Pixilated Page 6

  "He is not my elf prince." Kayseri stretched her arms up over her head again. "Is My Captain going to sleep?"

  "Mmm...Not. A. Chance."

  "Then I’ll sit with you."

  "I need to think, Katie."

  "You can think with me here."

  Bet me.

  "I’ll be so quiet My Captain won’t even know I’m here." Stifling another yawn with her delicate fist, she curled up on her side pillowing her head on his thigh.

  Just like that, Kree had no place to put his hand. Oh, yeah, he wouldn't even know she was there. After a few moments of awkward indecision, he opted for the region near her right elbow. Leaning his head back against the hard canyon wall, he watched the stars come out. To his everlasting amazement, Kayseri stayed quiet. It was not long before he realized she was asleep and so was his leg, but the relief filling his heart was worth all the prickly discomfort his leg cared to give him. Kree smoothed Kayseri’s inky curls off her brow enjoying the silky texture of her hair sliding through his fingers, a small stolen pleasure.

  She smiled in her sleep, and he wondered what she dreamed. His fingers uncovered a slightly pointed ear reminding him more than years separated him from the beautiful woman pillowed on his thigh, but it made no difference. Kree wanted her so much it was a physical pain in his chest, and in lower places, he thought it best not to dwell on. With a bit of effort, he forced his mind back to the problem of Eldren’s missing princess. He was still pondering the problem when the elf prince approached a couple of hours before dawn, offering to take the last watch. Kree surprised himself by saying yes.

  The captain woke with a cramp in his back from sleeping upright and a stiff leg because Kayseri had used him for a pillow all night. Overall, as he hobbled around swinging his arms trying to limber up, Kree thought he would have done better not to sleep at all.

  As he guarded Kayseri’s slumber throughout the night, he had come face to face with the uncomfortable truth. Pixie pheromones were not the source of his problem. He was not losing his mind. He was in love with his best friend’s daughter. This revelation did nothing to calm his warring heart. Overall, he preferred madness. Many a mad man had managed fine military careers, but it was a rare man who made a cross-species marriage work especially one as one-sided as any marriage to the likes of him would be.

  Kayseri brought him coffee and a hard flat oatcake. The aroma warned him the coffee was bitter camp stuff so far from his preference he almost refused it, and the first sip lived down to his expectations. Where in the back of hell’s pantry had Davith found this crap? He turned the hard oatcake over in his hand, eyeing the thing with disgust. Horse fodder. It looked every bit as nasty as the coffee.

  Kayseri, on the other hand, looked very tasty, tousled, and heart stopping beautiful. Kree wanted to take her in his arms, consequences be damned, and make love to her right there on the canyon floor. He wanted too much, and now that he acknowledged it, he did not know how he would ever stop wanting. Lathan’s voice echoed clear in his mind. I want my daughter to be happy. Kayseri was not for him any more than his first wife had been. He’d had nothing to offer Molly, and he had even less to offer an ageless free spirit like Kayseri.

  "Did My Captain sleep well?"

  "Mmm, just dandy," Kree mumbled around a mouthful of the dry tasteless oatcake, washing it down with a gulp of acerbic coffee. Why did she have to be so damn pretty? Shoving the mug at her, he stalked off grumbling about seeing to the horses.

  "What did I do?"

  Behind her, Eldren said, "I do not believe Captain Fawr is entirely pleased with his present circumstances."

  "I can’t blame him." Kayseri fetched up a deep sigh. "We tricked him into it."

  The prince’s lips twitched in a quick smile. "I do not speak of that circumstance, my dear." He gave her shoulder a squeeze then he walked over to help Kree.

  As Kree slung the second body across the horse’s back, he shot Eldren a questioning edgewise glance.

  "May I assist you, Captain?"

  "Tie off this rope while I get the other body."

  "You are inordinately distressed by the deaths of these men, Captain. Having seen you fight, I would think you have killed dozens."

  "Hundreds probably, I saw my first action at fourteen. After the first kill, who keeps track?" Kree grunted as he hefted the last body across the horse’s back. "I never murdered anyone until yesterday. I didn’t have to do this, Eldren. I just—I saw Katie threatened and I lost my temper. It never serves me. You'd think I'd learn."

