you away from—”
“No.”
“Maxel—”
“I will not run from Borchard”s death as I ran from Allemorte”s. Borchard was my friend,
and I owe it to Malat to remain.”
“Gods, Maxel, don”t you see what kind of sword it is sticking out of Borchard”s belly?
No one is going to believe your protests of innocence. You need to leave.”
“No.”
“Shit,” Egalion muttered. He wiped a hand over his face, unable to think, unable to see a
way out of this. What in the name of all gods was happening to them?
There was the sound of many feet, running quietly, coming closer. Garth returned,
together with six or seven of the Emerald Guard.
Egalion rose from the floor, conferring quietly with the Emerald Guard, giving orders to
secure the town house, guard Ishbel, and hunt for any other person within the compound who
might possibly be a murderer.
“Borchard”s companions are on their way,” one of the Emerald Guard said. “They were
in the kitchen. They know something is wrong.”
“I wish they could have guarded their prince better than they did,” Egalion said bitterly.
“Shit!” he said again. Then he saw Baron Lixel hurrying along the corridor toward them.
“Lixel,” Egalion said, and in a few terse words informed him of what had happened.
“Maxel won”t leave. He”s decided to stay.”
Lixel muttered a curse.
“I”m going to give you five of the Emerald Guard as escort,” Egalion said, “and I want
you to get out of this city and ride as hard as you can to Ruen. Let Vorstus and the Privy Council
know what has happened, and that it will be a miracle if they ever see their king again. Damn it,
Garth, why did you save Maximilian from the Veins, if this is what you saved him for?”
“No time for that now,” Garth said. “Lixel, you have to go. Now. Egalion—”
“Yes, yes.” Egalion gave one of the Emerald Guards hurried, urgent orders, then looked
back at Lixel. “Be safe, Lixel. Let Vorstus know what is happening. Tell him everything you
know. Now, go! Go! Borchard”s men must surely be only moments away.”
Lixel shot one anxious look at Maximilian, still by Borchard”s body; then he hurried off
with the Emerald Guard.
A moment later, Borchard”s companions hurried around a corner from the opposite end
of the corridor.
King Malat was a tall man, handsome and well built, but in the cold gray of the dawn he
looked old and fragile. He sat in a chair in the chamber in which his son had died, his son”s body
laid out before him, the sword still in place, Borchard”s cold hands still wrapped about its hilt,
looking at Maximilian who sat in a chair the other side of the body.
“Why?” Malat said for the twentieth time. “Why is my son dead? For what reason?”
Maximilian waved a hand uselessly. It was a gesture he”d made countless times since
Malat had arrived four hours ago.
They had spent that time as they were now, sitting in opposite chairs, Borchard lying
between them.
The town house was now ringed with Malat”s soldiers. Maximilian didn”t know where
everyone else in his party was, but he assumed they were under close guard.
“Who am I to blame if not you?” Malat said.
Another useless gesture on Maximilian”s part.
“How can you say you did not see the murderer? The door was open.”
“Malat—”
“I wish I”d listened to what Sirus had warned me. I wish I had not listened to the honeyed
words of your friends Garth and Lixel and offered you rest within Kyros. Borchard”—his voice
broke on the name of his son—“would still be alive if I had not capitulated.”
“Malat, I am sorry. I—”
“I want you gone, Maximilian. I want you out of here. I don”t know who murdered my
son. I want to believe it wasn”t you, but I just don”t know. All I do know is that I want you gone
from my house and sight and city and life. Leave me to grieve for my son without your
corrupting presence. If, one day, I discover that you were responsible for Borchard”s death, then
I will come after you with everything I have. I will destroy your life as you have destroyed mine.
Do you understand me, Maximilian?”
“I understand, Malat.”
“Then get out of here. You have one hour to pack, get on your horses, and get you gone.”
“Malat—”
“Get out of here, get out of this room, now. Now!”
Maximilian rose and walked for the door.
Just before he got there, Malat spoke again. “Maximilian? Please don”t drop in on any
more friends on your way home. I cannot bear to think that another father might have to go
through what I go through now.”
Maximilian stiffened, then he left without saying a word.
“Maxel?” Ishbel rose from where she”d been sitting on the side of the bed. “Please, tell
me, what is going on?”
“You don”t know?”
“No. I don”t know!”
“Borchard is dead. Murdered. As is happening to too many people about me. And you.”
“I am not responsible,” she said softly, but with great feeling.
Maximilian walked over to her, staring for a long moment at her beautiful face. What was
happening to them? “Borchard was gut struck, Ishbel. A belly blow.”
“And your point?” Her face was very white now, and she clutched her wrap tightly about
her.
Maximilian took a step forward and buried his fist in the material of the wrap. “Are you a
priestess of the Coil, Ishbel? Be honest with me now if you want me to retain a single shred of
trust in you.”
He was so angry, yet looked so lost. Ishbel didn”t know what to do. She was terrified that
if she revealed the truth now, then he would believe she was responsible for Borchard”s death.
Better to continue with the lies. He would never find out.
“No,” she said, holding his angry gaze with unwavering eyes.
His fist tightened momentarily in the material of her wrap.
“You”re lying,” he said softly.
Then he let her go and turned, striding for the door.
“Get dressed,” he said. “We”re leaving. Now.”
Ishbel stared after him, a trembling hand rising to her mouth, her eyes glistening with
sudden tears.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Road from Kyros to Escator, the Central Kingdoms
They left Kyros within the hour, traveling in a largely unspeaking train. Ishbel rode her
own horse: Maximilian had very pointedly not suggested she ride with him. Worse, Garth now
rode at Maximilian”s side, exchanging the very occasional soft word with him, while Ishbel was
left to trail behind, several of the Emerald Guard close behind her, doubt and suspicion riding at
her side.
Ishbel herself felt sick with fear and with regret. Fear that Maximilian suspected her;
regret that she had so foolishly lied to him.
She wished beyond anything else she had not been stupid enough to lie to him. He was a
generous man and would have understood, but Ishbel knew Maximilian well enough now to
know that he did not tolerate lies.
How stupid she was! A fool!
She had no idea what was happening to them, why Allemorte and Borchard had died, and
what purpose their deaths served anyone save to turn the entire Central Kingdoms against
Maximilian, and Maximilian against her.
Was that the purpose? Ishbel shuddered, her hands entangled in the horse”s mane to help
keep her balance, wishing quite desperately she was safe behind Maximilian, clinging to his
warm, strong body, listening to his occasional laugh as he pointed something out to her. She
wondered if someone was trying to drive them apart, create a wall of suspicion between them, so
that the Great Serpent”s wishes could be thwarted.
She disentangled one of her hands, sliding it under her cloak to rest against her belly. She
was almost four months pregnant now, and she could just, barely, feel the new hard roundness of
her belly. It terrified her, this baby. It complicated everything, and with its growth Ishbel
wondered if it drove the Great Serpent further and further from her perception as her swelling
womb upset the delicate coil of her intestines. Without that, without the Coil perfectly aligned
within her, Ishbel feared she would never sense the Great Serpent again.
Worse, she feared she”d never lie close to Maximilian again, wrapped in his arms,
listening to him whisper endearments, and telling her how much he wanted the baby.
Ishbel didn”t know what to think and was confused by her emotions. Losing
Maximilian”s regard was starting to appear as frightful as losing her life at Serpent”s Nest.
Even worse.
Ishbel felt completely friendless in this world. Maximilian kept his back to her for most
of the time, and his face and voice coldly neutral on those occasions when he couldn”t avoid
speaking to her. Garth was now back at Maximilian”s side, and as careful as her husband not to