Demon Lord IV - Lord of Shadows (19 page)

Bane glanced
up as he sensed Kayos' Eye upon him, and smiled. He sipped his wine
and watched the young fire dancer, who had become a living torch.
The flames caressed her, sliding over her skin in bright tongues,
mingling with her hair and clothes. Her dance impressed him with
its fascinating skill and power, as well as allure. She moved
closer, growing bold as the dance's passion empowered her, her eyes
shining with it when they rested upon him. He wondered at the
unmistakable and surprising seductive nature of it. The fire's heat
caressed his skin as she raised her hands to stroke the air around
his face, her lips parting as her breath quickened. He smiled and
put down his cup, then spread his hands.

The flames
around her blazed, and her eyes widened. She smiled with fierce
joy. Bane gestured, and the room filled with fire. It licked at the
walls, consuming the filthy hangings and dusty furniture in flares
of white-hot brilliance and crackling roars. The room became an
inferno, and Shevra glanced around with a glimmer of fear in her
eyes, but continued to dance, her skin sheened with sweat. She
leapt and spun, her dress flaring to reveal slender legs, her bare
feet seeming to hardly touch the ground.

Bane smiled as
she moved closer and brushed his hands with her fingers, her skin
hot. She trailed them up his arms in a feather light caress,
watching him closely, he suspected, for any sign that she was going
too far. She caressed the air around him with flowing gestures that
guided flares of fire, swaying to the rhythm of imaginary music.
Tendrils of damp hair stuck to her brow as perspiration ran down
her face and dripped off her chin, caused by exertion, not
heat.

Clearly she
was doing her utmost to impress him, and he wondered if she would
stop before she dropped from exhaustion. Deciding to aid her
decision, he lowered his hands, and the fire that filled the room
died, leaving only the flames that sheathed her. He clasped his
hands, and her dance slowed, allowing the fire to dwindle to the
flames that she had started with. She swayed, guiding the fire with
flowing gestures. Finally she lowered her arms and the flames rose,
shrinking until they vanished just under the blackened ceiling. She
sank to one knee and bowed her head.

Bane picked up
his glass of wine. "That was beautiful."

She looked up
at him, then stood, panting. "Thank you, My Lord."

He held out
her glass, and she came closer to take it, sipping the wine. Bane
tilted his head and regarded her with a slight smile. "I find
myself to be sufficiently thanked."

Shevra lowered
her eyes to her glass, a flush creeping into her pale cheeks. "Do
you also find me beautiful, My Lord?

Bane studied
her. "Why would you wish me to?"

"Why?" A
perplexed look flitted across her face. "I hoped that you might
find... that you would..." She raised her chin, and her eyes
glinted. "Do you toy with me? Isn't it clear what I wish for?"

"It is,
although it is also utterly insane for you to try to seduce
me."

"Why is it
insane, My Lord?"

"Apart from
the fact that I am a creature of the darkness? An Underworld
monster who uses the dark power? If not for that, then it is
because my heart belongs to my wife, and always will. Lovely though
you are, you cannot tempt me. No one can."

"Is your wife
insane, My Lord?"

He chuckled.
"I have long thought so."

"She is not. I
find you... most attractive."

"Do you?" He
sipped his wine. "And I thought only Mirra was mad enough to want a
monster like me."

"You're not a
monster."

"You do not
know me well enough to judge that. You have not seen what I have
done, nor do I wish to regale you with the stories."

"I don't care
what you've done; it's what you are now that matters."

He smiled.
"You have no idea what I am. You only know what you think I
am."

"I've always
been a good judge of people, and I say you're not a monster. You've
saved my domain and my goddess. How can you call yourself a
monster? You could have any woman you want. Why confine yourself to
only one? Surely a man of your status should have many beautiful
women?"

"Most women
would have more sense. You are blind, or very naive. But I do not
wish it, in any case."

She bowed her
head. "You love her very much."

"With all of
my being."

Shevra's heart
filled with a black tide of misery, and her eyes stung. She looked
up to find him regarding her with eyes that shone like blue flames,
piercing her soul.

