The Night Bird

CHAPTER 7 STONEBLUE SKY

As the sun rose, the prince regents company cut across the northern foothills of the Jagged Teeth and came out into open land, headed toward the distant peaks of another sharpened range. They had seen no other people since leaving the TAmbera, and nothing lay ahead but splintered mountains.

Markuss bodyguard soon rode up alongside them. When the prince slowed down, the man gave him a bundle of blue silk.

Markus squinted at the silk. “What is this?

“You asked for a robe, Sire, the guard said. “I found this in one of the chests.

“I meant the yellow one.

“My apology. The man hesitated. “The yellow was crumpled. I thought you might like a fresh one for her.

“Ah. Markus grinned at him. “Yes, thats good.

The guard spoke in a carefully neutral voice. “I also rolled up the rug and stored it.

Allegra wondered which rug he meant, given that the tent had so many of them. Then her face burned as she realized what they were talking aboutthe rug with the proof of her virginity.

“Thank you, Izad, Markus said. “Youve done well.

“It is my honor, Sire.

Markus thrust the robe into her hands, then kicked the horse and took off again, racing across the desert. She had a feeling he went fast because he liked it rather than because it served any need. His horse stretched out his powerful legs, and if her added weight tired him, he gave no sign. Markus held her around the waist, and the wind whipped back her hair in the exhilarating ride.

Eventually he slowed to let the horse rest. When they resumed a saner pace, she pulled on the robe and was surprised to inhale its scented fragrance. “Did you buy this from the TAmbera, too?

“I think so, he said. “I didnt look much at the clothes. I concentrated mostly on the weapons.

She blinked. “The TAmbera sell weapons?

“To me, yes.

“Charming people, she said. “Slave traders and arms dealers.

“They brought me you. He nuzzled her hair. “That alone was worth the trip.

“Markus, where are we going?

No answer.

She indicated the distant range. “To those mountains?

“Perhaps.

“Why wont you tell me?

“I dont consult a pleasure girl about my military plans.

“Well, you should.

He gave a startled laugh. “Whatever for?

She didnt really have an answer, so she gave one she knew would outrage him. “I can tell you if they are good plans.

“Is that so?

“Indeed.

“I will say this, Allegra. You are never boring.

“I would like to be boring. So much that you tire of me and let me go home.

His words burst out. “I would never throw away a woman because she wasnt new and perfect, especially not after I got her pregnant three times.

Where had that come from? She spoke carefully. “You must have a lot of children.

“Actually, no. Just one. After a moment, he added, “His mother doesnt acknowledge I am the father. But everyone knows he is mine. He looks just like me when I was fourteen. And he has three joints in his big toe. Who else has that? Only me, my father and my grandfather.

“How can your concubine refuse to say you are the father?

“She wasnt a concubine. He shifted behind her, gripping the reins so hard, his knuckles whitened. “I dont have any women. I havent for years. Except you, now.

Only her? “Then how She stopped, uncertain she wanted to hear the rest.

“She lived in a town I visited with my father and Dusk Yargazon. He spoke in clipped sentences, unlike his usual drawl. “Dusk saw her. He liked her. So he took her. He shared her with me. Thats it.

Allegra had a feeling that wasnt “it at all. “Does she say Yargazon is the father?

“No. She says the boys father is her husband.

“Her husband!

His voice had gone flat. “I didnt know she was married.

“You didnt ask?

“No. I thought Dusk did. I didnt know him as well then.

“Gods, Markus, what did you do to her?

“I made love to her. He sounded defensive. “It isnt a crime.

Like hell. “What about Yargazon?

His voice turned leaden. “I didnt know.

“Know what?

“His tastes areharsher than mine.

“He hurt her, didnt he? Her voice cracked. “The two of you grabbed some girl, raped her, hurt her in saints only know how many ways and left her like a broken doll.

“Stop it! His fist jerked on the reins, and the horse neighed in protest.

“You feel guilty, she said. “All these years, youve hated what you did. Despite what his people allowed, what his title and status gave him, despite everything, he had a conscience.

“We broke no laws. He sounded almost as upset as she felt.

