Cethe (49 page)

staring at his back, he left the circle, crossing the street to the Hunters gathering just beyond the wal of Royal Guard. He beckoned

impatiently to their commander who dismounted and hurried forward.

“Lieutenant? I thought I made a request of you.”

“If you would permit, Your Highness, we would also like to search the area. If it is demon work, you have no right to deny us

the opportunity to conduct our own investigation!”

“I say it’s nothing of the sort. Unless you’ve got the Archbishop himself nearby to say otherwise, the House of Lothlain

prevails. Frankly, Lieutenant, it annoys me that I’m forced to remind you of this.”

Incredibly, the lieutenant persisted. “I was informed of the possibility that other Hunters may have perished in the explosion.

That fact alone gives us leave to pursue every avenue.”

“Whatever would they be doing here?” asked Severyn. “It’s not the usual neighborhood for soldiers of the Church, is it?”

“I’m not at liberty… ”

“Is there, perhaps, some chance Hunters might have contributed to this disaster?”

Alarm appeared in the officer’s countenance. “O-Of course not, H-Highness!”

“Then you can wait until my investigation is complete. The Guard wil secure the area and al ow no one inside except my

agents. When they are finished, you may enter. Of course, should a reason occur to you in the meantime, feel free to bring it to me. I

can assure you of complete discretion.”

“As you wish, Highness,” said the lieutenant, but Severyn knew the matter was not finished. The man would likely take the

matter straight to Montaigne, who would turn around and bring it to Arami. Arami would not dare shuffle it aside. They had, at most,

twenty-four hours to investigate the area, unimpeded.

“I hate to say it,” muttered Iarhlaith, “but this doesn’t look like any earthly catastrophe. Even a cannon strike would not do

this.” Gingerly, he poked at the glassy paving with the toe of his boot.

Severyn didn’t reply. Instead, he said, “Go find Corliss for me. I want his best trackers on this. If there’s any clues to be found,

he’l find them.”

Where the devil was Auron? And Michael?
Where was Michael?
The little melted glass pebbles were like accusing eyes,

blinking up at him from the edge of the circle.

Corliss appeared, saluting. “Stay here,” Severyn said. “Make sure our good Hunter lieutenant doesn’t come back. I don’t want

any of the Church dogs sniffing around yet.”

“Understood.”

“Where are we going?” asked Jeremy, fol owing Severyn back to their horses.

“To find Michael and Auron.”

Jeremy gave him a sharp look, but nodded.

At Michael’s hotel, the doorman, dozing just inside, woke up at Severyn’s loud knock, quickly admitting them. Ignoring the

man’s bewildered look, Severyn ran up the stairs to Michael’s suite. He knocked, quietly at first, then louder. No answer. Severyn

shook the doorknob. Jeremy appeared behind him.

“Where the hel is he?” fretted Severyn.

“He said something earlier last night about returning to Shia,” Jeremy said. “And Auron was thinking of going with him.”

“That would be damned inconvenient,” retorted Severyn. Even so, the idea that Michael had left town last night brought a

certain sense of relief. Just to make certain, however, he went downstairs to the lobby.

“Has Lord Arranz checked out?”

The clerk quickly produced the guestbook at Severyn’s command. In bold handwriting, ‘Michael Arranz’ was scrawled across

the ledger, signifying he had, indeed left. Except, bold as it was, the signature wasn’t Michael’s!

“Where is the clerk who checked him out?”

“Why, gone home, Your Highness.” The clerk looked uneasy. “Is there something wrong?”

“I’d like to speak to him at once. Can you send… ” He broke off, hearing a shout from across the lobby.

“There’s Auron!” Jeremy exclaimed.

Auron beckoned to them madly. Giving the wide-eyed clerk a terse order to wait, Severyn crossed the lobby to join his friend.

“If you’re looking for Mick, he’s at my house,” said Auron, voice low, looking about for eavesdroppers. “You need to come right

away. We’re in one hel of a fix!”

Michael ached everywhere. Exhaustion dragged at his limbs and clouded his thinking, but he didn’t dare sleep. Seated

awkwardly and uncomfortably on the floor before him, Adrian Remy glared stonily at a spot on the carpet between them.

He should have kil ed the bastard. What rank injustice: of al those who had died in that flash of hel fire, Adrian Remy should

be the one to survive with him.

And now, even singed and stinking of smoke, al Michael wanted was to throw Remy back to the floor and have him again.

The need had every nerve in his body vibrating.

Where the hel was Auron? What was taking him so long? Would Severyn come with him?

Oh, Loth, I killed them all. How many? How many dead?

The smoldering ruins of the tenement were stark in his memory. Several buildings had been consumed in that momentary,

devastating firebal . His firebal . His spel .

Straightening, Michael poured himself another cup of t’cha. It was lukewarm by now, but he gulped it down, wil ing it to give

him enough energy to stay alert. His prisoner sat, every muscle taut, ready to leap from the floor.

I should bind his ankles.

Voices! Shakily, Michael got to his feet. Auron burst in, closely fol owed by Jeremy and… Sev! The prince came right to him,

clasping his hand without hesitation and pul ing him into a quick, fierce embrace.

“Mick!” was al he said. Then, stepping back, he looked down at Remy. “What’s he doing here?”

“The Council’s interest in my marital state was much more intense than I realized,” said Michael and briefly described his

abduction and bizarre events leading up to the disaster.

