Guardian of Honor Read online

  The bat stretched its wings, so transparent that some stars shone through the tissue-skin. Yes.

  "How?"

  The Song will guide you.

  Alexa hadn't heard voices yet. "How?"

  Sinafin was silent, her sprightly tune having faded. The background music hardly murmured. The tree was silent. Nothing answered Alexa.

  The next morning the Marshalls had no sooner taken their seats around the Council table than the door flew open with a jar of harpstrings and Reynardus, Lord Knight of the Marshalls, strode in.

  They all stood, Thealia slightly slower than the others. Though Reynardus marched to his chair at the head of the table and took it with a haughty look, pallor showed under his skin. He'd dipped in the jerir. Had probably swum back and forth the length of the pool, Thealia thought sourly. She narrowed her eyes. His expression hinted at controlled emotion.

  "Events have not progressed well in the hours I have been gone. Hopefully now that I am back and can direct them, they will proceed better. I want to know what has occurred. I see we are all here except the dead Defau and Albertus's ailing wife," he said, still standing, knowing they all must sit after he did.

  Thealia inclined her head. "I am sure you have been updated on all events."

  "We lost Defau and nearly lost Veya. The Choosing Ceremony failed. If we spend hours on training the Exotique, give her jewels and land as is required, she might still disappear like this—" he snapped gloved fingers, but the sound was still loud.

  Thealia's temper simmered.

  Reynardus continued. "Furthermore, I hear you opened the jerir pool not only to the Marshalls and select landowners and Chevaliers, but to all Chevaliers—no, let me amend—" He peeled the gloves from his hands and flung them on the table. "You invited anyone to immerse themselves in our precious jerir. The jerir that cost us great effort to move from a natural pool to the Temple pool. With the right care it could have been saved and used for a year—"

  "I thought we had agreed to drain the jerir," Thealia said. "But you were the one in charge of that. Did you have plans that the rest of us didn't know of?"

  A touch of red lined his cheekbones. "That is moot now. I cannot believe you will let any scum off the city street use the jerir. I heard a stable boy dipped last night, a stable boy!"

  Thealia looked at Mace.

  His face hardened. "Your son's new squire," he said.

  Reynardus's brows rose. "Luthan has a new squire?"

  "Bastien," said Mace.

  Someone turned a laugh into a cough.

  Reynardus's nostrils flared. "I should have known he'd have such poor judgment as to take a nobody stable boy for a squire, but for the rest of you to issue a proclamation to all the Towns for use of our jerir—"

  "We are the guardians of the land," Thealia said. "Lladrana needs all the staunch men and women available to fight the evil confronting us. One of the ways to recruit the people we need is to offer them use of the jerir."

  "As I said yesterday, I will be honored to train anyone who dips in the jerir," Mace said. "Both your sons availed themselves of thejerir, as did some of the most important guild-people of the Town. Every hour more Chevaliers arrive to take advantage of our offer. We are building an army."

  "An army of shopkeepers!" Reynardus sneered.

  Protests ran the length of the table.

  "With our magical boundary fields failing, more land than ever is being invaded by the greater monsters. And even the Townspeople are affected by the frinks falling in the rain, burrowing into the soil and turning the weak-brained into inhuman mockers," Thealia said, pursuing the point when the others didn't. "We need strong defenders. Lord Knight Swordmarshall Reynardus, do you have any report of your Song Quest you wish recorded in the Marshalls' Lorebook of Song Quests?"

  Reynardus paled. He sat abruptly. "No." The moments it took for everyone to sit were enough for him to regain composure. He swept a piercing gaze around the table and verbally attacked. "I want a moment-by-moment recitation of what happened here at the Castle in my absence. I want a list of the names and ranks of those who have bathed in the jerir. I want an update on our borders. Most of all, I want to know what you have done to train our new Exotique 'savior' to control her Powers and to fight."

  At that moment the doorharp sounded.

  Reynardus scowled. Everyone looked at the door. Rapping came.

  Thealia glanced at Reynardus. "It must be important."

  He shrugged. "Come," he called.