“Of course not. Your family makes the laws. Allegra took a breath to steady herself. “That means you also have the power to fix wrongs. The moral responsibility is yours, too.

“By the Dragon, you talk a lot!

“No, I dont. I just say things you dont want to hear.

“I didnt know. He spoke with unexpected pain. “Usually Dusk shared his girls with my father. I knew they did, but I never thought about it. I hadnt realized my fatherI mean, he never treated my mother that way.

That you knew. “Your mother was his pleasure girl?

“Concubine. He was good to her.

She didnt believe it. “Always?

It was a moment before he answered. “Until he tired of her. I was about five. She was pregnant with my second sister.

Allegra hesitated, unsure if she should ask more. This man had a lot more to him than it had appeared when she met him. She spoke with care. “Do you have a lot of siblings?

“Not as many asbefore the war. He paused for a moment. Then he said, “I dont know what my father was like with the mothers of my other siblings. But maybe it was fortunate he tired of my mother. He hardened as he grew up.

“Grew up? It seemed a strange way for a son to characterize his father.

His arms moved as he shrugged behind her. “He was only twelve when I was born.

Her mouth fell open. “What?

“He wanted a concubine. Markus sounded uncomfortable. “So grandfather gave him one. She was sixteen.

Allegra could think of many responses to that. Choosing tact, she said, “You had an unusual childhood.

“But a good one. After a pause, he added, “I think.

“You think? It didnt sound good to her.

“I lived in a palace with a mother who doted on me, a father who gave me all the riches I could want and servants to cater to my every need. I wasnt the heir to the throne, so I didnt have to learn all those lessons my grandfather drummed into my father, and my father later expected from my half brother. I could do whatever the flaming hell I wanted. Yes, I would say it was a good life.

Then why are you angry? It sounded to her as if he had missed a great deal, like parents with the maturity to raise a child and love him without spoiling him.

“What happened to your son? she asked.

His voice warmed. “Hes done well, actually. I used to visit the family several times a year. He didnt hide his longing. “I liked those visits. And I sent gold coins regularly. I also offered him a commission in the army, when he was old enough. Dryly he added, “That was before Cobalt put a death sentence on my head. Now, what army can he join? I cant commission him in the official one, with Cobalt in charge, and mine is outlawed. His mood lightened again. “Hes very good at engineering, you know. He designed an irrigation system for his village, and it works beautifully. Hes a strong, kind boy.

She smiled, touched by his affection. “He sounds like someone to be proud of.

“So he is. After a pause, Markus spoke wryly. “I think this talks-too-much affliction you have is contagious.

“You have interesting things to say. It was true. He had lived a strange life, privileged certainly, though not one she would have wanted. She had a feeling he knew he had missed as much as he had enjoyed, but she doubted he could actually say what his sumptuous life had lacked.

“Come, lets ride, he said. “Shadow has had enough rest.

“Shadow?

“My horse. Named for the dragon, of course. With that, he surged into another mad race across the desert.

In the late afternoon, they stopped to rest at the southern border of Taka Mal and Jazid. To Allegra, the badlands of Taka Mal looked just as stark as those of Jazid.

“How do you know where the border is? she asked. They were sitting on the top of a small mesa that thrust up from the desert like the isolated, broken molar of some giant.

“By the cairns, Markus said, pointing. “Look over there.

Allegra squinted. A solitary pile of red boulders stood like a sentry in the desert, gnarled and weathered.

“Is someone buried there? she asked.

“A border guard, he said. “If they dont have family to accept their remains when they die, the army buries them on the border, to honor their service to the atajazid.

It sounded so lonely. “Does it bother them?

“Not at all. Its considered an honor. Often they have a place picked out ahead of time for their burial. He bit into a slab of meat he had taken from his riding bag. “The army doesnt have enough sentinels to guard the border anymore, though.

It didnt surprise her. Jazid had lost many men in the war, and Cobalt had executed those soldiers who refused him their fealtyexcept these outlaws who had escaped the long reach of his power.

“It must be strange, living as an exile in your own country, Allegra said. She bit one of the grapes he had given her.

