Vengeance Born (The Light Blade #1) (17 page)

“A friend and I used to slip away from the training barracks to go to the night market.”

She blinked, amazed Kalan hadn’t delved into her past by asking more questions. She shot him a glance. He caught her inquisitive look. A smile played around the corners of his mouth.

“The taboo of the night market was irresistible,” he elaborated. “Learning how to scale trees without the use of a rope helped us get over the compound wall.”

“What’s a night market?”

“A select quarter of the city that caters to after-dark entertainment… pleasures of the flesh and other interests.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks flushed with heat.

“I preferred the alehouses.” Laughter tinged his words. The light-hearted expression on his face filled her with warmth.

“Were you ever caught?”

“Many times.” His smile widened. “Arek and I spent a lot of our free time cleaning out the animal stalls.”

“That was considered punishment?” At Kalan’s nod, Annika grunted. “
Na’Reish
warriors were flogged if they were caught disobeying their instructors’ rules. I treated those punished for infractions.” Stepping off the trail, she halted beside a small, dark-leafed bush. The clusters of brown berries hanging from it made her mouth water. She broke off a couple of branches and gave him one. “Who’s Arek?”

He popped a couple of the tart-tasting fruit into his mouth before replying. “My second-in-command. We grew up and trained together as Light Blade warriors.”

She hesitated before asking her next question. “Was he with you when you were captured by the
Na’Reish
?”

“No, thank the
Lady
. I’d left him to attend a meeting of the Blade Council in my stead.”

Annika finished her impromptu breakfast mulling over the snippets of his life. She longed to ask him more about it but didn’t want to fall into the trap of becoming too comfortable with him.

Know your enemy
. Savyr’s much-uttered warning came to mind. Perhaps she could play Kalan at his own game, if that’s what he was doing with her.

“Ask your questions, Annika, I don’t mind answering them.”

Her head jerked up in astonishment. “How did you know—?”

He motioned to the branch in her hand. “You’ve been snapping pieces of it off. It’s the same habit I use when thinking.”

Glancing down, she saw what was left of the branch. Shaking her head, she tossed it to the side of the trail. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him waiting for her to respond. He seemed so… comfortable… conversing with her, not at all calculating.

“Aren’t you worried I’ll use this information against you?” she blurted.

Fool!
Savyr’s derisive tone rang in her head.
Never give away your intentions.

Kalan’s brow creased with a frown. “What are you talking about?”

“I can’t believe you’re so ignorant of what could happen.” She gestured between them. “Isn’t this what the conversation is all about? Engage in friendly chatter, swap some innocuous tidbits then get me to tell you any
Na’Reish
secrets I might happen to know? The situation can be manipulated both ways, Light Blade.”

Kalan halted in the middle of the pathway and pivoted on his boot heel. “This isn’t about eliciting secrets from you.” He stared at her for several long heartbeats, a stunned look on his face. “You can’t believe I’d do something like that.”

“Considering your past actions, why wouldn’t I?”

He grimaced as if he’d tasted something unpleasant. “
Mother of Mercy
, this is such a convoluted situation.” He strode several steps down the track away from her then paced back, raking a hand through his hair. “I’m truly sorry this is the result of everything that’s happened.”

The light citrus odor emanating from him stopped her from rejecting his apology outright. She inhaled again. There was no mistaking it. His response was genuine, and scents didn’t lie.

“Annika,
Lady
knows my behavior toward you has been disgraceful.” The ruddy color in his cheeks darkened but his gaze never wavered. “I’ve done little to inspire your trust in me but can’t we put aside our differences? I want to get to know you better, and not for any underhanded reason.” The muscle along his jaw tightened. “Just because I’m willing to talk about my life doesn’t mean I expect you to reciprocate in any way. I’m prepared for this to be a one-way arrangement if that’s what it takes to prove I’m sincere.”

To leave a wrong undone against another is to disrespect the Lady’s teachings.
The words came from Annika’s childhood, from a conversation she’d had with Hesia, though at the time she hadn’t understood their meaning. Recalling it now, when she sorely needed her friend’s advice most made it seem like the old healer was right there beside her.

A dream of the heart is one worth any sacrifice, Annika.
She could almost feel Hesia’s work-roughened fingers trailing over her cheek. She would urge her to trust Kalan. The old woman had grown up respecting the Light Blade warriors and their reputations. Annika hadn’t.

Will you let fear destroy your dream?
Annika bit her lip. She’d planned and worked too hard to give up now. If Kalan was sincere in his intentions, there was only one way to find out.

“Hesia spoke of the Blade Council.” Where to start? Perhaps with information she could verify, to see if he was candid with his responses. “Your people are ruled by them, aren’t they?”

Kalan nodded, his expression bemused, as if he’d expected a very different question than the one she voiced. “The Council is made up of the
Lady
’s
Chosen
and five Councilors, all retired warriors. The Councilors represent different provinces within our territory.”

She nodded, more to herself than to acknowledge his answer. “What is the
Lady
’s
Chosen
?” Again, another fact she could confirm.

“A Light Blade selected by the
Lady
to lead the Council.”

Her jaw slackened. “
She
chooses? You don’t base leadership on bloodlines or strength?”

“Blood relatives can be elevated to the position temporarily until the
Lady
approves the Council’s choice or indicates
Her
own. Unlike the
Na’Reish
, the strongest warrior doesn’t necessarily have the greatest potential to lead our people.”