  The elf’s eyebrows shot up clear to his hairline. "I do not understand."

  Kree gave a curt laugh. "You haven’t seen me fight. You’ve seen me butcher. In a fight your opponent has some chance to win."

  "These men were armed. They outnumbered you three to one."

  "They were farmers!" Kree winced. He was doing far too much shouting. If he kept up this level of abuse, he would have no voice left at all. "They were farmers, elf. They had probably never held swords before yesterday."

  Eldren stepped back from Kree’s lightening flash of temper and tilted his head to one side. "You said that last night. Someone hired farmers, you said. How do you know?"

  "Because I can see and I can think." Kree thrust his scarred, calloused hands out for Eldren’s inspection. "These are a swordsman’s hands, a warrior’s hands. These men," Kree jerked his head at the bodies, "have calluses too. The sort you get from pushing plows. They were farmers. It’s a solid fact."

  The prince walked around to the other side of the horses and bent down to inspect one of the dead men’s hands. "Why would someone send farmers to attack me?"

  "You tell me?" Kree tied off the last body.

  "Last night you also said you knew where Sandahl was. Do you know that the same way you knew these fellows were farmers?" The new note of respect in Eldren’s voice made Kree want to smile.

  He fought the urge and shook his head. "No. That’s more in the nature of a hunch." The elf’s hopeful expression died, and Kree did smile. "Don’t worry, elf. I’ve had some fair hunches in my time." He flexed his shoulders and twisted his head from side to side, working out a few more kinks. "I think she was back in that town. Now? Who knows?"

  "I will know." Eldren said this with such conviction it got Kree's attention. "Sandahl and I are spirit-bound. It is an ancient rite. Through it, I became Sandahl’s Vashada. Her slave. I shall serve her until I die. If she dies before me, I will follow her." The prince pointed north. "Sandahl is that way. If she is still in that town, I cannot help but know."

  The captain nodded. Elves astonished him. He disliked them, but they amazed him. He finished with the last knot and called for Kayseri to mount up.

  Chapter Six

  As hard as it was for Kree to imagine, Tarburg looked even shabbier in the crisp morning light. He glanced across Kayseri at Eldren. The elf shook his head almost imperceptibly. He did not feel his princess. They moved at a slow pace toward the tavern in the center of town. News of their coming ran before them and by the time, they reached the tavern, a small group of townspeople had gathered on the steps. Kree reined up in front of the knot of people. No one spoke. After a few minutes, some of the men came forward and untied the bodies.

  "The horses go to their widows." Kree slid out of his saddle. "I'll only need the one the elf is riding."

  The crowd shifted and the helpful stableman from the previous day stepped forward. "Them’s the squire’s horses."

  "That is not true." Kree gave the man a flat stare. "They were the squire’s horses. Now they are mine by right of conquest unless you are challenging me."

  "Ah, nah, warrior. They’s yours, right enough." The stableman’s nervous grin exposed stained broken teeth. "I see you found yourself the elf and the woman you were asking after. You’ll be moving on now, I warrant."

  "No. I have an urge to speak with the squire."

  The man spread his hands wide in a what-can-I-say gesture. "The squire is gone. Did the warrior
want the squire, he oughta seen him yesterday."

  Kree studied his fingernails. "I'll wait."

  "The warrior might wait a long time."

  He tossed a copper lady to one of the dirt-caked children. "We'll be in the inn. Bring me word when the squire returns."

  Kree tied Sirocco to the hitching post and crossed the dusty road, keeping to the slow lazy pace experience taught him looked terrifying in big men. Dismounting quickly, Kayseri and Eldren hurried after him. He held the door for them to precede him into the inn, paused in the doorway, and turned back to face the stableman who had followed them as far as the center of the road.

  He forced enough volume into his soft voice so it carried to the cluster of folks on the steps. "If you or anyone else so much as touches one of my horses, I will cut off the right hand of every man in this sad excuse for a town. Do I make myself clear?"

  The stableman hid his grimy hands behind his back and nodded vigorously.