"Then you're
more god than man, My Lord."

"Perhaps."

She sipped her
wine. "I couldn't have controlled so much fire."

"No. I
was."

She hesitated,
toying with her glass, then blurted, "I crave your company, My
Lord, if that's not too much to ask."

"I do not
think it would be a good idea."

"Why?"

He shook his
head, lowering his gaze to his glass. "You should forget about me,
Shevra."

"How can I?
You saved my life three times, and my heart belongs to you."

"You mistake
gratitude for love."

"No."

His eyes
flicked up to her face. "You are very young to claim so much
wisdom."

"It's not
wisdom. I only know what I feel, but I do know what it is."

He put down
his glass and turned away.

"Wait!"

Bane swung
around, a slight frown furrowing his brow. Shevra hesitated, her
courage flagging under his cold gaze, and gulped. "Would grant me
the honour of serving you, My Lord?"

"No."

"I ask for
nothing more than to do your bidding. How can that be so difficult
to grant?"

His eyes
flitted over her. "Why would you want to do that?"

"To please
you. To be near you."

"More to be
near me than to serve me, I suspect."

Her face grew
hot. "To be near you will be my reward for my service. It's all I
ask."

"What makes
you think that you can please me at all?"

"How do you
know that I can't, unless you let me try? My dance pleased you. I
would entertain you whenever you wished it."

Bane strolled
closer. "You seek status. You think if you can get close to me, you
will gain prestige in this domain. How much do you think you will
get? More than the Queen perhaps? What higher status can a mortal
aspire to, after all, than to be the mistress of a god? Except of
course, his wife, but that position is already filled." His mouth
twisted with bitterness. "Not so, Shevra?"

"No, I long
only to be with you, and please you, nothing more. If I can bring
you even the slightest happiness, a brief respite from your trails,
I'll be content."

"You think me
a fool?" He paused, studying her. "Even if what you say is true,
your presence would offend my wife, and that, I will not do. Nor
will I allow you to cause her any distress. Is that clear?"

Shevra bowed
her head, biting her lip. "Forgive me, Lord."

"You show a
deplorable lack of consideration for others, and I am not known for
my forgiveness."

Shevra fell to
her knees. "I have no home, no one to care for me. All those whom I
loved are dead. Please, I beg of you, let me stay with you and
serve you in whatever way you choose. I'll do nothing to offend
your wife, I swear it."

"You would
have had more success if you had approached her."

"Please don't
send me away. I have no one to look after me now. I will dance for
you whenever you wish, do anything you ask."

Bane frowned
down at her. "Get up."

She looked up,
her eyes shimmering with tears, and rose. Bane stepped back when
she moved closer, foiling her attempt to lay a hand on his chest.
His eyes roved over her face, and Shevra held her breath.

"So you have
no one to care for you now?"

"No, My
Lord."

"Then I shall
instruct the Queen to see to it that you are cared for."

Her heart
sank, but, much as she longed to continue her plea, she sensed that
it would be futile, and nodded. "Thank you Lord, but I don't wish
to add to the Queen's troubles. I'll manage."

"Yes, I
suspect you will."

Shevra bowed
her head, and he swung away. The surge of dark power that
accompanied his disappearance made her stomach heave, then the
gloomy room shouted its emptiness from every sooty cranny. Her
knees buckled, and she sank down in a swirl of skirts. Covering her
face, she let her tears flow. His rejection had washed away her
last vestige of hope, and the prospect that she might never see him
again filled her heart with intense despair.

Bane gazed
down at Mirra's peaceful face, aware of Grem quietly leaving the
room. Sitting on the bed beside her, he brushed a lock of hair from
her cheek. His encounter with Shevra had filled him with an urgent
need to be with her, and her presence brought the familiar warm
feeling in his chest that even the dark power could not cool with
its crouching malevolence. He pulled her into his arms and held her
close, pressing his lips to the soft fragrance of her hair. She
woke with a gasp and slid her arms around his neck.

"What is
wrong?" she whispered.

"Nothing."

"Are you all
right?"