  The door opened only enough to let a Castle serving woman, Umilla, slide in. She was a bowed, thin woman dressed in bright green that emphasized her drab coloring. Her hair was streaked white and black—a sign of the greatest of Power or the most fragmented.

  Several Marshalls gasped at her presumption.

  Umilla twisted her hands in the dress that hung from her frame. When she spoke her voice was dry and whispery. "There's a feycoocu in the Castle," she said.

  Everyone stared at her. When the silence stretched, she turned and shuffled away.

  "Stop, girl," Reynardus shouted. "Say that again, and speak up. I didn't hear you."

  Umilla only turned her head. "There's a feycoocu in the Castle." Her words were only a little louder, but the spells in the Chamber amplified them and repeated them: There's a feycoocu in the castle. There's a feycoocu in the castle.

  Reynard stood. He leaned forward, both hands on the table, his Power focused on Umilla. "A magical shapeshifter? Are you sure, girl?"

  "Blessings. It's been more than a century since we've been so graced. A good sign that our Summoning was right. A feycoocu can only help our cause," Partis said.

  Snorting, Reynardus said, "You always take the optimistic road, Partis." He turned back to Umilla. "Serving girl, come here."

  Steps halting, Umilla did. When she lifted her head, her eyes blazed. She ran a hand through her hair, emphasizing the streaks. "I know every heart pulse in the Castle. Every soulprint. There is a new one. Fun and new and happy and strange. It came after the new Exotique. It's for her."

  "Who can tell what a feycoocu will do?" Partis murmured.

  "As incalculable as Exotiques," Thealia said. "I agree it's a good sign. Others will be impressed, especially the Singer's Cloister, perhaps the Sorcerers in their Towers also." Thealia lifted her eyebrows at Reynardus. "Don't you agree?"

  He chewed at the corner of his mouth, then jerked his head in a nod. With a flick of his fingers, he dismissed Umilla. She scuttled from the room.

  Hello, Alexa, Sinafin said.

  She was a little mermaid swimming in a spherical aquarium hovering under the canopy of Alexa's bed. "I'm dreaming," Alexa mumbled.

  Yes.

  "The Lladranans call me 'Alyeka.'"

  Your name is hard for our tongues.

  Two names. She'd get confused for sure. She had no ear for foreign languages. During her childhood of foster homes, she'd changed schools several times and had ended up lagging behind in Spanish, French and Latin, and jumbling them all.

  Sinafin flipped her emerald-green tail and waggled a fin. Listen and watch closely as I show you what happened yesterday.

  The dream-movie as translated by Sinafin only rolled as far as the Choosing and Pairing ceremony before Alexa was wide awake, struggling into her new clothes of tights and tunic and tabard. This was far too much for her to take lying down. Time to do something about the Marshalls who were arranging her life in the pattern they wanted.

  Stamping into some boots that had been made for a young Lladranan girl, she ground her teeth. She had to wear "little girl's" clothes. Anger already sizzled through her, and was fueled by her frustration over dressing in strange garments.

  Wait, Alexa, you haven't seen all! Sinafin said.

  Alexa looked for Sinafin, but couldn't find her. "Are you coming with me to confront the Marshalls?"

  A beautiful tiny greyhound leaped to the top of the bed. Alexa narrowed her eyes. "I don't think greyhounds come this small." The feycoo
cu was only about a foot in length.

  Sinafin sat and scratched her ear with a hind paw. This is my natural size. I can be much larger or smaller if I use magic. You see, you don't know much about Lladrana.

  "No, but I don't think all Lladranans are like the Marshalls. I think I could take my chances in the Town. I work hard."

  Sinafin cocked her head at Alexa. You don't even know where the Marshalls are, Sinafin pointed out smugly.

  Frowning, Alexa tested a heaviness in her mind, like a dark cloud. The Marshalls. "I know they're here in the Castle and they're all together, as usual."

  Sinafin tipped her head to the other side and twitched an ear. Reynardus is back.

  Alexa snorted. "You think I care?"

  You should. He is very powerful and important to your future.

  "Huh. I've seen lawyers like him before."

  And what did you do?