He scowled at the border. “Its even more aggravating that Taka Mal is free when we arent, given the way they betrayed us.

Allegra knew little about Jazids northern neighbor beyond the geography she taught her students, but she had thought Taka Mal and Jazid shared similar cultures. A queen ruled in Taka Mal, though, which she could never imagine happening here.

“Id heard that Taka Mal and Jazid were allies, she said.

“No longer.

“How did they betray your country?

“How didnt they? He tore a bite of meat off with his teeth and chewed and swallowed angrily. “They allied with your country. Their infernal queen married a man from Aronsdale, some weak, pretty boy with yellow hair.

Allegra had heard about the marriage; such delicious gossip reached even her home, for the man came from southwestern Aronsdale. The stories always described him as handsome and charming, a minstrel and lithe acrobat with a dazzling smile.

“I can see how an alliance between Taka Mal and Aronsdale might surprise Jazid, she said. “But why call it a betrayal?

“The queen had agreed to marry my father, to cement the alliance between our two countries. Together, we would stand against Cobalt the Dark.

That didnt sound right. “If she wed your father, wouldnt Jazid laws have constrained her?

“My father would have expected her to behave as befits a Jazid queen, if that is what you mean.

Allegra scowled at him. “In other words, he gets her throne.

“I dont know what they would have done, he admitted. “Both of them were strong personalities. But its irrelevant. Instead of keeping her word, she took that boy as her consort. He clenched his fist on his knee. “Cobalt the Dark cut off my fathers head, and now the queen of Taka Mal sleeps with Cobalts kin.

“Im sorry about your father, she said quietly.

He stared out at the desert. “I saw it.

She stared at him, stunned. “You saw She couldnt finish, couldnt say, You saw a man behead your own father?

“Cobalt violated the Alatian Code of War. Markuss gaze had become distant, as if he viewed images far different from the empty desert below. “He called my father to meet him during the battle. A truce applies when leaders talk this way. But Cobalt attacked him. They were on a mesa above the battlefield. I was in the combat, leading a company. I saw Cobalt and my father fighting. In a dull voice, he said, “While I was riding to help my father, Cobalt killed him.

The blood drained from her face. “You saw it all?

“Yes. His eyes focused on some distant point. “I had almost reached them. But I never made it. The lightning hit first.

“Im sorry, she murmured. No wonder the emperor was called Cobalt the Dark. He sounded horrific.

Markus drew in a breath and turned to her. “My father was not an easy man, and he grew harder each year. But he loved me, and I loved him. I will avenge his death. Ill never rest until I hold the severed head of the Dark Emperor in my hands.

“Im not surprised you hate him. The more she understood about Markus, the less he seemed like a tyrant and the more like a strong, desperate leader doing his best to survive an intolerable situation.

“But, Markus, she said. “No mage could bring lightning down out of a clear sky. It isnt possible.

“I saw her do it. His gaze darkened. “You can, too.

“I cant!

“I know youre lying.

Every time she started to see him in a different light, he turned around and showed his other side, the atavistic warlord. She had to convince him before he decided to do something drastic, like tie her up until she sang the spells he wanted. She took a breath. “Yes, I admit, I can do spells. But only to soothe people, create light or warmth, help you sleep. Im telling you the truth when I say thats my limit. I didnt know I had put your guards to sleep. I wasnt sure I could even put you to sleep.

He smiled. “I know you didnt realize about the guards. You would have snuck out of the tent otherwise.

Damn. It hadnt even occurred to her to check on them. She had been too exhausted to do anything last night, though. If she had tried to escape, she would have collapsed in his camp, which would have brought her a lot more grief when someone found her.

“Why did you need the compass? Markus asked.

“Its the curved surface, she hedged. “It focuses the spell.

“Curves. He laughed and brushed his hand over her breast. “Thats how you put a spell on me.

She wondered if he would ever stop pawing her. It flustered her, especially when he made her want to laugh at his jokes. If anyone had told her a few days ago that the prince regent of Jazid could be sensually charming when he wanted, she would have thought they were crazy.

“ Geometric curves, she said. “Like a circle.