He nodded.
"Just tired."

"Did you go
somewhere?"

"To free
Drayshina." He sighed and laid his cheek against her hair. "I have
missed you."

Her arms
tightened. "You have been in another fight?"

"Just
demons."

"Only you
could say that. Were you hurt?"

"A little.
Kayos took care of it."

She loosened
her hold to lean back and study his face. "You look exhausted."

"Where is my
father?"

"He was hurt
while you were unconscious, but Kayos healed him. He is resting
now, as you should be."

Mirra
unclipped his cloak and pulled its heavy folds from his shoulders,
then loosened his tunic and pushed him down on the bed before
removing his boots. He closed his eyes, and by the time she curled
up beside him, he was asleep.

Kayos smiled
at Bane. "So, how does it feel to be the object of unwanted
desire?"

"I am sure you
know."

"Flattering,
but uncomfortable."

Bane stood at
the foot of Drayshina's bed, gazing down at the sleeping goddess.
Mirra had gone to the kitchens with Grem to find food, and he had
found Kayos. "Pretty much. You knew what was going to happen, did
you not?"

"I
suspected.

"And still you
let me go?"

"I thought it
would do you good.

Bane created a
black cloud couch with a gesture and sank down on it. "I do not
think it did. She only wanted status."

Kayos
chuckled. "You think so? I disagree, Bane. She wanted you."

Bane snorted.
"You really think that a woman could be mad enough to desire a dark
god?"

"Mirra
does."

"She is
different."

"Yes, she is,
but in that way, she is not. But you will discover this for
yourself, given time, and more contact with humanity. When you
secluded yourself in your forest retreat, you denied yourself a
great deal of interesting experiences with your people, something I
hope you will have now. I think you will find it interesting."

Bane grunted.
"Or annoying. All such women see is an opportunity to gain power
and status, to bask in reflected glory, even if it is tainted by
the darkness, which says little for their morality."

"Perhaps in
small part, but I challenge you to test that theory one day. Go
amongst the people as a peasant, but with your own likeness, and
see how many maidens desire you then. Would that convince you?"

Bane frowned.
"I suppose so."

"Good. Do
it."

"I doubt Mirra
would like it."

"She would
understand."

Bane looked up
as his wife came in with a tray of assorted vegetarian delicacies
and a pitcher of milk. Grem followed, carrying two bowls of meaty
stew and a jug of wine. Mirra set down the tray and bowed to Kayos,
then took a bowl from Grem and handed it to Bane. Grem settled in
the corner to eat, Mirra sat beside Bane and nibbled her pastries,
gazing at the sleeping goddess.

Chapter Ten

Darkness
Falls

Bane rested
for two days, waking only to sup ambrosia or consume the bowls of
stew Mirra brought from the kitchens and stretch his legs before
resuming his slumber. Mithran joined them, and sat with Grem on his
bedroll in the corner, learning all that had happened while he had
been ill. Kayos watched over Drayshina, sleeping while Bane was
awake in case Jishka sent a mortal assassin.

When Kayos
created another Eye and cast it upon the seventh ward, he found
that Jishka and her minions had left, and turned it upon Vorkon's
temple in Draynon. The Eye filled with swirling sparkles, which
informed him that Jishka had sought refuge there, or had gone there
seeking Drayshina and stayed. Certainly it was the most suitable
place for her to reside, with its Source and its population of
worshippers. It was also the first place that Bane would look for
her, and her presence there made Kayos wonder how clever she
was.

On the third
day, Bane Moved beyond the city to cleanse the dark power from the
Lightworld. Kayos accompanied him, ignoring his irritated look. The
Demon Lord inscribed a line of runes in the air with the shadows
that trickled from his fingers and spoke their guttural names. The
runes sank down, becoming wisps of shadow that vanished into the
ground. The dark power began to fall. Bane repeated the string of
runes, and the shadows drifted from the clouds, settling like a
black fog upon the ash. Distant thunder rumbled, promising rain.
Kayos wondered if Jishka would dare to defy Bane and summon the
evil from below again, but doubted it.