Altered Destiny (21 page)

“Where is he?”

Selia startled. An old man stood in the doorway, wearing the cowled green cloak of a healer.

“Rhetorical question as there is only one Svistra in the room,” he added, sweeping the cowl back to reveal wrinkled features and remarkable lively black eyes. “How is he?”

She shrugged beneath the dark gaze. “I don’t know.”

“Then let me take a look.”

Selia stepped aside. She’d done what she could on the way to Eagle Rock. Jaden no longer bled anywhere but neither had he stirred when the men carried him into the fortress and laid him on the bed several hours before.

The healer examined her with flashing eyes. “You’re wounded.”

“They…um, Bosun tended it on the way here.” She glanced at her arm.

“That’s not what I meant.” He indicated the room’s chair. “Please, sit by the fire. After I see to our patient I’ll make you some tea.” A smile creased his face. “Then, if you don’t mind, I will check Bosun’s work.”

Selia nodded. Something in the healer’s voice inspired trust, and for the first time since Bosun and Deigon placed Jaden on the travois she relaxed.

The healer’s gentle hum behind her and the hiss of flames relaxed her tired muscles. Exhaustion weighed down Selia’s eyes and she propped her elbows on her knees, resting her head in her hands.

“Daughter.”

She jumped and looked up into the kind face of the healer. Had she fallen asleep?

He handed her a steaming bowl. “Here, drink this while I check your wounds. Then go to your room and sleep.” He raised a hand. “I will stay with your friend.”

“His name is Jaden.” She sipped the liquid. It tasted like something Jaden had given her.

“Jaden? Thank you for the gift of it.”

A distant memory surfaced. Healers didn’t give their names lightly. In their practice, names were words of power. They all answered to
Father
.

He rolled up her sleeve, knelt and prodded the healing cuts then nodded. “Not bad for a soldier. You will scar but the wounds will not fester.”

Scars were the least of her worries. She glanced at Jaden then back up to the healer.

His dark eyes softened. “He will live.”

Her eyes closed.

“Let it go, child. You cannot keep that much bottled inside your body without it leeching your strength. Go now. Cry. Sleep. I will stay with Jaden.”

She nodded. Through a haze Selia stumbled past the guard and into the next room, realizing she’d obeyed the healer without question but had forgotten to thank him.

Awareness returned to Jaden in degrees. First a faint noise, heat and burning pain. The air carried the acrid scent of smoke, the tang of living stone and a trace of lavender.
Selia.
“Where am I?”

“You’re at Eagle Rock.”

The air stirred, and a cool cloth stroked his face. He grasped her hand and held it. “Why?”

“I made a bargain for your life.”

He blinked and opened his eyes. Stone walls surrounded them with the silence that meant they were deep underground. A fire crackled in one wall but he didn’t look away from the dark smudges lining Selia’s eyes. “And?”

“I told him you were on our side.” She held her breath and her heart sped. “I told him you’d be a spy.”

“That might prove difficult. My people would kill me on sight or take me to Keldar, which would be the same.”

“I know, but…”

“But he doesn’t. Who is he?”

“Commander Nathan.”

Even exhausted, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “You got away.”

Anger spiced the air. “How do you think I’d feel, knowing you died for—” Tears began to trace down her face.

Jaden reached to wipe the wetness from her face. “I would expect you to live, knowing I valued your life that much.”

Selia closed her eyes. The depth of her sorrow weighed the air.

“How long?” he asked.

“Since the battle? Two day’s travel, two days here, so four. I think. I slept a little.”

A little was right. She was exhausted. “What else do you need to tell me?”

She stared at the stone wall. “Oren.”

“There’s someone coming.” He interrupted and pulled his hand from hers.

The door opened behind them. A soldier stepped into the room. His eyes widened, and a whiff of fear entered the room.

“S-Selia, the commander wishes to see you,” he said.

She nodded, and the door shut.

“What does he want?” Jaden asked.

“I don’t know. To find out what happened. To hear the truth. I don’t know. I haven’t spoken with him since…”

He reached up and touched her cheek. “You are the bravest woman I know.”

“You must not know many.”

“What’s wrong?”

Selia closed her eyes again. “Oren…Oren died in the battle.”

Shock walled his emotions. Vague memories surfaced. Oren standing over him. “Died. How?”

“They already gave his body to the Nameless god.”

“How?”

“A Svistra stabbed him from behind. There was nothing I could do.”

His gaze unfocused again. “He was standing over me…”

She nodded.

He died protecting me.
The barrier broke, and remorse choked him. “I’ve caused you so much pain,” Jaden whispered.

“I’d have been dead long ago without you.”

He reached up, memorizing the silkiness of her skin. Guilt waged war with yearning, and both lost to sorrow. He lacked the strength he needed to resist. Jaden closed his burning eyes as the first tear fell. “I’m sorry.”

