The Destroyer Goddess (41 page)

"It's very touching that you can't face facts, Vinn," Baran said, "but not very useful."

The assassin's face fell and he said nothing more. Baran sighed. It was so frustrating to be in the mood for a fight and surrounded by people who wouldn't let him pick one.

"Tell them," Mirabar said to Baran.

He shrugged and did as ordered, while his wife composed herself. And even these two assassins, who had just circumvented —if not precisely violated—the age-old rules governing a truce meeting, were shocked by the news of Kiloran's treachery. Well, it
was
shocking, after all. Even Baran, half-mad and wholly without scruples, had never once considered violating Sanctuary. Not ever.

"Kiloran had to be desperate to do such a thing," Najdan murmured, staring contemplatively down at Mirabar's fiery, bowed head. "I, who have known him for so long, would never have imagined him doing this."

"Oh, he's done all sorts of things you probably haven't imagined, Najdan," Baran said. "In fact, I was there for one or two of them."

The assassin's gaze flashed to his face with sharp curiosity for a moment, and Baran was pleased to realize that Mirabar hadn't violated his confidences, not even with Najdan. She was, in her own way, a good wife.

Najdan nodded in acknowledgement of whatever secret existed between Baran and Kiloran, then said, "Still, I think he must be afraid, though he would not acknowledge it even to himself, to do such a thing."

Baran made a dismissive gesture. "He must be a
fool
to do such a thing." He shook his head. "It very rarely happens. But, oh, yes, once every so often he wants something so badly that it makes him act rashly. What he did to me, long ago. What he's done now..." Baran shook his head. "No. Even I would never have anticipated such an error."

Mirabar stared at him in puzzlement. "Because he killed the wrong woman?"

"No," Baran said impatiently, "because he's done something so appalling that surely no normal, decent, bloodthirsty Silerian can ever forgive him for it."

"But," Vinn ventured, "if the
sirana
says he's killed the wrong woman—"

"Give me strength!" Baran prayed to no one in particular. He waved his cup of pain-killing brew at them all, careless of how it sloshed onto the floor, and reminded them, "I'm the one whose mind is fogged with pain and Sisterly potions. What excuse do the rest of you have?" They all looked at each other, then looked back at him, their gazes blankly confused. "If you would all look past Mirabar's Dar-cursed babbling about prophecy and the next Yahrdan, you would see that Kiloran has finally done the unthinkable!" When this statement produced no dawning understanding on their faces, he continued more calmly, "Murdering the Firebringer, while terrible enough to start a civil war, was nonetheless the deed of a bold and powerful waterlord. It was, dare I point out to Josarian's personal prophetess, a respectable act of vengeance against the man who had killed Kiloran's only son, and a shrewd act of war against an enemy."

Najdan made a sudden sound of surprise and said, "But killing a helpless woman..."

Vinn added, "A helpless
pregnant
woman..."

Baran nodded. "A helpless pregnant woman
in Sanctuary
." 

Mirabar's expression sharpened with understanding. "A woman who posed no threat to him."

"Ahhh..." Baran grinned. "Because Sileria knows only that she was the Firebringer's mourning sister."

"Sileria knows only..." Mirabar's face got pensive again.

"Whatever Kiloran may have imagined," Baran said, "Jalilar was, in fact, just a
shallah
woman awaiting her first child."

Vinn folded his arms across his chest, looking bright and energetic now as he pursued this view of the slaughter. "Kiloran wasn't content with triumphing over Josarian, so he murdered Josarian's only surviving female family member. And he violated Sanctuary." Vinn shook his head and said, "Filthy. Disgusting. Cowardly."

"Gives waterlords a bad name," Baran agreed.

Vinn nodded, following his master's premise easily due to years of practice. "He'd probably kill Josarian's wife, too, if she were still alive."

"Even if she were in Sanctuary," Baran added. "Because that's the kind of man he has now shown us he is."

"None of his enemies' women or children are safe," said Vinn.

"Even his
friends
' women aren't safe," Baran said. "All of Sileria will perhaps understand just how true that statement is when we reveal that, years ago, while I was his apprentice, Kiloran raped and murdered my wife."

