Sara Douglass – The Serpent Bride – DarkGlass Mountain Book 1

shadows. What I am most angry about is not so much his presence, but the manner of it. That

degree of slyness does not suit a man of his station and responsibility—and I know that it is not

the first time he has practiced it. Oh, I know, you do not need to tell me, always with the best

possible reasons, of course. I gave Maximilian the opportunity to act honorably, and he did not

take it. Spare me your indignation, girl. I find it as unjustifiable as Maximilian”s righteous

anger.”

Axis thought that Ravenna was the kind of woman who would very rarely be put in her

place, but he thought Isaiah had just managed it. Ravenna kept her tongue still, but her eyes

glittered, and Axis wondered if Isaiah had just made himself a bad enemy.

“Axis,” Isaiah continued, “you will go with Ravenna and you will fetch to this palace the

rest of Maximilian”s party. I am sure that you will be glad to see your father again.”

“Are we to be captives?” Ravenna asked, bright spots of color in her cheeks.

“You will be treated with the honor I am not sure you completely deserve,” Isaiah said,

“but the conditions of your time at Sakkuth remain to be negotiated between myself and

Maximilian. Not with you.”

Isaiah injected enough derision into that last that Axis glanced worriedly at Ravenna.

The spots of color in her cheeks were, if anything, much brighter. “You have no idea,”

she said, rather quietly, “to whom you speak.”

“And you can have no idea either, you petty little marsh woman, to whom you speak.”

Ignoring her gasp, Isaiah looked at Axis. “See that Maximilian”s party gets back here

safely,” he said. “Assure them I mean them no enmity, and see that they are quartered

comfortably. If I get the chance, I will speak with Maximilian myself later tonight.”

And with that he turned on his heel and stalked off.

Maximilian and Ishbel sat at opposite sides of the table, neither looking at the other.

“The baby?” he said, his voice wooden and cracked, an echo of how he felt inside.

Ishbel made a helpless gesture with her hand, then brushed away a tear that had crept

down one cheek.

Her hand trembled badly.

“There was a man called Ba”al”uz,” she said. “He was responsible for the deaths in the

Outlands and Central Kingdoms and for taking me from your side. He—”

“The baby?”

“Ba”al”uz killed the baby, Maxel. Just after she was born. I”m sorry.”

She, he thought. A daughter.

He sat in silence for a long time, unable to look at Ishbel, and unable to accept even the

concept of the death of the child he”d wanted so badly.

A daughter.

He had his hands clasped in front of him on the table, and they turned over and about

themselves as he tried to unmuddle thought and emotion.

“Maxel,” Ishbel said softly, “I am so sorry.”

“I came so far for you, Ishbel. For you and our child. It has been so hard. So difficult.”

Her heart tore apart at the pain in his voice, and she clasped her hands to her face in a

useless attempt to stem the tears.

“I”m so sorry,” she whispered again. “I didn”t think…I thought you”d just go back to

Escator, forget me.”

“Forget you?”

“I thought you hated me. Maxel, I”m sorry. I—”

“Stop telling me you”re sorry! I don”t ever want to hear that again! For months I have

abandoned my kingdom, all my responsibilities, brought trusted friends into danger with me, and

for what? For what? A wife who has been disporting herself with a man in the very process of

invading her homeland?”

“I thought you hated me, Maxel.”

“Don”t call me that. You have abandoned the marriage and you have abandoned me. Do

not think to address me so familiarly.”

Ishbel closed her eyes, taking a shaky breath before reopening them and forcing herself to

look at Maximilian.

“Isaiah offered me comfort and compassion,” she said, her voice low. “If I had known

that you had wanted me, were coming for me…oh, gods, Maximilian, why is life so full of

„ifs”?”

He said nothing, refusing to look at her.

Ishbel began to babble, wishing she didn”t feel the need to speak further excuses, but

unable to stop herself.

“I was so upset when our daughter died. I wept for days. Isaiah…he was so good to me.