Selia didn’t let go of his hand.

Nathan paced up and down the hall outside the Svistra’s room. As soon as he’d heard the prisoner was awake, he’d bolted from his office. Nathan eyed the door. He hadn’t spoken with Selia since they arrived and though there were a few questions he wanted answered, he’d thought it best to wait for his anger to cool. Of course, gods knew there was enough to do. The healer needed every available hand to tend the wounded and there were conspicuously fewer hands than there had been.

The guards posted at the door to the Svistra’s room kept their eyes focused on the floor. Anger fueled his walk and only frustration kept him from entering the room.
Seventeen.
Seventeen dead men, and twice that many severely wounded. Almost a third of his entire force.
If the Svistra attacked again…

He let the thought drop. That was the problem. The Svistra seemed to know just where to attack his walls. They’d pinpointed exactly where his men would have the hardest time defending. They knew his weaknesses. He didn’t know theirs.

Nathan glanced toward the door. And he was man enough to admit that one of his weaknesses was inside the room nursing his enemy back to health. He snorted, and his men looked up in unison. Their gaze gave him the push he needed.

“Open the door.”

He entered the darkened room feeling, rather than seeing, Selia tense. The only light came from the roaring fire. Frustration had stretched his nerves to the breaking point. His men hadn’t been able to track a single escaped Svistra. His only lead was the prisoner before him.

Selia sat on the edge of a cot, her back toward him. She twisted to offer a smile before she bent over the shape of the Svistra and tucked the blanket around his body. The sight was enough to fuel his anger and sicken his stomach. How could she even touch the thing?

She froze and glanced in his direction again, seemingly able to sense his thoughts. An emotion he knew as jealousy joined the jumbled mess already churning in his brain. He brushed it aside.

“Will he live?” he asked.

“Yes.” The Svistra answered him. The voice more cultured and refined than he would have expected.

Nathan glanced at the motionless form then turned his attention back to Selia. “Leave us. I’d have a word with the Svistra.”

She hesitated. “He’s very weak, Nathan.”

“You and I will talk later, Selia.”

She stood then nodded when the Svistra whispered something Nathan couldn’t hear. Anger coursed through his veins. Before she left the room he saw a silent plea in her eyes.

“Don’t go far,” Nathan said, turning toward the cot.

The door closed with a quiet snap and silence, save for the crackling of the fire, filled the room.

“She counts you among her friends.” It wasn’t how Nathan had planned to begin but at this point he didn’t care.

“As she is among mine,” the Svistra replied.

“You care for her?” Nathan asked.

The Svistra lay perfectly still. How wounded was he? “Is that not common among friends?”

Nathan snorted. No, this wasn’t going the way he’d planned at all. In fact, he felt on the defensive. “Friendship between Svistra and human is not common.”

“Agreed. But once that was not so.” The firelight flickered, exaggerating the angles of the Svistra’s face.

“How…forget it. I didn’t come here to discuss the histories of Svistra-human relations.”

“Then why did you come here, Commander Nathan?”

“You’re my prisoner.”

“I can hardly forget it.”

“How wounded are you?”

The Svistra’s eyes flashed golden. “As wounded as I ever hope to be. I’m no threat to you or your men, if that’s the purpose of your question.”

“You owe Selia your life.”

“I have for quite some time.”

Nathan fought the growing frustration. “You helped Selia come north?”

“I did.” His face was impassive, without emotion.

Nathan swallowed. “Why?”

“Because without me, she didn’t stand a chance.” His gaze held a challenge.

“She didn’t fare too well with your help either.”

The Svistra inclined his head.

“Did Selia tell you the bargain she made for your life?”

“She did.”

“And?”

“And nothing. I will honor it.”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

The Svistra’s mouth turned up slightly. “You don’t.”

“You admit it?”

“I admit nothing. There’s nothing I can give you except my word that I will honor her bargain. But I do have a condition of my own. I’ll betray my people in exchange for Selia’s safety.”

“Selia’s safety?”

Jaden’s golden gaze regarded him steadily.

Nathan ran his fingers through sweat soaked hair. “You are like no Svistra I’ve ever known.”

Jaden’s eyes narrowed. “Really, Commander? How many have you known?”

Nathan opened his mouth then shut it.

“No doubt you’ve killed scores, but have you ever spoken with one?” Jaden continued. “A conversation containing more than battle cries and catcalls?”

“If I’d tried I’d not be here speaking with you today.”

“Perhaps. But as I said, once it was not so. At one time there were great friendships between Svistra and human.”

“How is that possible? The Svistra are no more than animals. Rabid dogs that must be put down to protect the innocent.”

“We are what you made us.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Nathan’s voice rose.

