The Destroyer Book 3 (50 page)

“So that’s how the process works? You drag me in front of them and they point fingers at me, tell me I am guilty, and then,” Kaiyer drew a finger across his neck, “death?”

“That is what I have been told.”

“You haven’t actually seen a Pretender judged by these clan leaders?” Kaiyer took a sip of wine from the clay jug. He seemed completely relaxed despite Kannath yelling at him.

“No. Only the leaders are present.”

“So there is a possibility of them listening to me?” He smiled at Kannath.

“No.”

“Will you be there to judge me?” Kaiyer asked, I looked over to him and saw a smile slowly spread across his face. He obviously didn’t grasp the seriousness of his situation.

“Perhaps,” Kannath grunted.

“But your sister will?” Kaiyer’s teeth shone white in the firelight. The two men stared at each other across the fire and I expected the larger man to jump the flames and throttle Kaiyer.

“You seem to take delight in harassing me, Pretender. I will have the last laugh when they remove your life from the thin shell of your body.” Kannath’s voice was the rumble of an avalanche and I felt my ribs quiver.

“I’m destined for execution, so perhaps you can allow me a little pleasure.” Kaiyer leaned back and laughed. Surprisingly, Kannath’s face changed and he let out a low chuckle.

“Fair enough, Pretender.” I wasn’t the only one who seemed surprised by Kannath’s sudden change of emotion. His warriors glanced anxiously between their leader and Kaiyer. Iarin trembled as he stirred the pot of thickening pig stew. His mannerisms made me think of the times we had spent traveling. I had always thought that the woodsman seemed jittery. I now realized that it was Kaiyer who made him nervous.

“We still need help. What can I do to get aid from your clan?” My voice came out with as much strength as I could muster. I had to be strong for my people. Kannath looked back at me and shook his head but I spoke again, “I can join your clan. Jazen and Anax said it was a possibility that I could be gifted.”

“I will consider your request while we travel.” Kannath’s eyes appraised me. I was used to having men look at me with desire, but his cold gaze was intimidating and I tried to fight back my discomfort. He had lust in his eyes, but something deeper that disturbed me. I realized he was judging my worthiness to become one of them, to lead my people. It angered me that he felt he could determine my worth in a look, or even a few short weeks of travel.

“Are we heading south?” Kaiyer asked. He had seemed completely uninterested in my exchange with Kannath. I wondered if this was because he didn’t understand what was happening, or because he was so confident in his plan to convince another clan to come help us that he was not worried about me needing Kannath’s help. I was a little disappointed that he did not seem jealous and hoped it was not because he no longer cared for me.

“Yes,” Iarin said. Kannath looked over at Iarin and the lanky man grimaced.

“Don’t be so hard on him. I would have found out eventually.” My lover brought the wine up to his lips. I marveled at how graceful his movements were. Even the simple act of drinking was done with the efficiency of a dancer.

“I asked you about your conversation with the empress and you refused to answer.”

“Ahh. So that is why you are grumpy.” Kaiyer took another swig of the jug. He seemed to realize that he was the only one drinking and he passed the wine to his left. Beltor grasped it and lifted it to his lips, taking a small sip before he in turn handed it to the woman that sat to his left.

“The boon was for a few minutes, but you spoke for many hours.”

“I was negotiating the surrender of her army.” Kaiyer smiled slightly.

“Every word you utter is ridiculous,” the woman said.

“Only because you think I am a Pretender.”

The woman looked as if she was about to spit back a retort but Kannath slapped his leg, creating a sound like a thunderclap, and interrupted her.

“If you are Kaiyer, how is it that you are still alive?” Kannath asked.

“Malek put me in the Radicle. Iarin, Jessmei, her bodyguard Greykin, a boy named Paug, and the duke’s daughter woke me.” The handsome man nodded to each of us. Our eyes briefly met, and I felt warmth spread through my body.

