03 - The Eternal Rose (43 page)

“Do you truly think it was a marking we saw? That it is someone else?” Obed held Torchay's gaze, as if asking him to deny it.

He couldn't. Torchay shook his head. “I don't know. I don't even know what to hope for. We need our ninth. Kallista's right about that. She canno’ face these demons without all nine. But if it's no’ Keldrey—” Torchay met Obed's bleak expression, knowing his own face looked much the same.

Obed beat him out the door. Torchay turned the other way. He loped down the corridor, heading generally for Viyelle's room, though he didn't truly expect to find anyone there. Both Vee and Joh would be out searching. Torchay hadn't gone far when he saw one of the oathsworn, a Tayo Dai wandering as if lost.

“Padrey,” Torchay called as soon as he recognized him.

The young thief didn't answer. Didn't seem to hear.

"Padrey."
Torchay caught his shoulder, turned him round.

Awareness rose slowly in Padrey's gray-blue eyes, and he blinked.

* * * *

“Reinas.” Dread crawled under Torchay's skin. “What are you doing here?” “Oh.” Padrey blinked again. He looked around as if surprised to find himself where he stood. “Erm—Right. Sorry. I should go.” “Oathsworn, do you know why you came here? Do you remember?” “I—” The young man's forehead creased. “No, Reinas.” Torchay let go a heavy sigh. He had been afraid of this, had been waiting for it since Joh put forth his theory. Not Padrey, necessarily, but someone. “Come here, lad. Tip your head. Let me see your neck.” “My—?” Padrey frowned, suspicion in every line of his body. “Why?” “Just do it. You are Tayo Dai, are you not?” “Yes, Reinas.” Padrey bowed his head. Torchay brushed aside the gold-brown hair straggling over Padrey's neck and sighed again. The mark was there, identical to the one on the other seven of Kallista's godmarked. Kallista would not be pleased. Nor would Leyja, who had barely moved from outright loathing of the man to grudging tolerance.

“Welcome to the family, lad.” Torchay clapped him on the back and propelled him forward. “I hope you don't regret it.” “Wait. What are you talking about?” Padrey dragged his feet, trying to slow down. Torchay kept him moving. “You're not Tayo Dai any more.” “You're kicking me out? Why? I didn't do anything?” “Ah, but you did. And you haven't been kicked out.” Torchay's smile felt grim. “You've been promoted.” “To what?” Padrey didn't look as if he wanted any promotion. Too bad.

“To Godmarked."

“I—What?” Padrey broke free to stare at Torchay in shock. “You're mad."

“Afraid not.” Torchay caught the young man's arm and bore him along again. He glimpsed a flutter of red in the corridor beyond and called out.
"Aisse."

She popped back around the column where she'd vanished, face wrapped in question.

“I've found what we're looking for. Tell the others. Gather in Kallista's room."

Aisse grimaced. “Oh dear. Leyja won't be happy."

“Hope for the best. I'll see you there."

“Wait,
wait
a minute.” Padrey struggled against Torchay's grip. “I don't understand. What were you looking for?"

“You, apparently.” Torchay felt weary to his bones and beyond. “I'll explain once we're all together."

“In the Reinine's—
Now?
” Padrey fought to a standstill.

“Aye.” Torchay let go. He was tired of dragging the man. He was just flat tired. “It's been a long day for all of us. Will you just come? Without balking, without arguing? We can explain what's happened, what needs to happen next, and then we can all get some rest. All right? Will you do that much?"

“Yeah, all right. I can do that.” Padrey trailed at Torchay's elbow as he started off again. Padrey didn't argue, but he wasn't silent. He spoke, barely loud enough to be heard. “The Reinine's own room?
Me?
"

* * * *

Padrey tried to hang back when they reached their destination, quailing at the thought of entering the Reinine's private chamber, but Torchay Reinas, the Tayo, pushed him through the door. The Reinine herself was there, in the bed
asleep,
with Keldrey Reinas stretched out beside her, playing with her hair. It made Padrey even more uncomfortable. He did
not
belong here. But he didn't think the Tayo would let him leave. He sidled into a corner, hoping to escape notice.

It didn't work. All the other Reinasti stared openly at him as they entered the room. Padrey folded his arms, hunched his shoulders, trying to make himself invisible—or at least smaller. It didn't help that he couldn't stop watching the Reinine. She drew him, moth to flame, and he had no doubt he would be crisped black if he came close enough to touch. He had to fist his hands against the urge to cross the room.