The effect of this announcement was so stunning, it would have satisfied Baran immensely had the subject been anything besides Alcinar.

"
Siran
..." Vinn's face was almost innocent with mingled sympathy, shock, and outrage.

"The bracelet," Najdan said suddenly, his voice breathless with surprise. "The necklace."

"Yes," Baran acknowledged.

Najdan nodded. "Now I understand."

Baran glanced at Mirabar, the object of such deadly paternal devotion, and murmured, "I thought you might."

Kiloran's great weakness was that he could not understand, and therefore always underestimated, the power of love.

Vinn's complexion was dark when he vowed, "All of Sileria will now know what kind of man he is,
siran
. And all of Sileria will hate him for it."

"Killing Jalilar," Baran mused. "Violating Sanctuary." Vengeance was sweet. "I never dreamed he would be so reckless."

"It doesn't make sense," Mirabar said, coming out of her pensive silence.

"I believe that's my very point," Baran replied. 

"No, I mean..." She spread her hands. "Why did he do it?"

"Because he was so sure that..." His heart thudded with surprise as he realized what she was saying. She was right. Kiloran wouldn't have done something this rash based on just a hunch. "You mean, why was he so sure Jalilar's child was a threat to him?"

"Someone had to convince him," Najdan said with certainty. "And Searlon, who actually killed her, is shrewd and patient. Without a very good reason to do this, Searlon would have insisted on a better plan, and Kiloran would have listened to him." Najdan nodded. "They had to be very sure—completely convinced—that Jalilar's unborn child was a terrible danger to them."

Vinn asked, "Then what convinced them?"

"Or who?" Baran added.

"Who knew that Jalilar was pregnant?" Najdan asked.

"And also where she was?" Vinn pondered.

"There was Tansen," Baran said, "and whoever he told."

"And me," Mirabar said, "and I only told..."

Her glowing eyes widened into round circles in her sun-kissed face as she drew in a stifled gasp.

"Oh, dear," Baran said. "Were you indiscreet, my dear?"

Najdan's voice could have frozen water when he said to Mirabar, "You told Cheylan about Jalilar, didn't you?"

Baran was startled, not only by the cold dislike in Najdan's voice, but also by the implications of the comment.

"Cheylan?" Baran said. "A Guardian? Do you really think he would—"

"No!" Mirabar said. "
No."

But Baran could see by her expression that she was suddenly full of uncertainty.

"Cheylan knew where she was hiding, didn't he?" Najdan prodded.

"Yes, but—"

"Did you tell anyone else where?"

"No, but—"

"So, if anyone betrayed you," Najdan persisted, "it had to be Cheylan."

"He also knew that child wasn't the one!" Mirabar jumped to her feet. "But no one around Tansen knew what I—"

"Tansen would have been very careful about who he told," said the assassin. "Only men he trusted completely would have known where Jalilar was."

"
I
was careful about who I told!"

"Not careful enough," Najdan snapped.

"Cheylan knew Jalilar's baby wasn't the one!"

"Then," Baran said, "perhaps we should consider what Cheylan could possibly have to gain by convincing Kiloran to kill Jalilar."

"Nothing," Mirabar said firmly.

"Don't you think he has taken a very long time about returning to Belitar with
Torena
Elelar?" Najdan said nastily.

"He might be dead!" Mirabar's lips trembled as she looked up at Najdan. "Who knows what difficulties—"

"Where are they?" Najdan persisted. "Why aren't they here yet? Why don't we even have word of Cheylan's death, if he's dead?"

"You were saying only this morning, my dear," Baran pointed out, "that they should have been here by now. You've been saying it, with wearying repetition, for several days, in fact."

"Cheylan is like me," Mirabar insisted. "He wouldn't—"

"He's nothing like you," Najdan said. "But he's gained your trust by letting you think he is."

"All Guardians have my trust!" she shouted.

"That might not be wise," Baran murmured.

"Him more than others," Najdan reminded her. "Whereas Tansen has never trusted him. And I—"

"Tansen has never liked 'demons!' And neither have you!"

Najdan looked as if he wanted to strike her. Baran and Vinn exchanged a glance, then continued to watch the two of them with riveted fascination.

