Guardian of Honor Read online

  Reynardus flushed at Lady Hallard's condemnation.

  Alexa stared. She wouldn't have thought anything could get to him. Women—maybe strong women. From the dream-movies Sinafin had shown her, Thealia had manipulated him too, until he went away to do the Song Quest.

  "I believe the new Marshall must be assured that we are not only a good people, we are a just people. If the Lord Knight Marshall broke any vows and oaths, he must pay," Hallard said.

  Nothing in her voice or demeanor showed anything but seriousness, but Alexa thought there was something of glee underneath.

  Partis said, "We guarantee you and the Representative of the Singer—" he nodded to Luthan "—that we will handle this matter. In private."

  Yeah, this was good.

  Lady Hallard drew riding gloves from where they were folded over her belt and drew them on. Her jaw was firm. "Before I accepted the position as Representative, I spoke to many Chevaliers—nobles and their household knights as well as independents. There are many who don't respect you Marshalls, who call you secretive and obsolete."

  From the stony faces of the Marshalls, Alexa figured this wasn't news.

  The Lady continued. "We of the Chevaliers do not hold as much Power, but we are many, and we are fighting as hard as you are. Further, we have more contact with the general populace. As it stands, I am willing to wait a couple more months to see how the new Marshall works out. Be warned, shifts of influence have happened before in our history, and in this dire time results are more important than posturing." She snorted when she caught Reynardus's stare.

  "I think that is a very good introduction for us," said a voice from the doorway.

  Two men stood there, both tall, one middle-aged and fat, theother Alexa's own age and handsome, but stern-looking, with a small streak of silver at his left temple. Both were dressed in robes, dark brown and dark blue respectively. And they both had the faint blue aura of a jerir bath around them.

  The younger man strode in, and Alexa realized he was the one who had spoken. His stare was fixed on her. "I am Sevair Masif, Stonemaster of Castleton and one of the Citymasters. The Mayr sent me. Greetings, Marshall Alyeka." He bowed.

  "Greetings." Alexa bowed back.

  The older man's face had turned pale, then ruddy. Masif gestured him forward. "This is Trademaster Dragee."

  "And your business?" Reynardus stood too.

  The trader shrank back, but Masif's lip curled. "Obviously you do not recall, Lord Knight Marshall, that I have been requested by my fellow Citymasters and Townmasters to interact with the Marshalls. I would agree with Lady Hallard. The city and town folk are not pleased with the Marshalls at this time."

  "Is that so?" Reynardus said.

  "Perhaps if you truth-vow that the Marshalls did not linger in telling us that Lladrana's fenceposts were falling, it would mend the suspicion."

  Alexa sorted that out. The Marshalls hadn't told the rest of the players that the land was in danger? Jeez. Where was the media when you needed it?

  There was silence. Color crept into Reynardus's cheeks.

  "Further," Masif continued smoothly, "you Marshalls have been secretive in giving us the cure for the frinks."

  "There is no cure," Reynardus said, grinding out the words.

  Masif lifted his brows. "It seems to me that we have asked that very question for the past three months, and this is the first time we have received an answer."

  Partis shifted beside Alexa.

  The trader puffed out a breath, straightened his shoulders, and swept around Reynardus and the table to stand before Alexa. He pulled a large satchel from beneath his cloak, reached in to take out a smaller linen bag and put it before her. Then he opened the bag to reveal a casket. "A welcoming gift from the cities and towns to Marshall Alyeka," he said in a high voice, bowing.

  Thankfully, the box didn't appear very strange. It looked like tin, and had two little hinged latches in the front. Alexa flipped them up and opened the box. The fragrance of good tea wafted to her nose.

  "Aah," she sighed, then grinned at the man.

  He blinked in surprise, then smiled back.

  "Thank you very much," she said in Lladranan, then continued in English. "Your thoughtfulness is very much appreciated."

  His eyes widened at her words, being translated and broadcast mentally by Sinafin, and he bowed again. "Our pleasure." He shot a narrow look at the Marshalls. "We of Castleton, and the other cities and towns of Lladrana, wish to assure you of our delight in having your help." He gestured to the box with a beringed hand. "A token." With a speaking glance at Masif, he bowed again to Alexa and hurried from the room.

