Burnt (21 page)

He dreamed of freedom.

He was climbing a hill. The grass beneath his feet was impossibly soft. There was a sweetness clinging to his lips, and his stomach was comfortably full. When he looked up the sun nearly blinded him. But he could just see two shadowy figures holding hands and waving to him. He grinned, knowing he was safe. One of them was the brother of his heart, and they were waiting for him.

Something warm tickled against his calf. He looked down. He could see his footsteps clearly in the earth. Each one was marked with br
own, dead grass, hot red sparks and thick black tendrils of smoke. Panicked, he stopped. That was the wrong decision. Fire erupted out from beneath his feet and consumed the grassy hill in a powerful whoosh that knocked him over. Kaie cried out as the two figures at the top of the hill were devoured.

A woman appeared in the blaze. She was completely naked. Everything about her was beautiful curves and deep tan. Her hair was on fire, hot white flames dancing against a night sky, but she was in no pain. Kaie wanted her. He reached for her, his every nerve screaming his desire. She danced away and laughed. The fire died down, though her hair remained ablaze. She turned to him, so that he could see her face, and he gasped. “Peren?”

She was not the same girl he held in his arms. She was a woman grown. Still more sharp angles than not, but beautiful in a way only suggested in how she looked now. She was still short but her body was lean muscle and so tan there was no hint of the milky skin he enjoyed so much. And her hips…Gods, she left him aching.

“I love you, Kaie. You’re the father of the only child I’ll ever have. No matter how short a time we had him that means something. And you’ve always known what I am.”

“You’re a survivor,” he said automatically. “We both are.”

She grinned. “We are that, aren’t we?”

He nodded. “We do what we have to and come out the other side.”

She laughed, hearty and
musical. “Bloody and monstrous but whole and swinging. By the Abyss, you might be the one man in this whole fucking world who thinks like me. Our hearts sing the same song. How I resisted you at all is still a mystery to me. And I do love you. I always will. But you made your choice, and it wasn’t me. And I’m sorry, but your kind isn’t allowed on my ship.”

Peren turned her back to him. He reached out to grab her. “Wait!”

The moment he touched the warm skin of her arm, she exploded into a storm of huge black feathers. They swirled around him, obscuring his vision, blinding him. He felt a sharp sting in his hand, and blood welled out. It spilled all over the ground, where it was immediately absorbed.

“Blood binds you.”

He spun, searching the voice, but could see no one.

“You gave it willingly, but did you understand? You’re tied to thi
s place now. It is in her blood and now it is in yours. You’ll never truly be free, my friend.”

“Vaughan?” h
e called out into the storm. No answer came.

After a time
the feathers parted a path opened. He started running down it, desperate to get free and see the sky again. He did not get far before he came across a little girl blocking his path. Her hair was blonde but not the blinding fire Peren’s was. Her skin was pale and her eyes red and reptilian. She looked to be no more than five or six but there was an essence about her that felt much older. She smiled at him. All her teeth were pointed. He recoiled, nearly falling backward. As he stumbled to get his balance back he realized that his footsteps were once more on fire. He looked back to the girl, more than a little frightened.

“I’m burning everything!”
Kaie shouted.

“Of course,” she responded in the husky voice of a woman decades older than her appearance. “We are red dragons. We breathe it in and make it life.”

“I’m a dragon?”

She shook her head. “You are the Phoenix. Your children are dragons, born from the fires you set for us.”

“My children? Peren said we had a child…Is he one of the dragons?”

The girl laughed, and the sound was thunder.

“Are you my daughter?” he shouted over the fading boom.

She smiled again. “I’m waiting for you, father of dragons!”

And then she was running from him, diving into the feathers and vanishing.

“Wait!” h
e called. But she was gone. He closed his eyes and turned his head to the hidden sky, letting loose a great scream of anger and fear. When he was done and opened his eyes again the fire and feathers both were gone. He was standing on a hill of the softest grass, something sweet clinging to his lips. His hill. Kaie looked around eagerly for the two he saw before. They weren’t there. He wasn’t alone though. An old man stood behind him, watching with a kind smile.

Th
e man’s hair was long and white and it billowed gently in a wind Kaie didn’t feel. His eyes were just as reptilian as those of the girl but they were not frightening. He couldn’t figure out what color they were, though. One instant he was certain it was a tarnished gold, the next a deep purple that was nearly the same shade as the vertical slits of the irises. Then they’d be a bright, piecing green. No matter how intently he stared at them he never saw the transition.

The man stepped closer and put a warm, comforting hand on his shoulder. “This is the fifth. Do you understand?”

“No,” he answered honestly. This was the sort of man you were honest with. “Fifth what?”

The man’s smile grew a little sad, he thought. “Fifth promise. Or warning, if you see it that way. I like them better as promises
, though.”

“Me too,” Kaie agreed. This was the sort of man you agreed with.