“The story of the Betrayer is many thousands of years old. He was jealous of Malek and Shlara’s love and it corrupted his heart. After the Elvens were defeated, he lashed out at them and a new war started. Eventually he was killed by the combined might of his generals.” Kannath’s warriors nodded while he spoke, except for Iarin.

“Perspective and time change stories.” Kaiyer opened his mouth to say more, but instead he sighed and looked into the fire. “Obviously, your leaders know I am still alive,” he finally said.

“Obviously?”

“Why else would there be such motivation to find someone with the same name? Why else call them a 'Pretender' and capture them? One, or all, of your clan leaders know that I wasn’t killed and might return.” I could see Kannath turn the words in his head with a frown. I didn't understand entirely what Kaiyer spoke of, but it made sense that if these clan leaders knew he would eventually wake one day they would need to find a way to capture him.

"Other Pretenders have been found and brought before them," Kannath said. His face still looked like he was puzzling through what my lover had told him.

"Have you ever seen them?"

"No, this was before I was born." Kannath nodded.

"Were any of you alive when the last Pretender was captured?" Kaiyer asked the gathered warriors. Each shook their head.

"But your clan receives a reward for bringing me back alive?" Kaiyer looked at Kannath.

"Yes."

"That is large enough for you to leave your budding clan and travel to this world to capture me?"

Kannath shifted in his seat and nodded. Jazen passed the jug of wine to me but I didn't drink from it. Instead, I hefted it with both hands and handed it to Kaiyer. He took it from me and I relished the feeling of our fingers briefly touching. I quickly remembered where my focus should be, and looked back at Kannath. The large man had the usual frown on his face and stared into the fire.

Kaiyer tilted the jug and took three large gulps of the liquid. Each sound of him swallowing cut through the empty air and made me wish I had partaken of the wine. He shook the jug after he finished and the clay rang empty.

"I think I would have liked you, Kannath," Kaiyer said. The big man snorted and gave a slightly amused expression. "You need better mentorship and training, but would have done well in my army. Probably not a general, of course, but you could have been one of Thayer's commanders if he had spent some time on you." Kaiyer's voice had a strange echo to it, like he was talking through his mouth and nose at the same time.

"More words that mean nothing to me,” Kannath said.

"I have an eye for talent, but I am not as gifted as my mentor was. His name was Entas. Do the stories of me mention him?"

"I am not familiar with the name." The rest of his warriors shook their heads, except for Iarin.

"That is unfortunate. He was really the soul of my army. Taught me everything I know. I always believed him to be slightly insane, but the more I remember about my past, the more I begin to realize that I wasn't paying enough attention to the meaning behind his words."

"You are insane," the woman said.

"Maybe." He laughed and leaned back on the log. "I am actually considering letting you take me to your clan leaders. I think the conversation would be interesting. But I still have a few thousand Elvens to worry about here." He turned to me and smiled. "So I'll have to take care of that first."

"You do not have a choice in the matter, Pretender." Kannath sighed and I could see the woman who had thrown the jug at Kaiyer's head roll her eyes back.

"There are always choices if you look hard enough." Kaiyer smiled, but it was all teeth. "Iarin, are you feeling alright?"

"Sure." The woodsman gasped from his side of the fire and cooking pot. It seemed obvious to me that Iarin was not okay. His hands shook and beads of sweat dripped down his forehead.

"I wasn't surprised to find out you were one of my people."

"Why weren't you surprised?" Anax's gravelly voice asked.

"They were all afraid of me when I awoke, but Iarin was terrified."

"That doesn't mean anything. He's skittish and practically useless in combat," Jazen spat out. Iarin caught his breath and his brows knitted in anger.

"You know I am Kaiyer." He ignored Jazen's words and stared across the fire at the thin woodsman.

"Yes," the woodsman said after a brief pause.