  "Dragee reminds me that should you wish to leave the Castle, we of Castleton will find a place for you here or in another town, and work that pleases you."

  Some of the tension left Alexa. Options, how nice.

  "Ha!" uttered Lady Hallard. "Masif took the words from my mind. You, girl—" she nodded at Alexa "—are welcome in the ranks of the Chevaliers, with or without that Jade Baton. If you don't want the land or annuity the Marshalls will give you, you're welcome to join the Chevaliers."

  Alexa didn't deceive herself—they'd all want her magic, herhelp, and had ideas about how they'd want her to help, but at least they were up front about it. "My thanks, Lady Hallard."

  When the woman winced at her name, Alexa knew she'd muffed it.

  Reynardus turned a cold gaze on Luthan, his son. "Isn't the Representative of the Singer going to try to seduce the Jade Baton into the Cloister?"

  The phrasing and tone would have put Alexa in fighting mode, but Luthan looked as cool as his father.

  "The Song has visited the Singer twice since the new Marshall came to Lladrana," said Luthan. "I have instructions to act only if certain events transpire."

  Well, that seemed to have everyone thinking hard. Good one.

  A clanging alarm pounded in alternating short and long bursts. Alexa was surprised to see the auras of Hallard, Luthan and the Marshalls flow together in a pattern of sheer determination as they shoved back their chairs and ran from the room. Shouts came from outside the tavern, and she heard running as the building emptied.

  Fear flooding her, she reached for her baton.

  No, Alexa. Not today. No battle for you yet, Sinafin said.

  When Alexa curled her fingers around the baton and felt the warmth, it reassured her as much as had Sinafin's words. Wherever she ended up in Lladrana, she was sure she'd be fighting. She hooked the baton in her belt.

  "Marshall Alyeka," Sevair Masif, the Citymaster, said softly at her elbow.

  She looked up at the man and wondered what he might have seen in her expression.

  "Let me walk you back to the Castle. It has been an eventful two days for you."

  Alexa found her voice. "Yes." She closed the linen bag over the box of tea and put the drawstrings over her left wrist.

  He offered his elbow in a gesture Alexa had seen in old movies and she curved her fingers around his arm and found it as muscular and hard as iron, then recalled he'd said he was a Stonemaster. Stonemason? It wasn't a profession you heard about much on Earth, especially in Colorado. No doubt it'd give a man some solid muscles, though.

  "I heard you received a diamond as payment for saving two Chevaliers. Should you want it converted to coin, let me know," Masif said as they left the private room for the taproom of the tavern.

  "Thank you," Alexa said.

  The innkeeper and his staff were clearing the detritus the Chevaliers had left, and cleaning the tables. Masif dropped some coins on the bar and the barman looked up.

  "For the use of the back room and the Marshall's refreshment," Masif said.

  On their way back to the Castle, Alexa heard a commotion and detoured down a narrow alley that opened onto a small cobblestone square. In one corner cowered a couple, surrounded by an angry crowd tightening a circle around them. Alexa tugged away from Masif and started forward.

  Sinafin jumped in front of her
and barked. They are no longer human. Look at them closely!

  Alexa did. The man and the woman had pasty faces, unusual amongst the golden-skinned Lladranans. Their bodies looked puffy and their bellies hung over their belts. The man's hair and beard were scruffy and the woman had long, lank hair. Hair had started to grow between her eyebrows. Their mouths hung open in complete idiocy. They were revolting.

  Alexa took an instinctive step back.

  Mockers, Sinafin said, and Alexa knew she was looking at more monsters.

  Tainted humans with small brains and big mouths. Too stupid to come out of the rain. Frinks got them. They can cause great damage if not identified and killed. Sinafin jumped into Alexa's arms. Watch.

  More people had gathered behind Alexa, and she was caught in a crowd and unable to leave without calling attention to herself. She'd had enough excitement in her life that day and was sure she wasn't going to like what was coming.

  "What are frinks?" she asked Sinafin.