Unfortunately, they came to their senses then. Mirabar waved a hand, as if to brush aside her words. Najdan said something gruff about pointless bickering. 

Vinn sighed with momentary disappointment, then suggested, "Perhaps we can determine the truth if we return to the
siran
's question. What possible reason could Cheylan have for betraying Jalilar to Kiloran?"

"And then," Baran added, "abducting
Torena
Elelar?"

"He hasn't abducted her," Mirabar insisted.

"The future mother of a ruler foretold in prophecy," Baran murmured. "
I
would certainly abduct her."

"Yes, I know," Mirabar said testily, "but you're a..."

He met her gaze after her voice trailed off, but he had the distinct feeling she was no longer seeing him.

"Marjan's blood," she murmured, so softly he thought he had heard wrong.

"What?"

"Daurion's and Marjan's blood," she said, her voice growing stronger.

Baran prodded, "What does that mean?"

"In my vision. The Calling I did with the, uh, gift you gave me..."

"Yes?"

"Daurion told me that the prophesied Yahrdan was his heir, and would have both his and Marjan's blood in his veins."

"And is there some reason you're telling us this
now?
"

"Because... this inheritance will come from his father."

"Whom you thought might be Kiloran."

Her face was very still with certainty when she said, "But Cheylan thinks it means
him
."

Baran considered this. "I can understand why Cheylan might think he is descended from Daurion, a
toren
who reputedly had those Guardian eyes. But why—"

"Because Cheylan also has the blood of waterlords in his veins."

"What?"

"Verlon is his grandfather." Her voice was absent, her eyes clouded as she looked inward, remembering things which she was suddenly viewing in a new light.

"
Verlon?
" Baran loved surprises.

"Yes. So... it's at least possible that Cheylan is descended from Marjan."

"Verlon," Baran repeated, "whose men nearly succeeded in killing Tansen in an ambush not long ago?"

She blinked. "Many waterlords send their assassins after Tan—"

"Verlon's assassins had inside knowledge of his activities."

Mirabar's voice was too soft and uncertain when she said, "Many people know how to find him."

"Did Cheylan?"

"I..." A tear escaped one golden eye. "I don't know."

"He certainly could have," Najdan said with certainty.

"And if Cheylan does think he's going to father
Torena
Elelar's child..." Baran snorted briefly with amusement, then continued, "Why didn't he tell
you
so, Mirabar?"

"Perhaps he will," she replied. But he could see in her face that she didn't believe it. "Maybe he was too astonished at the time..."

"Or maybe he thought," Baran suggested, "his best chance of fathering Elelar's child without interference was to convince Kiloran that Jalilar was going to bear the child you have prophesied."

"Oh, I like that,
siran
," Vinn said. "It's a good theory."

"Why, thank you."

Mirabar argued, "You have no proo—"

"What you believe is, of course, entirely your own affair," Baran said. "But if I were in your position, I think I would assume, for my own safety, that Cheylan is betraying..." He laughed and said, "Well,
everyone
. All so he can sire Elelar's child and become the single most influential person in Sileria."

"No! He doesn't have such ambitions!"

"What in the Fires makes you so sure of that?" Baran asked curiously. 

"Because... because..." She put a hand to her head and murmured, "Oh, no."

"Now what?"

"Daurion described him... the man... as someone who has murdered the innocent, lied to his allies, and betrayed everyone."

"No wonder you thought it might be me or Kiloran," Baran said in amusement. "And no wonder Cheylan didn't immediately turn to you and say, 'That's me.' It would have called for explanations which one can only imagine would have been extremely awkward for him."

"And he knew... He realized I would oppose him, once I knew."

Baran said, "And he doesn't want you interfering any more than he wants Kiloran in his way."

"We should consider ourselves lucky," Najdan said heavily, "that he didn't kill you then and there,
sirana
."

"Cheylan may not be sure he can kill her," Baran mused. "Or he may have feared it would take long enough that he couldn't escape the rest of us. So," he said to Mirabar, "he convinced you to let him go after Elelar alone."

"He has certainly abducted her," Najdan said.

"Daurion also said I..." Mirabar licked her lips. "I wouldn't be able to protect Elelar until I... I was ready to accept the unbelievable and do the unthinkable."