her and caressed her skin with soft, confident hands. She gave herself up to the pleasures of a skilled lover and time ceased to have any meaning. At some stage, sated and totally at peace, she fell asleep. Her mind was at rest, her body exhausted and her needs fulfilled. All hints of Hinrik had been expunged by the gentle yet commanding presence of the Ce Atli.

She barely stirred when the door opened, but a few moments later she felt the Ce Atli move suddenly. Something stirred in her mind that this was odd. She moaned and rolled over, opening her eyes to look straight into the red-pupilled stare of Tatya.

Myrrhini screamed and threw herself backwards across the bed in shock.

‘You,' the spurre growled. ‘You do not belong any more than I do.'

‘You can speak?' Myrrhini gasped as she continued to scrabble away from the black feline, gathering blankets around her naked body.

‘So can you,' Tatya rumbled. She reached out one huge paw and stepped up onto the bed. Myrrhini felt the whole bed shift and bend with the weight of the predator. Claws tore the fabric on the bed as Tatya advanced purposefully towards Myrrhini.

‘What are you doing?' Myrrhini cried.

‘Killing you,' Tatya said with a low, rumbling growl. ‘Like should have been done at birth.'

‘Why? What have I ever done?'

‘It isn't about you, it's about what you are and what you could do.'

Myrrhini slipped off the bed and stood up, continuing to back away as she tried desperately to think of how she might escape. The blankets she held in front of her body would provide no protection and would only slow her down if she were to run, so she dropped them. Another step backwards brought her to the wall, its wood hard and warm against her skin.

Delay! Slow her down. Think!

‘What can I do?' Myrrhini asked. She started to edge along the wall towards the door as Tatya came across the bed to land softly near her.

‘You brought this thing upon us, and you can use its power.'

‘What are you talking about?' Myrrhini was halfway to the door now. The shapeshifter was close enough for her to smell its hot breath, but if she could open the door, she might use it as a shield. Myrrhini kept moving.

Tatya tensed and sprang. Myrrhini screamed, frozen by terror as the huge spurre flew at her, its mouth agape, its claws fully extended. For a moment, it seemed that time froze, allowing Myrrhini to see everything clearly. She saw the eyes, gleaming with the lust of the kill, the teeth dripping saliva, the claws unsheathed, reaching out for her throat. Her mind flicked idly through the path that had brought her to this place, to this moment. So
many disparate events, so many people, so much that was impossible. How could she have possibly survived unsheltered, hungry, without any clue as to where she was going, with a broken toe, walking through the savage wilderness? How had she known to keep her identity secret? None of it made any sense.

Or did it?

‘No,' she said calmly, holding out her hand.

Tatya stopped mid-spring like she had hit a wall. With a strangled yowl, the shapeshifter slid down the invisible barrier.

‘I forbid you to do this,' Myrrhini said softly. ‘Instead I want —'

Her sentence went unfinished as, with a bellow, the Ce Atli threw himself across the bed to land heavily on Tatya's back. He held a small knife that he drove viciously into her neck. Its sharp blade bit deep. As if suddenly freed, the spurre whipped her head around with a roar to grab the Ce Atli's hand. Her teeth sank through skin, tearing ligaments and shattering bone. The Ce Atli screamed in agonised horror as the knife slipped from his ruined hand. Tatya shrugged him off her back and ripped the hand off cleanly. Myrrhini watched, shocked beyond words as the big feline tossed her head back and swallowed the hand, before returning her gaze to the screaming man.

‘You cannot forbid me this,' she snarled. Her mouth gaped open again, this time dripping blood, and snapped shut over the Ce Atli's head. The spurre's jaws were like a steel trap, slamming teeth down onto the healer's neck, completely engulfing
his head. There was a terrible ripping sound as she wrenched her own head sideways, tearing her victim's head completely away.

