Ebudae (23 page)

He turned and led her through the short
alley. Dralin had thousands of hidden treasures and the courtyard
was one of them. Ivy covered walls surrounded a cobblestone area
filled with overgrown nightflowers. “They only bloom at night when
the moons are out and they have enormous petals to catch the faint
light.” Juggles gestured at the lavender blossoms laced with orange
veins.

“I know what nightflowers are.” Ebudae
forgot that she was supposed to be alert for a moment and went to
run her fingers over the petals and inhale their sugary aroma.
“They don’t normally grow in Dralin. It’s too polluted.”

“There’s some sort of enchantment on this
place that keeps the air pure.” Juggles put his hands on her waist.
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

Ebudae froze, the touch of his hands
bringing her back to the present. She mentally kicked herself for
not remaining alert. When he began sliding his hands up her sides,
she twisted aside and slapped them away. “
What
do you think
you’re doing?” She glanced around. It was just the two of them.

Her reaction surprised him. “I told you
there was no ambush.” He gestured around the courtyard. Butterflies
with wings that glowed in the dark, fluttered around the flowers.
It was entrancing. “Don’t you feel it? The nightflower aroma
floating through your veins?” He grinned amorously and moved in to
put his hands on her again.

Then Ebudae remembered a fact about the
flowers. They gave off an aphrodisiacal aroma that incited
creatures to lovemaking. The spell she had cast to protect her mind
made her immune to it even though it was a sensory effect. “So it
is
an ambush after all, just a different sort.” She backed
away, glancing over her shoulder to make sure there was nothing to
trip over.

“You don’t feel it?” he asked in surprise.
“Come to my arms. I’ll make your fantasies become real.” It was a
cheesy line and made her giggle involuntarily. Juggles continued to
move forward with what Ebudae assumed was supposed to be a
seductive look, but instead gave the impression he was
constipated.

“No, I don’t. Now tell me what information
you gave to them.” She stopped moving back and stood her ground as
he came face to face with her. “No more distractions.”

“I’ll tell you things you never knew.” He
gripped her arms and tried to kiss her. She turned her head and
tried to push away. He was stronger though. The next thing she
knew, his arms wrapped around her while he squeezed his body
against hers, his breath hot in her ear.

Ebudae was terrified and froze for a second,
desperately trying to figure out a way to escape. He held her so
hard it hurt. One of his hands grabbed her hair and yanked her head
around to get the kiss he wanted.

What would Pelya do?
The training
Pelya had given her to get out of just this situation became clear
in her mind. However, she was off balance from the way he was
holding her. His breath was strong in her face as he tried to find
her lips.

She brought her knee up into his crotch. It
was a terrible aim and she was sure she missed, but the motion
threw them both off balance and they fell to the ground. Her head
smacked against the cobbles, making spots appear in her vision.

“Oof,” Juggles grunted. Ebudae didn’t know
why, considering he landed on her. He got up to his knees and
looked down at her. “Are you alright?”

She rolled over to her hands and knees
trying to get her breath back. It came in a rush and she gulped
air, trying to clear the fog out of her head. Answering him wasn’t
a concern.

Ebudae felt his hands on her hips again and
his crotch pressing against her. “Stop it!” she yelled while
jumping away and to her feet.

His amorous words and stupid facial
expressions were gone. Replacing them was a mean sneer and snarling
voice. “I’ll just take what I want then.” Then he rushed her.

Without having to think about it, Ebudae
shifted to the side and held a leg firm to trip him. He didn’t
adjust fast enough and fell sprawling to the ground. As he got to
his hands and knees, Ebudae braced her left leg and swung her foot
between his legs with all her strength.

A terrible wail of pain burst forth from the
lips that had attempted to molest hers just a moment before and he
crossed his arms in between his legs, curling into a fetal
position. Ebudae stood at the ready, trying to decide whether to
kick again or whether to kill him. His face was buried in the
leaves of one of the nightflowers and he groaned in misery.

