Harlequin Nocturne May 2016 Box Set (6 page)

“Naturally,” she said, “though the stations are located at the base of every tower except the one inhabited by the Nine.”

He seemed satisfied with the answer, and they continued past the guard station into the next ward.

It was overseen by Hera, who, Isis knew, very seldom visited her people. Isis rarely came here herself, and almost at once she noticed that something was not quite right. There was refuse in the streets, and no planters of flowers and greenery near the doors. Even the buildings themselves were in less than optimal condition, seamed with cracks and even a few broken windows.

Daniel was staring at one of the buildings, his face expressionless. “Is this one of your bad neighborhoods?” he asked.

“There is no such thing in Tanis,” Isis said, struggling to conceal her shock. “Every citizen receives the credits he or she requires to live comfortably, though work beyond the basic requirements can be used for nonessential goods.”

“It looks like someone forgot to give these people their share of the common wealth.”

Isis was appalled. Hera should never have let things come to such a state. She was the advocate here. Even though she kept her distance from humans, there was no excuse for her failing to care for her charges.

“I will speak to her at once,” Isis said.

“Speak to whom?” Daniel said, a grim set to his mouth.

“The sponsor who looks after this ward.”

“And who is that?”

Isis was very reluctant to name names, but she could not bring herself to withhold the information. “Hera,” she said. “Clearly, she has been neglecting—”

“Hera, Isis, Ishtar,” Daniel said, his forehead creased in thought. “Who are the others?”

A human boy appeared on the street, a boy of an age where he would soon move from the schoolroom to his chosen work. His clothes were slightly worn and ill-fitting, and when he saw Isis he stopped suddenly and stared as if she were taking Daniel's blood right in front of him. His expression grew pinched, and he quickly disappeared around the corner of the nearest cross street. Other humans, some older, gathered nearby and gave Isis the same sullen, almost unfriendly stare. Many of them wore Hera's peacock sigil somewhere on their shirts, though they clearly had no reason to thank her for their current circumstances.

One of the larger males moved toward Isis, and Daniel stepped between her and the human. He stared the man down, and he retreated, followed by the others.

Isis touched Daniel's arm and led him back toward Bes's ward. Daniel's muscles were taut as if he wanted to resist her, perhaps even return and speak to the angry humans.

Hera
, Isis thought,
what have you done?

This would have to be brought to the Nine's notice, regardless of Hera's likely animosity. The others would see that she did not fail in her duty again.

But that would not erase Isis's memory of the looks those poor people had given her. She could not remember the last time a human being had shown her even the slightest hostility.

“Why did they stare at you like that?” Daniel asked, echoing her thoughts.

Isis latched on to the first safe explanation that came to mind. “It is nearly time for the Games,” she said.

“The Games?”

“Twice a year the human wards hold competitions,” she said. “Did you notice the badges on some of the humans' shirts and uniforms?”

“I noticed them. Peacocks.”

“Hera's symbol. When the Games are near, many humans wear the emblems of the Elders to represent their teams.”

“Only humans?”

Isis glanced away. “There was a time when Opiri participated, competing among themselves. Now they only observe.”

“What kinds of competitions?” he asked.

“Racing, jumping, older games that humans remember from before the War.”

“No fighting? Wrestling, boxing, martial arts?”

“No!” She stared at him. “We do not condone violence.”

“Then those people were hostile toward you just because you represent an opposing team?”

“I have no team in the Games.”

“So you didn't anticipate their attitude. You don't understand it.”

His challenges came too thick and fast, and she answered carelessly. “It makes no sense to me. Unless they are angry with Hera, and project that anger onto—”

“Isis!”

She snapped out of her thoughts to find Bes gazing up at her and Daniel, a grin on his perpetually pleasant face.

“And who is this?” he asked, staring up at Daniel. “The man who entered Tanis so clandestinely? The dangerous invader?” He shivered dramatically. “Are you quite sure it's safe to let such a monster run around loose, my dear Isis?”