Myrrhini screamed again, took up the burning lantern by the door and hurled it at Tatya. It struck the spurre on the shoulder and bounced away, spreading burning oil across the bed. In an instant, the bed burst into flame. Tatya howled in animal terror and threw herself at the door, dropping the bloodied head as she sprang past Myrrhini. She slammed into the wood and crashed through it to land on all four paws out in the corridor. With a final hissing spit, she bounded away.

Myrrhini stood for a moment in shock, horrified at what she'd seen, unsure what to do. Stopping the shapeshifter had seemed completely natural. She wanted something, so she made it happen. Just like that. Despite the flames that were now starting to lick all around her, Myrrhini did not move. She stood and watched the fire, feeling very strange. It was like having daven surging through her body and mind, without having taken any of the drug.

Could it still be the daven I had on board the
Queen's Quest
?

Even as she thought it, she knew that was not right. This was only
like
daven. It was not the same. For one thing, she felt under control, not as though she was being controlled by the drug.

What else can I do? What would I like to do?

A smile creased her lips.

I know.

When she stirred into wakefulness, Maida became aware of the smell of smoke. The shouts, pounding of feet and high-pitched scream came next, followed by her door being smashed open. She sat up as Tatya, in spurre form, burst into her room. Her eyes were wild, her mane bristled and all along her back the fur was standing on end as if she were terrified or furious. Or both.

‘What's happening?' Maida said, but Tatya did not shift into human form. She stayed as a spurre and glared at her.

‘Get on,' the spurre growled. Maida stared.

‘You want me to ride you?' she asked. Tatya growled and lowered herself into a crouch. Maida gathered the blankets around her, and climbed onto the powerful back.

She was unprepared for Tatya's burst of speed and had to grab her stiff yellow mane for support as the spurre sprang away. Once outside her room, the smoke was thicker, the shouts louder and a sense of panic pervaded everything. Maida lay low on Tatya's back as they fled. The shapeshifter dodged
past screaming women and men, leapt over what could have been dead bodies and smashed through thin wooden walls in her mad rush to reach safety. Maida closed her eyes as the sounds of pain and suffering became louder with the smell of smoke.

By the time Tatya crashed through the door that would take them into the open air, Maida could hear the crackling of flames. The big spurre bounded through the shattered door to land and skid on the narrow wooden walkway that ran alongside the inn. Maida cut short her cry of concern and held tighter as they slewed across the wood. Tatya's claws gripped and tore at the wood as she tried to stop before tumbling into the waterway. She came to rest before the edge and was off, bounding away from the burning building.

Maida was dimly aware of shouts and curses following her, but she paid them no heed. She was free: bounding faster than she could have imagined possible. Tatya's muscles bunched and released in an irresistible rhythm that held the promise of great stamina. At this rate they would be out of this town and into wilderness before anyone could hope to catch up. And once out of the city, Maida was at home — no one could catch her out there.

She kept her head down as low as she could, but lifted it occasionally to catch a glimpse of frightened faces staring at them as they raced past. No one so much as raised a hand towards her as she fled. The smell of smoke faded quickly, but the shouts continued as more and more people became aware of the fire which was presumably spreading beyond the inn. Maida did not care. They had imprisoned
her, shot her, humiliated her and kept her from finding Keshik. They deserved everything they got.

Tatya kept running — past closed doors, leaping over narrow waterways, along dark alleys, always heading away from the harbour and the fire, towards what Maida hoped was wilderness.

The spurre kept going, heedless of Maida's presence or her battle to stay on. Her headlong flight was wild and unrestrained, showing regard for neither safety nor stealth.

Maida could not waste her energy on speculation as Tatya skidded again on a narrow walkway that ran alongside a brown, turgid waterway. Her claws scraped on the wood as she scrabbled to maintain her balance before she bounded on, once more stable on her feet.

A man bellowed in surprise when they rounded a corner and cannoned into him, sending him flying backwards. He landed heavily on his back and rolled a few times before roaring angrily, surging onto his feet, a dagger in his hand. One look at the snarling black spurre cooled his anger and sent him diving into the water. Tatya did not even spare him a backwards glance as she ran on. The sounds of shouting, the smell of smoke, the panic of fire faded, fell further behind as Tatya carried Maida towards the limit of this stinking city that squatted like a fungus on the edge of the Silvered Sea.