“It’s always five with you. I never really understood why. Some things are even beyond us, when it comes to you mortals. So this is the fifth. And the fifth always pays for all.”

“What am I buying?”

The man let go of Kaie’s shoulder and cupped the right side of his face in a wrinkled hand with a look of such affection that it made his heart ache. “Freedom, son. Freedom.”

Kaie smiled. Then he laughed. “I was scared.”

The old man nodded, looking most satisfied. Then he pulled Kaie forward and kissed his forehead. “No need for that now. You’ve got much to do. Thank you for saving my grandson. The two of you were always my favorites.”

She came for him just after dawn. Peren was awake, wrapping herself up again. Kaie was watching with fascination as the sexy girl who was just in his arms transformed back into the girl who was supposed to be invisible. He couldn’t fathom how it worked, how even he never noticed the beauty she tried so hard to hide. He was thinking about telling her that, of kissing her again, when Josephine pushed into the room without warning.

She eyed the both of them with a sneer and snorted. Kaie felt the heat of a blush burning in his cheeks
. Peren smiled widely, tugged the oversized shirt over her head, and crossed the room to lace her arms around his neck. She kissed him like they were alone, and then kissed his earlobe, sending a shiver down his spine in spite of their audience.

“It’s still close. Just in case you don’t need your plan.”

He hugged her quickly and stepped away. “I’ll try to remember that. Just make sure you remember what I said. In case I do.”

She nodded. Kaie tried not to see the tears in her eyes.
Then he turned to Josephine. “I guess it’s time to go.”

“Past,” the woman barked, her amusement clearly gone.

Kaie took one last look around the room where he could almost imagine being content, then followed the overseer out into the snow.

His feet were numb when they reached the hedges.
No matter that he was outright terrified of what was coming, Kaie couldn’t help but be awed by the size of the building in the distance. It could hold the whole of his village inside and still have room to fit the people from both neighborhoods. He gawked, overwhelmed by the scope of the thing even from their distance. Josephine snarled at him, grabbed his arm and dragged him on.

They walked along th
e hedge for a while before making a sharp turn that deposited them right in front of another building. A strange one, with no walls and a dome roof. The Lady Autumnsong stood there waiting with her back to them.

Josephine shoved him forward, cleared her throat, and then quickly backed away. Leaving him alone with the woman deciding his fate even now.

“You were supposed to be invaluable.”

Kaie didn’t need to know the woman to pick up the anger
her cordial tone wasn’t quite covering. “I made a go of it.”

“Not much of one,” she responded. “Murder is not a skill I seek to cultivate on my estate.”

“Well then I suggest you talk to your niece. Since what I did was only to stop him from beating my friend to death.”

“I did hear that version.”

“It’s not a version. It’s the truth.”

He saw her hands tighten around the banister that surrounded the round wooden platform they stood on. Her knuckles whitened. “Which only one person can confirm. One who is in service to my son.”

“And that makes a world of difference in the truth.”

“
More than you think. If Luna decides to press the issue, my son will see that your only witness does not recall events as you do.”

Kaie frowned. “I doubt that very much. It was his sister being kicked to death.”

Lady Autumnsong sighed and turned around, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him. “Then he will simply disappear. My son is a good boy, but he has not been able to say no to my niece in years.”

“Sounds like fun. But I don’t really see the point of this. You obviously believe me. So. If you’re done telling me about your family problems, maybe we can get to the part where you tell me what you want this time.”

Her emotionless mask slipped. The scowl came through. “You have made my position untenable, Kaie Zetowan. I have two dead. Allowing that to go without some punishment will lead to more tragedies. My niece is demanding your life in return for the one you took, and she has made it quite clear she will go to the Empress for permission to take you against my will should I refuse her. I am still disinclined to give her what she wishes, but my hands are very quickly being tied. That is not a situation I will tolerate.”

He shrugged. None of this mattered. The only reason he was listening at all was because of one nagging question that needed answering. Then he would go through with the plan. “I bet that’s pretty upsetting.”

The intention was to rattle her, but his disregard seemed to cause the opposite. Lady Autumnsong reclaimed her mask and unfolded her arms. “Indeed. Now. There is one choice left for the two of us. You will tell me why she desires you so badly that she sent her man to antagonize you into doing something foolish. Then you will flee this gazebo. My guards will catch you. I will inform them that you attacked me in your escape attempt. You will be executed in a very public fashion. I will see it is as painless as possible. Death is not ideal, but I have it on good authority that it is preferable to what Luna will do when she has you.”

“What a coincidence. I
heard the same thing.”

She folded her arms behind her back and examined him with no small amount of intensity. “This is not what I
desired.”

“No. I don’t figure it is.”

“You will not cooperate.” She wasn’t asking. She was going to be very surprised.

“I will.” Kaie leaned back on the banister, hoping she couldn’t hear the way his heart was racing. He would give anything for another way. Any other way. But this was it. His only choice. “But first I want to know why.”

“Why?”