"So if Iarin says it than it must be true! Oh great Betrayer," Gaizka made a bow from her sitting position. "We both fear and revere you. Tell us how to serve." Kaiyer smiled at their laughter and I wondered how he could stay so calm when the situation felt so hopeless.

"Fear is a good motivator."

"It is hard to be afraid of someone chained up as you are while surrounded by our kind, plus we have your friends as leverage," the woman sneered.

"I guess that explains why you didn't set a sentry." Kaiyer shook his head and his smile changed into a look of pity. "It would have been one of the first lessons taught to you in my army. We were always afraid of the Elvens destroying us. Leave Iarin alive, but kill the others."

I found myself on the ground behind the log on which we had been sitting. There was a gust of wind and the sound of quick moving bees above us. I yelped in surprise and grabbed onto Kaiyer's hand on my chest. Where did the manacles go? I looked over to him but he was already getting up off of the dirt. I saw the shape of my uncle's face but could not see his expression since the log blocked the light from the fire.

Then I was lifted to my feet and standing face to face with my lover.

"Are you okay?" he asked. His back was to the fire, his face in shadow save his green eyes.

"Yes, I think." He smiled at me and then helped Beltor stand.

"What did you speak to my sister about?" The voice spoke from behind and I was so surprised I jumped around with my heart in my throat. Behind me stood dozens of dark garbed figures with short black bows in their hands. The one in the front of the group removed her cowl to reveal a ghostly white face and snow-colored hair.

An Elven. Her eyes shone black and orange in the firelight.

"It was our own business. One of your soldiers has bad aim though." Kaiyer pointed back at the fire and I turned to follow his finger.

They were all dead, punctured by dozens of black shafted arrows like a macabre pin cushion. I felt my head go light and nausea fill my stomach. Less than a few seconds ago these had been living, breathing, talking people. They were intimidating, but had not done me any wrong.

"Your sister and I needed Iarin alive to show us where the Radicle they came through is located," Kaiyer said. There was a single arrow in the woodsman's forehead and the fire reflected off of his dead eyes as they stared into the night sky.

"She will forgive me. What did you speak to her about?" the white-haired Elven asked again.

"Looks like she is keeping secrets from you. Ask her when we return." Kaiyer walked over to Iarin and crouched down next to him.

"I am asking you now." Her voice rose slightly in anger and I felt my uncle pull me a bit away from the woman so I wasn't standing between her and Kaiyer.

"I'm sorry my friend." Kaiyer's hand brushed over Iarin's face, closing his eyes. "I understood what you had to do. I hope you can understand what I had to do."

"I am sick of your presence, Pretender. You make a mockery of our customs and achievements."

"That's fine. You already know what I think of you. Now that the princess and duke of Nia are safe, we should return to the empress. We have to continue our negotiations for your surrender."

"Our surrender?" The woman's eyes narrowed and a few of the black clothed archers behind her shifted their feet.

"Take it up with her." Kaiyer started looking through the various packs on the ground. The third one he looked into had been at Kannath's feet; it was larger than the rest and seemed well padded. Kaiyer smiled for a brief second and then wrapped both of the straps over his shoulder.

"Have some of your warriors bury them. We'll take the horses and head back to Nia." Kaiyer walked toward the white woman but she drew her sword slowly. As if it was a conductor's command, the rest of the archers pulled on their arrows and leveled them at the thin, handsome man.

"That is a bad idea," Kaiyer said. He crossed his arms and took a small step away from her.

"Your kind is quite foolish. You believe you are so powerful with your mastery of the Elements. You ignore the Dead Gods that created us; you believe that these worlds are yours to defile however you see fit. Our people struggled for so many years and have finally escaped your control. Then you show up and attempt to yoke us again."

"From my memories, it was the other way around," Kaiyer seethed.

"That past is useless. The present is the only time that matters, Pretender." She took a step closer to him and Kaiyer uncrossed his arms. I felt Beltor's arm tighten around me and he pulled me back a step.