“How many people can you put to sleep?

“Maybe five? Ive never done it before. She got up and went to the edge of the mesa. His company was spread out below, in the shade of the rock formation. Far to the east, small figures rode across the red desert, scouts he had sent ahead to check the land.

Markus came up behind her and put his arms around her waist. “Even five is an incredible weapon. A lovely girl, singing like a night bird. No one would ever suspect.

“I wont be your weapon. I could never hurt people with spells. She shivered despite the heat. “Its another reason the empress couldnt have attacked with lightning. What we do to others, we do to ourselves.

“You didnt fall asleep last night. He kissed her temple. “You moved across the tent. You had to be awake to do that.

“I did sleep for a while, she admitted. “But spells usually dont affect me quite as much as the people I direct them at.

“Hmm. He slid the robe off her shoulders and it fell down around her elbows. Nuzzling her neck, he fiddled with the gold clasp that fastened the halter between her breasts.

“Markus! She swatted his hand. “If anyone looks up here, theyll see you mauling me.

“Theyll wish it was them instead of me. He opened the clasp.

“Behave yourself. She grabbed the clasp, holding the halter closed so her breasts wouldnt fall out.

Markus suddenly hefted her up into his hold, with one arm under her legs and another behind her back. He carried her away from the edge and then set her down on her feet. “Better?

It was better, but she was still annoyed with him. When he pulled her into his arms and tweaked open her halter, baring her breasts, she tried to twist away. He held her close, trapping her arms between them. She wished he didnt smell so good, with soap and leather and some indefinable smell that was just him.

“You quit that, she told him, trying to free herself. She wasnt sure what she wanted him to stoptouching her or being desirable.

“I cant quit that, he said, laughing. “You are a spell-caster, I know, because youve done something to me. Im useless! I cant stop thinking about my luscious pleasure girl. He bit gently at her neck as he slid his hand from her breasts to her back, then over her bottom and between her legs from behind. “You must take pity on me and release me from this torment.

“You dont sound tormented to me. He was doing maddening things to her. She was still aroused from this morning, and his touch sent shivers through her that she really, really didnt want to feel for this unrepentant scalawag.

Markus blew into her ear. “Youre ready for me, Allegra. You cant hide it. He stroked and teased her in the most distracting way. “Such sweet honey.

This morning she had come so close to her peak. And then stopped. Without completion. Now he held her against that beautifully muscled physique of his, and her traitorous body reacted.

When she stopped fighting, Markus relaxed. She immediately twisted around in his arms, putting her back to his front, and jabbed back with her elbow, hitting him in the stomach. When he grunted, his hold loosened and she wrenched free. Turning to face him, she stepped away from both him and the edge of the mesa.

He glared at her, holding his side where her elbow had hit. “What the blazes was that for?

She fumbled with the clasp on her halter, trying to cover her breasts. “Stop pawing me.

“Oh, no, night bird. You cant tease me this way. He grasped her arm and pulled her forward. Then he kissed her hard, with his tongue, his hands cupping her bottom as he lifted her pelvis up against his. Startled, she squirmed, trying to get down.

Markus abruptly set her on her feet again. Then he put his thumb against her shoulder and gave a push. She backed up a step, away from the edge of the mesa. He thumbed her shoulder again, and she backed up more. He did it a third, then a fourth time. Confused, she kept backing awayright into a cluster of rock spears. It was why he had chosen this lookout; the spears formed a wall that offered shade from the sun. Or so he claimed. Now she wondered if he had other reasons. He trapped her against the wall and kissed her while he worked off her robe and dropped it on the ground.

“Mmmph, she protested.

“That was articulate, he murmured against her lips. Then he went back to kissing her. He tugged down the chains that held her halter over her shoulders, fending off her attempts to hinder him. The halter slid off and hit the ground with a clink.

Allegra pulled her head away. “If you dont stop, Ill put you to sleep for a century.

His wicked smile flashed. “Only if you can use your own delectable curves. He slid her up the wall, lifting her until his pelvis pressed against hers, his erection rubbing the silk of her skirt where he had teased so mercilessly.

