Spiderwork (20 page)

"And? That hardly seems worth my time."

"Sister Jordana said to tell you that she believes the settlement bleeder is the one she's been looking for."

Durga sighed. "Sister Jordana always believes she's found the one. Very well, you may go."

"Yes, Matriarch." The page disappeared in a flash. Durga chuckled. They were all afraid of her now.

Poor Jordana. Such a romantic, believing in legends and princesses. And where did it get her? Instead of chasing after the whisperings of wildlings, she should have followed Durga's lead and found a good man to love her and care for her heart.

Durga had suffered no repercussions. Asherah had done nothing to her.

She whirled around. Was something there?

Quickly, she lit a beeswax candle. Such hubris was dangerous, even in the form of a thought. She should be grateful, not gloating, that Asherah had let her step away from the Triune Contract with no damage.

But had she? She went back to the window, a niggling idea finding a nest in her brain. This new settlement trash of Jordana's might be a problem.

But that was ludicrous. Durga had built an empire here in Corcovado. The world's most powerful families hoped for a daughter who bled. The Concord Cities looked to Sanguibahd -- Red City, they called it now -- for the last word on every matter.

It couldn't be undone by one little uneducated settlement girl.

Jordana should quit chasing fairy tales and take a lover. A man like Khai. He had been gone years now, and still every time Durga turned around she expected to see him ogling her, smiling with that male hunger she tolerated only in her Khai.

Loved in him.

She'd loved him through the whole thing. When he turned forty and wasn't as fast as he used to be. When he was fifty and started to forget little things. The name of a flower. Sixty, slowing down, but still wonderful in bed. She loved him.

He lived to seventy-two. Not long enough! His body was buried on Corcovado next to Rani. She used to visit them once or twice a year. Now, not so much. Now she rarely left this room.

Pish! She had to shake herself out of this ridiculous melancholy. Call up the mean Durga. Cruel Durga.
Love-is-not-the-mission
Durga. Get out of this isolated aerie. Go down and frighten the white tops with her dagger tattoo.

Or leave Jordana to do it with the snake winding around her bald head. Ha. She'd topped them all with that one.

Love was not the mission. That was the paradox of Durga's life. Without their knowledge she had loved them all. Rani, Jake, Char. Faina. Jordana. Khai most of all. And in the end, she'd kept Khai for herself.

And if Asherah doesn't like it
, as Char used to say,
she can smite me
.

"You always were a warrior."

The voice was as rich as honey. Durga turned around to Khai – young Khai, bold Khai, his raised eyebrow and brilliant smile. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested against his chest. He lifted her chin and looked into her soul with true affection. He kissed the dagger tattoo below her eye.

"It's so good to see you again."

Spiderwork (Apocalypto 2)

LK Rigel

From the author
:

I live in California with my cat Coleridge. I’ve been a singing waitress, a journalist, a court reporter, and a teacher. I’ve written songs and stories all my life.

As an independent author, I love being able to publish stories that may not fit into a pre-determined mold. One challenge though is not having traditional publicists and promotional venues. If you’ve enjoyed this book,
would you consider leaving a brief review or comment at Amazon or
Goodreads
?

This has an impact in two ways. Of course, it helps other readers decide if they’d like to read the book. Also, it helps me decide what book to write next. I always have about four projects in planning stages, and I’ll choose to focus on the story it seems that people are anxious to read. Should I finish
Copperhead,
the next book in the Apocalypto series? Or maybe that snarky vampire novel that’s on the drawing boards?

And thank you - your feedback makes a difference!

-o0o-

now
available

Bleeder
(Apocalypto 3)

More by L.K. Rigel

Thank you so much for choosing to read
Spiderwork.
I hope you enjoy reading the Apocalypto series as much as I enjoy writing it. I love to hear from readers. You can email me at
[email protected]
or visit my website at
http://www.lkrigel.com/
.