  The dog didn't answer.

  "Does anyone have clean rainwater?" Stonemaster Masif asked.

  "There hasn't been a clean rain for months," said a guy near Alexa.

  She didn't like that news either. Bad piling on bad, and Sinafin and the Marshalls expecting her to fix it.

  "Here!" A woman standing in the doorway of a shop said, holding a bucket. With her other hand she tossed in a clot of white stuff.

  Salt, said Sinafin.

  "I knew there were Mockers around, just didn't know who." The shopkeeper fixed her eyes on the repulsive couple. "Should have guessed it was those two. Always were mean and selfish."

  Masif took the bucket from the woman with a nod and thanks.

  "Make way for Citymaster Masif!" someone called. The man beside Alexa made an approving noise. "Good to see one of the Citymasters here. Not afraid to do a dirty job."

  Oh yeah. Alexa was sure she wouldn't like what happened next.

  The crowd opened for Masif. He stood in front of the cowering man and woman. Incoherent whines came from their open mouths.

  Impassively he threw the salt rainwater on them and stepped back. The water hit them and they shrieked as if being burned. Their bodies swelled, then burst open. A multitude of white slugswriggled from the carcasses, along the cobblestones. People stamped and spit—both actions shriveling the slugs.

  Alexa's mouth had dried in horror, so she had no spit and could only watch the white worms slither by her. Sinafin jumped down and howled. Hundreds of the slugs died instantly.

  Everyone turned to stare at the dog. Then at Alexa.

  "Exotique." The word rippled through the crowd. People withdrew from her.

  "Um..." Alexa said. Warmth bathed her thigh—the baton! She pulled it from the belt loop.

  People "aahhed." The baton flashed an eerie green that flowed onto the cobblestones. When it was done, no slugs moved, and the bodies had turned into unrecognizable husks. Murmurs of satisfaction rose from the crowd.

  She slipped the Jade Baton into her sheath with trembling fingers. Sinafin leaned against Alexa's legs.

  Bootheels rang on the stone as Masif joined her. A soldier from the Castle—the teenage girl's, Marwey's, lover—pushed forward. He bowed smoothly to her, then to Masif, then to Sinafin. "I would be honored to escort the Marshall of the Jade Baton of Honor to the Castle." His tone was stiff, resolution flashing in his eyes. Alexa was sure he wanted something.

  Masif cocked an eyebrow at her. He'd evidently seen the same thing in the young man, a need. Alexa suppressed a sigh. Masif was already an ally, and the soldier could be one more. She needed all the friends she could get. So she held out her hand to the Castle guard. Gingerly he linked her arm with his. His muscles were solid but shivered with nerves.

  "My thanks for seeing the lady to the Castle," Masif said. Smiling briefly and showing white, even teeth, he bowed to them, then spun away and strode off at a pace that would have been too fast for Alexa. Off on Town business, no doubt.

  Sinafin barked and the young man started, dropping Alexa's hand. The little dog jumped into his arms. She must have said something to the man, because he tucked her under his left arm and held out his right elbow to Alexa again. She took hold of his biceps. The soldier started walking slowly, then quickened his pace until he and Alexa matched steps. She realized that he'd walked the same way with Marwey, who was about her height. That relaxed her a little.

  He cleared his throat. "I am Pascal, a Castle guard of the second rank. I have ambitions."

  Well, who didn't?

  Pascal looked down at her. "I want to Pair with Marwey, but I have little to offer. I am the third son of a farmer. I am a good guard and want to be a good Chevalier."

  "How can I help?"

  His face set into determined lines. "You will soon have lands of your own, but no Chevaliers. Marwey said—" He stopped and flushed. His posture stiffened. "I have trained with the Chevaliers and am close to winning my volaran reins."

  What had olden guys won when they became knights? Spurs? Better reins around a halter than cruel spurs digging into horseflesh.

  Pascal bit his lip, looking as if he were drowning in interview-mode. She'd been there. She patted his arm. He jumped.

  "I want to be your Chevalier," he blurted.