Unlike the cities of C'sobra and the other kingdoms that edged the northern waste, Sullito was not walled. Tatya left the city behind easily, leaping off the last wooden walkway to land softly on unworked earth, and sped on. She showed no
signs of tiring or wanting to slow down. Maida, nearly exhausted herself by the mad dash, was gripping the yellow mane, lying as flat as she could, just waiting for it to end.

 

Tatya slowed to a walk some time after the sun had passed its zenith. Maida was hungry, sore, exhausted and battered from the wild run. Every muscle ached, her hands were cramped from gripping Tatya's mane and she was bruised from head to foot. When Tatya was walking, Maida simply released her grip and slid off the big cat's back to collapse on the ground. With a whimper, Tatya dropped to the ground, curled up around her, and fell asleep.

Maida's dreams were troubled by images of Myrrhini. The Eye of Varuun was frightening, standing in judgement over a room full of robed men, then she was meting out punishment by causing the men to explode into flame with nothing more than a gesture. With one of those shifts that happen in dreams, the mystic now stood in a vast underground cavern, cowering before a huge black magical presence that spread to fill almost the whole cavern. The presence was ancient and malicious. It was speaking, but in a harsh language that Maida did not understand. Myrrhini understood, though, as she was answering in the same tongue. As she spoke, the presence seemed to flinch. Maida felt herself drawn into the scene until she was standing close behind the kneeling Myrrhini. She felt naked and vulnerable before the huge black being, especially when she saw the three
swirling lights deep within it. At the moment she became aware of them, they ceased their movement and seemed to focus intently on her. So much so that Myrrhini looked around to see what had drawn the creature's attention. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream …

‘… wake up!'

Maida's eyes snapped open as something jabbed her hard in the side. To her shock, she saw Myrrhini, wrapped in blankets, standing over her. She scrambled to her feet.

‘What are you doing here?' she snapped. ‘How did you …?'

‘Escape the fire? Get here so fast? What?'

‘Both. All.'

‘I don't know, but your shapeshifter has a lot to explain.'

Tatya stirred and, sensing Myrrhini, sprang to her feet with a snarl. ‘I am not
her
shapeshifter,' she said. ‘And I don't answer to you, Mertian.'

‘But I need to know what you know. What did you mean by what you said before?'

Tatya snarled and shivered out of spurre form into her rodent form, to scuttle away under a bush, vanishing from view in moments.

‘Ice and wind!' snapped Myrrhini.

Maida grabbed Myrrhini's shoulder. ‘How did you get here?' she demanded.

‘I don't know. I just wanted to be where you were, and here I am.'

‘You just wanted it?'

Myrrhini nodded. ‘I just wanted it.'

‘How is that possible?'

Myrrhini shrugged. ‘How should I know?'

Maida shook her head and looked away, trying to hide her anger.
First the woman acts all disgusted when I try to seduce some idiot Agent to escape, then she is a mystic who has visions, now she's a sorceress! And I'd bet she did that Ce Atli.

And she's the one the Blindfolded Queen is after.

‘I think I know where the Blindfolded Queen is, too,' Myrrhini said hesitantly.

And I think I know where the Blindfolded Queen is, too!
Maida mouthed mockingly before turning back to face Myrrhini. ‘And what makes you think I care in the slightest where she is?' she snapped.

‘Because Keshik is making his way there with Slave, looking for you.'

‘How can you know that?' Maida said. She suddenly felt dizzy. All that had happened in the past day or so was catching up with her, she knew, and if this was true … She dared not hope.

‘I had a vision, as you know, when I had that daven. I saw a lot — more than normal. Probably more than I ever have at one time.' Her eyes became distant, as if focusing on something. Maida was impatient and snapped her fingers at her.