Leyja Reinas was the last to arrive, stalking through the door, shoving it shut so hard that Fox Reinas got his fingers slammed when he caught it to keep it from banging.

“What?” She glared around the room at her mates. Then she spotted Padrey fidgeting in his corner. “What is
he
doing here?"

She went pale so suddenly, both Fox and Torchay Reinas jumped to steady her. “No,” she whispered, staring at Padrey with horror. “
No
."

Padrey edged toward the door. “Why don't—I'll just go."

"Stay,"
the Tayo ordered.

Padrey stayed, but he didn't like it. Well, he did. It felt right being near the Reinine like this, but he didn't belong here. He was her spy, nothing more. He was a reformed—mostly—thief, an ex-slave. A grubby trader's boy.

“Show them your neck.” Torchay Reinas touched Padrey's shoulder with surprising gentleness, urging him to turn, lower his head.

They all came to look, the ones not sleeping. Even Keldrey Reinas got off the bed and looked. Some of them touched, making Padrey shudder. When they'd finished, Torchay Reinas rested his hand on Padrey's shoulder. Padrey glanced up at him, but the scarlet-haired Reinas watched his mates. “You all saw it."

They all nodded, their expressions grim or resigned or—did Aisse Reinas look relieved?

“But—” Padrey whispered to the man beside him. “What is it? What did you see? What does it mean?"

Torchay Reinas turned his attention to Padrey who had to stiffen his spine not to shrink at that regard. “Sorry, lad. I know this must be confusing to you."

He gestured Padrey into a chair. Thank the One Padrey had on the new clothes they'd given him or he'd fear getting the delicate upholstery dirty. He perched on the edge, crossing his arms in a self-protective gesture. It wasn't good for a thief, or a spy, to be the center of attention.

The others—the
Reinasti of Adara
for the One's sake—disposed themselves around the room, in chairs or the fat round cushioned footstool or on the bed with the Reinine. Torchay Reinas pulled a chair close to Padrey's, but rather than sit in it, he went down to one knee. Padrey would have popped to his feet in protest, save for the Reinas's hand holding him down.

“Don't argue. Look.” The Tayo bowed his neck and pulled his loose, shoulder-length hair aside to reveal a raised, red birthmark on the back of his neck. A mark that resembled the stylized rose in the center of the One's compass rose symbol.

“That is the godmark.” Torchay Reinas slid into his chair and shook back his hair, “Kallista's is different, but all of us—” He indicated his fellow Reinasti. “All of us have a mark just like it.” He touched the back of his neck, then touched Padrey in the same place. “And now, you do too."

Padrey began to shake, crossing his arms tighter to keep it from showing. “Wh-what does it mean?"

“You're one of us now.” Aisse Reinas smiled at him. At
him
. She rose from Fox Reinas's lap and came to take Padrey's face between her hands. She kissed him. Right on the mouth.

Too stunned to react, Padrey could only stare and blink as she released him and sat back on her heels.

“Go easy, Aisse.” Torchay Reinas smiled at her. “I think it's going to take him a while to grab hold of all this."

“What it means,” Obed Reinas said, “is that the One has marked you, set you apart and poured into you
magic
for the Godstruck—Kallista—to call and use in the service of the One. We have come to Daryath to destroy demons. And now you have become an essential part of that task."

“I—” Padrey blinked again as inside him, something seemed to resonate to the dedicat-Reinas's words, deeper and stronger than the thing he had felt when he first saw the Reinine. Something that said this was right. This was his new purpose. “Good.” He nodded his head once, accepting the role.
"Good."

“He's a
thief,
” Leyja Reinas burst out.

“And I'm a murderer,” Joh Reinas retorted, surprising Padrey. Shocking him. The tall quiet man, a murderer? “Or I would have been, if not for Kallista's magic."

“You didn't intend murder—” Leyja Reinas began.

“I'm just saying,” Joh interrupted her. “He's no worse—"

"Enough."
Obed Reinas cut across the threatened argument.

“It's done.” Aisse Reinas rose gracefully to her feet. “The One has accepted what he offered and now it is for us to accept this gift. Padrey has the magic Kallista needs. You've seen her struggle. You know how it tires her."

“We don't need to fight you too, Leyley.” Torchay Reinas sounded as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders.