“Humans took our land, our dignity and our way of life.” The Svistra’s voice was quiet, almost tired. “For centuries the Svistra have been a tool in the hands of powerful humans and used by others to obtain power and dominance. We’ve been used to eliminate the dregs of your kind and in turn, became vile ourselves. Yet, we didn’t seek this—it was thrust down our throats. I repeat, we are what you humans made us to be.”

“How dare you blame your nature on us? Your way of life is to kill!” Nathan stepped closer to the cot. He balled his fists, aching to strike someone, anyone. No. He wanted to hit this arrogant prisoner lying helpless on the bed.

The Svistra didn’t flinch but his voice lacked strength. “And is yours not? Do you not kill to survive?”

“Not humans.”

Jaden raised one eyebrow. “No? Just Svistra?”

“It’s not the same!”

“Isn’t it? What would you do to protect your people?” Jaden took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “The fact remains, you have my word. I’ll act as a spy on the condition you keep Selia safe.” Jaden opened one eye. “Trouble has a way of finding her.”

Nathan half smiled. “Yeah, I noticed.”

“Do we have an agreement?”

Nathan stared at the light flickering against the stone wall.
A deal with the devil?
So be it. He turned to the Svistra. “Yes. We do. But I’m not done with you yet. As soon as you’re strong enough, you and I are going to have a long talk.”

“I look forward to it, Commander.”

Keldar paced the confines of his tent. Blasted gods-cursed Jaden. It was his fault. The humans had caught them unprepared. He and his warriors had to run like a village of human females. How had the soldiers defeated the force he’d sent against the damned fortress so quickly?

But he knew the answer. He’d sent only as many as it would take to appear a full-fledged attack. Even so, in the light of day, the humans wouldn’t have been fooled. He’d been overconfident. He hadn’t expected them to defeat his warriors, and by the time the Svistra returned to the camp to warn him he’d been distracted by his brother.
The girl.
If she wasn’t already dead…and he’d had her in his hands.

He’d made a mistake. He could admit it. But he couldn’t afford to make another. Before now the war had been something like a game of strategy. A cat playing with a mouse. Victory was certain; he’d made sure of it. That didn’t take away this sting of humiliation.

At least Jaden was no longer a problem. He’d been weakened and almost defeated before the humans attacked. If he hadn’t died of his wounds, the humans would have finished him off. Keldar’s anger grew hotter. They denied him the pleasure of seeing the life drain from Jaden’s eyes. It was only one more grievance against the human commander. A score he was looking forward to settling.

Jaden sank into the thin mattress. His heart pounded in his ears, and his limbs felt weightless. The effort of talking with the commander had cost him, but it had been worth it for the information he’d gained. Murmurs sounded outside the door. He caught Selia’s name a few times and then the sound of footsteps retreating. The commander cared for her. That was good. Jaden grimaced. Good for Selia, anyway.

As he shifted to stare into the fire, his muscles screamed in protest. Jaden closed his eyes against the pain. He was in even worse shape than the commander imagined, and not just because of his injuries.

The image of Selia sitting in the Svistra tent, frozen in position—as though he hadn’t moved out of her arms, too stunned even to be as frightened as she should have been—was imprinted in the dark behind his lids. Did she know how close he’d come to losing control? He didn’t think he’d ever hurt her, not if he could help it, but he’d admit it had been a near thing.

She’d fed him. The idea still inspired wonder. Although she couldn’t know that voluntarily feeding another was part of the mating ritual, warmth and a yearning for something different, something more, welled up inside him until he ached with it. His eyes pricked with unshed tears.
Mine.
His instincts screamed to declare them joined. He wouldn’t. By the customs of his people, she belonged to him. But she wasn’t Svistra, and she couldn’t be his.

Some things he couldn’t change, at least not in time to make a difference, but one day others like them might have a chance for something more.

He’d spoken to Svistra who remembered the old ways. There were even a few on the council. And as long as there were people like Selia in the world, there was still a chance of peace, still a reason for peace. He wouldn’t let her gift be in vain. It was all he had left to give back.

Jaden couldn’t remember much after his fight with Keldar. He’d known he was about to die but was doing his best to take Keldar with him. And then something, a noise, distracted him right before blackness took him. Disconnected flashes of images scuttled across his mind. Oren. And then he’d floated, with the skies above and a blurry image of Selia’s face to keep him company.

Oren died protecting him. He would honor that sacrifice.

He’d realized in the forest—when he heard the Svistra scouts and knew they’d been discovered—that somewhere along the way, Selia had become the most important thing in his life. He’d do anything for her. He could admit, to himself at least, that he loved the human female from the crossroads, and that loving her was both the best and the most futile thing he’d even done, or ever would.

“Where’s Selia?” Nathan stepped into the hall. He clenched his jaw when the guards looked in trepidation at each other then back to him. Irritation warmed his blood.

“She went outside,” one of them said. “You—um, said she wasn’t a prisoner, so we didn’t think to stop her.”

