Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira (36 page)

Harmin glanced at the blades with approval and bowed.  “Excuse me, Highness, Timon has asked that you be informed the tent is ready for Lady Techu and Princess Kapia.”

“Thank you, Harmin,” Zakiel said as he sheathed his swords.  “Please wait outside for the ladies and escort them to the new tent when they are ready.”

Harmin bowed again and stepped outside. 

Zakiel looked at Karma for a long moment.  She seemed to be fine now, but he still wanted to know what had happened that morning to upset her so much.  He needed to get more time alone with her, but tonight was not the right time.  Tomorrow then, he promised himself.  He would talk to her tomorrow.

“I need to check on Saigar,” he said, nodding to Karma and Kapia.  “Please let one of your guards know if you need anything, or send one of your attendants to my tent.”

“We will, Zakiel,” Kapia said.  “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.”

Zakiel nodded and said his goodnights before stepping out of the tent.  He paused, tilted his head back, and stared at the night sky as he turned an idea over and over in his mind.  Before long he realized he was wasting his time.  The decision had already been made.  He smiled to himself, wondering if Timon would be able to complete the task by morning, then he turned to go check on Saigar.

Chapter
18

Timon roused Zakiel just before dawn, as requested.  Zakiel accepted the hot drink Timon handed him, and took a few minutes to organize his thoughts and prepare himself for what he had to do.  Then he dressed in ordinary riding leathers, not wanting to give a
cin-sahib
the honor of formality.

“Highness,” Timon said, entering the chamber as he buckled his sword belt on.  “I have made the changes to your
egora
that you requested last night.”

“Thank you, Timon,” Zakiel said, accepting the band of beaded leather from Timon and examining it carefully.  “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you would know the bead-sign for the Vatra.”  Zakiel suspected that if he were made Grand Admiral of the Palnathian Navy, Timon would know the bead sign for that, as well.

Timon bowed silently, but Zakiel sensed the man’s pleasure at the compliment.  “It’s perfect, of course,” Zakiel said, handing it back to Timon and holding out his arm.  Timon tied the
egora
around his bicep, made a tiny adjustment and stepped back. 

“Thank you, Timon,” Zakiel said, dismissing him.

Zakiel looked down at the
egora
, a faint smile on his face, very satisfied with the changes.  He reached up with his other hand and ran one finger over the gold bead.  An image of Marene flashed through his mind as it had before, only she looked even angrier this time, her beauty nowhere in evidence. 

He frowned, wondering why he kept seeing that image of her in his mind.  Was there some part of him that felt guilty about his feelings for Karma?  He shook his head.  No, he felt no guilt at all. 

He finished his tea and glanced down at the
egora
once more.  Now, if only Karma would explain why she’d been so upset with him the day before, he would be a happy man.  Once the morning’s activities were over.  He grimaced with distaste, then set his shoulders and left his chamber.

The moment he stepped out of his tent and saw Garundel heading toward him, his face set in an expression of barely controlled fury, Zakiel knew something had gone wrong. 

“Highness,” Garundel said, stopping before him and bowing.  “I regret to tell you that Saigar is gone.”

“Gone?” Zakiel asked in surprise.  He’d expected to be told that Saigar had forced the issue, tried to escape and engaged in a battle with the Hunters guarding the tent.  It hadn’t occurred to him that the man could escape.

“Yes, Highness,” Garundel replied.  “When I opened the tent this morning, just before first light, it was empty.”

“How?” Zakiel asked. 

“I don’t know, Highness,” Garundel said.  “The tent was surrounded by ten men, and I personally walked the perimeter all night long.  The lacings over the opening were as I tied them when we put him inside, and there are no cuts in the walls, ceiling or floor.  I cannot say how he escaped, I know only that he is not in the tent.”

“All right, Garundel,” Zakiel said.  “Let’s go look together.”

Garundel nodded.  “I would appreciate another point of view, Highness.”