Leyley?
Padrey eyed the warrior woman, but she didn't react to the silly name. Then he paused. Had the Tayo said—

“Torchay Reinas.” Padrey ducked his head when the man swung toward him, but kept talking. “Did you say—
too?
What—?"

The Tayo sighed. He'd been sighing a lot. “The Reinine—"

“She still grieves,” Obed Reinas said. “We had our nine, the number needed to complete her magic, to make it whole so she could face these demons. When Stone was murdered—” He seemed to lose his train of thought, gazing down at the Reinine, stroking his fingers along her face.

“When Stone died, it shattered the magic,” Fox Reinas said. “And it broke her heart."

“Broke all our hearts.” Tears streamed down Viyelle Reinas's face. The others went to her, put their arms around her, wiped away the tears.

“She's no’ healed.” With a last touch of Viyelle's cheek, Torchay Reinas walked to the bed to gaze down at the Reinine. “And I hate to say it, lad, but she's no’ likely to welcome you. I don't know what she'll do when she sees your mark.” He lifted his head, turned his bleak gaze on Padrey, who shivered.

“Couldn't we just—” Aisse gestured between the ex-thief and the Reinine. “Take care of it now? While she's sleeping? Let him touch her and bind the magic?"

“And that wouldn't fire her temper, would it? Not at all.” Keldrey Reinas's sarcasm came through clear even to Padrey.

“Besides,” Joh Reinas spoke up. “Who's to say it would work? Could be she has to be conscious for the binding to work."

“Binding?” Padrey hoped someone might hear him and explain.

“She has to touch you,” Aisse Reinas said. “Skin to skin, so the magic can join, so her magic can call yours. Once she touches you, you won't be able to move more than ten paces from her for a few weeks. Until the link matures and she can call your magic without touching you."

“What happens if I get too far away?” This was beginning to sound too complicated for Padrey.

“You collapse.” The Tayo clapped Padrey on the shoulder. “But not to worry. We've gone through this eight times already, and until the magic touches—yours to hers—you don't have to worry about any collapsing."

“Just going mad.” Joh Reinas spoke so softly, Padrey almost didn't hear. “The magic pulls at you, pulling you to her."

“Mad?” Padrey twisted round to look at him. He didn't like the sound of that either, not at all.

Torchay Reinas glared at his ilias, speaking through clenched teeth. “Only if the binding is delayed too long."

"Mad,"
Padrey repeated. “How long is too long?"

Fox Reinas laughed as he strolled over to clap Padrey on the shoulder. Padrey's shoulders stung from all the clapping. “Relax, ilias,” Fox said. “You've got at least a week, and I doubt the demons will give us that long. Once it's done, we get to fight demons, and likely the rest of Daryath too."

Padrey struggled to sort through all the impossibilities he'd just been told. “Wait—
ilias?
"

“It's late.” The Tayo held up both hands, forestalling any more revelations. “Some of us have spent the past two days in the arena. We can't do anything else until Kallista's awake. I suggest we all try to get some sleep and finish this in the morning. Aisse, do you know where we can get a cot for Padrey?"

“Why don't I just go back to my room?” Padrey pointed toward the door and the room beyond it he shared with Gweric.

“You're godmarked. We can't afford to lose you now you're finally here,” the Tayo said. “I want you well guarded. You'll be bound soon enough and you'll have to stay close. May as well begin tonight."

Surely they didn't mean for him to—but apparently they did. Servants brought in a narrow cot like the one in the quarters Padrey shared with Gweric. Much nicer than the pallet in his old attic. They set it up there, right in the Reinine's room, and made it up with piles of pillows and soft blankets. He shouldn't be in here. But when he tried to walk away, to step outside the door and leave, he couldn't make himself do it.

Or the magic wouldn't let him. Joh had said the magic pulled him to her. Padrey's muscles locked up, shaking violently. His stomach churned, so raw he feared emptying it all over the Tayo's bare narrow feet.

“Don't fight it, lad.” Torchay Reinas led him to the cot and pushed him down. “And don't let this Reinine business get your hair on too tight. She's no’ been Reinine but a few years now. She's been an army naitan most of her life. We're none of us so very grand. Except maybe Keldrey and Leyja, who were bodyguards and Reinasti to the Reinine that was before."

“Leyja Reinas hates me.”
Goddess,
could he sound more pathetic? The Tayo had hold of Padrey's feet, pulling off his boots. “Stop.” Padrey struggled, but didn't have the strength to break free. “That's not right. You shouldn't—"