He began to walk away then paused. “Don’t let anyone but me or Selia in or out of that room. Understand?”

“Yes, Commander.” The guards nodded in unison.

Nathan made his way down the winding corridor and stepped into the night. Selia leaned against the fortress to one side of the door, staring up at the stars. Shadows played across her face as a nearby torch flickered in a slight breeze. For a moment, Nathan watched her. Her eyes were dry, but sadness hung over her body. The desire to hold her, comfort her warred with the betrayal he felt at her omission.

Nathan sighed and stepped into the cool air. It must be almost harvest time. He didn’t know what inspired the thought, but with it came the image of his father’s farm and grasses heavy with grain, the heat of the kitchen as his mother preserved vegetables from the garden, and the sweet smell of ripening fruit. An ache of melancholy for a simpler life hit him.

She watched his approach, her body stiff presumably fearing a reprimand. He probably should tell her not to stray so far from her room. Rumors that she’d protected a Svistra had spread. The men saw Selia as a traitor.

Now that he’d spoken to Jaden he understood a little better why Selia cared for him. To her Jaden was a person. He had a history, likes and dislikes. Nathan, however, was the commander of the king’s army and if he started viewing his enemies as individuals, he wouldn’t be able to make the decisions he needed to keep his men alive. But neither would he scorn a gift from the gods. He would get information from the Svistra.

Selia stood before him, waiting. Nathan examined her face as the starlight lit the planes and threw the valleys into darkness. Not beautiful, but arresting. An interesting face. A face made to study over time.

He closed his eyes briefly to break the contact. “The deal is made.”

Her body visibly relaxed.

“He will do as you said he would, but he added a condition.”

Her eyes widened, reflecting even more of the starlight.

“I am charged with your safety. Though what I can do in these godsforsaken lands is beyond me.”

Selia opened her mouth.

“No. I’m not sending you to Newhaven. The only way I can keep my side of the bargain and assure your friend keeps his is to keep you with me. You can give me your word you’ll stay voluntarily, or I can make you a prisoner. Your choice.”

“I’d prefer not to be a prisoner.”

“Then you will not be.” Nathan leaned against the fortress, mimicking Selia’s former posture.

“Will I be allowed a weapon?”

Nathan didn’t take his gaze away from the flickering stars. “Will you use it on my men?”

“Only in self defense.”

“Your word?”

“Need you ask?”

“I’ll have a bow, arrows and a sword brought to you as soon as the Svistra leaves.”

“His name is Jaden.”

“Yes, I know.”

“He’s a—”

“He is a Svistra, and I must do my job.” His voice rang harsh. He met her gaze. “This isn’t about one Svistra. I’m trying to protect—not just you, but thousands of innocent people. Don’t you understand? If unchecked, the Svistra would ravage the land and its people. We would be massacred. You were in their midst. Can you tell me the Svistra would be merciful?”

A tremor shook Selia’s body.

“This is what you weren’t telling me, isn’t it? A Svistra helped you north.”

“Yes.”

“I’d thought maybe you’d been raped or robbed or…I gave you the benefit of the doubt, and you lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie.”

He glared at her dark eyes, full of the stars.

“Better that I’d been raped?” She didn’t quite look at him.

Nathan opened his mouth then closed it, realizing he was about to say yes but wouldn’t have meant it. Instead he turned and grasped her upper arms and forced her to meet his gaze. “Perhaps you have found the only decent Svistra alive. I don’t know. It’s not important. What
is
important is if we don’t fight, many, many humans will die.” Nathan dropped his hand. “I’m sorry about Oren. He was a good man.”

Selia dropped her gaze and when Nathan lifted her chin her eyes gleamed with unshed tears. He pulled her close, her head fitting against his shoulder, and he felt her body stiffen and then relax. He stroked her hair while she cried.

After many minutes Selia pulled away. “I’m sorry.”

Nathan shook his head. How could he tell her that although he’d won battles and gained the honor of kings, he would never be prouder than if he could comfort her? Would she understand if he said that for the first time in his life, he’d felt a man and not just a soldier?

She looked up, her brown eyes full of concern. “You won’t make him go anywhere until he’s well, will you?”

The moment shattered. “No.”

She sighed. “He will do as he says. He’s honorable. This is difficult for him too.”

“Of course.” Nathan couldn’t deny the stab of jealousy. He wasn’t used to thinking of Svistra as rational beings, let alone something with feelings to shelter. And he didn’t like that she did.

“Thank you. I’d better go back now. He’s probably hungry.”

Nathan reached out and grabbed her arm. It was the word “hungry” that had filled him with alarm. “Be careful. If you need anything, there are guards right outside the door.”

Selia looked at him, momentary confusion clouded her eyes, and then a sad smile touched her lips as though he’d disappointed her. “Thank you, Nathan.” Then she was gone, and he was alone with the night.