Zakiel turned to a Hunter standing guard nearby.  “Corbon, double the guards on the women’s tent again.”

“I have already given the order, Highness,” Corbon replied.

Zakiel nodded in approval and left with Garundel.  After examining the tent quite thoroughly, they still could not determine how Saigar had made his escape. 

“Was Tomas watched all night?” Zakiel asked Garundel.

“Yes, Highness,” Garundel replied.  “I had four men surround his tent throughout the night.  He did not leave it, nor did anyone enter.”

“Tomas knew Saigar best,” Zakiel said.  “Tell him what happened and ask him if he can think of an explanation for his disappearance.”

“Excellent idea, Highness,” Garundel said.  “With your leave, I will go and tend to that at once.”

“Of course,” Zakiel said.  “In the meantime, I will ask Nikura to come and check the tent.  Perhaps he will be able to scent something that we cannot see.”

Garundel bowed, and Zakiel watched him for a moment as he headed for Tomas’s tent before turning back toward his own.  He wondered if the women would be up yet, and decided to take the chance.  He really only needed Nikura, but he wanted to see Karma, and this was a good excuse. 

A few minutes later he stood outside their tent, nervously hoping that Karma would be dressed.  He’d seen enough of her dressed only in her night shift to fuel his fantasies for months, if not years.  Taking a deep breath, he announced himself, then pushed back the tent flap and stepped inside.

***

Karma awoke early after sleeping poorly for the remainder of the night.  It wasn’t the attack that had kept her awake though.  It was Zakiel.  As many times as she’d told herself to forget about him, that such a deceitful man was not worth her time and energy, she could not prevent the memory of his arrival in her chamber from replaying in her mind.  His expression of fear, worry and concern for her had been too intense for her to deny its sincerity.  She wanted to believe that he didn’t truly care for her.  That would make everything so much easier. 

She climbed out of bed and used the damp towel Lashi had left out for her to wash her face.  She got dressed, noting that Nikura’s large sleep cushion in the corner of her chamber was empty.  He’d been doing that more often lately, as it got easier and easier for them to be out of each other’s sight for longer periods of time. 

She ran a brush through her hair with little enthusiasm, not caring all that much about her appearance.  She put the brush down after only a few strokes, then left her chamber in search of a hot cup of tea.  She was surprised to see Kapia already up and waiting for her.  She was always up before Kapia.

She sat down on her cushion across from Kapia and accepted a cup of tea from Lashi with a tired smile.  “Good morning, Kapia,” she said before taking her first sip.

“Good morning, Karma,” Kapia said.  “You look tired this morning.  Are you well?”

“I am tired this morning,” Karma admitted since there was no point in denying it.  “I didn’t sleep well last night, but otherwise I’m fine.”

Both women fell silent as Caral and Lashi served them breakfast.  When their attendants left to begin packing up their sleeping chambers, Kapia decided to take advantage of their privacy. 

“Karma,” she began, “won’t you please tell me what’s going on?  I promise I won’t repeat a word to anyone, no matter what.”

Karma gave her a tiny smile.  “There is nothing....”

“Please,” Kapia said, interrupting her, “don’t tell me nothing is wrong.  I know that’s not true.  If you do not want to confide in me, I will accept that, but please do not tell me an untruth.”

Karma sighed and set her cup down.  “Kapia, can you honestly promise me that you would not repeat whatever I say to you, even if it involves your brother?  No matter what it is?”

“Yes,” Kapia replied at once.  “I love my brother, Karma, but I love you as well.  I wish to be a true friend to you, as you have been to me.  I would not betray your trust and risk our friendship for any reason.”

Karma considered Kapia’s request carefully.  She had spent years alone, with no one to talk to or share with.  She realized that she desperately wanted to share her current troubles with someone, which surprised her.  She refilled her cup from the pot between them and made her decision.

“As you may have noticed, I have feelings for your brother and the other day he indicated that he returned those feelings,” Karma said, her voice low so that it could not be heard by anyone but Kapia. 