  Inside, the inn was a pleasant surprise. Given the town's sorry state, Kree expected sparse accommodations, a common room where travelers might lay out a pallet or perhaps one or two private rooms above stairs for the occasional important guest. Instead, he found a polished oak sign-in desk flanked by a graceful curving staircase. There was a large common dining room on the right. Several smaller dining alcoves offered privacy to those desiring it. He also noticed a sunny sitting room papered in bright floral wallpaper through an arched opening to his left. The hand-scraped oak floors, accented by fine Elharan carpets, testified to Tarburg’s better days. What in the bloody hell happened to this town?

  The balding man behind the desk wore in an expensive bottle green coat, a bit frayed at the cuffs, true, but finer than anything Kree had seen so far. A green velvet curtain behind the innkeeper blocked the view to what were surely the man’s residence and private entrance. Sweat beaded on the fellow’s shiny pate. The poor innkeeper was as afraid to cross the trio entering his establishment, as he was to cross the squire. It was not a comfortable position. Kree almost felt a sorry for him.

  Eldren hurried to overtake him. "You would cut off their hands."

  Cutting his eyes away from the innkeeper, Kree met Eldren’s near colorless gaze. "I don’t make idle threats." He chuckled when Eldren blanched; surprised the elf could be paler. Who would believe it? "But I do play the odds, and I’d say the odds of having to carry out that threat are about a million to one."

  He pushed past the elf prince, headed for the man behind the desk, but Eldren dogged his steps. "But, you would?"

  The register lay open on a craved swivel platform. Kree turned it around and wrote on a pristine white page without looking up. "It’s not going to happen, Eldren, but, yes I would. I am a monster. You would do well to remember it." He stared down at the register and muttered, "I could buy this town twice over for the price of Sirocco alone." He raised his eyes to the sweating innkeeper. "We'll take a room upstairs overlooking the road."

  "I don’t think I have a vacancy, sir."

  Kree spun the register around so the man could read it and slammed two gold ladies onto the counter with enough force the innkeeper jumped. "Think again."

  The man took one look at his book and mopped his brow with the towel he had been twisting with his hands. "Oh, dear," he said, and scooped the coins off the counter. "Follow me, sir."

  The innkeeper showed Kree, Kayseri, and Prince Eldren to a small suite. As the man took his leave, Kree asked him to send up tea, biscuits, and a pitcher of ale. When the innkeeper closed the door, Kayseri clapped her hands like a delighted child.

  "What did you write in his book, My Captain?"

  She is not frightened at all. Her confidence in him overrode all thought of personal safety and it was a heady tonic. Her belief in him was almost as exhilarating as Goddess nectar. Kree grinned at her. "My name."

  Crossing to the window, Kree twitched the curtain back a fraction so he could watch the street below. Kayseri’s slender arms slipped around his waist. He felt her cheek press against his back. Through the roar in his blood, he thought, why not enjoys this moment. It’s innocent. But he knew why not, so he gently disengaged himself from her embrace. He led her by the hand to the window on his right. "Keep your eyes on that end of the alley, little girl. Elf, you take the other window."

  The innkeeper returned with the tray, having augmented the captain’s order with a wedge of white cheddar and several slabs of delicious smelling honey-glazed ham. Kree layered cheese and ham onto a biscuit, and poured himself a mug of brown ale before returning to his window.

  "Do not tell me we are supposed to eat now," Eldren said.

  People had begun to mill around in front of the tavern. Kree took a pull on his ale and watched them over the rim of the mug. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "The first law of campaigning, Eldren, is eat when you can. The second is like it, rest when you can. I'd advise both."

  Kayseri slipped over to the table and hurriedly helped herself to biscuits and cheese, before scurrying back to her post.

  Minutes later, Sister Chana joined them slipping silently into the room. "If you intended to make their bungholes pucker, you’ve succeeded. If you were looking to make friends, you need to work on your people skills. Ah, breakfast." She made her way to the table pulled up a chair and sliced off a piece of cheese with a small knife.

  Kree made a circular beckoning motion with the hand holding his biscuit, knowing she had more to report.

