Sara Douglass – The Serpent Bride – DarkGlass Mountain Book 1

splendid by the time he stands before his people as Talon.”

“Talon?” Axis said.

“You didn”t know?” said Maximilian. “BroadWing pressed StarDrifter to accept the

throne of Talon. StarDrifter was reluctant, but finally accepted.”

“Axis,” StarDrifter said, looking a little unsure. “I know that you—”

But Axis was smiling, and he kneed his horse close enough to that of his father”s that he

could briefly embrace him. “This is the happiest news, StarDrifter! You have been a long time

coming to the Talon”s throne, but I think it was always, always yours.”

“You don”t want it?” StarDrifter said.

“Me?” Axis said. “No! It was never mine.” He sobered a little. “This is the happiest

news, StarDrifter. Until this moment I had doubted the Icarii could rise again. Now I know they

can.”

Again he kneed his horse close to StarDrifter”s, and, controlling his horse only with his

knees and balance, reached out and grasped his father”s left hand in both of his.

“StarDrifter SunSoar,” Axis said, “as my father you have my heart and my love, but as

my liege lord you have not only my heart and my love, but my hands and my loyalty and

whatever power may be mine to command. I am yours, Talon, heart and soul and mind.

Command me as you will.”

Then he kissed his father”s hand, and laid it very briefly on the top of his head.

“Axis…” StarDrifter had tears in his eyes, and he had to blink them back before he could

continue. Axis had done so much in his life that was noteworthy, but StarDrifter wondered if he

had ever said or done anything that had affected him as deeply as this heartfelt pledge of love

and loyalty.

Their hands clasped again, just for a moment, but with a fierce intensity.

“Soon you must begin to garner your nation to you,” said Axis. “The Icarii are scattered.

You must find them a home.”

“Ah, and I thought you were here to cheer me,” StarDrifter said. “But as soon as you

have flattered me with attention, you hand me the task impossible. Find the Icarii a homeland,

indeed.”

“The world is being torn apart,” said Maximilian. “I have no doubt that you can find five

or six thousand Icarii a home somewhere among the tatters.”

“It must be difficult for you,” said Axis, “seeing how every day this force grinds its way

toward your homelands.”

Maximilian shot him an unfathomable look as his only answer.

“We were curious, Axis,” StarDrifter said, “to know what your relationship with Isaiah

is. Tell us of him, and what you do riding with…this.” He, in his turn, waved about. “Frankly, I

would not have thought you so willing to ride with such an invasion.”

Axis ignored the last comment. “Isaiah was the one to bring me back from the

Otherworld,” he said. “He has reserves of power that he rarely, almost never, shows to any other.

That intrigues me. Fascinates me.”

“What do you mean?” StarDrifter said.

“Isaiah is using his face as tyrant as a disguise,” Axis said. “He hides tremendous power

beneath it. Why need so powerful a disguise? What is he hiding? I would be fearful of it, save

that I like Isaiah. Immensely. And I respect him as I respect few people.”

Axis gave a short laugh. “We have our disagreements, and snipe at each other, but I

would trust him with my life, and he would trust me likewise, I think.”

“Sometimes trust can be entirely misplaced,” Maximilian said.

On that same day, Salome—bored witless by the never-ending travel, and irritated with

StarDrifter for leaving her to go and bond with Maximilian—made the effort to escape the

wagon in which she traveled with Ravenna and Venetia to find Ishbel.

On the face of it, the task was a nightmare. Ishbel traveled in Isaiah”s group, and on any

given day that might be at any given spot within the convoy.

In the end, Salome had simply commandeered a horse, ridden up to the less than subtle

military escort that accompanied them at all times, and asked two of the men to take her to

Ishbel.

“After all,” she said, “you must know in which direction your master”s party lies, as you

must report to him daily. Yes?”

The men looked at each other.

“I am not about to slaughter her,” said Salome. “You may search me for a weapon, if you

wish…and as thoroughly as you wish.”