‘Hey!' she said. ‘Focus. You can get as mystical as you like later. Tell me about this vision of Keshik.'

Myrrhini sank to her knees, exhausted. She pulled the blanket tighter around her and leant back against a tree. Maida sighed and sat down again. The sun was rising and the day was already warm, with promise of real heat to come. Beneath
her feet, the grey, sandy earth was dry, which helped explain the sea of silver-gold waving grasses that surrounded them. Little else would grow in this poor sand. Even the trees making up this small stand were scrubby and low with sparse shade cover which did little to reduce the heat from the harsh sun. Maida was already beginning to feel uncomfortable. She waved away one of the annoying insects that were buzzing around her face, alighting from time to time at the corners of her eyes or on her lips to suck up tiny morsels of moisture. Myrrhini was clearly feeling the effects of the heat also, loosening the blankets from around her shoulders.

‘I Saw Keshik,' Myrrhini went on. ‘At least I assume it was him; he was travelling with the Scarred Man towards a city where the waters were black and alive. All around them were trees that closed in on them. They knelt before the Blindfolded Queen, but before they could speak, the darkness crashed in over them. As they struggled to escape, another wave of dark rolled over it all.'

‘Then what?'

Myrrhini shrugged. ‘I can't really describe it; it got very confused with images and sounds overlapping.'

‘So Keshik is still alive?'

‘He was at the time of the Seeing, but that might not be now, it could have been days ago, or yet to come. I didn't get any sense of time.'

Maida knew Myrrhini was not telling everything, but she also knew there was nothing
she could do about it. Myrrhini was almost asleep as she sagged back against the tree, allowing the blankets wrapped around her to slip away and fall unnoticed to the dusty ground. Maida stood up.

‘Now what?' she muttered. Overhead, a bird flew past, calling mournfully in the clear sky. The air was still and the insects buzzed incessantly.

‘She's asleep,' Tatya said from the low scrub behind Maida.

‘I can see that,' Maida snapped.

‘Would you like me to kill her now?'

Maida was briefly tempted, but shook her head. ‘I still need her.'

‘I know where the Blindfolded Queen is.'

Maida whirled around. ‘You do?'

The shapeshifter blurred and shifted into her spurre form. ‘I can feel her presence.'

‘How?'

‘I don't know. It's not something I can normally do, but like I can sense your presence, I can sense hers now.'

Maida stared down at Myrrhini, sleeping against the tree. The blankets had slipped away from her body, leaving her naked. Her mouth hung open slackly and she snored softly. Her hair was a tangled mess, her hands still showed signs of frost damage, while her feet were battered, one toe bent badly from a nasty break that had never healed properly. She was an unprepossessing sight, yet still something powerful hovered about her. Maida could sense the mystical energy that wreathed her even as she lay asleep.

If Tatya truly knew where to find the Blindfolded Queen, she did not need Myrrhini any more.

Or did she?

Could she find Keshik without the mystical sight of the Eye of Varuun?

Another, deeper, fear touched her. Did the world need the mystical sight of the Eye of Varuun? With what was now abroad in the world, was this woman who lay naked and vulnerable at her feet really what stood between them all and utter destruction? The thought seemed laughable, but despite that, Maida knew this was no ordinary woman.

Keshik, I need you.

I need your help.

‘Kill her, or let's just go now,' Tatya growled.

‘Wait.'

Maida gently eased one of the blankets out from under Myrrhini and made a rough shelter by fixing it to the trees above her, ripping holes in the corners and hanging it on branches. It did not take long, and Myrrhini did not stir.

When she was done, Maida knelt beside Myrrhini and looked down at the sleeping Eye. She brushed the hair away from Myrrhini's brow and sighed.

‘If we ever meet again, I doubt you will forgive me, but I can understand that, and I suppose I really don't care anyway. Good luck.' She rose to her feet and rested her hand on Tatya's broad neck. ‘Which way?' she asked.

Tatya gave a low rumble and padded away to the east. Without a backwards look, they walked into the grasslands, under a harsh uncaring sun.