CHAPTER 6

D
aniel stared down at the little Opir, containing his anger and surprise. “I wasn't aware that my reputation had spread,” he said, sparing Isis the need to answer. “My name is Daniel, and I promise you that I am no danger to this city or anyone in it.”

Bes laughed. “Well said.” He thrust out his broad hand. “I am Bes.”

After a moment's hesitation, Daniel took Bes's hand.

“A strong grip,” Bes said. “Excellent. Though it was amusing to see the look on your face when you first saw me.” He dropped Daniel's hand and smoothed the front of his tunic. “What astonished you most? My size?”

“I'm not accustomed to shaking hands with Opiri I've never met,” Daniel said.

“But I look nothing like most Opiri. Did Isis tell you about me? Or did you guess?”

“He has met only Ishtar,” Isis said cautiously. “How did you know Bes was Opir, Daniel?”

“Survival instincts, perhaps,” Bes said in his usual blunt fashion. “Humans have a great capacity for self-preservation.”

“Your teeth,” Daniel said.

Bes covered his mouth. “How silly of me.” He glanced slyly at Isis. “Did you know about
her
?”

“He claims he did not know until I told him,” Isis said.

“Well, you do wear the caps so as not to alarm—”

“I believe he
did
guess,” Isis said, meeting Daniel's gaze. “But it does not matter now. We were just taking a tour of the human wards.”

“I trust you approve of mine?” Bes asked.

“You're one of the Elders?” Daniel asked.

“Isis has told you about the Nine.”

“Only a little,” Daniel said, his voice clearly indicating that “a little” was not nearly enough.

“I have just begun to show him the city,” Isis said.

“Ah,” Bes said, belatedly aware of the tension in the air. “Well, I think when you return you will find that my humans are particularly well known for serving the finest beer in the city.”

“And that, of course, is what makes Bes so fond of this place,” Isis said. “But not even humans can live on beer alone. Are you hungry, Daniel?”

Daniel shook his head. “I'd like to see the other wards.”

“Another time,” Isis said. “Let us return to the Center.”

“I'll come along,” Bes offered.

The three of them took another shuttle back to the administrative ward, where a small crowd had gathered in front of the blood depository. Several humans, both men and women, were walking back and forth in front of the doors, chanting and holding hand-printed signs. No Forced Donation, one of them read. Isis didn't have to see the others to guess at their sentiments.

“Forced donations?” Daniel said, his eyes like chips of lapis lazuli. “I thought that didn't happen here. What are they protesting?”

“It is not what it seems,” Isis said. She started toward the depository, but four uniformed Lawkeepers had already reached the protesters and had closed in around one female, who began to shout and struggle as a male Darketan caught hold of her.

Isis ran to meet them, Daniel and Bes at her heels. The woman protester was weeping as her hands were pulled behind her, her sign broken at her feet.

“Stop,” Isis said. The Lawkeepers in the process of arresting the remaining male and female protesters looked up and hesitated.

“What have they done deserving of arrest?” she asked.

“Disturbing the operation of the depository,” one of the Darketans said.

“Let me speak to them,” Isis said, aware of Daniel right behind her.

“Wait,” Bes said, his wide mouth fixed in a straight line. “I know them. They will listen to me.” He spoke to the Lawkeepers, who backed away and watched from a respectful distance as he approached the protesters.

“What is he trying to do?” Daniel asked.

“Calm them. Encourage them to see reason.”

Daniel watched intently as Bes spoke to the protesters. The fight seemed to go out of them all at once. Bes gripped one of the men's arms companionably and smiled at the woman. She smiled back. He spoke to the Lawkeepers again, and they removed the manacles.

“What did he say to them?” Daniel asked.

Isis sighed inwardly. This would not be a pleasant conversation, and it must be done in private. “Come to my apartment,” she said, “and I will explain.”