  "Minded my manners. Walked softly. But now I have a big stick!" With a thought she called her Jade Baton, and it slapped into her open hand. Her fingers curled around it and the bar warmed and glowed, the bronze sculpted flames at the top blazing into real red and yellow fire. She was impressed. She grinned, showing teeth. Oh, she'd tell those Marshalls. Trying to "bind" her emotionally to a lover without her consent was the last straw.

  She licked her lips and studied the wand, wondering about its powers. Maybe she could experiment. "Take me to the Marshalls," she said to her Jade Baton.

  It tugged on her hand, pointing to the door.

  Alexa threw a smile at Sinafin. "Coming?"

  The little dog hopped from the tall bed, her tongue lolled briefly. This may be fun.

  Alexa set her shoulders and marched out the door, following the inclination of her baton. She wound her way down the stairs,still angry and hurt. She knew she was far from emotionally accepting the changes in her life.

  Even with Marwey to link with her mind, and Sinafin's dream-movies, all she understood was that Lladrana's magic Marshalls had Summoned her because they thought she could stop a great evil by making fenceposts to keep it out.

  And that she had powers that had killed a man. She choked. She'd never thought that she could kill someone, not even in self-defense. If she stayed here, she'd have to learn how to control these strange mind powers.

  She started down a long, gray stone hall. With her free hand, she wiped aside her tears and wondered if these people cried. Anger at the Marshalls' manipulations was an emotion she could recognize, one she could justify and act on. Grief at thoughts of her lost world, confusion and frustration at her new circumstances, creeping blind fear at the unknown could be squashed and hidden away and ignored. Anger was better.

  Finally she reached a large pointed-arch door set in a stone wall to her right. The door had a big golden harp on it; strange letters decorated the harp. She bit her lip. She couldn't read them. She, who had been the journal editor for her law school, couldn't read. It was infuriating. It was humiliating. It was terrifying. With a cry of anger, she flung open the door.

  7

  Reynardus sat at the head of a long wooden table. He glanced up at Alexa. "Another interruption?" Then he turned to Thealia. "Things have certainly deteriorated in the short time I was gone."

  "Marshall Alekya has a seat on this Council and is welcome here." Thealia stretched out her hand to Alexa.

  Alexa stared. She could understand them! Sinafin pressed against her leg and Alexa realized that the fairy—whatever—was translating for her, the words' meanings coming to her mind a beat after they were spoken. She looked down at Sinafin, who gave her a doggy grin. Alexa was torn. She could pick up the miniature greyhound or hold her baton, but not both. She'd have to stand still and rant. Too bad. It was much easier for her to keep her thoughts in order if she paced.

  Sinafin brushed Alexa's legs as she crossed to the table and set the baton down. It faded to a dull dark green. Parting with the stickwas hard, but Alexa wanted nothing to do with the Marshalls or their Tests or their hidden agendas for her. She picked up Sinafin, who swirled a sweet-breathed tongue around her face, erasing tear tracks. Alexa was grateful.

  But then the small hound pointed her nose at the wand and shook her head. You do not want to do this.

  "I must do this," Alexa said. The words came out in English, then twisted into something else. She stroked Sinafin's ears. "Can you translate for me?"

  Yes.

  "Is that the feycoocu?" asked Partis.

  Say yes, Sinafin said.

  "Yes. She is translating for me. Listen up, guys."

  A couple of the Marshalls winced. Probably not enough noble-speak for them. Tough.

  "You brought me here without my express consent—"

  "Wrong. You came through—" Thealia said.

  Alexa waved her hand. "Very well, I agree on that point, but I didn't know what was happening or where I was coming. You didn't have the courtesy to ask me to help you. No, you all initiated a preemptive strike, forcing me to respond to Tests that could have killed me." She strode around the room, and several Marshalls craned to keep track of her. She remembered the baby, the man who'd been so repulsed by her that he tried to stab her, and whom she had killed with her mind. She fought new tears. "You could have killed a baby—"

  "She's a black-and-white, flawed—" Reynardus said.

  "Everyone's flawed in some way!" Alexa was old enough to have learned that lesson. "You set me up to be attacked and I took a life in self-defense. That's the worst of it. But that wasn't the last of your manipulations, was it? You wanted tokeep me here by force, make me stay by somehow binding me to another—"

  "Pairing—"

  "Stop interrupting! Only now you try to explain. Only now, when your plans have failed."