Allegra struggled, her hands sliding against his biceps, her body moving against his. Her attempts to free herself backfired; the more she fought, the more it aroused him. It affected her almost as much to feel his strong body and the flex of his muscles while she inhaled his smell, sweaty and soapy at the same time.

“Prince Markus? a man called from somewhere distant.

“Not now, Markus muttered, tugging on her skirt.

“Youd better answer him, Allegra said.

He bit her earlobe while he rubbed his erection against her stomach. “Hell go away if I dont.

She tried to wriggle down from where he was holding her, but he just slid her up higher on the wall, enough so he could suckle her breast. She groaned as her nipples hardened. Damn man. Somehow he knew just how to arouse her.

Embarrassed as much by her own reaction as by what he was doing, she thwacked him on the head. “Quit groping me, Your Hedonistic Highness.

“My what? Laughing, he let her slide to her feet. “Come on, Allegra, he coaxed. “Stop fighting me. Admit it. You like the way I touch you.

“Sire? the man called. He sounded closer, maybe even near the top of the path that led up the mesa.

“Ah, hells, Markus said. He scooped her clothes off the ground and thrust them into her hands. “Cover yourself up.

By the time the man came around the wall of rock, she had the halter back in place and had almost finished pulling on her robe. Markus stood in front of her, blocking her from view, but she saw who had arrived. Lieutenant Borjan.

“Sire, General Yargazon sent me Borjan stopped when he saw Allegra quickly tying the robe. “Ah. Oh. He scratched his ear. “My apologies. I didnt mean to disturb you.

“What does Yargazon want? Markus asked.

“A scout just came in. He thought you would want a report.

“Oh. Yes, I do. Markus pushed his hand through his hair, disarraying the locks Allegra had so carefully brushed last night. “Tell him Ill be right down.

“Right away. The lieutenant made a fast exit.

“I have to attend to this, Markus grumbled. “Well finish later. Under his breath, he added, “If I dont go crazy by then.

She couldnt help but smile. “You mean you havent already? she asked innocently.

“I swear, you will drive me to it. He gathered up his pack and motioned her toward the path. “Come.

“I can wait for you up here, she offered.

“And run away as soon as Im gone, no doubt. He stretched out his arm, pointing at the path. “Come. Now, woman.

“Markus, cant you at least be courteous about it?

“What?

“Come, she said in a deep voice, mimicking him. “Now, woman. You order me around like Im your dog.

“Youre not my dog, he said crossly. “Youre my slave.

Allegra folded her arms, glared at him and stayed put.

Markus lifted his hand as if inviting her to dinner. “Allegra, will you please accompany me down to my tent?

Saints above. He could actually be courteous. She lowered her arms. “Yes, certainly.

The path wound down the outside of the mesa. It dropped off to their left, but it was wide enough that she didnt fear she would fall. She kept her hand on the cliff to her right for support. Although sand dribbled off under her palm, the stone was solid.

Markus followed her. “How deeply can you make a person sleep? he asked.

“I dont know.

“Could you do it so they didnt wake up?

Allegra froze. Then she swung around to him. “Are you asking me if I can kill?

He stood above her on the path. “Well, no. But its a good question. Can you?

“No! Even if I could, I never would. How could you ask such a thing?

He came closer to her. “Im the outlawed sovereign of a conquered country. I have to think in those terms to survive.

She spoke more quietly. “I dont know what the empress did, but its not something I could replicate even if I were willing. I have nothing resembling that kind of power.

He cupped his hand under her chin. “I dont know what you can do. But Ill find out.

“If I hurt others, Markus, I hurt myself.

His voice softened. “I would never wish that.

She took a breath, trying to calm her agitation. Then she turned and resumed the descent. He was a leader of contrasts, compassionate one moment, harsh the next, and she was discovering a compelling man beneath the emotional armor of his exterior. She didnt want to be attracted to him. Too much danger existed on that path. He couldnt force her to use her spells for violence, but now that he knew about them, he would be even more vigilant about keeping watch over her. With every step she took farther into this parched desert, her hope for freedom faded, becoming as pale as the stoneblue sky.