But he remained where he was, staring toward the doors of the depository with a fixed expression of surprise. An Opir was emerging cautiously, his head swinging back and forth as he took in the small crowd and the presence of the Lawkeepers.

Glancing at Daniel's face, Isis knew that something was very wrong. He
knew
this Opir.

Knew him and hated him.

“Come,” Isis said, carefully taking Daniel's hand.

He stared at her blankly. His hand trembled, and it almost seemed as if he had gone to some place deep in his mind, rejecting anything that would restore him to the real world. Unease, strange and unwelcome, coiled in Isis's belly.

But he moved when she tugged on his hand. He followed her as the crowd dispersed, and she took him to her building and her apartment on the top floor. He paused inside the doorway, his rigid expression finally easing into a very ordinary suspicion. He scanned the main room as if he expected a trap.

“It is all right, Daniel,” she said gently, afraid to touch him again. “We are alone here.”

Daniel met her gaze, and the veil dropped from his eyes.

“Please, sit down,” she said. “I can offer something to drink and a little fruit, if you wish.”

“No,” Daniel said. He continued to stand by the small table in front of the couch until Isis took her seat, and then he perched on the edge of the couch, a muscle in his jaw jumping faintly.

“Who was it, Daniel?” she asked. “Who did you see outside the depository?”

Daniel blinked as if he didn't understand her question. “Why were those people protesting?” he said, changing the subject without warning.

“There are always a few citizens who resent the necessary part they play in keeping our city strong.”

“I didn't see any violence. Why were the protesters arrested?”

“It was overzealous on the Lawkeepers' part,” she said, equally bewildered by their actions. “It was not necessary.”

“Not if you have free speech in Tanis,” he said. “Do you?”

“Even your Enclaves do not have completely free speech,” she said, “but we do what we can to encourage it here.”

“Just not today,” Daniel said. “What will happen to the protesters?”

“Since Bes defused the situation, they will be sent home with a reminder not to disturb the peace.”

“And if the same people do it again?”

“I do not know,” she admitted. “As long as they remain peaceful—”

“What do you do with humans who won't give blood?”

“We encourage them to seek a place that better suits their preferences.”

“You eject them from the city.”

“Only if we have no other choice, and even then we provide them with all the resources they require. As we discussed, there are human colonies to take them in.”

“And packs of rogues to deal with along the way.”

“Would you have a society without rules?” she asked. “Would you permit citizens to flout the law at will? Unimpeded aggression among the people of Tanis?”

“Opiri thrive on aggression,” he said. “How often do
they
flout your laws? Do they steal blood from unwilling humans?”

“I have never heard of such a thing occurring here.”

“If they did, would they face similar punishment?”

“There is no favoritism, Daniel.”

He stared down at the glass table and moved a small vase a few inches to one side, his hand clutching the fragile vessel as if it were a weapon. “But humans, of course, need more looking after,” he said. “You said it yourself. It is your place to guide.” He looked up. “Is that what Bes was doing?”

“He knew those people, and—”

“He persuaded them to back down. He used the same influence you do, even when you don't realize it.”

“We have had this discussion before. What I—”

“In this future you envision, can there really be any free will for humanity?”

“We Elders have lived for thousands of years,” she said. “Is it so wrong to give others the benefit of our experience?”

“But does your experience apply to humans?” He counted off on his fingers. “Isis. Ishtar. Bes. Hera. They all have one thing in common, aside from being Elders. It isn't just coincidence that you're all named after ancient gods, is it?”

Isis knew the time for prevarication was long past. “You have guessed,” she said, lifting her chin. “We once acted as gods and goddesses among your kind, very long ago.”

“You ruled humanity, even before the Long Sleep, when most of your kind went into hibernation.”

“Humans
made
us what we became.”

“But you went along with their delusions. And, eventually, you left the people who worshipped you. You became myth. And then, after the War between your kind and mine, you rose again to rule as you did before.”