Dizziness threatened to overwhelm her and
she staggered to the side. Ebudae caught her balance, but she felt
weak and sick to the stomach. If he managed to get up, she didn’t
know if she’d be able to fight him off again. She turned and ran
from the courtyard.

***

After traveling a few streets in the general
direction of home, Ebudae stood with her back against a dark wall.
There was no one around, so she put her face in hands and
sobbed.

Pelya would have planted Juggles on his back
at the first sign of trouble if he had done that to her. Ebudae had
barely managed to escape. He had been so strong and determined to
take her. There was no time to cast spells or make the gestures
necessary to cast a spell and she didn’t even know what to cast in
that situation.

Ebudae looked up at the moons and banged her
fists down against the wall at her sides. Going out on her own was
supposed to be an adventure, but was turning into a nightmare
instead. Things were starting to rush through her head again,
threatening to overwhelm her.

She focused on the moons, the green and blue
shapes on Siahray, directly above the street, were fascinating.
Piohray was also visible further distant and off to the right. At
times, Piohray seemed sinister, but tonight it was merely
there.

Tiredness brought thoughts of changing into
a nightgown and climbing under her safe covers. Crying was a waste
of time anyway and she tried to avoid it when possible. Ebudae
remembered that she still hadn’t collected Shade, her emo bunny.
Running fingers through the sides of her now tangled hair, she
considered whether to go home or to the temple.

A noise from an alley across the street
startled her. She thought she saw a shadow move in the dim light of
a distant street lantern. Ebudae headed toward home, constantly
looking over her shoulder.

***

Yellem looked at the pretty girl crying
across the street from the alley. He liked it when girls cried.
They were so vulnerable and had soft skin. Yellem whispered over
his shoulder, “You guys move to the far side of her. Don’t let this
one get away.”

There was no answer.

He turned around. All three of his partners
in crime were face down on the dirty ground of the alley. The
moonlight showed circular bloodstains on their backs from where
they had been stabbed. Rats wasted no time taking tentative nibbles
out of two, while more were sneaking up on the third.

“What the . . . Unh.” Yellem grunted as cold
pain traveled through his chest from back to front. Looking down,
he saw a thin, liquid-silver blade sticking out of his chest where
his heart rested. The rippling effect in the blade was odd. It
disappeared suddenly, causing Yellem to fall to his knees from lack
of support.

The air grew unnaturally cold as he fell
forward to the ground. His cheek slapped against cobblestone.
Yellem’s last breath came forth in a mist and the last thing he saw
was a rat eyeing him from a short distance away.

***

Tina was sitting at the dining table in
Ebudae’s suite, worriedly nibbling on a piece of bread from the
tray of food she had brought up. She stood upon seeing Ebudae come
in and then rushed over and looked her up and down in concern.

“I’m alright, Tina. Just tired and hungry.”
Ebudae went over to the table, sat down and grabbed some cold cuts.
“Thank you for taking such good care of me,” she mumbled around a
mouthful.

Tina kissed the top of her head and took the
cloak from her to hang up. “B, b, b, b, bath?” she asked on the way
back. It showed how concerned Tina was that she took the effort to
speak.

“Yes, Tina. I loved the mix of leaves and
rose petals you had the other night.” Ebudae grabbed her hand. “I
appreciate how well you take care of me. Thank you.”

Tina boldly hugged her and went off to draw
the bath. A short while later, she tucked Ebudae under the covers
and left the room. Ebudae closed her eyes and fell into a deep
sleep.

***

Juggles lay with his face in the flowers for
a while. Moving wasn’t important. Nothing had gone the way he
expected since that sorceress had come into his life. Now his
friends were either being sold off as slaves, or dead.

The only reason the same hadn’t happened to
him was because he told Blavoci’s man everything he had wanted to
know before the torture could begin. Ebudae would get a nasty
surprise when they found her. Even the Guard brat, Pelya, would be
dealt with harshly.

He groaned while standing. The pain was
dull, but it seemed like it was everywhere in his body, especially
up the length of his spine. Glowing butterflies fluttered between
the flowers, ignorant of his discomfort. The moons gave off enough
light for him to see his way and he limped through the streets to
the apartment he was renting a short distance away.