He has such compassion. He offered me comfort, not judgment. He did not even want to judge

me for being the archpriestess of the Coil—”

Ishbel stopped, appalled at what her babbling had brought her.

“Oh, what lies you have told me,” Maximilian said, looking directly at her now. “I tore

the earth apart for you, and for what? For what?”

He stood.

“I will say this to you one time,” he said, “and then I will never, never allow these words

to pass my lips again. I loved you, Ishbel. You. The loss of you wounds me more than the loss of

the child.”

There was an infinitesimal pause. “You have broken my heart, Ishbel, and in the doing

ruined my world.”

He stared at her a long moment, then left the room.

CHAPTER NINE

Sakkuth, Isembaard

Axis and Ravenna walked through the ill-lit and largely deserted streets.

A squad of ten armed men followed them at a distance of about twelve paces.

Axis did not try to evade them, and did not particularly resent them. If he”d been Isaiah

he would have done the same thing and, frankly, he thought it remarkable that he and Ravenna

were walking the streets at all after this night”s debacle.

He wondered how Maximilian and Ishbel were doing.

“I remember you from the tales told of Maximilian”s rescue from beyond the hanging

wall,” Axis said quietly to Ravenna as she led them to where StarDrifter and the remainder of

Maximilian”s party waited.

“And I, naturally, know of you from the many tales circulating of Tencendor.”

“Isn”t legend such a wonderful social introduction aid,” Axis said, and Ravenna laughed

softly, a lovely, low, seductive sound.

Axis glanced at her. “If I was Ishbel, I”d be worried that Maximilian has had such as you

for company all these weeks and months.”

“She has no reason at all, as yet, to be jealous of me. Maxel has remained true to her, if

not she to him.”

Axis noted that “as yet,” and also noted, from the tone of Ravenna”s voice, that perhaps

Ishbel was a subject best left alone for the time being.

Besides, there was something else, far more wonderful, awaiting him.

“My father,” he said. “StarDrifter. Is he well?”

Ravenna smiled at the repressed excitement in Axis” voice. “Yes. He is well. And

regrowing his wings.”

“What? How?”

“Ah, we carry our own mysteries with us. And, as you heard, StarDrifter also has a wife,

if a somewhat reluctant one.”

“This I cannot believe! Who can have managed to nab my father? Tell me, who is this

Salome?”

“Well…they, ah, met in Coroleas. I will leave it to StarDrifter to tell you about her.”

There was a mischievous glint in her eye as she said this, and Axis had to bite his tongue

from peppering her with questions.

“StarDrifter is an extraordinary man,” Axis said. “I remember the first time we met…at

the base of the Icescarp Alps…”

His voice faltered, and Ravenna touched his arm briefly in empathy.

Axis brought his emotions under control. “And the other members of the party? Not

many, from what you said.”

“My mother, Venetia, and Serge and Doyle. I think you will like them. They once

worked as assassins, but now are Maxel”s loyal men.”

“Assassins?” Axis laughed. “Never tell Isaiah that!”

“Look, we are here. Let me go down first, Axis, for Serge and Doyle will be as nervous

as cats and you”ll like as not meet the blades of their swords before ever you meet them if you

enter first.”

“Axis!” StarDrifter hugged his son to him, so tight that Ravenna, standing to one side,

later swore she had heard Axis” bones creak in protest. Tears streamed down his face, as they did

down Axis”, who returned his father”s embrace with equal ferocity.

Venetia met her daughter”s eyes, and smiled. She had rarely seen StarDrifter smile, let

alone display this magnitude of joy, and she was glad for him, that finally he had his son in his

arms and his life again.

She glanced at Salome. The woman was standing against a wall, almost in the shadows,

looking both distant and cautious, and Venetia wondered what she made of this arrival.

Axis SunSoar, the great legend, of whom even Salome in her time at Coroleas must have

heard.

And now a close relative.

Axis and StarDrifter were still embracing, laughing, tears flowing freely down both their

faces. Finally, Axis pulled away a little, one hand patting at StarDrifter”s back as he did so.