They did, to Salome”s complete amusement. They took her to one side, one man holding

up a blanket for some privacy while the other searched her as thoroughly as Salome had invited.

At the end of the search, having rearranged her clothes, Salome dealt the man a stinging

slap across the cheek. “You have heard of me, no doubt,” she said. “The vile, murdering Duchess

of Sidon? Yes? Then, believe me, should I ever hear of sniggering tales regarding this incident

being passed about fires at night, you and he”—she inclined her head at the other man, now

folding up the blanket—“shall be dead by nightfall of the following day. Not even Isaiah can

save you. You understand? Yes? Good, then help me to my horse, and let us be on our way. And

be careful of that wing, it is still tender.”

Ishbel was traveling as alone as anyone might in this vast mass of people and horses. She

rode her horse to one side of Isaiah”s personal party of wagons and riders, isolated and

introspective. Isaiah was busy elsewhere, and although he spent time with her each day, Ishbel

often felt as if she were traveling by herself. She did not feel the same isolation as she had when

leaving Serpent”s Nest to marry Maximilian, but it was a similar sensation, and kept her

wreathed in sadness for most of the time. Ishbel simply did not know where she belonged, or

what would happen to her life. She could not for a moment imagine returning to Serpent”s Nest,

there to resume her duties as archpriestess of the Coil. Too much had happened, too many

corners had been turned, too many doors had been opened.

“Ishbel Brunelle? Queen of Escator, lover of tyrants?”

Ishbel jerked out of her reverie, heart thumping. A birdwoman had just ridden to her side,

her lovely face wreathed in smiles, her eyes in calculation, and her wings tucked in awkwardly

behind her back and trailing partway down her horse”s flanks. Ishbel could see they were thin, as

yet unmuscled, and she knew who this woman must be.

Salome, Axis” father”s exotic and somewhat infamous wife.

Ishbel didn”t like birdwomen. They reminded her too much of StarWeb, Maximilian”s

former lover.

Salome was obviously also a very good horsewoman, and that put Ishbel at further

disadvantage.

“Ah,” said Salome, her smile undimmed, “you are not happy to see me. Well, at that I am

not surprised. I have yet to meet a woman who was happy to see me. But no matter. Here it is,

such a lovely day, and I am bored, and thought to make your acquaintance.” She indicated the

saddlebags. “On my way to you I collected some bread and cheese and dried fruits and some

rather strong ale. Shall we find somewhere nice to lunch?”

“Look…Salome, isn”t it? It is a nice invitation, and I thank you for it, but—”

“I can tell you all about Ravenna.”

It wasn”t so much what she said as how she said it that told Ishbel that Salome didn”t

want to exchange pleasant gossip, but potentially useful information.

“Why?” said Ishbel.

“Because I don”t like her very much,” said Salome. “Too righteous by half.”

Ishbel”s mouth twitched. She knew that Salome was likely saying only what Ishbel

wanted to hear, but for the moment that didn”t matter. Ishbel would have given her right arm

rather than be forced to spend an afternoon picnicking with StarWeb, but suddenly the idea of

sitting in the winter sunshine with Salome, listening to (hopefully) some sharp-tongued gossip,

sounded appealing.

Salome grinned, seeing the decision on Ishbel”s face. “I have two guards trailing me,”

Salome said. “I don”t like them. Can you get rid of them?”

Ishbel looked to where the two men rode some four or five paces back. She gave a single

jerk of her head, and they instantly peeled off and vanished within the general convoy.

“Sleeping with the tyrant has its advantages,” said Ishbel.

“I knew I was going to like you!” said Salome.

Axis was just about to pull his horse away from those of Maximilian and StarDrifter

when Isaiah rode up.

Isaiah looked between the three of them, then he nodded at a peak about an hour”s ride

away.

“There is something I want the three of you to see,” he said. “Will you come with me?”

Salome and Ishbel found a spot on a rise along the eastern face of the pass where they

were certain to get several hours of afternoon sun, hobbled their horses, and found themselves a