  She missed a step, and he steadied her without even noticing. Nice. No way was she going to be able to answer in Lladranan. She was glad he was holding Sinafin. "You would be my..." What on earth was the right word to use? She cleared her throat. "Employee?"

  He flushed again. "Yes," he said. "I would vow my loyalty to fight for you."

  Alexa didn't like that idea. She couldn't see herself sending this young man out to face monsters and die. Maybe she could keep him on her land, when and if she got it. He and Marwey, safe. She glanced at him and didn't know whether safety would appeal to him. At least she could give him options.

  "You would vow loyalty to me, and I would pay you...how?" She squashed irritation at her own ignorance.

  But he'd brightened. "With payment for my further training as a Chevalier, with advancement in your ranks—"

  What ranks?

  "Perhaps even with a little land—or a volaran," he said in the same tone of reverence with which she'd once said "diploma in law."

  She liked his energy, his directness, his politeness. "Very well, if I receive an estate and funds, you're hired."

  His bearing took on a little swagger of male pride, but his voice sounded choked. "My thanks."

  He took her back to the safety—and restrictions—of the Castle.

  In Castleton, the square once swarming with frinks was silent and shadowed. It started to rain. Hours passed.

  As the husks of the Mockers crumbled, a black fog rose from them and mixed with frinks. A shadow coalesced, made of mist and frink and Mocker and powered by the ancient, deadly will that lusted after Lladrana and what it held. The shadow formed into a cobweb of almost-substance.

  No one in the land would recognize this new threat, know it existed. The tool had not been used for centuries. But it had been successful before and had been called into being once more. It could be web or more solid, manlike, but nothing else. Still, that would do. That would do very well.

  It raised a shadow like a protrusion the size of a head, featureless except for the glowing red orbs where there should be eyes. It looked up the hill to the Castle. Its prey was there—rich, exotic dreams to succor it.

  Its awful, gnawing hunger must be fed with simpler fare first. A rip opened, mouthlike, and the cobweb billowed in and out though there was no wind. It would feed on energy and magic and dreams and souls. Beads of gray-dew dripped from the mouth.

  Pure malicious glee ran through it at the thought of a kill and the luscious draining of the prey as it fed. It drifted, then tumbled faster into the narrowest pathway between the first two buildings it could find. Stretching, it attached to each of the walls, a dark net lost in even darker shadows. It was weak now.

  When
it was strong and gorged and powerful, it would feast on otherworld flesh.

  11

  Alexa slept that night in luxurious comfort with no nightmares of the render that had attacked her between worlds or Sinafin dream-movies. Slowly she woke, and as her senses filtered information—the deep softness of the feather mattress, the hue of light from the sun illuminating stone walls, the scent of magic—she knew she was still in Lladrana.

  She stretched and rolled onto her back, then looked at the canopy over her bed, past the bed curtains and around the room. She liked the bedroom, and her Tower suite with the large sitting room and a small office.

  Sinafin, as a pink butterfly about a foot wide, fluttered to settle on Alexa's stomach. You slept late. It is midmorning.

  "It felt good to catch up on my sleep. That jerir of yours takes a lot out of a person."

  It is good you dipped three times.

  Alexa grunted.

  The Marshalls are having their morning meeting.

  With a groan, Alexa rolled to the edge of the bed and slithered until her feet hit the rug. "Better get at it, then." She needed to make sure they accepted her as one of them, if she was going to fight for them.

  Thealia will tell you true what happens at the meeting.

  Alexa considered that. It would mean she'd only have to deal with one person she knew instead of face the ten of them, most of whom she hadn't sorted out, and the jerk Reynardus, to boot. "I think Thealia might leave out things I need to know." It would be like reading notes of a lecture, or a trial, and not being there herself. She'd miss nuances.

  From the wardrobe she took underwear that resembled the long underwear she wore for hiking in the Colorado cold, except the pants were footed. They fit. She pulled on the long, thin under-robe of purple. It fell to midcalf. Then she donned a lavender tabard—more like a serape—a long rectangle of cloth with a hole in the middle that draped over her front and back. She fingered the white fur trim along the surcoat and sent a glance to Sinafin, who'd landed on one of the top corners of the bed.