“That was never our intention.”

“Maybe it has nothing to do with your intentions.” He smiled crookedly. “Isis. If I remember correctly, she was the protector of mothers and children, the Lady of Magic, friend of slaves. Your ability to influence others would have seemed like magic in ancient times. And you've already proven yourself a friend of slaves, haven't you?”

* * *

Isis was beautiful in her injured pride, her head high, her eyes flashing. As he watched her, Daniel could almost forget what he had seen at the depository and in Hera's ward. He could almost accept that everything Isis said was true...all her hopes, her dreams, her faith in Tanis's ultimate success.

“I helped to guide Egypt for over two thousand years,” she said, a slight note of defensiveness in her voice. “I did
not
rule. That was the work of mortal kings. I was there for humans who sought my help, and I gave them advice and encouragement when I could.” She met Daniel's gaze. “Is that such a terrible thing?”

“And were all your fellow gods so benevolent?”

“Some had almost nothing to do with humanity, but merely took on the aspects of deities created by humans. Bes was a god of mothers and childbirth, as I was, and also a protector of the household. He is a good Opir.”

“At least his intentions are,” Daniel said. “What about Hera? Was she so benevolent?”

“She has changed from the time I knew her long ago,” Isis said with obvious regret.

“And Ishtar?” he asked. “She was a goddess of fertility and sex. She still uses her powers for seduction to get her way, no matter what you and the other Nine intended.”

“
You
did not respond.”

“Maybe that's because I was thinking of another goddess.”

The words came out of his mouth without any thought behind them, but he realized at once that they were true. He had been thinking of Isis every moment that Ishtar had been doing her best to seduce him. Isis, with her dark eyes and lovely body and her odd trust in him. Trust he'd done little enough to earn.

“If you...think well of me,” she said, “you cannot believe that I have
ever
used my influence to harm any human.”

Daniel stepped around the table, coming very close to her. “You've been honest with me, more than you had to be. I saw you with that baby and his mother. You weren't faking your affection.” Very cautiously he touched her cheek with his fingertips, doing his best to ignore the rush of desire that came with the contact. “You weren't faking in my room, either, were you?”

She trembled. “Perhaps, as you suggested, I wished to learn something about you that I couldn't get any other way.”

“You must have had a thousand lovers when you were a goddess. Ordinary men would have fallen at your feet without your lifting a finger.”

Her hand covered his. “I do not think there is anything ordinary about you, Daniel.”

He wondered if she had guessed what he really was.

“There's nothing unusual about me,” he said gruffly, withdrawing his hand.

“Maybe
you
cannot see it. But I know your past was a difficult one and that you survived it. Not all humans can say the same.”

For a moment he thought she was going to ask him about his life as a serf. A chill enveloped his body.

Then his sense returned to him and he smiled. Isis stood very still for a long moment, barely breathing, her skin flushed. He was half-tempted to take her in his arms and finish what they'd begun yesterday.

But physical attraction wasn't enough. Neither was mutual admiration, though he wasn't sure how he'd earned hers. She was still a Bloodmistress—a goddess—and he still had his work to do.

“Who are they, Isis?” he asked. “The rest of the Nine?”

She clasped her hands in her lap. “You will probably recognize their names,” she said, her voice a little unsteady. “Athena, Anu, Ereshkigal, Hephaestus, and Hermes.”

“Greek and Babylonian,” he said. “Anu, I don't know.”

“Ancient Sumer,” Isis said. “He is the eldest and wisest among us, and he leads the Nine.” She seemed about to go on and changed her mind. “Anu, Hephaestus and Ereshkigal are the guardians of our Opiri.”

“Ereshkigal,” Daniel said. “Goddess of the Underworld. Appropriate enough.”

“Do you think Opiri belong in such a place?”

The words were spoken half in jest, but Daniel took them seriously. “Certainly not the Opir I'm looking at right now,” he said.

He took his seat and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.