“Don’t play with me, Lady. Why are you so determined to oppose your niece?”

She frowned and turned away again. After a moment, her hands returned to the rail. “I’ve told you already.”

Kaie thought for a moment. It wasn’t a challenging puzzle. “Your son.”

A nod. “I realize this is quite a scandalous attitude for a woman of my standing, but I am very fond of my Peter.” She still sounded just as cordial as before. But this time it wasn’t anger that hid beneath the surface. “He was once quite happy. And so very kind. I knew of his preference for other men, and though it concerned me I did not forbid it. I arranged a marriage to a girl from a fine family. They knew each other quite well, and she was aware of his preferences and was not put off by it. I believe they loved each other, in their own way.

“Di
scretion, obviously, was key in this arrangement. Then Luna arrived. I do not know what occurred. All I know is the results. My Peter ordered his lover executed for attempting to escape. Then, on our annual trip to the capital, he made a very public attempt to seduce another noble’s son. The engagement was ended. My Peter stopped smiling. And now he does all that my niece asks of him without question.”

“So it’s revenge?”

She shook her head just a fraction. “No. All I want is my son back. I will find a way to pry Luna loose from this family. And then my Peter will learn how to smile again.”

Kaie sighed. He was hoping for something less sympathetic. He didn’t want to like this woman. “Alright. I mean thanks.”

Her lips pursed for a moment. “And your secret, Kaie Zetowan?”

“
I have magic.”

Her mask slipped again. Her face paled. “
No. I misheard you. Our conversation is finished. Run now and I will spare you her attention.”

“You didn’t mishear.”

She took two steps to cross the distance between them, pointing a trembling finger in his face. “You are a fool! Do you know what you are doing?”

“Pretty sure I do,” he muttered. He couldn’t summon the courage to speak any louder.

She shook her head, her hands going up to her beautifully wrapped arms and rubbing them, as if for warmth. “I will have to summon a Namer. Any slave found to have magic is given to the care of a Namer. They will use their magics to go into your head and rip out yours. Do you know how they do that?”

Kaie nodded, because Sojun told him. But the Lady Autumnsong wasn’t watching him anymore. Her eyes took on a glazed look he recognized quite well. They weren’t seeing the world around
them anymore. They were locked on her own private nightmare.

“They rip out your mind. Your memories. Everything that makes you a person. Nothing is left. Not who you were, not what you might be. You won’t even think to feed yourself unless someone puts a fork in your hand and orders you to use it. You won’t even recognize your name. And so the Namer will give you a new one. It will be the same they give all the Named, the only one to give to such a creature. You will be Hollow.”

The shudder that ran through his body was nothing compared to the screaming going on in his head. Somehow, Kaie managed to keep himself rooted. “It solves both our problems.” He didn’t know where the steadiness in his voice came from, for he felt none of it. “Your niece can’t take me if a Namer comes for me, right?”

Lady Autumnsong’s eyes focused again, returning to his face. Her mask was in place once more, but Kaie could swear he saw sadness in the brown depths. “Correct. You will be confined in a special cell until the Namer is done with you. Then you will be unfit.”

From the sound of the word, she meant unfit for anything. But that was something Kaie didn’t really want to know. So he bit back the question. “Even if you kill me, you can’t be sure the witness and the girl who was attacked will be safe. Your niece will be upset, and she might ask for one of them. Or you might need to set a more severe example. But this… If it was just my magic lashing out, they’re not to blame. And you aren’t taking me away, the Namer is. This will keep them safe, right?”

After a long moment, Lady Autumnsong tilted her head in agreement.

Kaie nodded. Just as Sojun said, “Then this is the solution.”

“Please.” It was such an odd word, to hear from a woman like Autumnsong. “Don’t make me do this. Take my alternative. Please.”

She was testing his resolve, and it wasn’t nearly strong enough for that. “Why do you care? This is better for you, too. Your niece won’t be mad at you for losing me.”

Now he was certain he saw sadness.
She was almost about to reach over and take his hands, he thought. But she didn’t. “I remember every Hollow made from my estate. Every one of them visits my nightmares. I care. Is there nothing I can do to dissuade you? I will send the two away. Sell them. Get them out of Luna’s reach and safe from any further punishment.”

Kaie faltered. That was a solution he never considered. If they were safe, he didn’t need to do this. He would care just as little about Amorette and the others he brought death to with his head cleaved from his neck. And it was so much less terrifying.

Except, powerful as Lady Autumnsong might be, she could never be sure the two would end up together. Nor could she guarantee that they would be treated as well. Vaughan sacrificed so much to give Peren her own home, to bring her fruit for her birthday. If they were sent away, could he get her any of that? She wouldn’t be upset about those losses, he was sure. But she would never be happy trapped inside all day, making bread and washing dishes. Autumnsong couldn’t promise Peren would be running deliveries in her new home. He could not steal what little happiness they found for themselves.

“Mistress Autumnsong, I have magic.”