“But why?” demanded Severyn, turning his angry gaze to Remy. The captain stared back at him sul enly. “The case has been

making its way through the courts with the Council winning each hearing. Of course Mick wil wed eventual y.”

“Why?” spat Remy. His glare encompassed both Michael and the prince. “To prevent what he’s become! Did you not see the

devastation he created? Don’t you recognize the work of a naragi?”

There was a sudden, shocked silence. Then Auron laughed. “Damn if he doesn’t have a sense of humor. Didn’t you pay

attention at your history lectures, old man? The naragi have gone the way of the pure-blood nara! They’ve been extinct for

hundreds of years!”

Severyn went straight as a board and Michael, stunned by Remy’s revelation, could only stare. Did they truly believe they

could destroy his power by wedding him to a female?

“Fools! Go back to Alester Street — look at what’s left of the building. Then tel me that’s not naragi magic!”

“Sev? Mick?” Jeremy’s voice wavered. He stared at Mick as if the h’nar had suddenly sprouted leaves. “What’s he saying? It

ain’t true, is it? I mean, I know you dabble a bit in witchery, but…”

“He’s as close to pureblood as exists in Tanyrin,” Remy snarled from the floor. “Go! Look at the ruin he’s made! And the dead?

Ten Hunters, a mage and his h’naran bride!”

He paused, letting his words sink in to the minds of the men who were standing around before saying, “Had he married as the

Church demanded, had he bedded a woman, damn it, none of this would have happened! He would have been as his father and his

grandfather! Harmless old men!”

“Is it true?” Erich demanded fiercely. “Are you a naragi, Arranz? How long? How long have you been deceiving us?”

“Don’t!” Severyn al but shouted. “At least hear us out!”

“Oh, my God,” whispered Iarhlaith, white and sick looking. “Oh, my dear God. It’s true.”

The atmosphere crawled with fear and suspicion. Michael, heartsick, turned and strode from the room, cravenly leaving

Severyn to deal with the others. Blindly, he made his way through Auron’s empty townhouse to the smal back garden. There, in the

cool damp of the fading night, he slumped onto a stone bench, his thoughts in turmoil.

He could go back to Blackmarsh. His grandfather would be furious and, with the word out, it was unlikely even the Covenant

would protect them. He could disappear into the delta. Soldiers would stil come to Blackmarsh, but he wouldn’t be found there.

Maybe that fact would soften the blow that was to come on his family.

And Stefn?

Michael’s body had changed; he knew this with utter certainty. The Bond would not simply go away because he wanted to

abandon his naragi powers. The future could bring any situation, including a time when, for whatever reason, he might be forced

once again to breach the Dark Stream. Then what would he do? Sleep forever?

A light rain began to fal , but Michael barely noticed. He sat, head down, weary brain going in circles, presenting him with the

same dreary future, not only for him, but for Annie and Chris and al the other h’nara who found sanctuary within Blackmarsh’s

borders.

But worse, what happened now to Severyn’s chances for the throne? Would the others find this whole affair too much to

countenance? Had he, in one il -considered moment, destroyed Severyn’s hopes and Tanyrin’s future?

Severyn knew at a glance this would not be an easy conversation. He confronted the grim, worried faces of his friends as

they stood, lined up against him before the fireplace. Remy stared from his position on the floor, shoulders hunched over.

“Wel ?” said Auron. “We’re listening.”

“Sit down.”

“Naragi?” Jerry, outraged, didn’t move. “You cannot be serious!”

“This is Michael!”

“That’s the only reason I’m not tossing you out on your ear this very moment,” retorted Auron. “Who’s idea was this? Not his,

I’l reckon!”

“No,” admitted Severyn.

Auron snorted. “I sense the fine hand of the Demon Duke in this.”

“His Grace didn’t object.”

“Ha!”

“It was my idea from the very beginning!” Severyn walked over to a chair and threw himself into it. “And we never intended

that it become common knowledge among the people.”

“Were you going to tel us?” Jerry’s expression had gone from indignation to disappointment.

“Yes,” insisted Severyn. “Eventual y.”

Auron said something under his breath.

“We weren’t sure it was possible. The naragi were pureblooded nara; Mick isn’t.” Severyn had another brief, unwelcome

memory of Eldering’s room and the ruin therein.

“Wel , it apparently worked very wel , indeed!” Jeremy shook his head.

“You couldn’t have told us earlier?” Auron asked. “Do you trust us so little, Your Highness?”

“I trust you with my life and Tanyrin’s future,” replied Severyn honestly. “But when we set out on this quest, you promised to

trust me, as wel . Were those empty words, my friends?”

“Of course not!” Jerry burst out. “But… The naragi! Were it not for them, the nara would never have been able to rule Tanyrin!

Were it not for them, the war for freedom would have been over much sooner!”

“He speaks wisely!” interjected Remy. Severyn ignored him.

“Yet it was a naragi who turned the tide against the nara in the end!”

“Derek of Arranz,” agreed Auron.

“Aye,” Severyn said, voice careful, even. “The Demon of St. Aramis.”

Silence descended between them. Severyn watched anxiously as each man struggled with the idea. Fear of the naragi ran

deep, even after five centuries. The long-dead sorcerers were the terrors of children’s dreams, the standard against which powerful