  Partis stood. "We need you."

  "You didn't ask, and you didn't explain. You haven't been honest in any of your dealings with me. I've had nothing but manipulation and lies from you all. I'm leaving."

  "You can't leave!" Thealia said.

  Alexa glared at her. "Of course I can, unless you give me some good reasons to stay."

  Reynardus leaned negligently back in his chair. "Let her go." He waved an elegant hand. "She won't get far. She can't live on her own. She'll come back."

  Fury suffused Alexa. She'd heard comments like that before.

  You won't make it through law school.

  You won't pass the bar.

  You won't make a living in a small partnership.

  But she had.

  "I'm sure I can find work in the Town."

  Another Marshall stood and inclined her head to Alexa. "I am the Loremarshall, Faith. When an Exotique such as yourself is Summoned, you are given gold and the choice of an estate to support you. We will compensate you well."

  A home, Sinafin said, just to her. A home of your own. Your land. Your home.

  The offer made her hesitate, until she saw Reynardus's smirk. She'd have to work for these people. People she couldn't trust.

  "I can't trust you," she said.

  Partis dropped his eyes. Faith looked ashamed.

  "You Summoned me, but you didn't trust that magic, and you didn't trust me."

  "It's gone wrong before," Reynardus said coolly.

  Alexa inadvertently squeezed Sinafin 'til she yipped. She loosened her hold. "I didn't know that, which only emphasizes my point. I know nothing of you, and none of you has been willing to explain or to trust me. I've heard no reason to make me stay—only a bribe. I'm leaving. I'll wait in town for the Snap."

  Thealia gasped. "How do you know of the Snap?"

  Lifting the miniature greyhound, Alexa said, "Sin—"

  Don't give them my name!

  "Since I came, this, um, feycoocu has helped me. She told me."

  "It's a she?" asked Partis.

  Alexa ignored him. "Anything else?"

  The Marshalls glanced at each other, then at Reynardus.

  Reynardus studied his clean fingernails. "She will be back."

 
; Alexa's mouth turned down. She'd hoped for explanations, something that would tell her they respected her, accepted her. But there was nothing here for her. She turned and walked to the door.

  "We can teach you to use your great Powers! Please, take up the baton again!" someone urged.

  Another bribe. Like being a great magician was something Alexa should want. Power to kill with her mind. She didn't think so.

  Alexa placed Sinafin on her feet and stepped away to open the door. Babble assaulted her ears. Since she couldn't understand any of it, it was easy to ignore. She looked down at the shapeshifter and said, "Are you coming with me?"

  Her untranslated words silenced a few, as if they tried to decipher how her language was different from theirs. Sinafin sat and used a hind leg to scratch behind her ear, then yawned. It might be fun.

  "You sound pretty cheerful all of a sudden."

  The dog wiggled her nose. You will change your mind. I tell you now and I will tell you again and again that you have a home here.

  Ah, there was a being who knew what buttons to push! Alexa shrugged. At least Sinafin had been honest.

  Alexa opened the door and let Sinafin out first. "Lead the way." The dog trotted ahead and Alexa followed. Loud voices carried after her.

  Sinafin turned left and zoomed down the hallway, sending a gleeful bark back to Alexa. This strange dog-body likes to run. Very nice.

  "Yes," Alexa said softly, wondering if Sinafin could hear her—at what distance the mind-to-mind speaking worked.

  She found herself smiling and blew out a big breath. Whew! Her steps picked up and became jaunty. Releasing all that anger had been cathartic. She refused to worry about what might await her ahead. She'd been uprooted and thrown into strange situations enough as a kid to believe she'd somehow manage. And she had a feycoocu. Things weren't all bad.

  A distant yip had her stretching her stride. She came to the end of the hallway, where there was a door to the staircase to the front tower of the Castle Keep. This tower was on the opposite end of the corridor to the back tower that Alexa had been given. She turned right into the corridor that led to her tower staircase. She wasn't going back. Sinafin must have taken one of the other little passages, branching left off the Keep's hallway. The Castle was built for the Lladranans—slightly too large a scale for Alexa.