  "You were right, My Captain. A mercenary with a young girl was here." Chana took a sip of ale to wash down the cheese. "They stayed right here in this inn and left at sundown yesterday."

  Kree sat down across from her. "And?" He piled ham onto another biscuit.

  "And the mercenary figured out prince fancy-pants here," Chana tilted her head at Eldren, "was following him, so he paid the squire to hire some locals to slow Eldren up. It seems the fellow is meeting his contact somewhere nearby to deliver the goods, so to speak, and collect his fee."

  "Will they give me this mercenary?"

  "In a heartbeat. These people don’t have any loyalty to a here yesterday, gone today mercenary. You, on the other hand, are very much here today, and you have the power to visit misery upon them for the foreseeable future. The problem is they won't give up their squire, and I don’t think they can do one without the other. Pass me another slice of ham."

  Eldren left his task and stared at Kree unable to believe his pointed ears." If these people know Sandahl’s whereabouts, you should force them to talk."

  A muscle ticked in Kree’s jaw, betraying anger. "These people are citizens of a territory I am sworn to protect."

  "Fine words coming from a man prepared to sever hands over a horse only a moment ago."

  Kree moved fast. In a blink of an eye, he was in the elf’s face, jabbing his finger just inches from the prince’s nose. "Listen to me, elf, because I’m only going to say this once. I will do whatever it takes to get your princess back, for her sake not yours. If I have to squeak every one of these people, I will. I won't like it, but I’ll do it." Kree stalked to the window. "The thing you don’t understand is I won’t have to. As you've said, you don't understand human nature. In their effort to save their squire’s sod-rotted backside, they’ll lead us right to your princess. Now get the hell over there and watch your end of the alley."

  Prince Eldren moved slowly toward the window. "Eldren, you and Katie ate all of my rations last night. This morning you ate most of Sirocco’s rations. Eat something. That's an order."

  Kayseri turned to look at the captain. "Sirocco’s?"

  "Watch the alley, little girl," Kree admonished. "You did not think those dried out oatcakes were meant for people, did you?"

  She glanced at him with bright delighted eyes. "You ate them!"

  He gave her a wink. "I have eaten worse tasting things. Usually at your house."

  She nodded. "My mother is a terrible cook."

  The captain was intent on the st
reet below, but a crooked smile lurked at the corner of his mouth. "Your words, not mine. Your mother can’t make up her mind whether or not she likes me, and she thinks I stink."

  "Oh, pooh," Kayseri chided. "You are my father’s covenant brother, unanimously loved by all of clan Bruin and you know it."

  The note of approval in her voice was unmistakable, but it was the wrong thing to say. It reminded Kree of his proper role in her life. He frowned at the street below losing all trace of his teasing good humor. Below them, a chambermaid stepped off the rough plank sidewalk and hurried across the street. "They're moving." He twitched the curtain back into place, but continued to watch through the lacy fabric.

  In a matter of minutes, Eldren said, "A man just came out of the alley."

  "Do you recognize him?"

  "Yes. It is the ruffian who spoke to you."

  "I’ve got one too." Kayseri was practically jumping up and down. "It’s the boy you gave a coin to."

  "Which do we follow?"

  Kree grinned into his beer mug. Eldren’s agony was a thing of beauty.

  "My money is on the stableman." Chana popped another piece of cheese into her mouth.

  Kree scratched the red stubble, which had sprouted on his chin overnight and considered his options. What did he have? A kidnapped Thallasi princess of the First House touted as the last hope of two races. If he failed to recover her and humans were behind her abduction, there would be an all out race war. In addition, he had Kayseri whose adoring gaze told him he could do no wrong. Her regard spread warmth thick as honey in his middle, but its sweetness was a distraction he could ill afford. Then, there was Prince Eldren, waiting for his decision with the look of a man on the rack. As much fun as drawing out his decision would be, Kree could not afford maliciousness just now. Goddess willing, he'd get another chance.

  "I agree with Chana. We go with the stableman." The captain wrapped their leftover breakfast in the tablecloth and handed the bundle to Kayseri with a playful wink. "Be careful."