“I assumed you had one ruler.” Her breath caught. A female deity
and
multiple leaders. Details Hesia had probably taken for granted but never shared with her. “And is your
Chosen
male or female?”

“We’ve had both in the past.” His gaze flickered to the forest. He motioned for them to resume their trek along the track. “The current
Chosen
is male.”

Something about his tone caught her attention. “You don’t like him?”

He cleared his throat as a wry grin shaped his lips. “Depends what mood he’s in,” he said. “For the most part he’s well liked.” Again she sensed something odd in his comments but he continued speaking before she could inquire about it. “The village Councils listen to what their people want, they pass that on to the Councilors. The Blade Council then tries to make the best decision possible.”

“Everyone gets a say in what happens?”

“Yes. Everyone might not eventually agree that the decision made suits them, but they’ve had the chance to make their views known.”

She whistled softly. He was sharing information as he’d promised. While he wasn’t expecting her to reveal anything in return, the disparity in their cultures was too startling not to.

“Only the most powerful
Na’Reish
families benefit from any decision made by my father. In return for their loyalty he’d sometimes award special dispensations: extra blood-slaves, a rank among the
Na’Hord
, a family alliance.” She frowned. “If your Council spends all its time talking about what everyone wants, how do they get anything done?”

Kalan’s laugh made her start. He didn’t just chuckle or snort. He stopped in the middle of the trail and clasped his ribs as the sound rumbled up from deep in his chest.

She stared at him, captivated by the way his green eyes lit up and sparkled, fascinated with the wrinkles that appeared at the corners of his eyes and mouth. She hadn’t meant her comment to be amusing and wondered what had caused such humor. She waited until it finally abated.

“Some would agree with you. There are times when it seems all the Council does is talk.” Another grin creased his face. “Or argue. Around and around and around.” He chuckled, and then offered her an apology. “If you ever get the chance to sit in on a meeting, you’ll understand. Despite my irreverent humor, all that talking is the fairest way to make a decision that best suits most of the people.”

Annika tried to imagine Savyr and the
Na’Reish
debating a decision and couldn’t. He always did what he wanted, even if it meant ignoring more logical suggestions.

Kalan started walking again. “Occasionally the
Temple Elect
contributes, bringing the words of the
Lady
to the meetings.”

“Hesia told me the Temple Servants receive visitations, that they are truly blessed. Do you have more than one temple in Sacred Lake?”

“Yes, although the main one everyone tends to visit is in the Light Blade compound.”

Her breath caught. “Would it be possible to visit it?” He didn’t answer her immediately. A shiver skittered down her spine. Perhaps demons weren’t allowed in human temples. “If I’ve offended you, I’m sorry.”

“You haven’t,” he assured her, his lips twisting in a lopsided smile. “Your faith in
Her
keeps catching me off guard.”

“Does the
Lady
make distinctions between who
She
calls to believe?”

“Humans have been the only ones to acknowledge
Her
existence.”

“The
Na’Reish
acknowledge
Her
existence,” she countered. “They ban human-slaves from worshipping
Her
. Anyone caught is executed. I’ve heard the guards talk about the temples they destroyed when they ventured into human territory. They mightn’t believe in
Her
, but they know
She
’s the source of your strength.”

The astonished look on his face was enough encouragement to keep going.

“The
Na’Hord
whisper in the training courtyards.” She mimicked some of the voices she’d overheard.
“When that Light Blade fought Lenac I felt the explosion of power when he died. It was like they burnt his soul…”
She changed to a deeper voice.
“If you listen to the commanders’ talk you’d think humans were weak. There’s little danger from the average human but you need to face a trained Light Blade to understand their potential. Their power makes them more than a match for us…”
Annika spread her hands wide. “They sense the power
She
’s given you in battle and they fear the Gifts
She
bestows upon you to wield it.”

A long silence followed. Had she said too much?

“I’ve never considered it from that perspective before,” Kalan murmured. “We’ve always seen the
Na’Reish
’s physical strength as a daunting factor when engaging them in battle, but the thought of them being afraid of our Gifts evens out that advantage, doesn’t it?”

“You seemed pretty confident taking on that
Na’Hord Vorc
-Master.”

He tilted his head in acknowledgment of her compliment. “Training sessions are tough. It takes years of practice to wield our Gifts through our weapons, so learning to fight, and fight hard helps us overcome that.” He gave her a sideways look. “Your Gift feels similar to ours. If you’d like, I could teach you a few basic moves to go with it. They might be useful next time you engage a
Na’Reish
guard.”

His offer was so unexpected Annika missed seeing the small patch of ice on the ground in front of her. Her boot slipped. Kalan’s hand shot out to steady her. She caught his arm and her balance.

“You’d teach me?” she asked, her eyes widening.

“Why not? You did say you wanted to know more about your mother. Training was a large part of her life. This would give you more insight into what it meant to be a Light Blade warrior.”

Her throat tightened. Did he realize the gift he’d just given her? She smiled. “I’d like that very much.”

Chapter 11

K
ALAN jerked back, barely avoiding Annika’s sweeping kick. Even in a hitched-up dress she was fast. He feigned a body blow that turned into a grab as she threw up an arm to counter block. She twisted, just as he’d taught her, but this time instead of letting her break free, he used her momentum to pull her in against him.

“Stop!” he called. Annika froze, her breath coming in rapid gasps, as she stood trapped against him, both her arms pinned between them. “I haven’t taught you how to get out of this hold yet. What could you do?”