“Yes, I did notice,” Kapia said.  “I confess that I didn’t notice until yesterday morning though.  You both hide your feelings well.”

“Before we left Ka-Teru, Marene came to my rooms and asked to speak to me, you remember?”

“Yes, I remember,” Kapia said, suddenly worried.

“She told me that you were soon to be her sister,” Karma said.  Kapia’s expression of shock and anger was immediate, but Karma held her hand up.  “I know, it was an outrageous statement, or so it seemed to me, and I did not believe her.”

Kapia blew out a breath of relief and relaxed.

“Until yesterday morning,” Karma added. 

“You changed your mind?” Kapia asked.

“Your brother made it very clear that he could not break the customs of your people, Kapia,” Karma said. 

“What customs?”

“I assume he made a commitment to Marene that he cannot break.  You told me how important such things are, and I cannot see Zakiel breaking his word.”

 “He could not choose Marene over you,” Kapia said.  “He just couldn’t.  You must have misunderstood him.” 

Karma smiled tiredly, then repeated what Zakiel had said to her the previous morning.  When she was finished she drained her tea cup in an effort to wash away the lump in her throat. 

Kapia shook her head, unable to think of a meaning for Zakiel’s words other than the one Karma had given her, as much as she wished otherwise.  “I can’t imagine Zakiel telling you that he cared for you if he was committed elsewhere.  Why would he do such a thing?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Karma said.  “I’ve given it a lot of thought.”

“And?”

“There are two possibilities,” Karma said.  “He makes no secret of how much he dislikes off-worlders.  Perhaps his intent all along was to shame and insult me.  If so, he may congratulate himself on a job well done.”

Kapia swallowed her anger at the insult to her brother, reminding herself that Karma’s pain was great, and that in her place, she would likely think much the same thing.  “He appeared to be very concerned about you last night,” she pointed out.  “I cannot believe his feelings were feigned.”

“I am Lady Techu,” Karma reminded her.  “Perhaps your brother did not consider that annoying little fact until after yesterday morning.  If that is the case, he most certainly would regret his actions.  After all, what would happen to Rathira if I turned around and went home?”

Kapia hated to admit that Karma’s logic was sound again, but it was.  “What is the other possibility?”

“It’s possible, I suppose, that he really does care for me, but feels he must honor his commitment to Marene over his own wishes and desires.  Or mine.”

Kapia nodded.  That sounded like something Zakiel would do, though the idea of Marene as her brother’s wife made her feel ill.  “Is that all?”

“Yes,” Karma said.  “I can think of no other explanations.  But, don’t worry, Kapia.  I will not take my hurt feelings and run away.  I have said that I will aid Rathira, and I will not break my word.

“I am grateful for that, of course,” Kapia said.  “But, as selfish as this may be, it is not my biggest concern at the moment.  It’s impossible for me to imagine Zakiel behaving in such a dishonorable manner.  I believe that he does truly care for you, Karma.  And I cannot believe that he has bound himself to Marene.”

Karma met Kapia’s gaze steadily.  “I’m sorry, Kapia, but facts are facts.”

“You don’t know it’s a fact,” Kapia argued, still desperately trying to think of another explanation for Zakiel’s words and actions.

“You’re the one who told me the meaning of the gold bead,” Karma said, rising to her feet.  “Look at his
egora
when you see him this morning.  But remember, Kapia, you promised to say nothing of this to anyone.”

Kapia’s heart sank.  If Zakiel had a gold bead on his
egora
, and she had no reason to disbelieve Karma, especially since it was so easily proved, then there was nothing more to be said.

When Zakiel entered the tent a moment later, he had the uncomfortable feeling that he had intruded on something serious between Kapia and Karma.  They gave each other silent looks that he did not understand before turning toward him.

“Good morning, Prince Zakiel,” Karma said politely.  “I apologize if we are holding things up this morning.”