Blavoci’s man had given him some gold for
the information. It was enough to buy comfort for a year. He would
find a new troupe to join when he was ready. At the moment, he just
wanted to lie down and hope the pain would go away soon.

The small street seemed extra dark as he
fumbled for his keys. He looked around, but nothing showed itself.
Sweat dripped down his nose and trickled down his back, but he
suddenly felt cold. Juggles concentrated on finding the right key
and opening the door to the building. Once inside, he closed and
relocked it. Then he headed upstairs to his apartment as quickly as
his discomfort would allow him.

His apartment was dark, but he kept candles
on a table just inside the door like most people. He lit one with a
magical wick, available at all cheap magic shops. The flickering
flame illuminated the sparse furnishings of the room. Juggles went
to the shutters covering the lone window and opened them to let in
the moonlight. Setting the candle on a small table in the middle of
the room, he went to a cabinet where he kept a few bottles of
inexpensive wine. They would be warm as well, but it didn’t
matter.

Juggles opened the bottle and took a swig.
The thick taste rolled around over his tongue and he swallowed in
satisfaction.

Then he dropped the bottle. It shattered on
the ground, splashing its red liquid everywhere.

Juggle’s chest was so cold it hurt. He
looked down and saw a blade made of liquid-silver rippling from the
front of his chest. He jerked back a step when it was pulled
out.

His last breath came out in a mist as he
wondered who had killed him and why.

Chapter
16

Tina was shaking her awake. “Huh? What?”
Ebudae responded grumpily.

“G, g, g, g, g . . .”

“Grandmother wants me?” Ebudae asked,
throwing off the covers. Tina nodded and ran to get a dress. Ebudae
got out of bed, ignoring the gnawing in her stomach. “Something’s
wrong?”

Tina rushed back, nodding again while
helping her change into a frilly, cream-colored dress, the sort her
grandmother would approve of. She glared at her servant for
choosing it, but didn’t argue. Tina slapped a slab of cheese in
Ebudae’s hand to eat while she laced up the back.

As they headed out the door, Tina poured a
full goblet of chilled white wine. Something must be very wrong if
Tina was allowing her wine while Ebudae was weakened and weary.
They rushed down the stairs and Tina took the empty goblet after
Ebudae gulped the rest down before entering the main sitting room
where important guests were received.

Lady Pallon sat in a richly embroidered,
green chair positioned at the end of a low table for setting drinks
on. She sipped from a crystal glass of red wine in her hand. Two
comfortable couches were on either side of the table. An officer of
the Dralin City guard sat there next to a sergeant. Two Guardswomen
stood behind the couch.

“Ahh, here is my granddaughter now.” Lady
Pallon was not pleased and the tone of her voice made it clear.

The officer was a short, red-headed woman
with grey eyes. The sergeant was a gruff man with long brown hair
and a full beard. They both stood and gave Ebudae short bows. “Lady
Ebudae, I am Captain Fallamer of the Dralin City Guard. We have
some questions for you.”

“I love talking to the Guard,” Lady Pallon
said with an arched eyebrow. “They waste no words, always getting
straight to the point.” Ebudae didn’t respond to either of them,
choosing to sit down on the couch opposite the guards.

Captain Fallamer chuckled and sat back down,
as did the sergeant. “That is the truth, Milady. There’s too much
crime in Dralin to waste time on pleasantries.”

Tina brought Ebudae another glass of wine
she had poured from a small bar along the back wall. Mary frowned
from where she stood a distance behind Lady Pallon.

“I wouldn’t mind extending the conversation
if it meant staying in this nice, cool room,” the sergeant said. He
looked innocently at a tapestry when his captain shot him a
glare.

“Be that as it may, perhaps it is time to
ask my granddaughter your questions,” Lady Pallon suggested with a
motion of her hand to indicate they should speak.

“Of course.” Captain Fallamer bowed her head
slightly then turned to Ebudae. “Milady, might I ask your
whereabouts last night?”